The Difficulty and Necessity of Self-Transformation

The Challenge of Inner Change

On the fifteenth day of the Yilan seminar, titled Awakening the Life-Heart, Living a New Life, we gathered for a Body-Mind-Spirit lecture and the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies. During this session, Namo Amituofo provided essential teachings on the nature of transformation. Often, the most difficult state of mind to navigate is the one that requires us to change ourselves. In this world, we may find many tasks that seem arduous, but none are as challenging as the internal work of personal transformation.

To save other beings is a noble vow, yet the most difficult aspect of this work is the act of saving oneself. We often find it easy to speak the Dharma to others, offering wisdom and guidance to those around us. However, it is far more difficult to speak these same truths to our own hearts and to truly listen to the guidance we offer others. We must ask ourselves: do we harbour these same contradictions within our own minds?

The Mirror of Self-Reflection

My children, you must realise that the most important lesson in your practice is the work of saving yourself. It is easy to look outward and see the faults of others, but it is a much greater task to turn that gaze inward. When you offer counseling to others, you must ensure that your own heart is aligned with the truth you speak. Consider the following reflections on your daily practice:

• Counseling others to have a good heart:
• You must ask yourself, is my own heart truly good?Counseling others to have a kind heart:
• You must examine whether your own heart is genuinely kind and compassionate.Counseling others to abandon selfishness:
• You must look deep within to see if there is still a trace of selfishness lingering in your own thoughts.Counseling others to see the positive: You must determine if your own mind is capable of seeing the good in all situations, rather than focusing on the negative.

Becoming a Living Example

My children, it is simple to observe the actions of others and to offer advice based on those observations. However, you must always pause to consider whether you are struggling with the very same issues you seek to correct in others. True transformation begins when you stop looking outward and start refining your own conduct.

When you commit to changing yourself, you become a living model of the Dharma. By embodying the virtues you teach, you become far more effective in your efforts to save others. This is the true meaning of saving beings—to walk the path so authentically that your life itself becomes a beacon of light for all who are lost. May you continue to practise with sincerity, and may you always remember the path of the Buddha. Namo Amituofo.

This discourse was recorded by the Buddha’s disciple, Shi Faxi, who serves as the chief writer.