The Name of Amitabha

“Amitabha” means “infinite light and life”. By “infinite light”, it refers to the rays of light of Buddha Amitabha that touch the boundless sentient beings without the limitation of space. “Infinite life” refers to the unarising and unceasing nature of Amitabha without the limitation of time. In the Sutra on Praising the Qualities of Buddhas, it says, "Should one hears the name of Tathagata Infinite Life and recites his name one-pointedly with devotion, immeasurable joy that is vast and extensive will surely arise. To recollect the tathagata with the mindset and ten trillion folds of faith, one can receive immeasurable merits and be free from the three lower realms permanently. Upon the time of passing away, one can take rebirth in the tathagata’s Buddha-field.” That’s how powerful the recitation of the name of Amitabha can be. Master Hsin Tao had described, “Sitting meditation is a way of settling down. So is reciting the name of Amitabha. By doing so, our deluded conceptions would settle down. Reciting the name of Amitabha is like the dripping droplets that bring out the sound of peacefulness in our minds. Peacefulness can be tasted from the motion of a stream of drops. When we’ve obtained serenity, our minds can brighten up.