The Myriad Manifestations of the Heart

On the twenty-sixth of July, 2017, a disciple approached Namo Amituofo with a question regarding the nature of grace and the human condition. The disciple observed that the grace of Namo Amituofo toward all beings is boundless and unconditional, giving everything without reservation. Yet, ordinary people often approach Namo Amituofo with a calculating mind, measuring their own efforts against what they hope to receive in return. Seeking the Buddha’s compassionate guidance, the disciple asked for clarity on this disparity.

The Boundless Capacity of the Heart

Namo Amituofo offered these teachings: The capacity of the heart is infinite, and compassion is boundless. While our physical lives are limited, the true nature of our heart remains vast and eternal. This heart is hidden within the body, yet it transcends the cycle of birth and death. Compassion is truly priceless, and this is the very essence of the heart’s capacity.

Consider the mystery of the universe: a tiny mustard seed can contain the vastness of Mount Sumeru, and Mount Sumeru can fit within the space of a mustard seed. This is the nature of the heart; this is the nature of compassion. When you understand this, you understand the interconnectedness of all things.

The Distinction Between Awakening and Confusion

What defines a Buddha, and what defines ordinary people? The difference lies entirely within the space between confusion and awakening. It is determined by the capacity of your heart and the depth of your compassion. When you awaken your heart, it becomes like the earth itself—stable, nurturing, and making no distinctions between beings. You and I are one; you must practise the view of oneness.

Just as the earth allows itself to be trodden upon, swept, and cleaned, remaining ever green and vibrant regardless of how it is treated, so too should your heart remain pure. In contrast, those who are lost in confusion are bound by their own attachments:

• Self-view:
• The rigid belief in a permanent, separate self.Self-love:
• The clinging to one's own desires and comforts.Self-attachment: The obsession with what one possesses and what one claims as one's own.

These attachments create a cycle of binding that never ceases.

The Wisdom of Letting Go

The earth does not arise from a cause; it simply exists to support all beings. Compassion should respond to the needs of all beings in the same way. My wish is to see all my children healthy and to feel the suffering of all beings as my own. I pray that the compassionate Buddha will lead all beings to leave suffering behind, to escape the ocean of the cycle of rebirth, and to have all their needs fulfilled.

True giving does not seek a return; it only seeks the joy of others. When you are full of joy, your face radiates that inner peace. If others are in need, you should be willing to share what you have, ensuring that their needs are met. To see the world with such openness—this is the true measure of a compassionate heart.

Returning to the Original Nature

Nothing is more important than ending the cycle of birth and death and being permanently liberated from the cycle of rebirth. This is entirely determined by what your heart feels and perceives. Your indifference, your diligence, your path to Buddhahood, or your descent into the path of demons—all of this is determined by the heart.

If you can treat existence as if it were non-existence, if you can treat the floating world as if it were still, if you can see things as if they were not seen, and hear things as if they were not heard, you will find the path. If you are lost in the confusion of the world, how can you achieve this oneness? This oneness is the capacity of the heart, and compassion resides within it. Joyful giving is natural; it is the way things are meant to be.

Calculating gains and losses is merely the act of making distinctions. When you act according to your own whims, you do wrong, and your face will naturally show your resentment. You must follow the rules of etiquette and observe the teachings with care. If you are to be one, then be one; if you are to be two, then be two. Do not let your mind be scattered.

If you hold on to too much, you will gain very little. If you let go, you will see what you have never seen before. You will possess everything, for the remainder is what you rely upon. Because the heart has not let go, you hide behind old habits. Because you find it difficult to seek the truth, you remain trapped. Yet, if you let go of everything, you will possess the whole. If you give, you will receive. If you are pure, you will be clear. This is the truth that binds the hearts of all people.

Be like the Tathagata. Hold fast to this truth without comparing quantities or weighing importance. Do not disturb your true nature, and the Precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom will naturally arise. All of this is the Buddha’s path. Where the path arises, there is no need for words; this is called the unborn, and this is the state of no-self. This is also the state of rebirth. This is what we call the capacity of the heart. The wealthy may have no heart, while the poor may be the ones who calculate. These are the myriad manifestations of the heart. You must verify this for yourself, for this is how it truly is.

Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.