Seeing Suffering Clearly: A Discourse from Namo Amituofo

The Weight of the Defiled World

In this defiled and evil world of suffering, all beings are subject to the relentless cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. You may yearn to remain forever young, to never fall ill, or to escape the finality of death. Yet, the physical body does not obey your commands. It grows old, it succumbs to illness, and it eventually fades away. When you find yourself trapped in the suffering of the body, unable to find a solution and unable to take charge of your own destiny, does it not feel heavy? It is indeed a profound and overwhelming suffering.

Consider the various forms of suffering that permeate our existence:

• The suffering of unfulfilled desires: When you strive for something with all your heart, yet it remains forever out of reach, is this not painful?
• The suffering of separation: When you are forced to part ways with those you love and cherish, is this not a deep and piercing sorrow?

These are but a few of the many burdens we carry. But have you ever stopped to ask where these sufferings originate? They arise because you do not yet understand the true nature of suffering. Because you are ignorant of the truth, everything you desire and every connection you form becomes a source of pain.

The Dream of Existence

If I were to tell you that these sufferings are merely the result of being trapped in the great, polluted vat of reincarnation—where you cling tightly to your attachments, constantly fearing loss and gain, and suffering because your heart is never at peace—would you believe me? I tell you that these attachments and these sufferings are all like a dream, an illusory environment. When the dream ends, there is nothing left. If I were to tell you this, would you be able to accept it?

Some of you might shake your heads in doubt. This is because, in the moment, the suffering feels so incredibly real. When you are currently immersed in the midst of pain, it is difficult to see it as anything other than a harsh reality. You might ask, "Namo Amituofo, why do you call this an illusion? Why do you say it is false?"

My children, have you ever had a dream? In your dreams, you may experience intense joy, profound happiness, or perhaps deep sorrow and terrifying fear. Your heart rises and falls with the events of the dream, and you are completely absorbed in the experience. Yet, when you wake up and return to your daily life, you suddenly realise that what you just experienced was merely a dream. Is your current life not exactly the same? It is a false appearance, an illusory environment. Every experience you have had throughout your many lives has been nothing more than a dream—a fleeting vision that vanishes the moment you awaken.

The Perspective of the Awakened

You do not need to continue suffering within this dream. Those who have realised their true nature enter the dream only to save other beings. Even while within the dream, they remain perfectly clear and composed. They know that the environment they are in is an illusion, a state created by Causal Conditions that will vanish as soon as those conditions are exhausted.

Even when they are in the midst of this illusion, enduring various sufferings for the sake of saving others, their hearts and spirits remain crystal clear. They understand that everything is unfolding according to the laws of karma. Because they are not deluded by the illusory environment, they do not create negative causes, and thus they do not reap evil consequences. Instead, they are able to:

• Give rise to all roots of goodness and achieve the fruit of Bodhi.
• Speak good words, think good thoughts, and perform good deeds.
• Maintain complete mastery over their own minds.

True Liberation

The reason you suffer is that you do not know the truth. You are unable to take charge of your life while in the midst of suffering, and you endure these burdens as a form of pollution. The heavier this pollution becomes, the harder it is to return to a pure state, and the further you drift from your true self. If you can practise until you reach Awakening and gain the ability to be the master of your own destiny, you will see suffering clearly. Once you see it clearly, you will no longer suffer for the sake of suffering.

Understand that the source of suffering is the attachment to this body and the concept of a "self." By learning to let go of the body and let go of the "self" for the sake of all beings, you will no longer be confused by physical pain or the demands of the ego. Even if the body suffers, the heart will remain untroubled, and the spirit will certainly not need to suffer. This is what it truly means to see suffering clearly and to leave suffering behind for good.

Namo Amituofo