Perfection at Every Moment

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable Fa Hui:

The Heart as the Source of Perfection

Perfection resides within your heart. Conversely, imperfection also finds its origin within your heart. Why would you allow the weight of imperfection to fill your heart and cause you suffering? Why not instead allow the light of perfection to fill your heart and bring you joy? You must learn to adjust your heart at every moment. When you do so, you will find that perfection naturally manifests in all things. Everything depends entirely upon the state of your heart.

The Art of Skilful Transformation

You must be skilful at transformation when it comes to your heart. You must learn to adjust it with care. To transform suffering into happiness and to shift sorrow into joy is the true expression of compassion and Wisdom (Prajna). It is my sincere wish that all beings may achieve this state, so that no one need suffer any longer.

When we speak of perfection, we often imagine it as a fixed destination. However, if you are truly without a grasping mind, then even the concept of perfection ceases to exist. In this state of emptiness, you reach a higher level of perfection—one that is boundless and infinite. It is a state that is not restricted by time or place. When you attain this, you will find that you are perfect at every moment, perfect in every place, and naturally, all things you encounter will be perfect.

The State of Unmoved Stillness

If your heart possesses meditative concentration, it will not be swayed by external circumstances. Your true self will not be turned by the conditions of your environment. If your heart is perfect, then every moment you experience will be perfect. In this lifetime, if you can keep your heart unmoved—remaining undisturbed by the external world—you have attained true meditative concentration. Even if your body is in motion, if your heart remains as still as a mountain, this is the essence of meditative concentration.

Chanting Buddha's Name in the Deep Meditative State

What is it like to dwell within this deep meditative state? You must observe your own actions. When you chant Buddha's name within this state, you reach a level where you are chanting without the act of chanting, and where there is no chanting yet the Buddha-name continues. You enter a state of 'no-mind.' This is the true nature of the heart, and it is through this that you can understand the profound meaning of the teachings.

• When you are in a deep meditative state, perfection is complete and without lack.
• If your meditative concentration is not subject to impermanence, then this perfection can be sustained.
• If you seek perfection without meditative concentration, you are merely chasing fleeting moments within the cycle of impermanence. Such perfection is illusory, short-lived, and not permanent.

When you chant Buddha's name with meditative concentration, you will not be disturbed by external interference or swayed by external conditions. The Buddha-name will naturally flow within your heart without interruption. By doing so, your wish to be reborn in the West is fulfilled in this very lifetime. This is the ultimate perfection.

Namo Amituofo