Faithfully Accept and Practise: The Heart of the Buddha's Teachings

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

July 5, 2024, Noon Offering

Namo Amituofo’s discourse:

To faithfully accept and practise means to believe, to accept, to uphold without violation, and to truly put the teachings into action. These four words appear as the final sentence of the forty-eight chapters of the Infinite Life Sutra (The Buddha Speaks the Mahayana, Infinite Life, Adornment, Purity, Impartiality, and Enlightenment Sutra). The meaning behind this concluding phrase is that the Buddha hopes all those who attended that grand assembly would take his words to heart and put them into practice.

The Vital Importance of Every Word

These four words are of paramount importance. Each word serves as a pillar for your spiritual growth; if you are missing even one, your strength will be insufficient to overcome the obstacles on your path. When you allow these four words to enter your heart and ears, and when you transform them into concrete actions, you are following the path of a true disciple of the Buddha. This is a wonderful method for:

• Receiving the benefits of the Dharma.
• Purification of the mind and removing the stains of defilement.
• Attaining Buddhahood through diligent practice.

What Must We Faithfully Accept and Practise?

You may ask, what exactly are we required to faithfully accept and practise? The Buddha speaks the Dharma to relieve the suffering of all beings. He observes the Causal Conditions, the capacity of the listeners, the individuals involved, the timing, and the location before he speaks. Therefore, you must faithfully accept and practise the following:

• The teachings contained within the Infinite Life Sutra (The Buddha Speaks the Mahayana, Infinite Life, Adornment, Purity, Impartiality, and Enlightenment Sutra).
• The guidance provided by Namo Amituofo and Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju in their discourses.
• The explanations and emphasis provided by Practitioner Su during his lectures.

You must chant Namo Amituofo with one heart, without interruption, and continue to chant steadily. Through this, you will attain meditative concentration. This is the manifestation of Bodhi and the practice of the Buddha's path. The ultimate result of this practice is to see your true nature and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, which is the fruit of the causal heart that you have cultivated.

Transforming Your Personality

It is especially important that you change your personality traits. If you have a rigid personality—if you cannot accept criticism from others, if you become angry when corrected, or if your facial expression changes in defiance—you must change. If you are overly subjective, believing that your own views and methods are superior to those of others, or if you insist that everyone must listen to you, you must change these traits.

When these personality traits manifest, you must be aware that they are merely the manifestation of karma from being reincarnated. You must change these traits quickly so that the Goodness of the Dharma can enter your heart. By changing your conduct, you will be able to transform karma.

The Power of Following the Teachings

To follow the teachings means to take one step at a time, without a second thought, and without hesitation. It means simply doing exactly what you have been taught. When you believe in the Buddha, you do so without speculation and without doubt; this is also a form of believing in yourself. Believing in the Buddha and believing in yourself are the primary reasons for following the teachings. If you act in this way, and if you practise with this level of sincerity, you will certainly receive the benefits of the Dharma and eventually attain Buddhahood.

Namo Amituofo