Resolving Suffering Through the Practice of Namo Amituofo

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

August 25, 2024, Second Session.

The Path to Ending Suffering

If you wish to resolve all suffering, you must chant Namo Amituofo. If you chant with a straight and sincere heart, you will find that suffering cannot touch you. Many people do not yet realise the profound benefits of chanting, so it is our duty to share this message far and wide.

Students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, you must chant Namo Amituofo and set an example for others, never forgetting the Buddha. There is nothing in this world that can compare to the practice of keeping Namo Amituofo in your mind at every moment.

The Transience of Worldly Affairs

All things in this world are fleeting. Nothing lasts forever; everything is merely a matter of Causal Conditions, whether they be long or short. If the Causal Conditions are short, do not cling to them. If they are long, you must still learn to let go, for when the conditions are exhausted, we will inevitably part ways.

When you see through the illusion of this world, you will realise that it is all nothing left. There is no person and no event that can stay by your side forever. We are all subject to the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, death. When this physical body decays and our life comes to an end, where will we go? No one can truly know.

It is far better to spend your life chanting Namo Amituofo, keeping a smile on your face and the Buddha in your heart. When you chant until your heart is filled with joy, you will remain undisturbed at the time of death, and Namo Amituofo will lead you to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Wisdom of Karma

Where do the sufferings of this world arise? They arise from the heart and manifest in our actions. It is a fundamental Truth that every cause has an effect. If you do not plant negative causes, you will not reap evil consequences. If you ignore the laws of karma and cause and effect, and continue to commit wrongdoings, how can you avoid suffering? Education on the laws of karma and cause and effect is truly vital. Do not ignore the origins of your suffering. If you do not understand the Truth, you will remain trapped in the cycle of being reincarnated, mistaking the false for the real and enduring suffering upon suffering.

The Path to the Western Pure Land

Chant Namo Amituofo to resolve all suffering. Let go of all worldly attachments and focus solely on chanting. When your practice becomes mature, you will find yourself chanting naturally, with the name of Namo Amituofo echoing in your ears for days on end. Open your mind-capacity and see the goodness in everyone. When you see that everyone is Namo Amituofo, you are truly practising. With compassion, chant Namo Amituofo and make deep vows to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Namo Amituofo, in His great compassion, established the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, a realm of Infinite Life and Infinite Light. By chanting Namo Amituofo, you can enter this Pure Land, where there is no suffering, only happiness, and where the Buddha's path is finally attained.

Namo Amituofo