Page 70 - Popular Deities of Chinese Buddhism (Illustrated) and Symbols

your eyes and imagine that the Buddha has manifested before

you. Make three bows as a gesture of reverence. Make known

the purpose or motivation of your worship i.e., praying for long

life for one’s parents or the well-being of certain friends. Softly

or mentally recite his name — in the case of this Buddha:

“N H-T Y S Y S F…”

or one may choose to recite the great dharani from 9 up to 108*

times with utmost sincerity and reverence. It may take a great

deal of effort at the beginning of the practice to hold the prayer

with full concentration, but after some time, with perseverance,

the result of one-pointedness will be felt. In the midst of prayers

one should first imagine that the Buddha is happy with one’s

effort, then he gives his blessings by radiating pure light onto

oneself. e Buddha’s light fills up the entire body with its radi-

ance purifying one’s defilements or illness. One should generate a

very happy feeling for this blessing and be moved to practise such

virtues as loving-kindness and compassion towards all other sen-

tient beings so that, without hesitation, one immediately transfers

all such blessings received to them. is is done by imagining that

the radiance of one’s own body is absorbed by all beings in the

universe which will help purify their bad karma and cause them

to be happy in the future. In case one is praying for the Buddha’s

blessings for a friend, one should then imagine that he is sitting

in front of oneself so that all the light that is radiated from the

Buddha will flow into his body thus benefiting him solely. After

the prayers one should sit for a short while to feel the calm and

blissful feelings that one has built up and then sincerely pray that

all beings too will be blessed with such happiness.

 