持咒唸佛Recitation Of The Buddha’s Name & Mantra

大概兩個星期前的一個周日晚上，面見一位男客人，給他新的名字。他看到吾在進食前會持往生咒，後來，好奇地問吾：“師父，晚上持咒不會招很多鬼來嗎？”

唸「南無阿彌陀佛」、「南無觀世音菩薩」等為唸佛，而唸「嗡啊弥得哇舍」、「嗡嘛呢呗咪吽」等就是在持咒。那咒跟佛號，可以任選一嗎？最好兩個一起唸，因 爲唸佛是呼喚佛，而持咒是直接觸碰佛的心。祂知道妳你有難，馬上會派護法來幫助妳你。一個是衣領，一個是衣服，衣服不可以沒有領，沒有領就不成衣服，所以 唸佛和持咒最好能合起來，才會功德圓滿。

用數珠來持咒唸佛，每拔一顆珠，就是把一個佛的種子深深地植入我們的心裏面，那我們未來必定能夠成佛。用兩手握住數珠，是代表兩手都在轉法輪，而將數珠握 在妳你的胸膛前，更是提醒妳你要一心唸佛。持咒唸佛時，不可以想其他東西，妳你的咒音要出口、入耳、印心，就會產生一種力量出來。

持咒唸佛時，會有一種結界，設了一道防綫，所以這些「第三者」根本不能夠進來。因此，不用害怕晚上持咒唸佛會引「第三者」出現，這是人一種錯誤的想法，心的作用。妳你在持咒的時候，佛菩薩都在放光照妳你。周圍都有佛光注照時，這些「好兄弟」很難近妳你身。

第二，妳你唸了，她他聼了，她他也能夠得度。我們人都有業障，也一定會有纏身靈。我們持咒時，我們的纏身靈也會聼到，她他也跟著唸的時候，將來我們全部都能一起成佛，這就是大慈大悲。

持咒唸佛不一樣，但兩個最好合在一起，會有很大的力量，能夠推毀一切挫障，給妳你人生走得比較順。有人設起障礙給妳你，要給妳你倒，陷害妳你，當妳你唸比較多的時候，那些障礙會倒，妳你就能夠通行無阻。

On one weekday night, two weeks ago, I met a male client to give him his newly-minted Chinese name. He saw me chanting the Rebirth in Pureland mantra before I consumed my food. Out of curiosity, he asked me, “Master, doesn’t chanting during the night attract many spirits to come?”

Reciting “Namo Amituofo”, “Namo Guan Shi Yin Pu Sa”, etc is called recital of Buddha’s name, whereas when you chant “Om Amideva Hrih”, “Om Mani Pae Me Hom”, you are chanting a mantra. Between reciting the Buddha’s name and a mantra, do you choose only one? It would be ideal to both recite the Buddha’s name and chant the mantra as the former is akin to calling out to a particular Buddha or Bodhisattva, while the latter is akin to touching Their hearts. The Buddha or Bodhisattva would know once you are in need, and would send the Dharma Protectors to your aid. Just like a shirt would not be complete without a collar, your merits would be complete if you recite the Buddha’s name and chant His Mantra at the same time.

When you use mala beads to recite the Buddha’s name or chant his Mantra, for every bead that you count, you are planting a Buddha seed deep into your subconsciousness, and these seeds would ripen in the future for you to attain Buddha-hood. To hold your mala beads with both hands symbolises you turning the wheel of Dharma with both your hands. And to hold your mala beads in front of your chest is a reminder for you to be focused when chanting.

You should not have other thoughts when you are chanting. The sounds of your recitation should ring in your ears and leave an imprint in your heart, and from there, a kind of power will emerge. Recitation of the Buddha’s name and mantra is a form of demarcation and sets a boundary, making it impossible for the “third parties” to come in. Hence, there is no reason to think that chanting at night will attract the “invisibles”. This is a misconception. When you are chanting, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will shine Their light on you. When you are surrounded by Their Light, the “invisibles” will not be able to get near you.

Secondly, when you are chanting or reciting, it would be audible to the other people in your surroundings, and these people would inevitably plant the seeds of salvation for themselves as well. We come with our own karmic debts and debtors. As you chant the mantra, your karmic debtors will hear and might even follow in your footsteps and start chanting for their own salvation too. We could all attain Buddha-hood together. This is great compassion.

Chanting the mantra is different from reciting the Buddha’s name. However, by combining both of them would generate great power to help you overcome the obstacles in life, allowing you a smoother journey ahead. People might set up hurdles to make you fall or harm you. When the frequency of your chanting increases, these obstacles will be removed and you shall pass through them effortlessly.