The Amitābha Sūtra teaches that if one is able to be mindful of Amitābha Buddha, and keeps that mindfulness in thought without interruption from one to seven days, one will be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss at the end of one’s life. Thus, the Amitābha Dharma Service is a weeklong session of Buddha-name recitation to actualize the teachings in the sūtra.
In Chinese Buddhist monasteries, reciting Amitābha Buddha’s name is seen as a form of meditative concentration. Through verbal recitation, we can focus our minds on Amitābha Buddha and his virtues, thus generating a state of concentration similar to silent meditation. With each recitation of the buddha’s name, we also invoke our inherently awakened nature.
While we recite and resolve to be reborn in the Buddha’s Pure Land, we also remind ourselves that this world we live in can also be a Pure Land. In addition to practicing during the service, we must also live as a Bodhisattva and build a Pure Land here on earth.