Meditation for One Hour

Have you ever meditated for one hour continuously?

If not, please try!  Especially if you are Jodoshu follower, you must try!

You will know one hour is pretty long whereas one hour when you truly enjoy something is actually very short.

Nenbutsu is same, too.

For those who have not experienced chanting Nenbutsu for a long time, one hour could be very long time.   However, if you practice more and more Nenbutsu, you can enjoy chanting it for one hour.   Just like enjoyable moment can go by so quickly, one hour is just like nothing. 

In order to know this, all you need to do is nothing but practice.

But there is a secret that you can concentrate  for longer time.  That is to set your goal as high as possible.  By having a very high goal or ideal, you can strongly go forward to achieve it.  Then you will get to the higher point without your consciousness.   In English, it's called "Shoot for a moon" or "Shoot for stars."

Master Honen expressed it as follows;

"One who plans to jump over a moat ten feet wide must make every effort to jump fifteen feet."  (from "The Promise of Amida Buddha.)

Through reading Master Honen's words every day, I regard...this is one of the most important teachings of Jodoshu. 

So every time when I join in the 24 hour continuous Nenbutsu practice relay, I set my goal of chanting for 2 or 3 hours.  Yes, I tried 3 hours of nenbutsu chanting last Saturday, then without knowing it, one hour passed soooo quickly.  Then I chanted nearly two hours.

If you doubt it, just try to meditate for one hour.

The fact you can enjoy one hour means....you can enjoy any moment.  If not, let's practice.