Auxilliary Practices: Nei Quan and Chih Quan

[Dharmavidya]

The primary practice of Amida Pureland is nembutsu, the verbal utterance of "Namo Amida Bu" or its equivalents. Nothing else is required for salvation. Nonetheless, the auxilliary practices of Nei Quan and Chih Quan do have intrinsic merit and they can expand one's appreciation, both intellectually and exprientially, of the importance of the nembutsu in our life.

Nei Quan (inner reflection) derives from vipassana and refers to the first half of the nembutsu, that is, to reflection upon "Namo" - what is the nature of this creature that calls out? it is of 'dependently originating nature' - we therefore reflect upon 'What have I received?' 'What has supported me?' 'What burden has my existence placed upon other things and other beings?' 'What have I done in return?' This kind of reflect can be targeted on a particular relationship or upon a situation or a time period. In a nei quan (Naikan in Japanese) intensive one might review one's whole life bit by bit - 'What did I receive from my mother in the first five years of my life?' '... between five and ten?' etc '...from my father...' and so on. Gregg Krech (also on ning) has written a nice book called Naikan. The practice generates many emotions and insights. It does not require formal meditation posture (in fact formal posture may hinder). Some people like to write or draw as part of the practice. It is a spiritual exercise that is not aimed at generating a particular state of mind but rather a shift in one's orientation to life and feeling for others. It tends to generate gratitude, generosity and fellow-feeling.

Chih Quan (reflection on cessation) derives from samattha and refers to or experience of the second half of the nembutsu, Amida's grace. In this practice one imaginatively offers everything to Amida - all feelings, thoughts, sensations, imaginings, circumstances - whatever comes up. If one does Chih Quan after Nei Quan then one probably starts with feelings and thoughts generated by one's inner reflection. Offer them to the Buddha. Imagine that the Buddha receives them with a smile, joyfully (which is not actually just imagination). Whatever we offer to the Buddha, whether it is something that we think is good or bad, worthy or shaemful, whatever, the Buddha has a way of using and transforming it. So we can give to the Buddha in a sense of confidence and assurance. There is no judgement from Buddha, only delight. As Buddha receives, so we feel peace - the Buddha's grace - descend through our being. We experience that joy and ease of which the sutras speak. As we feel that joy and ease we can simply dwell in it. Dwelling in that joy and ease, or deep peace, we are actually in the second (or a higher) dhyana. If something (a thought, sensation etc.) comes along that disturbs that peace, then we simply offer it to the Buddha and so continue.

Through Nei Quan we gain a deeper sense of ourselves as bombu, dependently originated beings. Through Chih Quan we receive a taste of the Buddha's grace bestowed. Insight and grace make up facets of the nembutsu. When they are totally unified it is called nembutsu samadhi. This unification, however, is not something one can work at or achieve. From one's own side one can merely utter the nembutsu in faith. The two auxilliary exercises, Nei Quan and Chih Quan can, however, give one a stronger sense of oneself as bombu and of the Buddha as gracious and this makes utterance of the nembutsu more meaningful for the practitioner. These two exercises are not salvation nor do they lead to salvation, but they are the joy and ease that is the rightful heritage of practitioners, given to us by the Buddhas, that have been treasured by the faithful throughout the ages.

[Modgala Duguid]

Thank you Dharmavidya. I wonder if it would be OK for me to start to coplie a booklet of these lovely little teachings of yours? Namo amida Bu Modgala