Ten Thousand Beings Chanting as One

The Universe Within Our Own Bodies

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

March 15, 2025, First Session.

This physical body of yours is home to countless beings. Every cell within you is a living being, and the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind that compose your form are also beings. From the crown of your head to the soles of your feet, there is not a single part of you that is not inhabited by these beings.

Each of these beings possesses an Alaya consciousness, just as you do. They are endowed with the same five aggregates—Form, Feelings, Perceptions, Mental Formations, and Consciousness—that you possess. Because they share this nature, they are fully capable of learning the Dharma, chanting the name of Namo Amituofo, and walking the path of practice.

Leading the Multitude in Devotion

As the practitioner, you must take the lead. You are the head of this vast assembly residing within your own body. You must guide them, encouraging them to join you in chanting Namo Amituofo. When you do this, it is as if ten thousand beings are chanting as one. If you can truly achieve this state of unity, your body, mind, and spirit will undergo a profound transformation.

This physical body is a karmic body, a vessel shaped by the results of your past actions. If you wish to transform this karmic body, you must exert significant effort. Through diligent practice and purification, you can reach the goal of transforming your karma and becoming an awakened being.

Resolving the Weight of Past Karma

In this process, you must first learn to pacify the countless beings within you. This is essential because these beings are an inseparable part of your own body, mind, and spirit. If these beings are at peace, your body, mind, and spirit will also be at peace. However, if these beings are filled with hatred and resentment, having come to you to seek repayment for past karmic debts, then the consequences are inevitable: your body will age prematurely, you will suffer from various illnesses and pains, and the four elements will eventually separate, leading to the end of this life.

If you wish for your practice to be smooth and free from obstacles, you must learn to pacify and guide these beings. Listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma is the primary way to help these beings understand the compassion of Namo Amituofo and the beauty of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. When they understand the benefits of chanting, they will see that it is the most important method for achieving rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Furthermore, resolving conflicts through Chao Du and inviting these beings to hear the Dharma are essential methods for pacifying them and helping them leave suffering behind.

The Path to Total Purification

When you cultivate the Pure Land path, making the vow to chant Namo Amituofo and seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land, you must simultaneously lead the countless beings within you to chant. When you achieve this state of ten thousand beings chanting as one, these beings will also receive the Buddha's blessings. They will be purified, becoming clear and untainted cells and beings.

Once your Six Roots are purified, you will experience significant progress and the manifestation of keen, luminous awareness. You must then continue to lead these countless cells and beings in diligent practice. As you and the beings within you are purified together, you will realise your true nature, and your entire body will become transparent and radiant with light.

The Perfection of Awakening and Buddhahood

At this stage, your body will no longer be subject to aging or illness. Your spirit never dies, and you will be ready for rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is not only true for you as the practitioner; it is also true for the countless cells and beings within you. If your spirit possesses the ability to travel freely to the Western Pure Land, then at the time of your return, you will shed this physical shell and enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss together with the spirits of all the beings within you.

When you achieve the state of an awakened being, you have attained self-realisation. By leading the countless cells and beings within you to also achieve this state, you are practising the perfection of benefiting others. When your true self and the spirits of all the beings within you enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss together, you have fulfilled the path of becoming a Buddha—a path of complete self-realisation and the realisation of others. Namo Amituofo.