The Essence of the True Heart

Teachings from the Teacher, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe

During the Noon Offering of the Thrice Yearning Ceremony held on 26 April 2024, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju provided profound guidance on the nature of the True Heart. This teaching serves as a vital reminder for all practitioners seeking to return to their original, unblemished nature.

The Nature of Absolute Sincerity

What is the True Heart? It is a heart of absolute sincerity, entirely devoid of self and selfishness. When you chant Namo Amituofo with a True Heart, your mind contains only the Buddha and the act of chanting. There is no room for anything else. When you treat others with a True Heart, you possess the power to dissolve their anxieties and defences, creating a space of mutual trust and peace. The True Heart is the only gateway to Awakening. Those who have realised their true nature possess a mind that is empty of ego, yet it contains the vastness of the True Heart itself.

Removing the Veils of the Self

If there is even a trace of hypocrisy or insincerity, it is not the True Heart, and you will be unable to reach Awakening. You must examine your mind carefully:

• If you harbour worry, fear, or terror, it is not the True Heart.If you are burdened by greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, or doubt, it is not the True Heart.If you are caught in the cycle of delusion, discrimination, and attachment, it is not the True Heart.If you cannot truly "see through" and "let go" of worldly concerns, it is not the True Heart.

When you are bound by emotion, you are like one trapped in a dream, and the True Heart cannot manifest. To truly change your personality traits—working until not a single trace of ego remains—is to manifest the True Heart.

The Path to Rediscovering Your Original Nature

Compassion, joy, the ability to let go, tolerance, and a vast mind-capacity are all expressions of the True Heart and Wisdom. Understanding the reality of all things and truly "see through" and "let go" is the True Heart. To purify, to be good, and to be pure again is the method to rediscover your True Heart. The True Heart is pure, bright, and clear. It is without falsity, without concealment, without pollution, and without anxiety. For one who possesses the True Heart, the Six Sense Organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind are no longer obstructed; they function with perfect clarity. The True Heart is pure and unstained. It is a heart that truly believes in the Buddha and truly believes in oneself. It is the opposite of the deluded mind.

The Boundless Clarity of the Buddha’s Mind

The Buddha has no "mind" of His own in the way that ordinary beings do. He understands the questions of all beings and responds according to their needs. He observes the minds of all beings and adjusts them accordingly, guiding them back to the right path. May we all strive to cultivate this True Heart, leaving behind the illusions of the world to find our way home to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Namo Amituofo