We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track. If this problem persists help us by reporting it so we can investigate it.
Watch this talk
Login or create a free account to watch this talk and discover other teachings from Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Log in or create an account
The Name of Avalokiteshvara – The True Name of God
The great religions have all developed methods of reciting the holy names in order to touch the sacred source:
– In the Jewish tradition, God is called Yahweh, “I am that I am,” evoking the concept of Suchness.
– In Christianity, the term “I am” is associated with the Holy Trinity (Father–Son–Holy Spirit) and affirms that “in him was life, and the life was the light of man.”
– In Islam, “The beautiful names of God” encompass many appellations such as “the merciful,” “the compassionate,” “the powerful”…
In Buddhism, the Sutra on Avalokiteshvara with 500 Names lists 500 names of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, each name emphasizing a liberating function: letting go of craving, removing anger, cultivating loving kindness, manifesting throughout the Dharma realm… The practice with bell and wooden fish, reciting the names—prostrating—breathing three times, helps to transform the formal recitation of the names into true mindfulness.
Three concrete meditation exercises to practice daily (whether sitting, in prostration, or five minutes of walking meditation):
- Mindfulness of Father – “I am the child of my father; I am the continuation of my father; I am my father.”
- Mindfulness of Mother – similarly, to receive and transform all the suffering and aspirations of the mother.
- Mindfulness of Teacher – to recognize oneself as a disciple, as the continuation, as the teacher himself.
- Mindfulness of the Buddha – to clearly see the nature of no birth and no death in the breath, the body, and the Buddha nature.