The Heart in Sync with True Nature

The Path to True Alignment

Those who have realised their true nature are free from the constraints of the ordinary, wandering mind. However, for those of us who have not yet reached that state, we must undergo a dedicated process of purification and adjustment. You may ask: how must we adjust our hearts so that they are truly in sync with our self-nature?

The answer begins with boundless compassion. We must learn to respect and honour every single being we encounter. We do this because we understand that every being possesses the same self-nature and Buddha-nature as we do. This respect must extend beyond our fellow humans to all earthly creatures—the flowers, the grass, the insects, and the animals. All of these beings possess a spirit. This spirit is, in its essence, the self-nature and Buddha-nature itself. It is only because of delusion and ignorance that they have taken on these various forms. By respecting the Buddha-nature within all beings, we gain the ability to help them leave suffering behind. This is the heart that is in sync with our true self.

Transcending the Emotional Self

We must stop expressing our feelings and moods through the lens of our fleeting emotions. Instead, we should replace every internal thought, every passing feeling, and every mood with the chanting of the Buddha-name. By achieving this, we cultivate the compassion necessary to truly help others. We must expand our mind-capacity until it is vast and boundless, capable of encompassing the faults and mistakes of others without judgment.

When we look at the world, we must learn to transform our perspective. We must turn everything we see into something good, something pure, and something virtuous. We must let go of feelings of unfairness, comparison, jealousy, and competition. We must abandon the Five Poisons—Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt—as well as the Five Desires: wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep.

Cultivating the Six Paramitas

In place of these obstacles, we must diligently practise the Six Paramitas to purify our conduct:

• Generosity (Giving): Offering our time, resources, and kindness without attachment.
• Discipline (Precepts): Maintaining a pure and orderly life to protect our practice.
• Patience (Endurance): Remaining calm and steady in the face of adversity.
• Diligent practice: Moving forward on the path with unwavering focus and effort.
• Meditation (Concentration): Keeping the mind still and focused on the Buddha-name.
• Wisdom (Prajna): Seeing the truth of reality clearly and without delusion.

We must be humble and modest, gentle and polite, and strictly uphold our discipline. By doing so, we give rise to all roots of goodness and achieve the fruit of Bodhi. Everything we see and hear will then be perceived as good, with no trace of evil. We will no longer give rise to a single evil thought, speak an evil word, or commit an evil act.

This is the heart that is in sync with our true self. Only when we adjust our hearts in this way do we have the opportunity to realise our true nature. Namo Amituofo.