The Helplessness of Wandering

The Winding Path of Karma

During the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, as we invite the spirits to join us in the Dharma, Namo Amituofo offers these profound words to guide us back to our true nature. Life is like a winding, complex thread that binds us together. We are connected by the threads of our past actions, and were it not for these karmic conditions, we would never have the opportunity to meet in this lifetime.

When we encounter an old friend in a foreign land, we may feel a sense of familiarity. However, we must realise that their appearance is no longer the dignified one of the past. We have all been transformed by the cycle of rebirth, losing the original purity that once defined us.

The Lost Original Face

You may ask: when can we return to our original face? The truth is that the time for our past innocence has already passed, and it is difficult to reclaim what has been lost to the passage of time. All Dharmas originate from the same source, yet we insist on complicating our lives with unnecessary attachments and desires. Why must we insist on being this way, clinging to the illusions of the world?

The Direct Path to the Buddha

The Buddha is not far away. If you have no wandering thoughts, the Buddha is right before you, present in every moment. However, if you seek the Buddha with a grasping mind, the Buddha will always seem to be at the edge of the sky, forever out of reach. This is the nature of our own minds; we create the distance that separates us from the truth.

• Cherish the connection: You must cherish this karmic connection that has brought you to the Dharma.
• Release the mind: To have no other views is to have a mind free of attachments.
• Return to stillness: When the mind is still, the Buddha is revealed.

My children, you must cherish this moment. Do not let your mind wander into the traps of the Six Dusts. By letting go of your attachments, you will find that the path to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is open to you. Namo Amituofo.