Removing Defilements to Attain Purity

The process of removing defilements to attain purity begins deep within your heart. When your heart is pure, the land you inhabit becomes pure as well. The Pure Land is a place that nurtures all good roots, allowing them to manifest and enabling pure thoughts to arise. The most effective way to remain in sync with this purity is through the constant chanting of the Holy Name, "Namo Amituofo".

The Radiant Power of the Holy Name

The Holy Name itself is the embodiment of purity and goodness. Whether it manifests as pure, good, or the ultimate, supreme goodness depends entirely on the state of the practitioner's heart. How you chant and how you integrate this practice into your life can be adjusted according to your personal circumstances, the time, and your environment. It is through your own wisdom that you learn to let this Holy Name exert its greatest influence. As your spirits are elevated, this natural ability will begin to reveal itself.

Sowing the Seeds of Bodhi

You must strive to remove defilements and attain purity in every moment. This means keeping your mind focused on the Buddha, never letting the Buddha leave your thoughts. You are planting the Holy Name "Namo Amituofo"—the Bodhi Vajra Seed—directly into your consciousness and your thoughts. Even if it does not sprout immediately, the day will come when the conditions are ripe, the seed will germinate, and you will be saved.

The Path of Diligent Cultivation

When you are diligent in your practice within the Pure Land, you are actively removing defilements. Your daily lessons are essential to this transformation:

• Prostrations:
• Bowing to the Buddha to humble the ego and show reverence.Chanting:
• Reciting the Holy Name "Namo Amituofo" to maintain focus and purity.Reciting the Sutras: Studying the teachings to deepen your understanding of the Dharma.

When you are diligent in these daily lessons, you receive the Buddha's blessings, which infuse your practice with energy. This is the correct way to practise. Conversely, if your practice merely drains your energy, it is not in accordance with the Dharma.

The Harmonious Purity of Body, Mind, and Spirit

To remove defilements and attain purity, the purity of your heart is the primary requirement. Your heart has the power to lead your body and spirit into a state of purity. A pure heart is one free from delusions and messy thoughts. The eight consciousnesses and the fifty-one mental factors are all forms of defilement that you must learn to let go of. This is not an easy task, but through diligent chanting, self-power arises, and the Buddha's power will assist you.

• Purifying the Mind:
• By using the power of chanting and meditative concentration, you purify the heart, preventing the consciousness from creating further karma. This eventually leads to transforming consciousness into wisdom, which is the moment of Awakening.Purifying the Body:
• When the body is pure, the six sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind) are also purified. The nature of these organs becomes easy to reveal, and the consciousness no longer acts as a source of defilement.Purifying the Spirit: When the spirit is pure, the three hun souls and seven po souls become stable and calm.

Purifying your body, mind, and spirit is the duty of every practitioner. You must first purify yourself before you can help others; you must benefit yourself before you can truly benefit all beings. This is the path we must walk.

Namo Amituofo

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