Some short notes regarding Pure Land recitation.
Take up a posture that allows free breathing such as one of those listed below
- Sitting on the ground with knees below hips, and back straight, body settled
- Standing kneel, where the body is aligned vertically over the knees, not resting the buttocks on the feet
- Standing
- Walking
- Prostrating
Begin by unifying body, speech and mind around recitation. The lips and breath represent bodily action, the recitation represents verbal action, and the earnest intention to connect with Amitābha Buddha or Guanshiyin represents mental action, all unified in the act of recitation. This leaves little room for other mental states and phenomena to squeeze in or manifest as vexations. While reciting, keep the mind on clearly and earnestly reciting each syllable, and observing how that is going.
As the recitation gains momentum, notice how different thoughts, impulses, moods, etc. arise from time to time, and how by simply returning to the recitation as the focus of attention, they spin themselves out and dissolve back into the void. This is such a simple and natural way to purify the mind and the karma that arises, moment by moment.
Continuing deeper into recitation, begin to simply surrender to reciting. Let all concerns and thoughts fall by the way-side, until increasingly, there is only recitation as experience. Let the whole fiber of your being unify into simply surrendering to direct experience of recitation.