Yeombul

​Yeombul or “recitation of the names of the buddhas” is to chant the name of a specific buddha while single-mindedly thinking of him with one’s whole being. For example, in the case of the buddha known as Amitabha, one concentrates fully on him while repeatedly chanting “Namu Amitabul” or “Homage to Amitabha Buddha.” 

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​Yeombul is a practice most people can do without much difficulty. While practicing Yeombul, one can repent as well as accumulate merits. Furthermore, Yeombul is the most expedient way to be reborn in the PureLand by relying on the vows of the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

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​Yeombul is an “other-power practice” in that it relies on the power of vows made by buddhas and bodhisattvas. However, Yeombul is also a “self-power practice” in that one practices it on one’s own while making one's own vows. 

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​Yeombul practitioners also make the Four Great Vows as Mahayana bodhisattvas and carry out their practice according to these vows. In doing so, they make a vow to save sentient beings. As their practice deepens, they eventually attain enlightenment.

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Yeombul can be practiced in two ways. The first way is to recite the names of buddhas such as Gwanseumbosal or Avalokitesvara, or declare homage to them, as in “Namu Amitabul” ("Homage to Amitabha Buddha").

The second way is to recite the names of buddhas and bodhisattvas while contemplating their features or images as well as contemplating their excellent merits and the magnificent features of the PureLand.

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​​- excerpt from Buddhist English (Elementary 2) published in 2014 by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism

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