Mindful Visualization of Water
A Mindfulness Practice taught by Sakyamuni Buddha
Mindful Visualization of Water is the 2nd of the sixteen visualization practices directly extolled by Sakyamuni Buddha to Queen Vaidehi, the queen of the city of Rajagrha, some 2,500 years ago in response to her yearning for a place to be reborn that is free of afflictions and sufferings.
Queen Vaidehi requested the Buddha to teach her how to visualize such a place where she may hear no evil words, see no evil beings, and be reborn there. Among all the Buddha-lands revealed, the Queen chose to reborn in the Western Pure Land (the Land of Ultimate Bliss). This preaching, known as the Visualization Sutra, was then passed on to all of us sentient beings in this world.
What’s better than learning to practice mindfulness directly from our teacher, the Buddha? Let’s dive deep into the words of the Buddha for the practice of the Visualization of Water.
The Buddha said to Ananda and Vaidehi,
“When the First Visualization has been completed, next form the perception of water. Envision the Western Quarter as being completely filled with water, and picture the water as clean and pure. Seeing water that is clear leads to clear sight and then there is no scattering of the mind. Once this water has been visualized, envision it as turning into ice. Having visualized the ice as brilliant and transparent to its depth, see it as turning into lapis lazuli.
“When this vision is completed, next imagine that this ground of lapis lazuli shines brilliantly, both inside and out, and that the lapis lazuli ground is supported from below by majestic golden-bannered pillars made of adamant and the seven precious jewels. Each golden-bannered pillar has eight corners and eight sides, each side is made of a hundred jewels, each jewel shines with a thousand rays of light, and each ray of light has eighty-four thousand colors. As they are reflected on the lapis lazuli ground, they look like thousands of millions of suns, so dazzling that it is impossible to see them all in detail.
“On the surface of this lapis lazuli ground, golden paths intricately mesh and crisscross like a net of cords, and the seven kinds of precious jewels form border that demarcate the intersected parts of the ground. Each jewel emits a flood of light in five hundred colors. The light appears in the shape of a flower, or a star, or the moon; suspended in the sky, these rays form a tower of light on which there are ten million pavilions made of a hundred jewels. Both sides of the tower are adorned with a billion flower-banners and countless musical instruments. Pure breezes of the eight pleasing qualities are produced by these rays of light, causing the musical instruments to play in voices which proclaim the truths of ‘suffering, emptiness, impermanence and non-self.’ This is the visualization of water and is called the Second Visualization. To do this visualization is called the right visualization; to do another is called an incorrect visualization.”
Consider it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come across and practice this method, as one will then achieve non-retrogression (no falling back to lower realms) to ultimately attain the Highest Perfect Enlightenment. If anyone is interested in learning the entire sixteen visualizations, one may read the full sutra text of the Visualization Sutra.
Set aside time to practice it everyday. Immerse your mind in this visualization to cultivate a pure state of mind.
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Resources:
Visualization Sutra — Full sutra text
Five Pure Land Sutras
Amitabha Mindful Chanting Music Collection
