Three Periods of Mindfulness Practice Manual (三時繫念儀範)

About 三時繫念儀範

Song · by 延壽述

12,190 · about 41 min

The Three Periods of Mindfulness Ceremony was composed by the eminent Song Dynasty monk Master Yanshou and serves as an important liturgical practice in the Pure Land school. This text emerged against the backdrop of the integration of Chan and Pure Land Buddhism in China, aiming to focus the mind on Amitabha Buddha and seek rebirth in the Pure Land through concentrated practice during the three periods of dusk, early night, and midnight. Its contents include sutra recitation, chanting the Buddha’s name, visualization, and making vows, blending Chan contemplation with Buddha-recitation and embodying the dual practice of Chan and Pure Land. As an essential practical guide in the Pure Land tradition, its liturgy is rigorous and has had a profound influence. To this day, it remains widely used in Chinese Buddhist ceremonies for transferring merit and during intensive seven-day retreats, playing a significant role in advancing practitioners’ cultivation and spreading faith in the Pure Land.