Dewa is the Tibetan word for sukha. If you recite Amitabha’s name every day, when you die you will go to the blissful realm of Amitabha like a rocket, without any obstacle. There are also sounds in Sanskrit that we simply don’t have — all of those letters with dots below them involve turning the tip of the tongue backwards on the roof of the mouth, for example — and so most of us are never going to pronounce Sanskrit correctly. The dhyana mudra is how one traditionally arranges one’s hands during Buddhist meditation, all those pictures of yoga practitioners with their hands on their knees notwithstanding. By the way, I’ve been meaning to correct this article for ages. Lama Zopa Rinpoche offering prayers in front of the Amitabha statue at Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, Washington, US, July 2014. I shall now give you detailed instructions so that you and future generations who desire to practice the pure actions may attain birth in the Western Realm of Ultimate Bliss.Other Sutras concerning Amitabha and his Pure Land are the So you may be wondering, what is a Pure Land? :)Thank you also for your helpful comments about the relationship between Amitayus and Amitabha. Namo Amitabha is een mantra die ook regelmatig wordt gebruikt. Amideva is just the Tibetan pronunciation of Amitabha (although I was told for a long time that “deva” here meant “god”). Have you any ideas about that, Bodhipaksa? I’ll write and ask.The Medicine Buddha mantra (and the figure himself) is one I know very little about, for some reason. Amitabha is portrayed as a monk, wearing robes, while Amitayus is in Bodhisattva form, that is looking like a young prince with long hair and jewelry.Some people have argued that it’s the pronunciation that’s important, but more generally it’s the spirit that counts. Probably aramaṇi should be aramaṇa as well, but I’m not certain. To my surprise the text doesn’t seem to be available online.The essence of visualization practice, however, is that you visualize the figure in front of and above you, you chant the mantra, and you receive blessings flowing from the figure in the form of light that radiates from the Buddha to you. The Nembutsu comes from the Amitāyur-Dhyāna SÅ«tra which details six mediations on the Buddha, known technically as This mani stone in Sikkhim shows the Amitāyus mantra as the Tibetans write it in the Uchen script. Your methaphor is not offensive to me. A Pure Land is what we might think of as a parallel dimension or alternative universe which has been constructed by the infinite merit of a Buddha in his eons of practice. Mantras are very mutable, and of course “amitabha” is the actual name.

In a Pure Land everything is conducive to gaining enlightenment. You should concentrate your thoughts upon and visualize that Buddha-land which is the result of pure actions.

Your “Harii-hiih” is just a more-or-less phonetic rendering of the pronunciation of Hrih (see the pronunciation guide on this page for details).Please note that I have made an amendment to my re-creation of the Sanskrit Amitāyus mantra. These poisons are transmuted into beauty, and likewise Amitabha’s practice turns the poison of greed into love. Thus traditions evolve! Thank you!I just found your site; great stuff. That would be an interesting research project — perhaps for Jayarava? In Indian folklore it is said that the peacock’s brilliant colors come from the poison of the snakes they eat. and that Amitabha is the root guru of Buddha Shakyamuni (he is usually depicted on BS’s crown). By way of a parallel, I think Americans would do well to get out of the habit of pronouncing the French Thank you also for the comment about pronunciation. (As an aside, a friend of mine was ordained and given the name “Amaradeva” which means “deathless god.” Symbolically The final ḥ in hrīḥ has the effect of producing an echo sound.