The Essence of a Pure and Good Body

The Nature of a Pure and Good Body

A body that is pure and good is one where the manifestations of karma have ceased. In the process of your practice, you cultivate the causes of purity and goodness, and in return, you reap the fruits of purity and goodness. A body that is truly pure and good is free from both defilement and impurity; it is free from both evil and the absence of goodness. This is the body of one who has reached Awakening.

This state of purity encompasses all the beings residing within your body, including your cells, your karmic creditors, attached spirits, and even the demon crowds. When you maintain a pure heart, pure thoughts, and pure actions, all these beings can be brought into a state of harmony and peace. Every single being has the potential to transform their karma through your practice.

The Path of Transformation

You have the power to transform your life by shifting your internal state. This is how you cultivate a pure and good body:

• Transform evil thoughts into good thoughts.
• Transform stained, impure thoughts into pure thoughts.
• Transform evil actions into good actions.
• Transform stained, impure actions into pure actions.

By consistently making these shifts, you will naturally attain a pure and good body.

Defining Purity and Defilement

What is purity, and what is defilement? Purity is that which is completely unstained. Conversely, we must recognise what constitutes a stain upon our original nature:

• Delusion, discrimination, and attachment are stains.
• Afflictions and worries are stains.
• The Five Poisons—greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and doubt—are stains.
• The Five Desires—wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep—are stains.

True purity is found when you are no longer attached to wealth, sex, fame, food, or sleep. By subduing your delusion, discrimination, and attachment, and by breaking through these afflictions, you will attain true purity. The Pure Land Dharma Gate is the path of cultivating pure thoughts, pure actions, and a pure heart that remains unstained.

The Practice of Goodness

What is good, and what is evil? Goodness is the absence of evil. To look at bad things, think bad thoughts, speak bad words, or perform bad deeds is to engage in evil. The Five Poisons are evil, and they are also stains. Conversely, to look at good, think of good, speak of good, and do good is the path of virtue. We follow the Ten Virtues as our guide:

• Refraining from killing.
• Refraining from stealing.
• Refraining from adultery.
• Refraining from lying.
• Refraining from flowery, deceptive speech.
• Refraining from harsh, abusive language.
• Refraining from divisive, double-tongued speech.
• Refraining from greed.
• Refraining from anger.
• Refraining from delusion.

When you dwell in this state of purity and goodness, you will naturally see the manifestation of compassion, joy, the ability to let go, Wisdom, peace, and stability.

The Power of the Name

The Pure Land Dharma Gate relies upon the Buddha's blessings. By receiving the support of Namo Amituofo, you can attain a pure and good body and practise Faith, Vows, and Practice with a heart that is pure and unstained. The holy name of Namo Amituofo is the purest of the pure and the best of the good. By holding fast to this name, you have found the most convenient and rapid path to success in your practice. Through this, you will be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, leave the suffering of birth and death behind, transform the karma of the cycle of rebirth, reach Awakening, and realise your true nature to attain Buddhahood.

Namo Amituofo