The greatest and most wondrous things in life often appear simple and unremarkable.

       This brings to mind the story of Bian Que and his two brothers. All three were legendary physicians in the State of Wei in ancient China, each possessing extraordinary skill. Yet only Bian Que - the youngest - is remembered as the quintessential of the master healer. His brothers, though equally gifted, left no personal legacy behind.

       In truth, Bian Que was the least skilled among them. This isn’t modesty - it’s simply the reality.

       Once, the ruler of Wei asked him: 

       “Among you and your brothers, all esteemed physicians, who is the most accomplished?”

       Bian Que replied, “My eldest brother is the best, my second brother comes next, and I am the least skilled.”

       The ruler, surprised, pressed further: 

       “If that’s so, then why are you the most famous?”

       Bian Que explained, “My eldest brother treats an illness before it even takes root. Because people never realize he has already prevented disease, his skill goes unnoticed, and his reputation doesn’t spread.

       “My second brother treats an illness at the very first sign. People think he only handles minor ailments, so his fame stays within our hometown.

       “But I treat diseases only when they become severe. People watch me perform dramatic procedures - acupuncture, bloodletting, herbal plasters - and are dazzled by what seems miraculous. That’s why my name is known throughout the land.”

       To heal at the first sign of illness - or even better, to prevent it entirely - is the highest art of medicine. Once disease has taken hold, even the most heroic treatments - though seemingly miraculous - merely restore balance by taxing the body’s vital energy. What appears extraordinary is often just the necessary response to the severity of the condition.

       True mastery lies in detecting illness before it manifests, using remedies so gentle that healing occurs unnoticed - sometimes even before the patient is aware of it. Quietly averting disaster, restoring health before anyone realizes there was danger, is the true genius of healing.

       Such greatness is never esoteric - it is plain, unassuming, and without fanfare.

       Amitabha Buddha’s deliverance works in the same way.

       With simple ease, in the quiet recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha, the reciter is transformed from an ordinary being to an enlightened being effortlessly. It is an incredible feat by Amitabha Buddha, accomplished in a subtle, unassuming way.

       Our liberation from samsara, the realization of Buddhahood in the Pure Land all lies within this single name: “Namo Amitabha Buddha.”

       Many people do not fully understand this. Some recite the name without knowing its depth, yet still attain Buddhahood. This name embodies the most profound miracle, concealed within quiet simplicity.

       Yet so many dismiss it, thinking it too simple, too plain, too easy to be real. They crave dramatic signs and grand revelations. They believe that to break free from samsara and attain enlightenment must require struggle and hardship.

       “How could  anyone become a Buddha just like that - so simple and with such ease?” they wonder.

       They do not see that the greatest things require the least display.

       The achievement of Buddhahood transcends human thought, beyond all worldly perception. Everything we experience is bound by our limited understanding.

       Our rebirth in the Pure Land, our attainment of enlightenment - these are the workings of Amitabha Buddha himself, something beyond ordinary comprehension. 

       As long as we rely only on feeling and experience, we remain trapped in the cycle of birth and death. True transcendence lies beyond these limits.

       Reciting Amitabha’s name to attain Buddhahood surpasses all worldly language, thought, principles and reasoning. It is the Buddha’s most subtle and natural form of salvation.

       All the tribulations one might expect on the path to Buddhahood - Amitabha Buddha has already silently borne them for us.

       Now, we need only immerse ourselves in the quiet recitation of “Namo Amitabha Buddha” -  the complete work of our full enlightenment is naturally fulfilled.

       To attain Buddhahood through Amitabha-recitation is to witness the greatest wonder of all. It is the ultimate miracle, realized without fanfare.

  (Translated by the Pure Land School Translation Team;
edited by Householder Fojin)