The Heart of the Buddha

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

May 10, 2024, Noon Offering.

Where does the heart reside? In truth, the heart is omnipresent; it is found in every corner of the universe, for it is not confined to any single place or form.

The Omnipresence of the True Heart

The true heart perceives all phenomena with absolute clarity. The Buddha-heart is a state of no-heart, where one is perfectly integrated with all beings. It pervades the entire Dharma-realm and empty space, existing in harmony with the vastness of the physical world—wishing to be as free as the wind, mountains & rivers. To be as free as the wind, mountains, and rivers is the natural state of the Buddha-heart.

The Boundless Flexibility of Awakening

The heart of an awakened being possesses an infinite capacity for transformation. It is not fixed in any single state, but rather adapts to the needs of the moment:

• It can be as vast as the cosmos or as small as a grain of sand.
• It can be perfectly round or take any shape required by circumstances.
• It can be as light as a feather or as heavy as a mountain.
• It can be as long as an aeon or as short as a fleeting thought.

The awakened heart can be transformed by the environment, yet it also possesses the power to transform the environment itself. It can exist in a state of emptiness or manifest in the world of form. It can flow in accordance with all things, yet it remains active and purposeful in its conduct. When one returns to this original, natural state, one finds true peace.

The Roots of Suffering in Discrimination

Suffering arises because of our confusion. When we encounter the external world, we allow our hearts to become agitated, and from this agitation, various forms of discrimination emerge. You must not allow your heart to create these divisions, for where there is discrimination, there is suffering:

• Discrimination creates the illusion of high and low.
• Discrimination gives rise to the concepts of strength and weakness.
• Discrimination manifests the divide between self and other.

It is these very divisions that bind us to the cycle of rebirth and prevent us from seeing the truth.

Finding Peace Through Namo Amituofo

The only way to restore balance is to chant Namo Amituofo. When you chant, you calm your heart and settle your spirit. As your heart becomes still and free from waves of emotion, the Precepts, meditative concentration, and Wisdom will naturally arise. With this clarity, you will see all things as they truly are.

For countless aeons, our confusion has been the source of our suffering. We were originally free from such pain, yet now we find ourselves trapped in a cycle of hardship. In the human world, we are bound by the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and our karma keeps us tethered to the cycle of rebirth. Even in the spiritual realms, one is often unable to be the master of one's own destiny, drifting like a leaf in the wind. How can one find true peace in such a state? You must chant Namo Amituofo, for the Buddha has the power to settle the hearts of all beings. However, you must be the one to chant, for only then can you receive the Buddha's blessing.

Namo Amituofo