The Foundation of Sincere Faith and Vows

A Sincere and Earnest Request

Words of Namo Amituofo recorded by Venerable HaiZe

18 July 2021

Namo Amituofo says: The most precious aspect of chanting Namo Amituofo lies in the sincerity of your heart and the depth of your true faith. This is the cornerstone of your spiritual journey. You must cultivate a profound trust in yourself, a profound trust in the Buddha, a profound trust in the existence of Namo Amituofo, and a profound trust in the reality of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. You must make a sincere vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land, and you must engage in sincere, dedicated practice. These are the Three Provisions for rebirth in the Western Pure Land: Faith, Vows, and Practice.

The Three Essential Provisions

Every practitioner who seeks rebirth in the Western Pure Land must possess these three conditions. They are the essential requirements for your journey. If even one of these provisions is missing, your spiritual provisions are insufficient, and your path will be hindered. You must ensure that your faith, your vows, and your practice are all aligned and fully developed.

True Faith is a complete and unwavering belief in the Buddha and your own capacity to awaken. True Vows are a firm, heartfelt determination to leave the cycle of rebirth and reach the Western Pure Land. True Practice is the diligent and consistent act of chanting Namo Amituofo with a focused and pure mind.

The Perils of Partial Faith

If you only believe in the Buddha but lack faith in your own potential to awaken, or if you only believe in yourself while ignoring the Buddha's grace, you have not yet truly attained the state of genuine faith. Both extremes are incomplete. If you possess vows and practice but lack true faith in the Buddha, you may only reach the borderlands of the Pure Land, rather than the full glory of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Furthermore, if you have faith but your vows are not firm and your practice is insufficient, or if you have vows but your faith is easily shaken and your practice lacks strength, you will struggle to make progress. Even if you have practice, but you do not truly believe in the Buddha and your vows are weak, you are lacking the necessary good roots, blessings, and causal conditions. Under such circumstances, it is very difficult to find the opportunity for rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

The Path to Final Deliverance

My dear children, you must be sincere and earnest in your daily life. You must believe in yourself and believe in the Buddha with your whole heart. You must make the firm, unshakable vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. At the final moment of life, if you can maintain a single thought—or even ten thoughts—of sincere, focused chanting without any messy thoughts or delusions, you will certainly be received and led by Namo Amituofo to the Western Pure Land. This is the promise of the Buddha, and it is the path that leads you home.

Namo Amituofo