Meditating on the Buddha – Guided Mantra Meditation

By gently repeating the mantra “Bhagava Araham Buddho" silently in our mind over and over again we gradually build up the qualities of Calm, Awareness & Joy.

Transcript

One meditation object the Buddha strongly recommended,

Especially for the laity,

Is Buddha Nusantti,

Recollection of the Buddha.

That was also a very common meditation object for Ajahn Man to teach,

And even many of the monks started off with what they call the parikamma,

The first meditation object to order,

To establish samadhi.

So many of the monks would be using buddho,

A collection of the Buddha.

Even Longta Mahabuja used buddho as his first meditation object which allowed him to establish samadhi.

One way is simply repeating buddho,

Buddho in one's mind,

But one can use any of the other qualities describing the Buddha,

And if you prefer you can use the Bhagava,

Bhagava,

Or Adahang,

Adahang,

Adahang,

Adahang,

Or a combination.

Westerners' minds are sometimes a little bit complicated and they find buddho,

Buddho too easy.

My own favorite is Bhagava,

Adahang,

Buddho,

Buddho,

Adahang,

Bhagava.

So three of the epithets which we regularly chant,

Bhagava,

Adahang,

And buddho,

Are the ones which come up even in the normal formula,

Namutasa,

And then the same thing,

They're moving backwards.

Buddho,

Adahang,

Bhagava.

I find that this gives my mind a little bit more to engage with than just buddho,

It's less boring for my mind and therefore easier to continue concentrating on it.

So I just give that as a suggestion for this meditation,

But if you prefer any of the other words you can just use them as well.

So it's a very simple meditation,

If you just continue repeating that,

Bhagava,

Adahang,

Buddho,

Buddho,

Adahang,

Bhagava.

So mentally whispering in our mind or rather sonorously reciting in our mind,

We simply repeat these three epithets over and over again,

Completely dedicated to it,

Without allowing our attention to slip even a single moment.

These are not just the last two,

They are already the last four as well.

So anyway,

Thank you very much,

Everyone.

Many meditators complain,

It's so difficult to calm down the thinking,

I can't stop thinking,

So this is an excellent meditation,

You can think as much as you like,

As long as you think,

Bhagavad,

Adahang,

Buddhahood,

Buddhahood,

Adahang,

Bhagavad.

So rather than trying to stop thinking,

Maybe limit thinking to these three words,

In forward and reverse order.

If you wish you can just visualize a beautiful Buddha whopper,

A very inspiring one which you really like,

Maybe the famous Buddha statue in the Mahabodhi temple at Bodhgaya,

Or even the one you use always at home,

Or the one here on the shrine.

You can also just stay with the Bhagavad or Adahang Buddha,

But if your mind is visual and you enjoy it,

Feel free to visualize the Buddha statue,

Even if you can visualize the Buddha walking,

Teaching,

Meditating in India.

If the mind gets distracted,

If we start slipping into the past,

Or trying to work about the future,

We catch the mind straight away and bring it back.

Adahang,

Buddhahood,

Buddhahood,

Adahang,

Bhagavad.

.

Bhagavad means the exalted one,

The sublime one,

The fortunate one.

Arahang,

Literally the worthy one,

Anyone who has realized the states of noble distinctions of enlightenment.

Buddho,

Literally awakened,

Someone who woke up from the dream of delusion.

So when we bring the Buddha to mind and we recite these epithets,

We connect with these qualities.

When we recollect the Buddha,

When we connect with whatever sublime,

Supreme qualities the Buddha himself embodies,

His compassion and his loving kindness,

His wisdom,

His insight,

His fearlessness,

His knowledge,

His calm,

His samadhi,

His beauty of physical appearance,

His unique teaching ability,

His linguistic,

Verbal abilities in expressing the Dhamma,

His management abilities in organizing another sangha,

Monks and nuns,

His skill in converting even people who are aggressive to him,

His forgiveness,

Even those who try to assassinate him,

He would selflessly teach the Dhamma,

His faculty of energy,

Often sleeping only two or three hours or something,

And all the rest of the day,

Teaching,

Sharing the Dhamma,

Helping.

