The Boundless Nature of the Heart and Mind

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

On the tenth of May, 2024, during the midday offering, Namo Amituofo provided these teachings on the nature of the heart.

The Boundless Nature of the True Heart

You may ask, where does the heart reside? In truth, the heart is omnipresent; it is found in all places at all times. The true heart perceives all phenomena with absolute clarity. The Buddha-heart is free from attachment, merging as one with all beings. It pervades the entire Dharma-realm and empty space, existing alongside the mountains and rivers of the physical world—wishing to be as free as the wind, mountains & rivers. To be as still and as free as the Buddha-heart is to be truly at ease.

The heart that has realised its true nature is incredibly versatile. It can be vast or small, round or flat, high or low, heavy or light, long or short. It can adapt to the environment, yet it also possesses the power to transform the environment. It can be empty or full, and it is capable of both yielding to the nature of all things and acting with positive, purposeful intent. When one is truly at peace, the heart is naturally settled.

The Dangers of Discrimination

Suffering arises because of our confusion and the external conditions that manifest before us. It is in these moments that the heart begins to stir, and various forms of discrimination arise. You must not allow your heart to create these divisions. When you create distinctions, you invite suffering into your life. Through these distinctions, you create:

• High and low status, which leads to arrogance or inferiority.
• Strong and weak positions, which lead to conflict and struggle.
• The divide between yourself and others, which prevents you from seeing the oneness of all beings.

The Path to Inner Stillness

Only through chanting Namo Amituofo can you find true equilibrium. When the heart is balanced and the spirit is calm, it will not generate ripples of agitation. Through this stillness, the Precepts, meditative concentration, and Wisdom will naturally arise, allowing you to see all things with absolute clarity. For countless lifetimes, our hearts have been clouded by confusion, and from this confusion, suffering has grown. What was originally free from suffering has now become a source of endless pain.

Transcending the Cycle of Suffering

As long as you remain in the human world, you are bound by the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, death. You are entangled in the cycle of being reincarnated by your own karma, and it is difficult to detach yourself from this physical existence. Even in the spiritual realms, one is not truly in control. Spirits drift here and there, tossed about by the winds of their own past actions. How can one find peace in such a state?

I invite you to chant the name of Namo Amituofo. The Buddha has the power to settle the hearts of all beings, but you must be the one to chant. Only when you actively chant can you receive the Buddha's blessing. Namo Amituofo.