The Vow to Exert One's Best Effort

The Transformation of the Self

During the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, Namo Amituofo provides this guidance on the importance of exerting one's best effort in practice. To transform the "self," personal ego, and selfishness, one must exert one's best effort. Your daily practice—including prostrations, chanting the name of Namo Amituofo, and reciting the Sutras—must be grounded, solid, and completed with your utmost dedication. Do not treat these as mere tasks; they are the foundation of your spiritual journey.

Maintain diligent practice without ceasing, moving directly toward the state of an awakened being. This is your fundamental duty, and you should exert your best effort to uphold it. To attain the Buddha-Recitation Samadhi and enter the state of an awakened being requires your full and sincere commitment.

The Compassionate Vow to Save All Beings

In all matters that benefit other beings, you must exert your best effort. It is your duty to assist beings in ending the cycle of birth and death, escaping the three realms, and freeing them from the suffering of being reincarnated. Furthermore, you should exert even greater effort to help beings be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Everyone possesses the true self, yet throughout aeons of being reincarnated, we have become heavily stained by impurities. These impurities trap our true self deep within the heart, preventing it from manifesting. By helping others, you also clear the path for your own liberation.

The Path of the Buddha-Practitioner

My children, you are now practising at the temple. I hope you can maintain your six roots are pure and achieve body-mind-spirit purification. May you soon become an awakened being, know the time of your departure in advance, and travel freely back to the Western Pure Land to save yourself and others. This is the path of a Buddha-practitioner, embodying Buddha-actions in every moment. Namo Amituofo.