Let's greet one another with "Namo Amituofo."

       “Amituofo” is the Chinese way of saying Amitabha Buddha. “Namo” means I take refuge in.

       On the phone, in person, or in a message, this simple greeting brings the Buddha's name into everyday life. More than a courtesy, it plants roots of goodness and merit for ourselves and for those who hear it.

       We can open a message with "[Name], Amituofo!" and close with "Namo Amituofo." Leaving it at that, without adding other expressions of well-wishing, keeps the name clear, focused, and prominent.

       In the Pure Land tradition, Amitabha is our principal Buddha, and reciting the name is the heart of our practice. Recitation isn't just one part of life. It is our very life.

— More than a wish for well-being —

       In recent years, under the influence of broad modern trends, many have come to emphasize pleasant well-wishes such as “Blessings” or “Peace.” These express only a worldly wish. However, “Namo Amituofo” is grounded in True Reality and endowed with immeasurable, inconceivable merit.

       Shakyamuni Buddha praises the greatness of Amitabha's light in the Infinite Life Sutra:

“The majestic light of Buddha Amitābha is the most exalted. No other Buddha’s light can match his.”

       He also says that Amitabha is "the king of all Buddhas, and his light is the most glorious of all radiances." This is the highest possible praise.

       Master Tanluan explains that the Buddha embodies ultimate reality itself while actively expressing that reality to rescue all beings. Thus, Amitabha’s name is the very substance of his merit and virtue—holding all the adornments of his Pure Land and its inhabitants.

       Master Shandao also says: "Amitabha's name is like a sharp sword; with one recitation, it severs all karmic obstacles."

       As the gatha states:

“A single recitation of the Buddha’s name can eliminate offenses as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, while one bow before the Buddha brings immeasurable blessings.”

       An ordinary name is only a label. Saying “fire” doesn’t make us warm. But with the names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the name and its meaning are inseparable. “Amitabha” is the name, and its true meaning is Infinite Light and Infinite Life—representing his wisdom and compassion, his very substance and virtue. So when we recite “Namo Amituofo,” we are embraced by his light instantly. Our karmic obstacles are removed, and our merit and wisdom grow. If our lives were to end then, he would receive us to his Pure Land.

       Real blessings depend on goodness and merit, not just on words of well-wishing. To avert disasters, turn misfortune into good fortune, and resolve life’s troubles, we need only recite Amitabha’s name and rely on the Buddha. What the name offers goes far beyond any worldly wish.

— Reciting the name, sharing the name —

       Even one recitation plants the cause of Buddhahood. The Lotus Sutra states:

“If a person enters a temple and recites ‘Namo Buddha’ just once, even with a distracted mind, they will eventually attain Buddhahood.”

       Even with a scattered mind, we receive an indestructible diamond seed. When conditions ripen, it will surely bear fruit. All beings have Buddha-nature; all will one day become Buddhas.

       How precious and extraordinary it is to hear the Buddha's name! As the Avatamsaka Sutra teaches:

 “We would rather endure the suffering of hell if it meant hearing the names of the Buddhas than enjoy immeasurable bliss without hearing the Buddha’s name. For countless kalpas, we have endured suffering and remained caught in the cycle of birth and death simply because we never had the opportunity to hear the Buddha’s name.”

       Even in deep suffering, hearing Amitabha’s name plants the cause to transcend samsara and attain Buddhahood. But if we spend our lives seeking only the pleasures and blessings of the human or heavenly realms without ever hearing the Buddha’s name, liberation will remain beyond our reach.

       Let's recite and share the name whenever there's a chance. A phone call, a chance meeting, or a message can become a moment to deepen our own faith and encourage faith in others. Every recitation brings us into Amitabha's embracing light, and every hearing plants a seed of liberation. This is compassion in action, benefiting ourselves and others alike.

— Through good times and bad —

       For those of us who recite the Buddha's name, our lives aren’t driven by karma alone—they are held, protected, and guided by Amitabha’s compassionate vow.

       Things may not go as we wish, yet his vow is always at work. Looking back, we often find that everything was just right for us at the time.

       When facing severe hardships, the power of the name provides ultimate solace, as captured in this verse:

 “Even one who has committed grave offenses and is destined for the sufferings of hell can find relief simply by hearing Amitabha’s name. The blazing fires of hell become cool and refreshing.”

       When life goes well, we recite in gratitude for Amitabha's kindness. When adversity strikes, we recite and calmly entrust ourselves to him. Joy and sorrow, fortune and misfortune, gain and loss: all return to "Namo Amituofo."

       Let's keep reciting and sharing the name, so that more people may connect with Amitabha and be embraced by his light. May we all live peacefully now, be welcomed to the Pure Land at life's end, and ultimately attain Buddhahood.

       Namo Amituofo!

(Translated by the Pure Land School Translation Team;
edited by Householder Fojin)