Broadening the Heart

Words of Namo Amituofo. Chief writer: Venerable Fa Hui

28 February 2026

Amitabha Buddha's discourse:

"Broadening the Heart", a wide and vast heart.

The heart is originally spacious and vast without boundaries, yet because of the layers of confusion and afflictions that have accumulated, the heart has developed boundaries, and these boundaries are becoming increasingly narrow.
The purer one is, the broader the heart becomes.
If one has delusion, discrimination, and attachment, the heart becomes smaller and smaller, sometimes so small that it cannot even contain a single grain of sand, becoming a narrow heart that causes pain.

Why does a broad heart become a narrow heart? Because there is a "self".
People often seek externally,
hoping that what others say, do, and think will all satisfy the "self",
and not cause the "self" to have afflictions.
By taking the "self" as the starting point in this way, one will often encounter unsatisfactory events.
These unsatisfactory events occur,
because one has not changed personality traits,
or because of the manifestation of karma from past lives, the seeking of revenge and repayment of grievances by karmic creditors;
or perhaps it is retribution in this lifetime.

If everyone takes the "self" as the priority, then who will always satisfy the other person's wishes?
If there is dissatisfaction, it will cause oneself to have afflictions and anger,
this is the heart of ordinary people, the heart of beings, not the original heart, the true self / self-nature,
therefore, one must adjust the heart and change personality traits.

Methods to adjust the heart and change personality traits:
Resolve the conflict and perform Chao Du for karmic creditors: this is the temporary solution.
Practice chanting Buddha's name, prostrations, reciting the Sutras, listening to sutras and hear the Dharma, and cultivating a heart of compassion and Wisdom (Prajna): this is the fundamental solution.
治本方能夠入寬心 (Only by addressing the fundamental can one enter a broad heart).

In practice, one must understand not to seek externally but to seek internally; this is the skill.
There are infinite treasures within the heart,
only by finding the true self / self-nature can one retrieve the treasures and be self-reliant,
unaffected by external interference or obstacles, maintaining the coolness and ease within the heart.
Living such a life is to be a person of no-self and selflessness.

Such a person will not demand that others satisfy their own wishes,
because if one lets go of the "self", how can there be a desire to satisfy the "self"?

When the skill of chanting Buddha's name is effective, one can actively contribute in practice and daily life,
is one of compassion and Wisdom (Prajna),
is one of no-self and selflessness,
is one with a broad and vast mind-capacity.
The fourfold assembly of Fragrant Light should be as such.
Namo Amituofo