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The Pure Land in Our Hands
Reciting the name of Avalokiteshvara in Sanskrit — Namo Avalokiteshvara — is not merely about pronunciation, but most essentially about placing our mind on the name, generating the energy of mindfulness and the energy of concentration. The Bodhisattva does not exist outside of us as a statue, but is present in every cell of our body and mind, waiting to be awakened by true mindfulness. Similarly, our ancestors do not dwell only on the ancestral altar at home, but live on in our very bodies; every cell carries the inheritance of our parents and grandparents, so keeping our body pure is the most concrete way to honor our ancestors.
The Pure Land of Amitabha is not somewhere in the Western direction outside of us, but is present right in our own heart—Mind-Only Pure Land. Walking meditation (the Dharma door of the Three Doors of Liberation) is a profound practice for practitioners, allowing each step to bring us into the Pure Land. The practice is simple:
- Walk slowly: as you breathe in, take a step and think, “I have arrived.”
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As you breathe out, take another step and think, “I am home.”
With each breath and step fully present in the here and now, body and mind are in harmony, ending the chasing after past and future. Whether you are at a bus station, an airport, or a meditation garden, just practicing mindful breathing with “I have arrived, I am home,” any place becomes the Pure Land, and walking meditation together will generate a collective energy that is powerful and uplifting, supporting each individual.