5 Minutes Condensed Practice

Recently, when days are busy, I find myself increasingly turning to this condensed practice to meet daily routine requirements.

1. 108 Om Mani Padme Hum - Chosen this mantra partly due to my karmic affinity with Kwan Yin Pusa, and that this mantra is known to help purify negative emotions, bad karma and to generate positive energy.
2. Sitting Quietly for a Short While - Not using any particular method, not doing anything in particular, just quietly sitting, thoughts and emotions, birds chirping and cars zooming, whatever that arises, come and go, not questioning whether am I in the "correct state" or not, not excluding anything, not holding onto anything...
3. Ten Recitation of Amituofo - Re-commit to my aspiration to seek rebirth in Pure land, followed ten recitation of Amituofo. Finally end the practice with the dedication of merits.

Feeling the Presence of Amituofo

You should try to say the name-prayer of the Buddha of Infinite Light (Amituofo) one hundred times a day with strong devotion.  Then try to increase it.  If you could keep doing more and more, a time might come for you that whatever you are doing, you will always be with the name of the Buddha in your breath and the feeling of his presence in your mind.  If that happens, then when you die, you will die with the name of the Buddha and the feelings of his presence.  If that happens, as soon as you die, because of the merits, the blessings of the Buddha and your devotional habits, all your perceptions will arise as the Blissful Pure Land of the Buddha of Infinite Light.  Your future will be in peace and happiness. You will become a source of benefit for many others.  Isn't it wonderful!

~Yukhog Chatralwa (a Tibetan Master)

Merry X'mas & a Happy New Year to all my dear friends out there.
I pray that this X'mas will be, for you,
a cheerful ending to 2014 and a great beginning to a happy 2015.

Re-affirming my commitment to the daily practice menu for 2015, (1) renew my vows; (2) recite Amituofo (ten-recitation-method); (3) short sittings (method of no-method); (4) work with negative emotions (3R method); and (5) to take pauses.

May all of us continue to enjoy our practice and be well and happy.
Amituofo. =)