Letting Go and Gaining

Words of Namo Amituofo. Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe

15 August 2026

Namo Amituofo's discourse:

Letting go and gaining,

Letting go is not only in the heart; one should also let go in action,

Gaining is found in both the intangible and the tangible; it can be attained in the body, the heart, and the spirit.

One should let go of wealth, let go of form—both material objects and the physical body—let go of fame, let go of food, and let go of sleep.

"Wealth, form, fame, food, and sleep" are originally the Five Desires, which are necessary for people's lives;

but when desires are endless, knowing when to stop is the mark of a wise person.

Wealth: Letting go of wealth

For most people, there is never enough wealth, and they blindly pursue material enjoyment,

in principle, they know they should stop, but in practice, they unknowingly become increasingly greedy,

further deepening and broadening their desires.

Letting go of material things allows one to be content and free from greed.

Fame: Letting go of fame

Before fame and profit are attained, one may be indifferent;

but once fame is acquired, to let it go, one must struggle against one's own arrogance

to enter a state of ordinary mind.

Letting go of fame allows one to attain peace and ease of heart, without seeking anything for the sake of fame and profit.

Food: Letting go of food

Regarding food, being "seven-tenths full" is healthiest for the body.

However, when delicious food is present,

people often overeat and find it difficult to let go of food, difficult to put it down and stop,

if this continues for a long time, it leads to many illnesses.

If one encounters the poor or elderly who have no one to care for them, providing food so they have no fear of hunger

is known as the Giving of Fearlessness, which can lead to health and longevity.

Sleep: Letting go of sleep

Sleep should be kept within reasonable limits.

The average person's sleep time is certainly longer and more frequent than that of practitioners.

During sleep, one is often in a state of drowsiness and enters other spaces without being aware of it.

Practitioners should maintain keen awareness and awareness, so excessive sleep is an obstacle to practice.

Sleeping too much makes the mind dull and is also a reason for attracting spiritual attachments.

Although one is in a state of sleep, the fluctuations of thoughts in the brain still continue,

which can attract karmic creditors and attached spirits to enter the body.

This is a subtle point that people easily overlook, yet it is the truth of reality,

therefore, sleep should be kept within reasonable limits.

By letting go of excessive sleep, with the assistance of reciting the Buddha-name of Namo Amituofo in every thought, one can attain keen awareness.

Body: Letting go of the body:

Letting go of the body means putting down attachments and desires for the body, and letting go of bodily sensations and feelings.

"I have a great affliction, because I have a body"—this saying expresses the influence the body has on people.

Especially when the body ages and illnesses manifest, the suffering is truly indescribable.

Letting go of family members and romantic attachments:

This is the suffering and entanglement of the world, the root of the suffering of reincarnation,

only by letting go in the heart and in action can one make progress in practice and attain great liberation,

then, transform emotional entanglements into Dharma affinity, so that both parties may have a time to leave suffering behind and be saved.

The Five Desires are the five roots of hell; letting go of them can avoid the suffering of hell.

Only by letting go can one attain a state of no-desire and gain the joyful heart of Generosity and Goodness.

At that time, Namo Amituofo was the king of the kingdom of Lokesvararaja, and upon hearing the teachings of the Tathagata Lokesvararaja,

he left his home and abandoned desires to become a monk, named Dharmakara,

only then did he achieve the Forty-eight Great Vows and the construction of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss,

and for the past ten kalpas, countless suffering beings throughout the Ten Directions of the Dharma Realm have been guided and saved, entering the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

This is endless; throughout this life and even into the boundless future,

countless beings will receive the Buddha's salvation, leave suffering behind and gain happiness, and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Practice is to let go of the body and home of the small self, to attain the no-self of the great self and Awakening, and to save all boundless suffering sentient beings.

Namo Amituofo