A Study on Master Shandao’s Thought of the Karma of Right Assurance through Oral Invocation: Centered on Collecting the Mind via Sound and the Full Possession of the Three Minds
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62177/apbs.v1i2.1460Keywords:
Master Shandao, Karma of Right Assurance, Collecting the Mind via Sound, Three MindsAbstract
Master Shandao’s (613–681) definition of oral invocation as the "Karma of Right Assurance" marks a pivotal shift in Pure Land Buddhism from visualization to vocal practice. However, contemporary practice and scholarship often overlook the intricate doctrinal structure underlying this concept, reducing invocation to mindless vocalization or over-mystifying Other-power salvation. Through a close reading of the Commentary on the Amitayurdhyana Sutra, this paper reconstructs the micro-interaction mechanism of invocation into a triadic structure of "sound-thought-aspiration," summarized as "collecting the mind via sound" (yisheng shexin). It argues that the sound of the Name serves as a vital medium resonating with Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow, while the "Three Minds" (sanxin) function not merely as provisions for rebirth but as internal cultivation norms. By examining contemporary deviations—such as prioritizing quantity over sincerity and misunderstanding "one-pointedness of mind"—this study redefines the latter as a directional rather than capability standard. Finally, it explores the implications of this doctrinal reconstruction for cultivating the monastic atmosphere (daofeng) in Buddhist academies, proposing that institutional discipline requires the internal support of the Three Minds to achieve lasting ethical efficacy.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Shi Xingdin(Zhou Yulin), Shi Qingyuan, Shi Nengcheng, Shi Huiru
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
DATE
Accepted: 2026-06-16
Published: 2026-06-18
