yes, chatgpt is damn good!
like a breath of fresh air! Thank you:)
you are also like a breath of fresh air! thank you
I was suggested to watch these two videos of practices with Amitabha Buddha.
I am watching the first one and I am loving it!
It starts at 4:27:
Here is the description for this video below:
The Amitabha’s Sleep Yoga (“A Method for Transferring the Consciousness to Sukhavati – the Pure Land of Amitabha”) in addition to a meditation practice which is advised to be done before one is going to sleep, implies that “during the day, and at all times, one’s conduct should not part from being in the company of the Buddha Amitabha by considering that wherever one is present, one is in the pure land of Sukhavati”. It is said “when walking, think that one is walking towards the Buddha Amitabha, who is always present in front of oneself”. Jamgon Kongtrul said that “by engaging in such a yogic practice one will be free from sickness, evil spirits and obstacles and will enjoy a long life”. At the time of death, one will not experience intense suffering, pain or fear. Like a snake shedding the old skin for the new, after death one will be born in the pure land and will directly hear teachings from Amitabha.
According to the Amitabha’s Sleep Yoga, there are 10 positive attitudes that result in rebirth in the Pure land:
- loving kindness toward all beings (and no resentment toward the conduct of any being).
- compassion for all beings (and ridding oneself of all enmity).
- Generate the determination to preserve the sacred Dharma, without concern for life and body.
- Develop strong dedication to the sacred Dharma, through certainty that one can tolerate the profound (the profundity of Dharma).
- Give rise to completely pure intentions by not being stained by gain and honor.
- Through perfect recall, generate the viewpoint that the state of omniscience is extremely precious.
- Without getting discouraged, generate an attitude of respect towards all beings, as if they were one’s guru.
- Develop the attitude of not enjoying mere short-lived meditative experiences, by being certain about the branches of awakening (mindfulness, discrimination, diligence, joy, pliancy, absorption, and equanimity).
- By seeing them distinctly, cultivate a wide assortment of virtuous roots (by doing a variety of virtuous deeds).
- Abandoning conceptual constructs, cultivate a state of contemplation that simply recalls the Buddha.
Thank you for this.
Really looking forward to watching this one this weekend, I have a hunch it is going to be full fo Light.
Yay! I am grateful for the person who shared those with me! Gratefulness train!
Yay! Let’s compare notes after:) It is a bit late for me to start watching it (9 pm after a full on day) but I might venture into it because I am impatient haha
And I found this empowerment event happening next week:
@Kalabasis … check this out!
I did the empowerment! The one I shared about:)
I have never done any empowerments before and I enjoyed it.
I felt like I wanted to have one before I start practicing the practice from this video here (that has been reposted in other places on this forum) but if they posted that video for everyone on YT to watch, everyone must be able to practice it without any special empowerments needed right?
I used AI to transcribe the audio recording I did of the video above
and then used Chat GPT and my notes (Chat GPT omitted whole sections of it initially - yep, it makes mistakes!)
And here are the steps of the practice:
(PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO yourself because I can make mistakes as well)
Overview:
This teaching follows an Amitabha empowerment and introduces a practical method for transforming sleep into spiritual practice—called Sleeping Yoga with Amitabha. It is inspired by verses from Samantabhadra’s King of Prayers and rooted in the Pure Land tradition.
Key Themes:
Why Sleeping Yoga?
Many people suffer from poor sleep or rely on unhealthy means (e.g., sleeping pills, alcohol). Sleeping Yoga helps transform sleep into a wholesome, meritorious, and meditative activity.
Buddhist View on Sleep:
Sleep is often viewed as neutral karma, a third of one’s life spent without purpose. This practice transforms sleep into virtuous karma—a skillful means emphasized in Vajrayana.
Source of the Practice:
Originates in verses from Samantabhadra’s Prayer and has been practiced by Sakya lineage masters, likely passed through Pari Lozawa.
The origin of the teaching are the following verses quoted from Samantabhadra’s Prayer:
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At death, may all obscurations fade and Amitabha appear.
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May I be reborn in Sukhavati (Amitabha’s Pure Land).
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May I actualize all aspirations and aid sentient beings.
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May I hear Amitabha’s teachings and receive a prophecy.
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May I emanate to benefit beings everywhere.
Instructions for Sleeping Yoga Practice:
- Create a Sacred Space:
Place an image/statue of Amitabha in your room, ideally facing east.
Arrange your bed north-to-south, so you face west when lying on your right side—facing Amitabha.
- Refuge and Bodhicitta Prayers:
(while still sitting upright, before going to bed)
Recite the fourfold refuge (Guru, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) 3–7 times.
Generate bodhicitta: “I shall reach Buddhahood to benefit all sentient beings; for that purpose, I shall meditate on Amitabha.”
- Contemplate the suffering of sentient beings for whose wellbeing you are practicing
Think of those who can’t sleep or don’t have shelter.
