The Path of Letting Go and Entering

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

In this world, there is a common saying: "One cannot have both the fish and the bear's paw." This serves as a vital reminder that in every moment, we must make choices. If one is greedy and attempts to grasp everything at once, the result is often that one loses both. This principle is even more critical when it comes to your spiritual practice.

The Power of Single-Mindedness

If you wish to achieve success in your practice, you must understand that it is not about learning many things, but about focusing on one path. Only through dedicated, single-minded practice can you truly succeed. When you have one heart, your spirit is unified and you can accomplish great things. However, if you have two hearts or many hearts, your focus becomes scattered, your spirit becomes restless, and it becomes difficult to achieve any meaningful result. Therefore, you must learn to make choices and let go of what does not serve your path to Awakening.

The Art of Letting Go

To walk the path of the Buddha, you must be willing to release the heavy burdens of the world. This is the process of letting go and entering:

• Letting go of family and desires: You must release your worldly roles, your career, your status, and your attachments to material possessions. Transform your emotional entanglements into Dharma affinity.
• Letting go of the Five Desires: Release the cravings for wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep. Enter into a state of contentment and few desires, where you seek only the pure Dharma to benefit all beings.
• Letting go of the ego: Release your stubborn self, your personal opinions, and your ego and stubborn "self." Enter into the state of no-self, where you act only for the sake of all beings, free from subjective bias.
• Letting go of personal habits: Release the "self," personal ego, and selfishness. Enter into a state of no-self, where you follow the flow of the Truth with ease.
• Letting go of luxury: Release the life of comfort and ease where you are served by others. Enter into a life of simplicity, where you serve the community with humility.
• Letting go of restlessness: Release the tendency to be moved by external circumstances. Enter into a state of inner peace, where you are no longer controlled by the environment, but instead, you remain unmoved and calm.
• Letting go of the noisy world: Release the chaotic, polluted life of the mundane world. Enter into a quiet, simple, and pure life of practice.
• Letting go of delusive thoughts: Release the delusive thoughts flying around and the nostalgia for the past. Enter into the practice of chanting Namo Amituofo with a single heart, free from any other distractions.

The Ultimate Goal of Awakening

All of these efforts are made for one purpose: to escape the cycle of the six realms of rebirth. By letting go, you can finally find the meditative concentration necessary to succeed in your practice. When your heart is filled only with Namo Amituofo, and you chant the name with total devotion, you will reach a state where you chant without the thought of chanting, and you are free from the concept of non-chanting.

When your heart is empty, clear, and free from even the slightest stain of pollution, you will naturally realise your true nature. This is the state of Awakening. By chanting Namo Amituofo with such purity, you will surely be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Namo Amituofo