Living Each Day with a Calm and Peaceful Mind

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

August 10, 2024, Noon Offering

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju:

My dear children,

I ask you today: are you truly able to live each day with a calm and peaceful mind, or do you find yourselves constantly tossed about by the turbulent waves of your emotions and thoughts?

The Foundation of Meditative Concentration

In the path of practice, the cultivation of meditative concentration is of the utmost importance. This is because the world we inhabit is governed by impermanence, and it changes in the blink of an eye. Only when you possess a stable meditative concentration can you adapt to these endless changes without being swayed or overwhelmed by them. When your mind is free from ripples, and your every thought is directed toward Goodness—devoid of selfishness and ego—you will naturally see their true nature.

The Dangers of Mental Fluctuations

If you remain trapped in a cycle of constant mental activity and emotional fluctuation, your practice will inevitably stall. This is because every rising thought acts as a signal that disturbs your entire being. Specifically, these fluctuations have severe consequences:

• They awaken the karmic creditors residing within your body, causing them to stir and seek retribution.
• They disturb the dormant cells within your body, creating internal disharmony.
• They attract external beings and demon crowds that resonate with your negative mental state, leading to spiritual attachment.

As a result, your Body-Mind-Spirit becomes burdened with a profound sense of heaviness. This manifests physically as the signs of aging and the onset of sickness, forcing you to face the suffering of aging, sickness, and death.

Dissolving the Five Poisons

If you can maintain the practice of chanting Namo Amituofo 24/7, you will not only be able to navigate the changes of this world with ease, but you will also unlock your inherent Wisdom (Prajna). Through this constant recitation, you will find it possible to live each day with a calm, peaceful, and joyful heart. When your mind is filled with the name of Namo Amituofo, where could the Five Poisons possibly find a place to take root?

• greed: The desire for more is replaced by the contentment of the Buddha-name.
• anger: The heat of resentment is cooled by the great compassion of the Buddha.
• ignorance: The darkness of confusion is illuminated by the light of the Buddha.
• arrogance: The pride of the ego is humbled by the vastness of the Buddha's vow.
• doubt: The hesitation of the mind is resolved by the certainty of faith.

These Five Poisons are all melted away by the power of the Buddha, for within the Buddha-name lies the great compassion of Namo Amituofo.

Breaking Through the Five Desires

Furthermore, if you can keep the Buddha-name in your heart at all times, how could the Five Desires—wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep—continue to bind you? These desires are the very roots of the hells, yet they are all conquered by the power of the Buddha. The Buddha-name is the supreme, profound Zen; with such meditative concentration, you can break through all worldly cravings. There is infinite energy within the Buddha-name, allowing you to transcend the pull of physical sensations and bodily needs. By chanting Namo Amituofo, you will surely find the peace and stillness required to live each day in harmony with the Truth.

Namo Amituofo