Nianfo

Nianfo

NIANFO The Chinese term nianfo (Jpn., nembutsu) is a translation of the Sanskrit word buddhānusmṛti. Anusmṛti is a feminine noun derived from smṛ-, a verbal root, with the prefix anu- meaning following, toward, or along. English translations of anusmṛti include holding in one's mind, remembering, thinking of [upon], contemplating, and reciting. Most of the definitions refer to aspects of meditation, whereas the last definition, reciting, means the repeated oral recitation (of a particular formulaic utterance), or the mental recitation of this same formula. This usage gave rise to the recitative nianfo that became an important practice in East Asian Buddhism from about the fifth century CE.

Primitive Nianfo

In its earliest form, nianfo referred to buddhānusmṛti, a simple remembrance or thinking about Śākyamuni Buddha, as in reverence to a teacher. First mention of nianfo is found in the initiation ceremony of the Buddhist order held while Śākyamuni Buddha was still alive. This simple profession of faith in the Three Treasures—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha (the Buddhist order)—encouraged members of the order to put trust in, worship, and adore Śākyamuni Buddha as a teacher. This type of nianfo gradually became practiced by believers even far removed from Śākyamuni in time or place as a means of asking for his protection in times of crisis.

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