I would like to talk about ways to maintain health from a Buddhist perspective. Practise visualisation often: Using your inner vision to examine your own body is very beneficial to your health.
Visualise the head: Regularly visualise your head as sane and clear. One must be clear-headed. As it is often said, “Keep a cool head”.
Visualise the heart: Regularly visualise your heart as red, and surrounded by red blood.
Visualise the lungs: Visualise your lungs as white and clean. Feel the purity of white, and your lungs will get better. When you smoke, have fluid in the lungs or suffer from lung inflammation, they become black.
Visualise the kidneys: Visualise your kidneys as warm, but not hot. When the kidneys are excessively hot or cool, the urinary system will develop problems.
Visualise your essence: For men, one’s essence must be contained. For women, this refers to vitality, while for men, the essence is innate. The essence must be contained, meaning that one must use their primal spirit to contain their essence. Our primal spirit is very important. Many men’s eyes appear dispirited or lacking in vigour. In fact, these are the signs of poor essence, which has a negative effect on one’s energy levels. When the essence is uncontained, one will become dispirited. If a man is free of unwholesome thoughts, his essence will be exuberant, and he will be full of vigour. Dispirited eyes indicate that the person’s essence is not contained.
Visualise the stomach: Regularly visualise that your stomach is harmonious. At normal times, refrain from eating too much or too little.
Visualise the liver: Visualise your liver operating smoothly. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the term “stagnation of the liver qi” means the energy of the liver is not flowing smoothly. The liver is very important as it plays a role in blood cell production. Therefore, the free flow of liver qi must be ensured, while gallstones must be removed. Regular visualisation can help get rid of gallstones. It is believed that as people reach middle age, the chance of developing gallstones becomes higher.
Visualise the intestines: Regularly visualise that your intestines are soft, moist and lubricated. If they are not, disease is likely to follow.
Visualise the spleen: Regularly visualise the invigorating nature of your spleen. If it’s unhealthy, there will be a lot of side-effects.
In conclusion, visualise a clear head, white lungs, red heart, warm kidneys, a contained essence, a harmonious stomach, moist intestines, a smooth liver, an invigorating spleen and dissolving gallstones.
Also, contemplate this sentence often: “I am skilful at nourishing my great and righteous energy, as it pervades the space between Heaven and earth.”
Everybody must nurture their energy, but that energy must be the great and righteous kind. Be a virtuous person and receive the righteous energy that exists in the space between Heaven and earth. We keep our feet firmly on the ground and our heads up high to receive this righteous energy. We simply must possess the great energy of righteousness.
How should we recite mantras so that it is effective? Reciting mantras is the reciting of Buddhist scriptures. Short scriptures are known as mantras, while long scriptures are known as sutras. When reciting mantras, the words should be uttered in a pure and calm manner: intentions must be boundless, and the texts are esoteric and beyond interpretation.
When reciting sutras, your recitation must be clear, your mind at peace, and the texts heard clearly. You will get the best results from reciting sutras with a calm, peaceful state of mind. When you recite with unbounded thoughts, your thoughts are expanded and become immeasurable and limitless.
Why is it unnecessary to understand the sutras? It’s because the texts are esoteric, and beyond translation and comprehension. Like a code, do no try to comprehend what its meaning is. Just follow them and recite. Bodhisattvas’ heart mantras are not something that can be comprehended by mortals. It is similar to relaying code over a telegram – you don’t have to question why the numbers of the code are arranged in the way they are, or wonder what it means.
If you understand them incorrectly, the effectiveness of your recitation will be adversely affected. Therefore, one can only rely on transliteration rather than translation. Furthermore, sutras and mantras are the true words of the Bodhisattva, so how could anybody understand them with a human’s intellect? Therefore, those reciting must take note that only transliteration is possible, by pronouncing the text using the phonetic sound of each character.
When senior monks explain sutras and mantras, they are also only explaining the superficial meaning of them. After all, how many people can truly comprehend the underlying meaning of Bodhisattvas’ sutras and mantras?
Why does the effect of recitation vary among individuals?
- Difference in karma and difference in negative karmic force: The negative karmic force faced by each individual is different, which leads to differences in the effectiveness of their recitations. For those who have done many unwholesome deeds, their recitation will have little effect. In other words, the heavier one’s negative karma, the less effective their recitation will be.
- Differences in thoughts: When reciting sutras, different thinking will lead to different recitation effects. The more your mind wanders and becomes distracted during recitation, the less effective it becomes.
- Differences in the ocean of sounds: Differences in the vocal sounds people make when reciting sutras produces differences in the sound waves that are emitted. Therefore, the effectiveness of the recitation varies. When performing recitations, your voice should resonate like the sound of a large bell – such as the way you can hear the surging waves of the sea. If you have poor health, you will lack the energy to perform recitation and it will be ineffective. When you are happy, reciting sutras and mantras will make you even happier, and your recitation will be effective. When you open your mouth and start to chant, your eyes should be wide open because you want to integrate your thoughts, your mind and your spirit with nature. In other words, you should open your eyes at the start of your recitation, because the scriptures act as a conduit between Heaven and earth to help you unite with nature. Afterwards, a ray of light will appear in front of your eyes – another reason you should always start reciting with your eyes open. Then, as you recite, gradually and slowly close your eyes. For your recitation to be effective, you must enter a state in which you forget about your body and mind entirely. That is, recite the sutras and mantras to the point at which your mind ceases to think and your body no longer exists. Then, you are no longer “yourself” – you have become one with Heaven and earth.
How to perform recitations so it can be effective?
- You must find the right way to solve a problem. If the sutra you recite doesn’t suit the problem you want to deal with, it won’t be effective.
- You must relax, be at peace and smile gently. When reciting sutras, you should recite to the point that you are filled with Dharma bliss and almost burst with joy.
- You must visualise and listen to your voice. When reciting sutras, you should concentrate, visualise Guan Yin Bodhisattva, and listen to your voice. Listening to the sound of your recitation helps to stop your mind from wandering.
- Visualise that you are surrounded by innumerable rays of bright, golden light that the Bodhisattvas shine upon you. How many of you could think about that when performing recitation? You should visualise the innumerable rays of golden light that shine upon you, illuminating your lungs as white and your heart as red. That is how you apply the Buddha-dharma in real life. Wisdom is like a cluster of light. Normally, people’s minds are scattered and difficult to form into shape. However, your cleverness and intellect are a cluster of light. If it’s scattered and there are too many distracting thoughts, wisdom won’t arise. To become wise, first your mind must be calm. Only with calm and peace can you gather the light of wisdom.