November 5, 1979

If there is incense in the censer already, then you should just bow. People live as long as they have a single breath left; likewise, a single stick of incense is enough for the Buddhas. If you light too much incense, the Buddha can't even open his eyes with all the smoke. You may say, "The Buddha isn't like ordinary people. Smoke shouldn't bring tears to his eyes. He should be able to take it." Perhaps, but how can you make the Buddhas endure what people find unendurable? Isn't that too disrespectful?

For example, if you tell someone who is already full, "Eat some more! Eat some more!" you'll make him stuffed to the point of bursting. Likewise, assuming the Buddha does "accept" the offense offered him, then no matter who offered the incense, the Buddha has already accepted it and it's the same as if you offered it yourself. You can simply bow sincerely a few times, and that will suffice. Don't be like the person who scolded me after he heard me say that lighting too much incense is superstitious. I probably put it too strongly, so he was upset and scolded me. I don't mind being scolded, but his attitude was disrespectful to the Buddhas. If you come to the Buddha Hall and act as you please, not abiding by the rules, you are just like a bandit. Those of you who have taken refuge with me should pay close attention to this. We should all work together and not fight to offer incense, being as superstitious and greedy as most Buddhists are. If you insist on fighting to offer incense, the Buddha will think, "This stupid person will always be stupid, because he doesn't follow the rules. He's serving me more food than I need, covering my whole table with dishes of food. How does he expect me to eat so much?" That's an analogy. The Buddha already has incense, yet you light more until the whole censer is filled with incense. How can the Buddha take so much smoke?

The incense is a token of our respect. If there is some in the censer already, we don't need to light more. Incense is very expensive nowadays. Why should we be so wasteful? You should look into this well. In any matter, we want to understand the principle behind it, not just blindly follow others, thinking, "Everyone else is rushing to offer incense, so it must be a good thing." Actually, such people are creating offenses in Buddhism. Why are they so unreserved about showing the Buddha their greedy hearts?

Buddhists should absolutely be sure they understand this principle. We don't want to create offenses in Buddhism by scolding one another and competing to offer incense. Such behavior is pointless. It's utterly superstitious and lacking in wisdom. Why are we still so stupid? It's because we keep doing stupid things like this.

The same principle of moderation applies to food offerings. It is disrespectful to cover the whole altar with dishes of food. How can we expect the Buddha to eat so much?

Don't seek elsewhere for the Land of Ultimate Bliss;
Amitabha Buddha is right before your eyes!

November 6, 1979

Today I'll explain a method for going to the Land of Ultimate Bliss to meet Amitabha Buddha. If you're happy here in this world and have no wish to move to another world, you don't have to listen. However, if you are sick and tired of the Saha world and yearn for the eternal bliss of the Western Land, then listen carefully!

The "Vow to Be Reborn in the West" begins: With one mind I return my life to Amitabha Buddha who is in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. With a concentrated mind free of discursive or scattered thoughts, I return my body, mind, nature, and life to the Land of Ultimate Bliss, where Amitabha Buddha dwells. In the past, Amitabha Buddha was an ordinary person just like us, but after he left the home-life to cultivate the Way, he made a vow. He vowed that when he became a Buddha, the beings in his Buddhaland would endure none of the sufferings but would enjoy every bliss, and that the three evil paths (hells, hungry ghosts, and animals) would not exist in his land. Thus his land is known as the Land of Ultimate Bliss. How can one be reborn there? One can use the "Ten Recitations Method," which is to simply recite "Namo Amitabha Buddha" single-mindedly for at least ten breaths each day. Amitabha Buddha vowed that if beings who did this were not reborn in his land, he would not attain Proper Enlightenment.

By virtue of his vows, he realized the Land of Ultimate Bliss, and any living being in the ten directions can recite "Namo Amitabha Buddha" and be reborn there, where they will endure none of the sufferings but will enjoy every bliss. For this reason, we should with one mind return our life to Amitabha Buddha, wishing his pure light illumines me and his kind vows gather me in. Now, with proper mindfulness, I praise the Thus Come One's name, the name of Amitabha Buddha, in order to take the path of Bodhi and to seek rebirth in the Pure Land. Amitabha Buddha's past vows gather in all living beings to the Land of Ultimate Bliss. If living beings practice at least ten recitations and are not reborn there, he vowed not to become a Buddha.