Facing Life with a Calm Heart

The Unpredictable Nature of Our World

In this human world, which is defined by impermanence, anything can happen at any moment. We are constantly faced with unpredictable changes that test our resolve. Because of this, our hearts often fluctuate between joy and anger, tethered to the cycle of rebirth. We allow our emotions to rise and fall in response to external circumstances. This creates ripples in our hearts. When we encounter the inevitable realities of birth, aging, sickness, and death, or the pain of separation from loved ones, our hearts lose their stillness. We find ourselves unable to attain true peace or lasting tranquillity.

The True Purpose of Our Practice

The purpose of our practice is to regulate the heart. We aim to bring the heart to a state of stillness so that it no longer fluctuates according to external conditions. When we achieve this, we can attain stability, peace, and purification. Only then can our innate compassion and Wisdom begin to manifest. We must continue to deepen our meditative concentration, our purification, and our goodness. By doing so, we gradually remove the dust and defilements brought about by our previous emotional fluctuations. This process allows the purity of our hearts to emerge and our true self to be revealed.

Choosing Calmness Over Confusion

Therefore, when circumstances manifest before you, it is best to face them with a calm heart. Do not allow the Five Poisons—Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt—to take control. When you maintain a calm heart, there are no waves and no agitation; you naturally attain purity and meditative concentration. Conversely, if you allow Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt to manifest, you will create negative causes and be forced to endure the resulting laws of karma and cause and effect. You must strive to stay far away from such paths. Namo Amituofo.