The Path to an Opened Heart and Released Mind

The Emptiness of the Heart

If your heart is truly empty, how can there be any object left to purify? If you are filled only with the Buddha, with no selfish thoughts or attachments, where could delusions, messy thoughts, or anxiety possibly arise? When the heart is occupied solely by the presence of Namo Amituofo, there is no space for the shadows of the ego to take root.

The Cause and Effect of Karma

Every action has a cause, and every cause will inevitably bear fruit. It is merely a matter of time before the karmic results manifest in your life. Therefore, you must maintain a pure heart, pure thoughts, and pure intentions. Do not stir up the karma of the past, for it only serves to pollute your current mental state and consciousness. Do not let your karmic creditors be awakened, for they will disturb the peace of your Body-Mind-Spirit. If you can keep your past karma dormant through diligent practice, your Body-Mind-Spirit will find the space to cultivate true goodness.

The Path to Awakening

When your heart is opened and your mind is released, when you are filled with compassion, joy, and the willingness to let go, how could there be any room for mental distress, anger, dissatisfaction, or greed? You must chant Namo Amituofo at every moment. Small awakenings will accumulate into a great awakening. This is the only way to reach the state of having your heart opened and your mind released. When great awakening manifests and total enlightenment appears, that is the moment you realise your true nature.

Faith in the Buddha and the Self

Where does this state of having your heart opened and your mind released come from? It comes from faith in the Buddha and faith in yourself. To believe that you possess the same Buddha nature as the Buddha is to truly believe in the Buddha and yourself. Every word spoken by the Buddha is the absolute truth, intended to awaken all beings. Do not be lost in fleeting pleasures or the constant fluctuations of your own mind. You have already tasted the full bitterness of the cycle of rebirth; it is only because you have forgotten those experiences that you continue to suffer today.

Returning to the Western Pure Land

Chant Namo Amituofo directly and continuously. Awaken the Buddha nature within you. This is the only way to truly leave suffering behind. Every day at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is precious, so please practise diligently without delay. Quickly find your true self-nature, save yourself, and save all beings as you enter the Western Pure Land. Namo Amituofo.

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.