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念佛一聲，福增無量；
禮佛一拜，罪滅河沙。
念佛法門是無上的法門，尤其是我們這些末法時代中的癡愚眾生，如果能夠誠心念佛，消滅罪障，到臨終時念佛至一心不亂的境界，極樂淨土阿彌陀佛會前來接引，而往生西方極樂世界。在那裡修行將永遠不退轉，直到證得無上正等正覺的果位。
佛七，是許多人共聚一堂念佛，是希望能藉著大眾一起念佛的力量，進而達到一心不亂，往生淨土。我個人覺得精進佛七，是專為年青人和青少年而設計的，因為年青人精力旺盛，體力充沛，但心浮氣燥，缺乏定力，持戒不嚴謹，所以佛七中持八關齋戒、禁語、每日至少禮佛一千拜…等，正好可以對治年青人的毛病。
去年年底，萬佛聖城舉辦了一次精進佛七。一個非常殊勝的因緣，我也抽出七天的時間，在寒假裡圓滿了佛七的功德。當初聽到佛七的規矩時，覺得好像太「精進」了，也因此生起退卻的心。但又因為有很大的挑戰性，所以我決定參加。佛七前一個晚上，全體佛子受八關齋戒，並且開始禁語。禁語，對我們來說十分有趣，七天之內不說一句話，只是專心念南無阿彌陀佛的名號。這還不算很難守，只要平時多留心，不要說漏了嘴就行了。
第一天清晨，在響板聲中醒來，早課之後緊接著第一住香，由於平時沒有早起的習慣，所以靜坐時睡得東倒西歪。不過我們還是滿懷興奮的心情來迎接七日的挑戰。佛七，顧名思義是念佛拜佛共七天。從早到晚，心中什麼都不需要想，就是一心念佛。這種感覺和繞念佛號的氣氛使我感到很快樂，這種快樂是發自內心的，實在無法用我有限的筆墨來描寫。
這七天中，我不用擔心功課、打球，一切一切都暫時放下，無憂無慮，天下有什麼事會比了生脫死更重要呢？無時無刻腦中就是一句句「南無阿彌陀佛」，一有休息時間就拜佛。每天念佛從黑夜到日出，從日出到日落，日復一日，天下至樂莫過於此。當然，不停地拜佛也是很累的。有的人一天拜佛一千拜、兩千拜、或者三千拜，最後幾天甚至一天能禮佛四千多拜。拜佛是消無量的罪業，所以大家都很精進；同時拜佛也是一種馬拉松式的運動，要能持久。我不斷地提醒自己一定要持之以恆，堅持到底。
到了第六天，一早醒來，發覺全身四肢無力（佛七每天都如此）之外，還有頭痛。早課後怎麼樣都提不起精神念佛，拜佛時頭痛如針刺，四肢癱軟，好像多拜一拜就會倒下去一般，我病了。那時我很著急，我怕不能圓滿這次的佛七。整天我都坐在旁邊休息，不敢離去。晚課前，我跪在佛前懺悔，希望阿彌陀佛及諸位菩薩加持，希望我能圓滿順利打完佛七。聽經結束之後，我突然覺得精神恢復了很多，到了大迴向後，我已經可以順利地拜佛了；而且當時愈拜愈有精神，也愈舒服，心中十分地激動與感謝。到了晚上十點之前，我在四十分鐘內不停地拜了七百七十拜，也使我七天禮佛的總數超過了一萬拜。
這次能參加精進佛七，我深深感覺是因為前世所種的善根因緣，而有相當大的福報。第一次的佛七，給我學習到許多念佛、拜佛的經驗，這是我最大的收穫。天下沒有不散的宴席，短短的七天如眨眼般地過去了，心中法喜充滿的愉快，和所有同修臉上的笑容，相信大家都打完了一個圓滿的佛七。阿彌陀佛！
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Reciting the Buddha's name once brings infinite blessings
Bowing once to the Buddha eradicates as many offenses as there are sand grains in the Ganges River.
