Page 132 - Dhamma Practice
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do not claim to be us—this is dhammanussati. We are chanting dhammanussati prayer, correct? Buddhanus- sati, dhammanussati, sanghanussati, punnanussati, uppamasamanussati—there are many things for us to reflect on.
And, whom should we think of, so that our mind would gain strength as quickly as possible. Whom should we think of, so that our mind would become meritorious easily? Try it. Let our mind be empty and unburdened. Then humbly think of the Buddha. Think of him with faith. Do we feel that we are close or far away from the Buddha? How do we feel? We feel close, correct? If we just chant “Buddho, Buddho”—compared with humbly and faithfully think about the Buddha—which moves us closer? When we humbly think of the Buddha, correct? This is because we do it with our heart, with respect, with faith.
Therefore, when someone is ill, nearing his/her final moment, he/she is told to think of the Buddha or arahants. This is so that his/her mind would be wholesome. When we think of the Buddha, when we feel close to the Buddha, how does our mind feel? Good, correct? Warm, not lonely—our mind would be bright and strong. That is the omnipotence of the Buddha. When we are ill, which dhamma teaching should we think of? We should think of the Buddha, no need to think of any dhamma teaching. This is because the Buddha is the