A Broad Heart

Words of Namo Amituofo, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe

17 July 2026

Teachings by Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju:

A broad heart is at ease, open, and expansive.

A broad heart can encompass all things.

When interacting with people of various personalities, whether they are impatient or patient, one can be tolerant.

Those who possess a broad heart naturally give rise to compassion.

Seeing the suffering of beings as if it were one's own, one can help them resolve their problems.

Helping others is a natural response, without any reluctance or deliberation,

because the true self-nature is naturally so.

If there is any reluctance, combined with thinking and consideration, then there is 'self' and selfishness,

which is not a pure heart.

A broad heart can tolerate the unintentional faults of others.

The more one is without self and without selfishness, the broader one's heart becomes, because one has let go of the 'self'.

By letting go of the 'self', selfishness, one's own feelings, thoughts, and subjective views—everything contained within the 'self'—

and even by offering this body, offering this body to Amitabha Buddha, following Namo Amituofo,

first saving oneself, and then being able to save all boundless suffering sentient beings; at this moment, the heart is infinitely broad.

It is like a space filled with clutter; by sweeping away the accumulated debris and dust, and clearing out all the clutter,

and washing it clean with pure water, this space will become bright, transparent, open, and expansive,

making one feel refreshed, clean, and at ease;

this is the original state of the heart.

With compassion and meditative concentration in the heart, this naturally bright and open heart is naturally in harmony with the heavens, the earth, and all things,

able to encompass the changes in all kinds of people, matters, things, and phenomena,

and able to not linger or dwell in the mind, not storing these things in the heart, so the heart can remain broad and boundless.

This is for those who have achieved success in their practice.

And by chanting one Buddha's name to the end, the sound of the Namo Amituofo Buddha-name continues without interruption,

which can help purify this heart.

The Western Land of Dharma Nature is created from the broad and boundless heart of Practitioner Su,

possessing the same vow as Amitabha Buddha to save countless suffering beings,

as a practical combination of vow, power of action, and power of merit,

creating a pure spiritual Buddha-land,

together with the Buddha, saving countless beings to leave suffering behind and attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Namo Amituofo