In Buddhism, the number 7 is mentioned a lot, so practitioners who follow the Buddha have met this number. We often see it through the legend of the Buddha's birth, when he walked 7 steps; or in the Amitabha Sutta, also talking about the number 7, talking about single-mindedly reciting Buddha's name for 7 days, then he will be reborn ..., so, it is necessary to clarify this number, what does it mean? Although there are many articles on this topic, the writer did not evaluate or discuss true and false about those articles, but only raised his own views.

There are times when we ignore this number, but sometimes we raise the issue about it. Why could a young child walk at birth like Siddhartha Siddhartha? Unrealistic? Or is it a myth? In Mahayana Buddhism, the myth becomes very close, so Tue Sy said: " That is the law of life: what has become ideal also becomes legend. Ideal personalities, legendary characters. Whoever perfected his exemplary personality, is only a character of a certain country and era. Only legendary characters go beyond space and time, to set an example for the country and all ages. ” [first]  Thus, the legendary story of Buddha's birth with 7 steps exists in such a case, although not practical, but understood and accepted by the people through the ages. to be survived to this day. So, what do the 7 steps of the prince mean?

This story exists only in Mahayana Buddhism, 7 steps are blown by the Mahayana into a philosophy of an era, it represents an innovative idea to rival the contemporary philosophical currents of philosophy. . The sectarian period in Buddhism was a tumultuous period to discuss about the Buddha, the teachings…. Mentioned a lot in the work of  Dich Ton Luan Luan  and to the Mahayana period, she combined the quintessence of thoughts and step by step the story of these 7 steps to appear.

The only purpose for the Buddha to appear in this life is suffering and the path of eradication; The path of elimination of suffering is the cause of enlightenment and liberation. Without enlightenment, it is impossible to liberate, which means reincarnation in the six paths (the six realms). Want to get out of the six realms of suffering, according to the Buddha must practice meditation as he practiced. And to talk about the life of a scholar like the Buddha, all the behaviors that talk about him are described differently. Buddha has just come true with the teachings, but not realistic with the myths, which are typically 7 steps away. Buddha is a wonderful person, so his appearance must be different from others, 7 steps are different from others. but very meaningful. Walking, it is the progress towards a certain purpose, but the step of a mortal cannot leave the six realms, still reincarnating, samsara and suffering; only the steps of the Saints supernaturally 6 realms, can get rid of those 6 realms, and completely liberate, so the number 7 is the most wonderful number. The final step is the 7th step to say something that the sixth step is still suffering, there are still samsara, still in the six realms, so one more step is free from suffering in those six realms and the sixth step 7 is the super step of a saint. only the steps of the Saints supernaturally 6 realms, can get rid of those 6 realms, and completely liberate, so the number 7 is the most wonderful number. The final step is the 7th step to say something that the sixth step is still suffering, there are still samsara, still in the six realms, so one more step is free from suffering in those six realms and the sixth step 7 is the super step of a saint. only the steps of the Saints supernaturally 6 realms, can get rid of those 6 realms, and completely liberate, so the number 7 is the most wonderful number. The final step is the 7th step to say something that the sixth step is still suffering, there are still samsara, still in the six realms, so one more step is free from suffering in those six realms and the sixth step 7 is the super step of a saint.  

We reach the abyss, just one more step and we fall down, the opportunity to take one more step will not be possible. So there can be no doubt as to why the prince did not take 8 steps but 7 steps. So when it comes to  the number 7  is to talk about  the number of transcending 6 realms , as the purpose of the Buddha's birth. The philosophical sign of the number 7 is to speak of the integrity of Buddha's entire life with a single purpose of being free from suffering in those six realms.

It is a matter of 7 steps of the prince when he is born. In the Amitabha Sutta also refers to the number 7, in the paragraph on how to practice according to the Pure Land Buddhism, which is the practice of reciting the Buddha's name, the sutta talks about the diligent recitation of Buddha's one-pointed mind without disturbance from one day to 7 days it will be reborn. Being reborn is the purpose of liberation, but in order to achieve that one has to go through the process of reciting Buddha's effort diligently, the mind is not disturbed. This is the practice of Pure Land Buddhism similar to the practice of Zen in a state of pure mind.

