Nada and Shabda in Buddhism

 

1. Extract from the "Surangama Sutra", and

2. The secret meditation - technique of the "Golden Ears"

Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara) and Amitabha are the most practiced tantric Yidams in Mahayana. Buddha Amitabha has in Asia a Mantra-Sadhana designated as 'Nianfo'.

== Shabda and Nada ==


In the Mahāsakuludāyi Sutta, the Buddha already mentions the technique of transcendental hearing that is practiced elsewhere as Nada Yoga. Therefore, the secret technique of "Golden Ears" is described here.

Also Jamgon Kongtrul speaks about the Vajra-Nada, which spins the wheel of the dharma and spreads the tantras. From Tibet, techniques of listening to the sounds of the right ear have become public.

'It's easiest to hear that sound when it's quiet, especially at night. Once you have identified this tone, place your mind on it without wavering. By letting your mind rest in the sound, you continue to listen and keep going into the sound. 'Mind beyond death , Dzogchen Ponlop,  Snow Lion, 2008, ISBN-10: 1559393017 ISBN-13: 978-1559393010, pg. 190 ( Taking Sound As The Path )

 == Buddha Amitabha ==

 

Amitābha(Sanskrit: [əmiˈt̪aːbʱə]), also Amida or Amitāyus) is a celestial buddha a of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Amitābha means "Infinite Light" so Amitābha is also called "The Buddha of Immeasurable Life and Light".

He is also the principal buddha in Pure Land Buddhism.

In Vajrayana Amitābha is known for his longevity attribute, magnetising red fire element, the aggregate of discernment, pure perception and the deep awareness of emptiness of phenomena. 

== Surangama Sutra ==

 

1. : ...So i meditated on these various things and wondered about the great identity - without any difference except the rate of vibration. I acknowledged that the nature of these vibrations has neither an origin of its coming nor a destination of its going , and that all feeling beings who are as numerous as the tinyest particles of dust in the immeasuralbe space , each consist of vibrations of its specific manner , and that each of them is captive in the illusion to be a unique creation . All feeling beings in each of the threethousand huge Chili-Cosmosses are concerned of this hallucination.

....the last one , called Buddha-Chandra-Suryagomin , taught me to practice meditation on the name of AMITABHA , by repeating " NAMO AMIMTABHA-BUDDHAYA".

Blessed Lord ! Based on the worship for this Buddha Avalokiteshvara he teached me , how i could reach the DIAMANOND SAMADHI through this simple method of concentrating my mind on the "Transcendental Hearing ". Furthermore he helped me to acquire the same pitying trait , which was common to all Tathagatas , and thorough which i reached the 32 types of transfomations, which anytime can be achieved as a reaction on the prayers for liberation out of all parts of the world.
All of these transformations were gained and in perfect freedom and completely independent practiced in the mystic DIAMOND SAMADHI , which i reached through the practice of conzentration and DHYANA (Meditation) on the "transcendental ear".
Blessed Lord ! As a result of the mystic forces which accompany the DIAMOND SAMADHI and through my perfect unity with all feeling beings , who in the six regions of the ten directions of the heavens of all universes in the past , presence and future seriously long for liberation , i was able to lend all feeling beings the same fourteen sorts of fearlessness , which fulfill my own mind.

...Since many Kalpas , which are as numerous as the particles of the sand of the river Ganga, Buddha Avalokiteshvara , who hears and fulfills prayers , had visited all Buddha - Lands of the ten ends of the universe , had acquired transcendental forces of unlimited freedom and fearlessness , and he had vowed to liberate all feeling beings from the tiedness and from their suffering.
How euphonious and mysterious is the transcendental sound of Avalokiteshvara ! It is the pure Brahma - Sound. It is thesoft flush of the waves of the sea - transferred inwardly. Their mystic sound brings peace and liberation for all feeling beings who call for help in their distress. It gives to those , who truly seek for the peace of NIRVANA , the sense of the consistency.

All brothers of this big assembly, and even You, Ananda, should turn back your outer hearing and inwordly listen to the perfect united and true sound of Your spirit , because as soon as you have attained the true perfect adjustment , the highest enlightenment is achieved.
Avalokiteshvara achieved the perfect enlightenment not only in the long periods of the past through this golden path but as well in the presence - and i am one of them too.

== Extracts of the Amitabha - Sutra ==

 

Thus i have heard, at one time Lord Buddha dwelt in Shravasti.......
At that time the Buddha told the elder Sharipurta, that from here , passing through of hundreds of thousands of millions of Buddhaland to the West, there is a world called "bliss" In this land a buddha called AMITABHA right now teaches the Dharma.
Moreover, Shariputra, in the land of bliss are pools of seven jewels , filled with the waters of eight meritious qwualities; the bottom of each pool is pure, covered with golden sands. On the four sides climb stairs of gold, silver, lapis lazuli, chrystal, mother-of-pearl, rubies and carnelian.
In this Buddhaland heavenly music always plays, and the ground is made of gold. .......this land offers sacks filled with myrads of wonderful flowers to the hundres of thousands of millions of Buddhas of the other directions.
What do You think, Shariputra, why is this Buddha called Amitabha ? Shariputra , the brilliance of this Buddha's light is measureless, illuming the lands of the ten directions everywhere without obstruction. For this reason he is called "AMITABHA".

