Reality and Illusion: Words of Namo Amituofo

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

Since time immemorial, the cycle of rebirth has been spent entirely in the cycle of cause and effect. Every being, regardless of which of the six realms of rebirth they inhabit, is caught in this constant flux of arising and ceasing. Even the sages of the Four Sacred Realms have realised the nature of this cycle, and because of this, they no longer enter the cycle of rebirth. However, ordinary people, before they have reached a place of true understanding, remain trapped within this cycle, suffering through the pains of birth, aging, sickness, death, and countless other forms of agony.

The Wisdom of the Awakened

Those who have reached true understanding, those who have achieved Awakening, and those who have realised their true nature, exist within this world of arising and ceasing, yet they are never confused by the appearances of birth and death, nor are they stained by the dust of the world. Because they do not create negative causes, they do not suffer the evil consequences. They do not allow their Body-Mind-Spirit to suffer, nor do they permit themselves to be polluted by the environment.

Their state of being is like walking through a garden of a hundred flowers, yet not a single petal clings to their robes. It is like a boat passing over water, leaving no trace behind. They perform the work of the Buddha as if in a dream, within a bodhimanda that is like the reflection of the moon in water. They save infinite beings, yet they are never attached to the act of saving, for they clearly understand that the moon in the water is an illusion, and the events within a dream are but a phantom.

The Vessel of True Cultivation

We must understand the concept of using the false to find the true. We seek the truth while we still possess this physical body, for this body is the vessel through which we practise. If we did not have this temporary, false body to assist us, it would be difficult to find our way back to the true nature. In this world, reality and illusion coexist. This worldly realm is a place where both the ordinary and the holy dwell together.

Within the human world, ordinary people and Sages exist side by side. Both those who are lost and those who are awakened live in this same world, yet they lead entirely different lives. A practitioner, through their practice, works to elevate the quality of their spirit, eventually achieving Awakening and joining the ranks of the enlightened Buddha or Bodhisattva, where they may then work to save the vast multitudes of those who are still lost.

Transcending the Illusion

In the spiritual realms of the six realms of rebirth, all existence is spent in the cycle of cause and effect. All goodness and happiness found there are merely forms of impermanence; they are illusions. Consider the nature of these realms:

• The Three Evil Realms: Especially within the hells, spirits suffer the most extreme forms of punishment and retribution.
• The Three Good Realms: In the heavenly realms, celestial beings live lives of ease and freedom, yet even this has an end, for they are still trapped within the cycle of rebirth.

In contrast, the high-level spirits—those who have realised their true nature, the Buddha or Bodhisattva—are no longer subject to the suffering of the six realms of rebirth. They live a life of the spirit that is constant, free, and pure. This is what is truly real. May you take these words to heart and strive for the true, leaving the illusions of the world behind.

Namo Amituofo