Recitation Dharma Doors

Question:

Ven. Master,

First, allow me to say that my sister and I are very grateful that you took time of your busy schedule to talk to us for so long. ​

​Unfortunately, we had an engagement with our family or else we would have loved to ask you to clarify a lot more things for us. Please kindly clarify the following for us:

1. In your Chan Handbook, you transmitted the Buddha Recitation Dharma Door to the readers. Can we use the same methodology to recite mantras?

2. When we Use the Guan Yin Dharma Door (Contemplating the Sounds Method), do we contemplate both the sound and the Dan Tian. Would that not create distractions [the mind being split between two tasks]?

3. In the Handbook, you indicated that the Shurangama Mantra is the most powerful. Should I memorize it in Vietnamese, Chinese or English? If I do not have the time, is it OK to just recite the heart of the Shurangama Mantra?

​I hope that we will have the opportunity to participate in the temple’s Fo Qi (Buddha Recitation Week) or Chan Qi in the future.

We wish you good health, peace and bliss, blessings and wisdom in abundance and success in the Buddha’s work.

Respectfully,

TD

Answer:

Thank you for coming from so far to visit our temple.

1. Yes, you can use the Buddha’s Name Recitation methodology for all recitation practices, including mantras.

2. The Guan Yin Dharma Door is an exception. You can forget about the Dan Tian, just concentrate on the sound of your recitation.
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3. You can memorize the Shurangama Mantra in the language of your choosing. What is more important is the accuracy of the mantra version in the specific language. It would be most excellent if you could recite it from memory every day. It took me five weeks to memorize the Chinese version. I heard of a Vietnamese who memorized it in ten days!
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Recite the Heart of the Shurangama Mantra 108 times each day too, if possible.