Subduing and Transforming One’s Thoughts

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How does one subdue and transform one’s thoughts? When an evil thought arises, one should constantly have the wisdom to be aware of it and stop the wandering thoughts. For many kalpas, for which there is no beginning, ordinary being have been immersed in affliction and habits, so they naturally have many wandering thoughts.

But it is said, “Do not fear a thought arising; fear realizing is too late”. When an evil thought arises, one should immediately detect it and transform it into “Amituofo”. This is indeed cultivation.

In the Zen school, this is the practice of enlightening illumination. Here is where we practice transforming an evil thought into a virtuous thought, transforming an evil thought into “Amituofo”.

The “Chapter on the Perfect and Complete Realization of Mahasthamaprapta” from the Surangama Sutra tell us how Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva concentrated on Buddha-name chanting from the time he took refuge until the time he attain enlightenment. He taught us that the proper way to chant is the complementary practice of concentrating the six sense organs and continuous pure mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha.

Pure mindfulness is to chant with a pure mind ad without or any intermingling with other thoughts or methods. Continuous is the uninterrupted chanting with one word after another and is the key to success in the practice of Buddha-name recitation that was taught by Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva.

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