All of that is in the background reverberating in our mind when we recite the epithets,

When we fill our whole heart with a unique personality the Buddha embodies.

Bhagavan Adahant Buddha,

Buddha,

Adahant Bhagavan,

Bhagavan Adahant Buddha,

Buddha,

Adahant Bhagavan.

We allow each of the epithets to reverberate in our mind with echoes and deep into the subconscious,

Bhagavan Adahant Buddha,

Buddha,

Adahant Bhagavan.

We may have been practicing those in past lives,

We may have been monks and nuns,

We may have been reciting that many many times in the past life,

And subconsciously that may still connect with some part in our mind.

Bhagavan Adahant Buddha,

Buddha,

Adahant Bhagavan,

Bhagavan Adahant Buddha,

Buddha,

Adahant Bhagavan.

We notice how reciting these epithets is connected with a certain feeling,

It feels very pleasant to remember the Buddha.

It's connected with a certain emotion,

With the emotion of faith,

Of confidence,

Of trust,

Of devotion,

Of affection,

To the supreme teacher,

The emotion of gratitude that he has shown us a way out of all suffering.

So while we recite we notice these emotions arising in our mind,

Brought up by the recitation,

The faith,

Trust,

Confidence,

The gratitude,

Devotion,

Affection,

And the very pleasant feeling connected with these emotions.

All of these are very wholesome emotions,

All of these are uplifting,

Brightening the mind,

Purifying the mind.

So we notice how they build up while we are reciting.

Bhagavan Adahant Buddha,

Buddha,

Adahant Bhagavan,

Bhagavan Adahant Buddha,

Buddha,

Adahant Bhagavan.

We notice how the recitation is connected with the emotion of faith,

With the emotion of faith,

With the emotion of faith.

So while we recite we notice how the recitation is connected with the emotion of faith,

With the emotion of faith,

With the emotion of faith.

As the meditation progresses,

The emotion,

The feeling is becoming more and more important,

Is becoming the dominant experience.

The epithets of the Buddha we are repeating are simply used to generate and maintain and strengthen that emotion of faith,

Gratitude,

Devotion,

Affection,

Trust and confidence.

These epithets we are reciting are just used to strengthen,

Maintain,

Generate a very pleasant feeling,

The experience.

So we are not just reciting the words of the Buddha,

We are just reciting the words of the Buddha.

If we don't feel much,

If there is no strong emotion,

Emotion noticeable,

Never mind,

We simply continue repeating the words and not trying to force anything.

We are continuing to repeat,

Maybe simultaneously visualizing a Buddha statue or another object connected with the Buddha that is faith-inspiring,

Maybe even a stupa or some Buddha relics we have seen,

All the while continuing the recitation.

If you do feel the emotion,

If you do feel the emotion of faith,

Affection,

Devotion,

Then there is no need to be afraid of it,

It's a very wholesome,

Beneficial emotion that generates good karma while we experience it.

So we can allow ourselves to be,

So to speak,

Overwhelmed by it,

To be carried away by it.

We can allow the pleasant feeling connected with that emotion to turn into rapture,

To turn into bliss,

And we can allow the emotion of faith,

Devotion,

Affection and the rapture and bliss connected with it to carry our mind into deep samadhi.

Thank you.

Reviews

I guess devotional Buddhism isn’t quite my thing yet? The mantra chanting was however useful in helping me detect when I was straying off course. A little better than counting.

Very insightful sharing

Thank you for this guidance - very helpful 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Wonderful mantra. Beautiful gentle instruction.

Very well connected meditation! But stops abruptly!

Very helpful talk, thank you. I like the mantra, and find it very centering. It shifted my consciousness away from irritation at being sick today, right away. Thank you.
✨🙏🏽🌸💜☯

Thank you had such a spiritual connection to this.. 'namasté' 🕉☮