Shariputra, in the western world, measureless Life Buddha, Infinite Features Buddha, Measureless Curtain Buddha, Great Light Buddha, Great Clarity Buddha, Jewelled Likeness Budha, Pure Light Buddha, all Buddhas such as these, numberless as Ganges' sands, each in his own country gives forth a vast and far reaching SOUND that pervades the threefold, great, thousand - world realm and proclaims these sincere and honest words: All you living being should beleive in this sutra which all Buddhas praise for its incoceivable merit and virtue , protecting and bearing in mind.
After the Buddha spoke this sutra, Shariputra, all the Bhikshus, and the entire world of gods, humans, asuras, and others, hearing what the Buddha had said, joyously delighted it, faithfully accepted it, bowed and withdrew.

The Amitabha Buddha's body is the color gold.
The splendor of his brilliant light is beyond mind.
The light of his brows illuminates a hundred worlds.
His eyes are pure brilliant light, limitless like the oceans.
In Amitabha's realm of infinite light, all beings are transformed and Enlightened into countless Bodhisattvas and Buddhas.
His Forty Eight Vows ensure our liberation
In Nine Lotus Stages we reach the ultimate shore of Enlightenment.
Homage to the Buddha of the Pure Land,
Compassionate Amitabha Buddha.

NAMO AMITABHA BUDDHAYA

( from the Amitahbha Sutra)

      As encore here the techniqe of the "Golden Ears"....

 

1. The room should be a bit darkened, to air it regularly after meditation is always good !

2. At first imagine for some minutes that the infinite cosmic space is filled with highest consciousness, and then take refuge to all the buddhas of the 6 cosmic directions of past, presence and future.

3. Spread the fingers of your hands and press with the thumb on the earlobes, so that the ears are closed.
Place the remaining fingers at the forehead and the side of the head, so that the small finger is placed above the temple, and then close your eyes and relaxe Your fingers and Your arms !

Repeat now internally slowly easily und singing the Mantram "Na-mo Amitab-ha Buddha-ya" and imagine how Buddha Amitabha appears at some distance above before you (I want to save his description here) and radiates into your forehead and into your heading a diamond-clear golden powerful light, which fulfills you completely.

As soon as you (possibly first after very long years) see inner light also without imagination, concentrate on the repetition of the Mantram "NAMO AMIMTABHA-BUDDHAYA" ( and the inner sounds ) AND on this light - as well as on the Buddha. This simultaneous concentration is a question of exercise and evolution.

Really deep meditation is first possible at the step 12 of the Universal Path. Then the sphere tones occur quite slowly, and the inner light is stronger.

* We should slowly terminate the meditation with the wish that also in daily life the power of Amitabha may flow through us, and that we represent his principles and ideals in daily life.

You can start meditating twice 15 minutes daily, and You can expand the time gradually up to one hour. It should however refresh You. Once in the week You should meditate for some hours.

4.  Absolute beginners may  just use a syllable 'Ri', 'Li', 'Gi' or another Bjia of the throat-chakra.  This is more a Nada-meditation. The success depends upon many individual factors.

5. A common chinese (Ngöndro-) Mantra for preparation with or without mala-rosary is 'Pu long ho'(up to 3 hrs without tiredness...) . Others are 'Om-ahe-hong' , 'Om-ah-hung-swaha' and 'Tsa-hum-bam-ho'.

6. Another common meditation is about Amitabha as Dharmakaya-Buddha, who is visualisized above the head in red form together with the mantram "Om Ami Dewa Hrih"(Tib. Ompagme), evtl. after a Refuge with OM-AH-HUM-Preexercise .

7. Amitabha is also the buddha of Phowa. FPMT offers a sadhana for the daily practice.with a long Amitabha mantra.

To the buddhist Kriya-Tantra belong besides Amitabha even Avalokiteshvara, Tara and Vajrasattva. Amitabha also belongs to the five dhayani buddhas.

The most known Meditationform of Buddhism is the Sadhana of Chenrezig which requires a Vajrayana- Empowerment and is based on the well known OM-Mani-Peme-Hum. Spiritual forces like mercy and compassion can of course not surrender to the ignorance but tend to eliminate these forces and their practical implications :

 


 

 

 

The Universal  Doctrine

 

  The Universal Path
of Spirituality

 

 Copyright 2022
universal-path.org