The general guiding principle for practice in this sutra is belief, vows, and mindful recitation of the Buddha-name. Belief and vows are the practice of wisdom, or signs of having good roots. Mindful recitation of the Buddha-name is a sign of having good fortune. One who mindfully chants “Amituofo” has an abundance of good fortune. One who would not mindfully chant “Amituofo” has little good fortune. Indeed, there are many people who just will not chant “Namo Amituofo” or “Amituofo.”
One who is able to mindfully chant “Amituofo” all day long has wondrous good fortune. We see many impoverished people who chant “Amituofo” all day long. Those who are diligent mindfully chant “Amituofo” one hundred thousand times every day. I heard that Mr. Huang Nianzu mindfully chanted “Amituofo” one hundred and sixty thousand times every day during the last two or three months of his life. He was a Vajra Master of Esoteric Buddhism. He set an example for us by single-mindedly chanting “Amituofo” before he passed away. We should know that he did this out of great compassion.
There is no one in this world or beyond who has as much good fortune as a practitioner who mindfully chants “Amituofo” all day long. Why? Because this practitioner will be reborn in the Western Pure Land and attain Buddhahood in one lifetime. Who can compare with this person? No one! Even Brahma or Shiva, who reside in heaven, cannot compare with this practitioner, let alone humans. Brahma and Shiva are still ordinary beings in the Six Paths; they cannot transcend the Six Paths as they do not mindfully chant “Amituofo.”
One who would mindfully chant “Amituofo” will be reborn in the Western Pure Land. When one is truly awakened, one will mindfully chant “Amituofo”; one will not be interested in any kind of glory or pleasure of this world. This person is only interested in according with conditions and honestly[1] chanting “Amituofo.” Only a truly awakened person can do this.
~ Based on Ven. Master Chin Kung's 2003 lecture series on the Amitabha Sutra
[1] Honestly means “no doubt, no intermingling, and no interruption.”