In today's podcast I explain the meaning of nembutsu from the Amida Shu perspective. Nembutsu is often chanted as part of Buddhist gatherings or you can sing it as you go for a walk on your own or in front of a home altar/shrine.
Namo Amida Bu – the six syllables NA MO A MI DA BU constitute a prayer, which enjoys immense prestige and reverence. It is very essential to the Buddhism of China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan. In Japanese this prayer is referred to as the nembutsu, in Chinese nian-fo.
Nembutsu: nem means mindfulness, butsu means Buddha. So, nembutsu is to have Buddha in mind, to be mindful of Buddha. Whatever you do: be mindful of Buddha; and the way to be mindful of Buddha is to call the prayer Namo Amida Bu.
So, this is the central practice, fundamental practice in Amida Shu Buddhism.
In Amida Shu, we say we have three fundamentals:
- The first fundamental is the bombu nature of the adherent. This means, the ordinary person is vulnerable, fragile, prone to error; we say: a foolish being of wayward passion. That’s you and me! This is the bombu being. This is the first principle.
- The second principle is the Trikaya nature of Buddha, that i/ Buddha is Absolute Truth, ii/ Buddha is an appearance in the world and iii/ Buddha is a spiritual presence, ever with us, ever available, enfolding us. This is the Trikaya nature of Buddha.
So, you have on the one hand the bombu being - on the other hand you have the Trikaya Buddha, the Tathāgata; and then,
- like a bridge between these two pillars, you have the nembutsu.
The nembutsu is the prayer that links the bombu being to the Buddha.
So, in one way, the nembutsu is myself calling out to the Buddha. It is: “Please, come to my aid.” It is: “I take refuge.” It is: “Thank you very much for all that you have provided, for putting the Dharma into my life.” It is everything that I might want to express towards the Buddha. All summed up in six syllables. Six syllables which I can utter on every occasion and thereby associate whatever happens, whatever I do, with those aspirations.
But the nembutsu is also the Buddha calling to me. The nembutsu is the Buddha’s love, the Buddha’s protection coming to me. The real nembutsu is the nembutsu said by Buddha.
So, nem-butsu (mindfulness of Buddha): Namo Amida Bu.
The “Namo” refers to the bombu being, “Amida Bu” refers to the Buddha Amida (Amitabha), the Buddha who is beyond relativity, who is beyond conditions.
So, we ordinary beings, wrapped up in conditions, relativity and dependency, call out to and open our hearts to the Buddha, who is beyond these limitations. As we recognize the depth of our own vulnerable nature, so our heart opens more and more, and “the seed of the Buddha” (Tathāgatagarbha), descends into our heart and becomes the driving force of a truly spiritual life.
This is not done by our making a supreme effort to make ourselves into a perfect being. We do not have that power. It is done by allowing the seed of the Buddha, the light of the Buddha, the love of the Buddha to enter into us. The Buddha’s nembutsu comes to us and transforms us from within beyond our conscious contrivance - beyond our knowledge even - the way of the Buddha prevails. We have faith in it, we give thanks for it, we open ourselves to it.
This is the nembutsu. Namo Amida Bu. Namo Amida Bu for every occasion.
Thank you very much
Dharmavidya
David
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You can listen to Satyavani and Kaspalita, from the Amida Shu temple in Malvern UK, chanting the nembutsu here:
http://www.amidashu.org/dailynembutsu/prostrations_5mins.mp3
There are many variations in the way nembutsu is said across Asia.
In Chinese it is Namo Amituo Fo
https://eleusis.ning.com/video/birds-in-summer-autumn-garden-2015-with-namo-amituofo-chant
Here are some other Chinese recitations (There are lots on the internet):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSr56u0ZkXI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ts8UYG8b8g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTol6aBdHpA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH43a7kJiyM
When I was in the jungle in Assam and met Tamang tribespeople, they asked my practice and I told them about nembutsu and they said "Yes, we do that too. We say it: Om Ami Dewa Hrih".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-cMLSeo3Lo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb7o6BS_y5s
But nembutsu does not have to be sung to a tune. You can just say "Namo Amida Bu" any time, in relation to anything that happens. It can be a greeting, like "Hello" or "Goodbye" or "Thank you". When I was in Vietnam, greeting people with "Namo Adida Phat" immediately acknowledged that we were both Buddhist and brought smiles to faces.
It is the intention that matters. Enjoy.
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