A Buddhist disciple consulted the headquarters and said, "Greetings to the holy beings of the World Buddhist Headquarters: Disciples in China received the following ritual instructions about respectfully reciting the 'Jie Xin Jing Shuo Zhen Tai' and sought clarification: 'How should we respectfully recite the 'Jie Xin Jing Shuo Zhen Tai' for the first time: bathe, change clothes, offer flowers and fruits, cleanse hands, burn incense for worship, clean the desk, lay a Hada (a ceremonial scarf), recite the Buddha's name 21 times, recite the Heart Sutra once, respectfully place the book on the Hada and recite it, not exceeding 30 pages per day, read each sentence clearly, repeat if not understood, and only proceed to the next sentence if still not understood after repeated reading. If conditions permit, continue this practice for three consecutive days; if conditions do not permit, follow the same procedure as the first day. If there is no Buddhist altar, a picture of the Buddha can be placed, and the same procedure should be followed. However, before each recitation, hands must be washed, and the Buddha's name should be recited 21 times and the Heart Sutra once. If followed with sincere devotion, it can have about 40% of the power of blessings. If read casually, this 40% of the power of blessings will be lost.' Please reply, grateful for the teachings!"
The disciple who shared the ritual instructions for respectfully reciting the "Jie Xin Jing Shuo Zhen Tai" has good intentions and desires to engage in Buddhist practices. However, their understanding is incorrect. They tell everyone to respect the Third Supreme Dharma King, to respect the "Jie Xin Jing Shuo Zhen Tai," and that it brings immeasurable merits. But the methods they suggest for respectful recitation are their personal ideas, which deviate from the dependent origination of sentient beings. This is because everyone's roots of virtue, obstacles, understanding abilities, and realization forms and environments are different. A uniform approach is not suitable for diverse sentient beings. When reading the "Jie Xin Jing Shuo Zhen Tai," the first step is to eliminate doubt and generate faith, absolutely respecting the true teachings of the Third Supreme Dharma King. The key point is to sincerely and seriously study and comprehend deeply, not to focus on the form, the number of recitations, the duration, or the percentage of blessings. Such statements are made by someone who lacks knowledge. Perhaps some people can gain over 90% of blessings by reading it ten times, while others may gain only a small amount of blessings even after reading it twenty times because they did not understand or realize the true teachings. Merely performing superficial formalities without comprehending the true meaning and principles will be of no use even if read a thousand times. The "Jie Xin Jing Shuo Zhen Tai" aims to enable sentient beings to realize the true principles of the universe and all things, rather than engaging in superstitious rituals. The "Jie Xin Jing Shuo Zhen Tai" expounds the supreme and unsurpassed truth of Buddhism, which is the science of the universe and human life. The Third Supreme Dharma King, in simple and understandable language and through various methods and perspectives, not only reveals the truth of Buddhism but also teaches people how to attain this truth. It can be said that there is no ancient sage who can surpass it, and no future sage who can catch up with it. As long as anyone studies it earnestly, regardless of the method used, as long as they can comprehend and realize the true teachings of the Buddha, they will accumulate immeasurable merits and possess great blessings, leading to complete fulfillment of both blessings and wisdom, liberation from birth and death.
World Buddhist Headquarters Consultation Center
June 14, 2020