Dialogue with the Buddha: The Path to a Purified Heart

The Mirror of the Heart

On the morning of June 3, 2017, during our early morning walking meditation, Practitioner Su shared a vital insight regarding our spiritual practice. She noted that among our fellow practitioners and monastics, there is a noticeable difference in how clearly and quickly one can receive messages from the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and ancestral masters. This variance is not determined by one's inherent goodness or status, but rather by the degree to which one has purified their heart.

When your heart is deeply purified, your ability to receive spiritual guidance becomes swift and clear. However, if you have not truly let go of your attachment to the physical body, or if you are a monastic who still harbours private desires, your progress will be hindered. If you remain overly sensitive to your physical comfort, or if your thoughts frequently drift toward negativity and selfishness, your complexion will reflect this inner turmoil. In such a state, not only is purification impossible, but reaching Awakening becomes a distant goal. Furthermore, a heart burdened by such attachments often leads to physical illness.

The Weight of Karmic Bonds

Namo Amituofo offers us this guidance: My child, open your heart. I am pleased to see your willingness to change. To see through the illusions of this world and let go of your attachments is not an easy task, yet it is essential. It depends entirely on how deeply you can perceive the truth. Your journey through this world is filled with trials, all of which are the result of karmic bonds and emotional entanglements.

Countless sentient beings are suffering, and their pain stems from this very lack of clarity. Without the guidance of a truly enlightened teacher, how can one see the truth of reality? People often mistake the Five Desires and the Six Dusts for the natural state of existence, unaware that all suffering arises from these very things. They cling tightly to their own opinions and physical sensations, yet in the end, everything is subject to impermanence. You cannot take these things with you; you can only carry the karma you have created.

The Essence of the Pure Land Path

You are already aware that within this body, there are many karmic creditors who have followed you for lifetimes, never leaving your side. They are trapped with you in the cycle of rebirth, sharing in your joys, angers, and sorrows. They follow your every thought, rising and falling with the fluctuations of your mind. Every action you take and every thought you form is shared with them. Because these thoughts arise and vanish in an endless, turbulent stream, how can you ever achieve true purification?

Why do we study the Buddha's teachings? We study to attain the pure, equal, and awakened nature. This awareness is eternal and never perishes, yet it requires a purified heart to manifest in its original form. This is why we follow the Pure Land Dharma Gate. When your heart is pure, the land is pure, and only then can your heart be in sync with the Buddha-heart. The ultimate goal of learning from the Buddha is to become a Buddha and save all beings. If your heart is constantly disturbed by impurities, it is like a lake surface that can never be still, especially when stones are constantly thrown into it, causing wave after wave of impact.

Cultivating the Unmoved Mind

How can one achieve pure karma? The great matter of rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is something everyone must face; no one can avoid it. Your heart must be the master of where you go. You cannot simply let your mind drift aimlessly. Even the most subtle ripples in your mind, which the physical eyes cannot see, act as obstacles to your purification. The key is to have no waves and no wandering thoughts.

Always remember this in your heart: no matter what you are doing, do not let your mind be shaken by external circumstances. Keep your thoughts firm and unmoved. Your true nature is inherently an unmoved mind, and only when you maintain this state can you clearly perceive the totality of all things. When your mind moves, your true nature drifts further away, and you cannot be in sync with the Buddha, leading to the rise of afflictions and ignorance. If you do not change your personality and habits, you will easily become angry, and your face will show it. If you add more impurities to an already stained heart, how can you ever become pure?

A Vow to Awaken

In truth, there is nothing to be troubled by; it is only the foolish who disturb themselves. If you can attain a pure heart, these troublesome situations will not even manifest. You should always let the light of a pure heart shine, illuminating everything around you. This heart-light has no boundaries. The extent of your mind-capacity determines the size of the Buddha-land you manifest.

I am deeply grateful for these teachings from Namo Amituofo. I feel ashamed and repentant for my narrow mind, which has made it difficult to see the good in others, and for my failure to fully sever my ties to the Five Desires and the Six Dusts. Whenever afflictions arise, they stir up my body and mind, making it difficult to remain pure. However, with the help of the Buddha and Practitioner Su, I am able to resolve the conflicts with my karmic creditors. I am deeply grateful to be in this sacred place. Under the constant illumination of the Buddha-light, my dust and grime are being transformed into a sense of cool clarity. We are all bathing together in the Buddha-light and the Buddha-name. The Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is right before our eyes. I hope that all who are connected to this path will benefit from it. Namo Amituofo.

Namo Amituofo further teaches: If you can truly change, your original heart will manifest, and all your wishes and prayers will be fulfilled. All students of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre must work together to realise their true nature as soon as possible and save all beings in the Pure Land.

As a disciple, I affirm that under the guidance and care of Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, Great Master Xuanzang, and Practitioner Su, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre will continue to work together to change our personalities and habits, and to realise our true nature. We hope that more people will believe in the Buddha, chant Namo Amituofo, make vows, and successfully be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Namo Amituofo.