Having Faith in the Buddha and in Yourself

The Echo of Doubt Within the Heart

When the topic of having faith in the Buddha arises, many members of the fourfold assembly often respond with a hesitant sentiment: "I have complete faith in the Buddha, but I do not have faith in myself." This is a common hurdle for many practitioners. It reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the relationship between the practitioner and the Buddha, and it acts as a significant barrier to the full realisation of one's spiritual potential.

My dear children, since you have begun your journey of learning the Dharma at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, you must come to understand a fundamental truth. Every single being possesses an original nature, which is the Buddha-nature. This Buddha-nature is perfectly equal in all beings. It is the true, unchanging essence that is shared by all Buddhas, and it is the very same essence that resides within you.

The Equality of the True Nature

When you claim that you lack faith in yourself, you are, in effect, expressing a lack of faith in your own self-nature and your own Buddha-nature. It means that you have not yet truly recognised or acknowledged the divinity that lies within. To reach the state of an awakened being, you must cultivate two forms of faith simultaneously: faith in the Buddha, which is trusting in the infinite compassion and the power of the vows of Namo Amituofo, and faith in yourself, which is trusting in your own capacity to rediscover, nurture, and manifest your inherent Buddha-nature.

If you lack faith in yourself, you are essentially denying that you possess a Buddha-nature. You are doubting your own ability to return to that state of purity and wisdom. This doubt creates a profound disconnect in your practice, preventing you from aligning your heart with the Truth.

The Peril of a Divided Heart

Even if you chant the name of Namo Amituofo with great diligence, if you do not believe in your own capacity to attain the goal, you are creating an obstacle. Upon the end of this life, even if you are led by the Buddha to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, you may find yourself entering the Borderland of Doubt. Why does this happen? Because to doubt yourself is to doubt your own Buddha-nature.

The beings who reside in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss are able to enjoy everything that manifests from the vow-power of Namo Amituofo because their own self-nature is in perfect sync with the Buddha's nature. If you harbour doubt about your own self-nature, how can you fully enter the realm that is built upon the flow of Namo Amituofo's own awakened nature? Conversely, if you believe only in yourself and doubt the Buddha, you are equally lost, for you fail to recognise the external manifestation of the Truth that the Buddha provides.

The Radiant Path of Unwavering Faith

Therefore, those who only believe in the Buddha but not in themselves, or those who only believe in themselves but not in the Buddha, will both find themselves trapped in the Borderland of Doubt. As the sutras warn us, those who dwell in this state for five hundred years will not see the Three Jewels. They will not understand the methods of the Bodhisattvas, nor will they be able to cultivate merit or serve the Buddha of Infinite Life. This is because, in their past lives, they lacked the wisdom to overcome their own deep-seated doubts.

For those of you who are practitioners of the Pure Land path and who chant the Buddha's name, you must hold a complete and unwavering faith in both the Buddha and in your own self. Only when this faith is total can you receive the full power of the Buddha's blessing. Only then are you truly a practitioner who has made the vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. May you all walk this path with a heart full of confidence and clarity.

Namo Amituofo