Key to Chant Buddha's Name 念佛的秘诀是什么

(English subtitles) Dharma talk by Layman Nianzu Huang, 黄念祖老居士, 1913 - 1992
Subtitles:
Most importantly, Buddhists who chant Buddha's name should avoid being unmindful. When chanting Buddha, we shouldn't be unmindful, distracted, inattentive, or distressed. We should avoid these. Further, phrases must be clear. Sometimes, the sound of the Buddha's name coming out is muffled. It is fast at the beginning and then slow. First, you chant very fast then become slowly and slowly. There is no syllable, which is the rhythm of the sound. Namo Amitabha Buddha.
When chanting buddha, we use inverted bell to synchronize the syllables of the public. Syllables do matter. Proper syllables make you prone to concentrate on chanting. Dharma instruments not only produce music but also benefit people who use them. So syllables are necessary. If your syllables have varied speed, this is like without syllables. It is like singing a song without accurate beats, you won't sing the song well. The sound did not continue, and your mind stray from chanting. Hurry to return and chant Namo Amitabha Buddha.
2:00
While chanting, your mind often goes astray. Mind isn't in line with the sound. He chants Namo Amitabha Buddha in the mouth but thinks of other things. Someone has wronged me. I'm so nice to him, but he betray me. Or think of buying a color TV set. You usually calculate these things.
Your mind is not in line with the mouth, and the sound can't control your thought. You need to utter a sound, which has great effects. The key of the Pure Land dharma, also the secret, is that you listen to what you chant by yourself. So, you have to control the 6 roots.
The dharma of Guanyin reflective listening by ears partially means this. You listen to the phrase that you chant by yourself. What you are chanting is Namo Amitabha Buddha. What you are listening is also Namo Amitabha Buddha. First you control the tongue and ears. What you're listening to is Buddha's name and thinking of the Buddha's name, then control your mind. So you've controlled the 3 of the 6 roots. You are listening, which is significant, there is a little sound. Generally, we use Vajra to practice on our own,
4:00
that is a sound between lips and teeth. It is not loud. Chanting like this is audible and able to nourish qi. That is called practicing Vajra, a sound between lips and teeth. It's not loud, you can still hear while chanting silently. But it is a little tired to listen if you chant silently. The methods are not absolute, volume can be flexible. You can chant aloud when you are upset or distressed to suppress the thought. You may chant in undertones if you are pure in mind. Or lower the volume while using Vajra. Must utter a sound and listen to this sound.
This sound can control your mind. This is the specialty of chanting buddha dharma. Just this phrase can control your mind. Why doesn't your sound control your mind? Because you don't keep on, or are distracted. You are thinking of other stuff and not listening. Then it doesn't work well. Neglect but grow consciousness, which is common for many Buddhists who chant buddha.
When chanting incautiously, you don't convert consciousness to wisdom, but you are growing consciousness. Our practice is to convert 8 consciousness to 4 wisdom. We chant buddha is to convert the consciousness of discrimination to the wondrous observing wisdom.
6:40
You have to make it converted, thus you chant, no syllable, distracted, inattentive, discontinuous. What you are chanting isn't in line with your thought, and the sound doesn't control your mind.
In this way, you don't convert consciousness but only grow consciousness. Your consciousness take a rest and grow. This was what the ancient virtue sighed about. Chanting like that is pitiful. It's hard to be born as a human, hard to be born in China, hard to hear dharma, and hard to believe in Pure Land dharma, and you are willing to chant.
But you chant like that, so the ancient virtue sighed. If you chant like that, your practice is hard to be persistent. What is it? Chanting persistently is a significant phrase in Pure Land Buddhism. Before chanting single-minded, you have to chant persistently. As few as 10 phrases, as many as 30 to 50 phrases.
8:00
Furthermore, you have 1 to 2 strings (108 is one string). During this time, your mind is unmovable, and always bear Namo Amitabha Buddha in mind. This is chanting persistently. You may know your level exactly. If chanting randomly as mentioned above, you definitely can not chant persistently. This is not good, and you have to avoid.