The heart is the root of the Buddha's teachings. All dharmas are mind-only; the heart creates all dharmas. Where there is a heart, there is a Dharma; where there is no heart, there is no Dharma. All beings possess a heart, and thus all dharmas exist to respond to the myriad states of the heart. If one can reach the state of no-heart, the empty appearance is natural, and the truth is revealed as it is, clear and distinct.
Everything contained within the heart enters the storehouse of the . This is without beginning or end; it arises from the beginningless and has no time of cessation. Every heart, every thought, every feeling, and every perception is stored within the Alaya consciousness. Once a seed is planted in this repository, it remains there forever; it does not disappear. Only when one reaches the state of no-heart, no-thought, no-feeling, and no-perception can the Alaya consciousness be transformed from the mundane into the pure, and only then can one become an awakened being. If you say it is empty, it is empty; if you say it exists, it exists. Therefore, it is said: to have a heart is to have suffering and to be reincarnated; to have no-heart is to be free from suffering and to attain coolness.
Unlocking the Gates of the Infinite
Opening the heart and opening the gates of the mind are both matters of the heart. If you open a small door, you can only contain a few things. If you open a large gate, you can contain many insights. If you open the gates of the heart completely, you can contain everything. If you reach the state of no-heart and no-gate, you contain the infinite and the boundless. The saying, "The heart encompasses the great void, and its capacity spans the sands of the worlds," describes a state that is truly without borders or limits.
You must open your heart so that the living waters of the Buddha's teachings can enter. Only then can they wash away the dust, the stains of suffering, and the sorrow, returning the heart to its original, pure, and luminous state. What is the heart? The defiled heart is the interaction between and : the eyes seeing forms, ears hearing sounds, nose smelling scents, tongue tasting flavours, body feeling touch, and the mind receiving phenomena. These are all links in the chain of the heart. If you can achieve purification, your heart will open completely. When you reach the state of no-heart, the Six Sense Organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind will be fully revealed. You will attain pure awakened being, your spiritual wisdom will manifest, breaking through the barriers of confusion and the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, death. With the protection of , you will be able to enter the of Ultimate Bliss.
Navigating the Ocean of Human Suffering
The human world is filled with eight types of suffering: the suffering of being separated from loved ones, the suffering of being with those we hate, the suffering of not obtaining what we desire, the suffering of the five aggregates burning like fire, and the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, death. The cycle of being reincarnated is filled with such unbearable pain! The Buddha understands these sufferings.
Even if one is a close relative, hearing the cries of a loved one or seeing them suffer, one cannot take that suffering upon oneself. Even royalty and the wealthy cannot exchange their riches for life or health. To leave suffering behind, you must put in the work within your own heart. You must understand that all suffering and the laws of and cause and effect are created by the heart. Because there are thoughts, , and fluctuations, you attract the manifestation of karma. Although there is good and bad karma, it is all karma, and karma brings retribution. If there is no heart and no karma, there is no retribution to receive. This is true purity and freedom.
Returning to the Luminous True Self
Where is the true heart? The true heart is integrated into the Six Roots—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. It expresses itself through the functions of these six organs. The reality of the true heart is no-heart; we use the functions of the Six Roots to express this no-heart, true heart. The no-heart, true heart is the Principle, while using and the Six Roots to express it is the Practice. Using both Principle and Practice together is the path of perfection. When you encounter obstacles in people or affairs, to see them and immediately understand them is the manifestation of the true heart.
The suffering of this world can only be resolved by regulating the heart, healing the heart, and understanding the heart to attain the true self-nature. Listen to sutras and hear the Dharma; this not only helps you understand your original heart but also helps to subdue the hearts of other beings and your . By resolving these grievances, you can be liberated from the sufferings of aging, sickness, death. Once your true self-nature steps onto the path to the West, the West is right there; the Pure Land is before your eyes. This true self-nature is not for you to enjoy alone; you can help other beings know the Western Land. All beings are connected to the Buddha by karmic affinity and are children of the Buddha. The Buddha hopes that all beings will leave suffering behind, hold fast to the Buddha's name, and be guided to rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
The Harmonious Union of Buddha-Vows
By observing the and maintaining meditative concentration, your Wisdom (Prajna) will fully manifest. No matter what suffering or appears, the light of wisdom will shine upon it, turning it into nothingness in the blink of an eye. With no heart and no karma, there is no suffering to endure. Even if the body is ill and suffering, the heart is free from suffering. Regardless of how the external environment or people change, if your heart is free from suffering, your practice is successful. You can then attain the two-fold power of the Pure Land: the power of self-effort and the power of the Buddha, supporting each other.
Use your true heart to open your heart. The more you are willing to open the gates of your heart through self-effort, the more the Buddha's power can support you. I hope everyone understands the Buddha-heart, realises the Buddha's power and vows, and enters the path of saving the world and saving beings. When you add the Buddha's power to your own efforts to rescue those in suffering, this is called Buddha-actions. What is the mind-capacity? What is a great mind-capacity? It does not calculate gain or loss; it sees no difference between the light and the heavy. In equality, it can contain and embrace all things. Only the heart can contain this. Amidst impermanence, this is the only path. Because beings are deluded, their hearts are damaged. Because there is a heart, there is damage; if there were no heart, how could there be damage? Treat suffering as if it were not suffering, and dissolve suffering into the formless. Dissolve karmic grievances within the vast mind-capacity of your heart.
This message was recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
