The meditating mind:

like a petal floating downward 

and settling gently on the ground. 

Imagine a blossom detaching from its tree to begin a seemingly effortless descent to the ground below. But just as the blossom starts its journey, it finds itself caught in a breeze swirling among the trees. And so the blossom twirls upwards, dancing with newfound energy.

As the breeze dies down, the blossom once again finds itself settling. Then, caught again by yet another breeze, it starts another pirouette. This goes on for a while, but finally it comes to rest on the ground.

This is our mind when we chant the buddha-name. As we close our eyes and begin to settle our mind on “Amituofo,” wandering thoughts, breeze- or hurricane-like, carry it first one way and then another. As soon as our “Amituofo” again looks ready to settle, our mind is off again, seemingly beyond our control.

But just as the blossom eventually stills, with enough practice, our mind will likewise eventually become still.