Words of : Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe.
On the 30th of April, 2022, during the first session of the , Namo Amituofo provided these profound teachings on the nature of the heart. How does your heart manifest in the world? Your internal state is the mirror of your reality, and understanding its many faces is the first step toward true liberation.
The Rhythms of the Heart
When your behaviour is impatient and your heart is restless, you become easily shaken by external circumstances, and anger arises within you like a sudden storm. Conversely, when your conduct is steady and your heart is anchored in stability, you are not easily moved to tears or distress. Consider the different states your heart may inhabit:
A heart of :
This is a state of genuine happiness and deep satisfaction.A heart of peace:
This is a state of serenity and contentment, where one is at ease with the world.A heart of sorrow: This is a state of sadness and grief, often born from attachment to what is lost.
How many of us truly understand that these states are not permanent, yet we allow them to dictate the quality of our lives?
The Shadows of the
Often, the heart is clouded by the five poisons, which obscure our original nature and keep us trapped in the cycle of rebirth. These shadows manifest in various ways:
Greed:
This is the outward manifestation of our insatiable desires.Anger:
This is the expression of our internal complaints and dissatisfaction with the world.Ignorance:
This is the state of being dull, dim, and lacking in clarity.Confusion:
This is the manifestation of karmic seeds that keep us from seeing the truth.Arrogance:
This is the result of being spoiled, pampered, and left to follow one's own selfish whims.Doubt: This is the inability to perceive the true facts and the reality of the universe.
When you are caught in these states, you are merely reacting to the world rather than living in accordance with the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way.
The Path of True Transformation
How do we move beyond these shadows? The path of practice offers us a way to refine our hearts. When you feel gratitude, you should respond with a calm smile and a heart that is even more diligent in your practice. When you realise you have made a mistake, true repenting is not found in many words, but in the quiet resolve to never repeat the error. This is the essence of being humble and modest.
To truly let go is to ensure that your heart leaves no trace behind. It means you have no lingering attachments and no obstacles in your mind. To truly release is to walk away without taking anything with you, not even a single thought of what you have left behind. This is the freedom of the practitioner.
The Heart of the Awakened Being
is the highest expression of the heart. It is the act of bringing to all beings exactly what they need and desire, helping them fulfil their wishes, and assisting them to leave suffering behind. Crucially, this is done without ever seeking anything in return. When you give joyfully and serve others with a willing heart, your own heart becomes rich and satisfied.
True renunciation is the clear understanding that all things are as illusory as a dream. Everything arises due to conditions and fades when those conditions cease. When you understand this, you no longer need to worry or cling to anything. What you gain in return is the immeasurable and boundless merit and wealth that cannot be seen with the physical eyes.
From Confusion to
The heart of ordinary people is constantly changing. It shifts according to external environments, sensory , and the weight of one's own . Because the heart has no fixed point, one spends a lifetime tasting the bitterness of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, as well as the inevitable cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. In this cycle of rebirth, one has no fixed home and no clear direction. You are carried away by your fate and manifest according to your karma, finding it difficult to take charge of your own life.
However, the heart of a practitioner changes as they progress through different stages of their journey. The process of practice is the process of refining the heart of an ordinary person until one enters the state of the Buddha—the state of having no heart in the sense of being free from all attachments. A Buddha has no selfish heart; they dwell in a vast, luminous treasury of eternal joy, true self, and purity. Those who have realised their true nature also possess this no heart state, dwelling in a space of emptiness and absolute clarity.
When such an awakened being saves the world and helps all beings, they can manifest in any form. Depending on the Dharma affinity of the beings they encounter, they can appear in any guise—with form or without form, with a body or without a body. They manifest according to the needs of the moment, acting with and ease. This is the ultimate goal of your practice: to return to your original nature and to be as free as the floating clouds and the light breeze.
