The gong’an exercise of Buddha recitation uses the invocation of Amituofo as a huatou. At the very moment the name is uttered, it must be the focal point in respect to which all doubts and delusions are laid aside. At the same time you ask “Who is this person reciting Amitābha’s name?” When you rely steadily on the huatou, all illusions and confused thoughts will be instantly broken down the way knotted threads are cut. When there is no longer any place for them to reappear, it is all like the shining sun in the sky. When illusion does not arise and when delusion disappears, the mind is all calm and transparent.

Hanshan Deqing (1546-1623) as quoted in Yü, Chün-fang. “The Renewal of Buddhism in China” (The Sheng Yen Series in Chinese Buddhist Studies) . Fortieth Anniversary Edition, 2020, Columbia University Press.

念佛話頭

念 niàn mindfulness; awareness; concentration; recollection
佛 fú Buddha
話 huà word
頭 tóu head

念佛是誰

念 niàn mindfulness; awareness; concentration; recollection
佛 fú Buddha
是 shì this
誰 shéi who