Recorded and transcribed by ’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe
April 19, 2024, Noon Offering
Words of Namo Amituofo:
The Essential Work of Letting Go
If you wish to achieve spiritual success in your practice, you must exert significant effort. This is because the personality traits and habits you manifest in this life have become deeply ingrained as part of your identity. They are so closely linked to who you think you are that you must learn to let go of to truly see your true self. If you still cling to this sense of self, and if your personality and habits are so deeply rooted that you cannot even distinguish them from your true nature, then this becomes the greatest obstacle to your progress. It is the primary reason why many practitioners find it difficult to achieve spiritual success.
If you can truly let go of the self, along with the personality traits and habits that define it, you will have found the most direct path to progress. However, this is precisely where the fourfold assembly often struggles. You may not even realise that you are still clinging to a sense of self, and because that self remains, the path forward feels difficult and obstructed.
Identifying the Obstacles Within
Where should you begin the work of letting go of the self and changing your personality and habits? You must start by looking at the areas where you are most attached: your likes, your dislikes, and your deepest preferences. These are the very places where your personality and habits reside. Within this process, you may find that you have a habitual tendency to close your eyes and drift off, mistakenly believing that you are still clear-headed and alert. In reality, you have already become drowsy, or you may have even drifted into other spaces of the mind.
Transforming Greed through Generosity
When you encounter the various forms of greed, you must apply the practice of Generosity to find salvation. Consider the many ways greed manifests in your daily life:
Greed for emotion and love:
The desire to be attached to others or to be the object of their affection.Greed for wealth and material gain:
The constant pursuit of worldly possessions.Greed for lust and sensory pleasure:
The craving for physical gratification.Greed for fame and reputation:
The desire to be recognised or praised by others.Greed for food and sleep: The indulgence in physical comforts that dull the spirit.
Whenever you feel these cravings arising, you must counter them with the practice of Generosity. By giving freely, you break the cycle of attachment.
Cultivating Humility and Faith
When you face anger—perhaps because someone has offered you advice or criticism, or because things have not gone according to your own wishes—you must learn to shrink your ego. Do not amplify your sense of self, as this only fuels the fire of anger. Instead, remain humble and modest.
Regarding ignorance, when you find yourself dwelling on past people, events, or emotions, you must stop these thoughts immediately. If you do not, your will continue to entangle you, leading to further suffering, illness, and old age. When you feel arrogance rising because of something you are proud of, you must immediately raise your awareness and transform that pride into humility and modesty. Finally, when you feel doubt—especially if you struggle to believe in the Buddha or even in your own potential—you must raise your awareness and simply continue to chant Buddha's name. By doing so, your doubts will naturally dissolve, and faith will take root.
I encourage you to list the specific areas where you feel your practice is hindered, whether they relate to your own habits or to your interactions with others. Reflect on these daily. When you make a mistake, correct it immediately. Only by letting go of the self can you enter the state of , and only then can you return to the oneness of your true self.
