Page 68 - Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) and Symbols

“Manjusri, if you see a pious man or woman who suffers from

a disease, you shall do the following whole-heartedly for these

people: let them keep clean by taking frequent baths and rinse

their mouths, give them food, medicine and clean water, and re-

cite the Dharani for a hundred and eight times, then all diseases

will disappear entirely. If one should have a particular wish, he

should concentrate and recite the magical formula. en he will

fulfill all he wishes, he will be without disease, and will live

longer. After his death, he will be born in paradise without hav-

ing to return to this world, and will in the end attain perfect

Enlightenment….”

While reciting the above dharani or the Buddha’s name, one

should contemplate on the Buddha’s image and then one may

arrive at the state of the Buddha-recitation samadhi when one

is reciting and yet not reciting, not reciting and yet reciting. For

those who do not have an image of the Buddha, either of the two

pictures on Yao Shih Fwo should serve the purpose. e same

is true of all the illustrations of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas

provided in this book; they are all suitable objects of meditation

or contemplation.

Here is a simple method of practice which may be of some help

to those who have no idea of how to pray and therefore are

not likely to have a Buddha image. Worship can be practised

anywhere but a quiet and clean room is the most suitable. Place

before you the image or picture of the Buddha that you would

like to worship. Gaze at the picture for a minute or two to calm

your mind and generating the desire to worship. Lightly close

 