We try to ask why not recite Buddha's name 8 days or more, but must 7 days? There have been many practitioners reciting Buddha's name beyond the 7-day number as mentioned above, there are practitioners meditating in reciting Buddha's name for a few months, a few years, but liberation still has not happened, seeking answers to this problem many but cannot explain satisfactorily. So, how do we explain the 7-day number?

According to Pure Land Buddhism, rebirth means that one who wants to transform the afflictive world right in his or her mind must practice the concept of reciting Buddha's name, so that the mind is pure. Only we know ourselves how greedy, angry and ignorant are raging, how strong or dull, how active? We transform it by the method of reciting Buddha's name. The worries, calculated in life are practitioners instead by the method of reciting the Buddha, as a preventive measure, to prevent disturbing activity or penetration. When running after the 6 ceiling, pollution appears, our mind will receive misery like hell, hungry ghosts and animals, so there is a saying: continent base continental ceiling infinite authors hope crime, delusion, morality, sea hungry ghosts ...

We cannot know when we recite the Buddha's name until we are reborn, but it is certain that in order to be reborn we must be single-mindedly rebellious. If reciting Buddha's name is not yet one-minded, defilements have not been transformed, good karma is not strong enough to move bad karma and we are still falling in the six realms. Reciting Buddha's name for 7 days without being single-minded, has not been reborn, but being single-mindedly uncontrollably extended to the 7th day, will the rebirth occur or may it occur before or longer? So what does this number 7 mean in the practice of reciting Buddha's name?

 We temporarily call the practice of reciting the Buddha's name, when one-pointed mind is rebellious, it is reborn as a common formula. The time to be reborn depends on predestined factors, that is, on the level of diligence. The starting point of this practice is to want to leave suffering, and above all to be the common desire of Buddhism, to be free from suffering in the six realms. Because happiness in heaven, the human world is not yet final, only temporary; joy in the lower realms such as A tu la, Hell, Preta, and Sanh are still painful. Should recite the Buddha's name to pray for rebirth means to be free from the six realms to be peaceful in the world of the Buddhas, and the nearest to be peaceful in our interior. The number 7 speaks to the noble purpose of Buddhism, for any dharma, Buddha also directed practitioners out of samsara in 6 realms, transcending 6 realms. The number of 7 days in the sutta refers to the effort in the practice - having wishes, reciting Buddha's name and having diligence, will have one-pointedness and one-pointedness, the practitioner will obtain the result of liberation and attain number 7 of the six realms of suffering.

In short, the ultimate purpose of the Buddha is always liberation. The suffering of human life or suffering in the other 5 realms is the greatest concern of the Blessed One. Therefore, we see that the Buddha was very loyal to his purpose, that is suffering and the path of elimination of suffering, he set out and came to the end to solve it, manifested through his whole life. his religion. This is the similarity of both Theravada Buddhism as well as Theravada Buddhism. The Mahayana have added the legendary element of the 7 steps of the prince when he was born, with the intention of adding the beauty of the Holy Lineage to other people's actions, but fully expressing the philosophy by ideal throughout, lofty. Jump to the 7th step is a leisurely step, free in 6 realms, no longer dominated by 6 realms. The ideal embedded in such a myth creates a living philosophy and that philosophy has come into practice with the basic disciplines such as Zen or Pure Land (reciting Buddha's name).  

When entering the path of practicing a certain method, there cannot be a certain time frame to reach the goal, but must be based on the element of diligence. Buddha meditated for 49 days and nights to enlighten and be liberated, while we ordinary people can liberate within 7 days of reciting Buddha's name? Can't have that happen. So, 49 days is also the number 7 that is multiplied by 7 and the number 7 in the Amitabha Sutta is a purposeful coincidence of the Mahayana, wanting to fully show the path of elimination of suffering, to escape from samsara, there must be six realms, and the number 7 is the goal.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.31/5/2020.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE  BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.