27) 布施持名

　　Practicing Charity through Buddha Recitation

　　If you see someone suffering, you should first help him with the necessities of life and then comfort him and counsel him to recite the Buddha”s name. To relieve suffering temporarily, charity is the urgent thing. How-ever, to relieve the suffering of many lifetimes, the Pure Land method is more urgent still. If you see a person or an animal in danger but cannot help, immediately recite the Buddha”s name, dedicating all the merits and virtues to his soul.(13) Moreover, during a serene night, you might recite a sutra or the Buddha”s name, wishing that all sentient beings may escape suffering and disaster. In time of war or epidemic, recite the Buddha”s name throughout the night, wishing that all the wrongs and suffering of sentient beings may be eliminated. While reciting the Buddha”s name, you should visualize that each recitation is bringing benefits to all sentient beings – from the heavens above to the cosmic winds below. Such charitable practice is truly inconceivable.(14)

　　凡見苦惱者，先安其身，然後開導其心，勸之念佛，所謂救一時之苦布施爲急，救曆 劫之苦念佛爲要。或見人有難力不能救，當急爲彼念佛安其魂識。或清夜朗誦，以施 鬼神。凡大兵大疫之年，五更持誦佛名，能消冤厲。當思我此一聲阿彌陀佛，上窮有 頂，下極風輪，塵刹衆生，一時受益，其布施不可思議也。

　　Commentary

　　We should first help others with the necessities of life to relieve their physical suffering and then counsel them to recite the Buddha”s name to rescue their souls. In those instances where we cannot help, we should singlemindedly recite the Buddha”s name, concentrating all our good thoughts on the sufferer, that he may escape his present condition and be reborn peacefully in an auspicious realm.

　　One utterance of the Buddha”s name

　　Eliminates injustices and wrongs from time immemorial…(15)