The Recitation Dharma Door is supreme, especially for ignorant living beings in the Dharma-Ending Age. If we can sincerely recite the Buddha's name, eradicate our offenses, and attain single-minded concentration, then at the end of our lives, Amitabha Buddha of the Pure Land will come to welcome us, and we will be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. There we will never retreat, and will cultivate until we are certified to the fruition of the Unsurpassed Proper and Equal Enlightenment.
In a Recitation Session, many people gather together to recite the Buddha's name, hoping the strength of the great assembly will help them obtain single-minded concentration and be reborn in the Pure Land. Personally, I think Vigorous Recitation Sessions are designed especially for young people. Young people are healthy and energetic, yet restless and fretful. They lack concentration and do not hold the precepts strictly. In the Recitation Session, the observance of the Eight Lay Precepts, the vow of silence, the daily one thousand bows and so on, are just the right antidote for the problems of young people.
At the end of last year, the Sagely City of Ten Thousand Buddhas held a Vigorous Recitation Session. Because of special conditions, I spared seven days to attend it, and completed the merit and virtue of the Session during the winter vacation. When I first heard the rules of this Session, I felt it might be too "vigorous" and considered withdrawing. But it was really a great challenge, so I decided to participate. The night before the Session, we all received the Eight Precepts and began observing silence. Remaining silent was really exciting for us. To not say a word and only concentrate on chanting "Namo Amitabha Buddha" for seven days was not that difficult. We only had to be careful not to talk as we usually did.
The first morning, I woke up at the sound of the wake-up board. The first recitation period started right after the Morning Recitation. 1 was not used to getting up that early, so during that sitting, I slept soundly and could not keep my body upright. Nevertheless, I was ready to meet the challenges in these seven days. In a Recitation Session, we recite the Buddha's name and bow to the Buddha for seven days. From morning to night, we need not think about anything except single-mindedly reciting the Buddha's name. Both this and circumambulating the Buddha made me very joyful. This joy came from inside and is impossible to express in words.
In those seven days, I did not have to think about school work or playing ball—I could put everything down for the time being, arid have no worries. What is more important than ending birth and death? We recite "Namo Amitabha Buddha," over and over, and whenever there is a break, we bow to the Buddha. Reciting from sunset to sunrise, and from sunrise to sunset, day after day-what in the world could be more blissful than this? Of course, bowing nonstop is very tiring. Some people bowed one thousand bows a day, or even two thousand or three thousand. In the last few days some even bowed four thousand bows in one day. Bowing to the Buddha eradicates limitless offenses, so everyone was very vigorous. Also, bowing is like running a marathon—it takes stamina. I constantly exhorted myself to persist till the very end.
On the sixth day, I woke up to find my body and limbs with no strength at all. (This was the case almost every day of the Session.) I also had a headache. After the Morning Recitation, I had no strength to chant. When I bowed, it felt as if a thorn were piercing my head. My limbs felt paralyzed, and I thought I would collapse on the next bow. I was ill. I worried that I might not complete the Session. All day long, I rested by the side, afraid to leave. Before the Evening Recitation, I knelt before the Buddhas to repent, and prayed for Amitabha Buddha and the Bodhisattvas to aid me to complete the Session successfully. After the Sutra lecture, I suddenly felt a lot more energy in me. During the Great Transference, I could already bow easily. The more I bowed, the more energetic and comfortable I felt. I was tremendously excited and grateful. By ten o'clock that evening, I had bowed seven hundred and seventy times straight in forty minutes, making a total of more than ten thousand bows in the seven days.
I strongly feel I was able to participate in this Session because of good roots and blessings accumulated in my previous lives. My first Buddha Recitation Session has given me many experiences in reciting Buddha's name and bowing to the Buddha. There is no party without an end. Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. Judging from the Dharma bliss in my heart and the smiles of fellow cultivators, I believe everyone had a fulfilling Recitation Session. Amitabha Buddha!
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