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Diligent Practice Blooms the Lotus of a Thousand Petals - Amitabha Sutra 4
On page 96 of the book “Chanting from the Heart,” there is a promise from all the Buddhas in the universe to use the energy of mindfulness to support those who practice the Amitabha Sutra, called the samadhi of single-minded action: when we recite the name of any Buddha, we come into contact with all the Buddhas, and we are sustained on the path of practice thanks to the supportive power that arises from the self-power of the sangha. In the Pure Land, even though we may still carry greed, anger, ignorance, and suffering (bringing our afflictions with us as we are born into the Pure Land), thanks to the energy of support from the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the sangha, beings can still “float” on the boat of the Pure Land and gradually transform their suffering through daily mindfulness practice.
The nine grades of lotus flowers in the Pure Land are divided into three levels, each level containing three sub-grades, symbolizing the degree to which ordinary beings and sages dwell together when reborn in the Pure Land:
- Lower grade
- Middle grade
- Upper grade
Each recitation of “Namo Amitabha Buddha” and each mindful breath helps that lotus bud grow right in our own heart, demonstrating that the Pure Land is not a faraway realm after death, but a state of mind that can be practiced and dwelled in, in the present moment.