Dedicate your practice for all beings.
- Visualization:
Imagine your room as Sukhavati, the Pure Land.
Visualize yourself as Avalokiteshvara.
In front of you, see Amitabha seated on a lotus and moon disc:
Color: Ruby red
Form: Can be either Sambhogakaya (with ornaments) or Nirmanakaya (monastic robes)
Posture: Full lotus, hands in meditation mudra holding a nectar vase
- Recite the Seven Limb Prayer if you have time to do so (ideally 3 times)
Or if you do not have the time to do it, then join your hands at your heart and recit (3 times)
Namo Om Namo Bhagavate Amitabhaya
(Homage to the fully enlightened one, Amitabha)
(as per recommendation of Chogye Trichen Rinpoche)
and Four Opponent Powers (used in confession and purification):
Reliance – Taking refuge in Amitabha.
Regret – Sincerely regretting past unmindful actions, like sleeping ignorantly.
Promise – Vowing to maintain mindfulness, avoid ill will, and practice kindness.
Restoration – Replenishing faith, letting go of attachment to views, property, and relationships
- Supplication (3 times)
Oh blessed one, Tataghata, Foe Destroyer, Perfectly Enlightened Buddha Amitabha,
Having purified my negative deeds and obscurations, by doing the 7 limb prayer,
May you bless me to be born in the pure land of Sukhavati,
Receive the prophecy about attaining enlightenment
- Visualize Buddha Amitabha seated in front of you.
With each exhalation:
– Imagine your consciousness as white light exiting through your right nostril.
– It enters Amitabha’s right nostril, moves through his body, and dissolves into the seed syllable (HRIH) at his heart.
– Your consciousness becomes inseparably one with Amitabha’s awakened mind.
With each inhalation:
– Imagine white light, imbued with Amitabha’s enlightened mind, flowing from his heart, out through his right nostril, and into your own right nostril, resting in your heart.
– Like one flame lighting another, your mind is now united with Amitabha’s.
Repeat this breathing visualization as many rounds as needed (no set number, do not count), especially if you can’t sleep. Let it become fluid, like a circling firebrand.
- Dissolution of Visualization
– Visualize all Buddhas and bodhisattvas dissolving into your root guru.
– The guru dissolves into Amitabha.
– Amitabha dissolves into light and is absorbed into you.
– Finally, you dissolve into light.
– Rest in luminous awareness—the inseparability of your mind and Buddha’s.
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Meditate on Amitabha by reciting Om Amitabha Hri Soha
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If time permits, then you should recite the whole Samanthabadra prayer.
If one cannot be the king of noble prayers, then just recite these following four verses (by Chogye Trichen Rinpoche)
When it is time for me to die
Let all the obscures me fade away so that I can see Amitabha directly
And go at once into his pure land of Sukhavati
Having reached Sukhavati, may I actualize every single one of my aspirations
Having completed them, without exception, may I remain in the universe as long as universe remains.
Born there in the exquisitely beautiful lotus flower,
In the excellent joyous mandala victorious one,
May I hear Amitabha give prophecy for telling my enlightenment
and having properly received the prophecy,
there with billions of emanations sent out through the power of my mind,
ay I bring enormous benefit to sentient beings in all 10 directions
10 Conclusion
Visualize Buddhas who were absorbed into oneself now depart into the Sukhavati
Armor your forehead, throat and heart:
Visualize the syllables white OM (on the forehead), red AH (throat), and blue HUM (heart) to seal and protect by om on the forehead with a white syllable, om throat, red eye, heart, blue syllable, home.
Now one should go to sleep.
You know you should write sleep on the right side.
Stay very present with strong longing to transfer to the Pure land and have definite conviction that even the mountain sized heaps of negative deeds are purified through the power of offering the seven limbs for prayer with four opponent powers.
Thank you for doing this, it is very helpful to have the Cliff notes version along with the video.
This is definitely a video I have watched several times, and will watch more in the future. So much Wisdom. Having the notes helps big too
Just a thought: Good to bookmark favorite posts since we don’t know how well the transition to NC 2.0 will be for retreiving archives.
Spring cleaning? Will they be white washing all the posts?
" * Make note of any favorite content you want to access quickly on the new platform"
Noted. I guess that means we will be digging for buried treasures
Maybe, but it doesn’t hurt to be a bit proactive.
Here is the PDF for the practice for Amitabha Sleep Yoga that I posted above.
The person who shared with me the video sent it to me after I sent him what I have for the practice’s outline after transcribing the video:)
May we all rejoice at the communal effort of all of us around this globe!
May I see you in Sukhavati (and the new platform for this forum lol)
En_ Amitabha Sleep Phowa.pdf (899.4 KB)
Thank you for sharing this!
Amen Sister
And may both be lands filled with Love and Light