Do Not Retreat: The Path of True Practice

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

The path of practice is entirely distinct from the life one leads in the mundane world. When you embark upon this journey, you must understand that true practice requires you to transcend the limitations of a fixed personality. Instead, you are called to cultivate the boundless qualities of compassion, Wisdom, tolerance, and a vast mind-capacity.

The Distinction Between Worldly Life and True Practice

The personality you have developed throughout your life in the mundane world is, in truth, a form of pollution. It is a collection of habits that will inevitably attract karmic manifestations. If you continue to cling to your personality while attempting to practise, you will find it difficult to achieve true purification. It becomes even harder to attain a pure heart. Therefore, you must be diligent in overcoming your habitual tendencies and stripping away the layers of your ego.

The Continuous Cycle of Transformation

In the process of removing your personality and changing your ways, you will encounter many challenges. You may face difficulties in how you spend your time, or you may experience various physical and mental reactions as you adjust to the path of practice. If you face these challenges directly and pass through them smoothly, that is excellent. However, if these reactions cause further problems, you must face them again and overcome them once more. This cycle of facing your faults, changing your ways, and then facing the next layer of your ego is the very essence of the process of practice.

Standing Firm Against the Winds of Retreat

You must never allow yourself to retreat from this path. There are many obstacles that may tempt you to turn back, but you must remain steadfast:

• Do not retreat because of the problems arising from your own personality or ego.Do not retreat because of the doubts, criticisms, or slander cast upon you by others.Do not retreat because of feelings of drowsiness or the interference of other dimensions.

As long as you possess a sincere vow to face your faults and change your ways, the Buddha, the Teachers, and Practitioner Su will be there to assist you.

The Gift of Being Corrected

When you encounter unpleasant situations, or when others point out your problems and mistakes, you should accept their words with an open heart. Do not be led astray by your physical sensations or emotional reactions, which may tempt you to retreat or lash out in resistance. Instead, you should smile and accept the feedback with sincerity. You must realise that it is not easy to encounter someone who is willing to point out your faults. Now that you have encountered such an opportunity, you should feel deep gratitude. When you see a fault, change it. When you change your ways thoroughly, you will successfully pass through this gate of practice.

Namo Amituofo