The Heart, The Self, and The Nature of Suffering

Teachings from Namo Amituofo, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

On the twenty-fifth day of October in the year 2025, during the first session, Namo Amituofo offered these profound teachings to guide all beings toward the path of awakening.

The Burden of the Ordinary Mind

To possess a heart and to cling to a sense of self is to remain within the realm of stained karma; this is the heart of ordinary people. When you hold onto this sense of self, you inevitably become entangled in the web of existence. This manifests in many ways:

• Delusions: You create false perceptions of reality.
• Discriminations: You constantly judge and categorise the world around you.
• Attachments: You cling tightly to your desires and opinions.
• Fluctuating Emotions: You are swayed by joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.
• The Cycle of Life: You experience the pain of separation and the fleeting joy of reunion.
• Subjective Experience: You are trapped by your own feelings, thoughts, perceptions of gain and loss, and emotional states.

When you act upon these impulses, you create suffering. Even in the very act of giving or helping others, if you secretly crave a reward or recognition, you are still creating the seeds of suffering. All of these experiences are merely illusory phenomena arising from Causal Conditions. They are not real, yet they enter your consciousness and solidify into karma, leading to the fruits of good karma or negative karma.

The Path to True Freedom

To reach the state of true liberation, one must transcend the ordinary mind. By practising the state of no-heart and no-self, you become free from the stains of attachment. Only then can you attain genuine freedom. This is the freedom to live and die as you choose, and the freedom to travel back to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss at will.

Escaping the Cycle of Karma

As long as you have a heart filled with attachments and a strong sense of self, you will inevitably be dominated by your karma. You will be pulled into the six realms of rebirth, governed by the forces you have set in motion. Furthermore, as long as you maintain this sense of self, your karmic creditors can always find you. They will track you down to seek revenge and repay grievances, ensuring that you remain trapped in the cycle of suffering.

The Practice of Purification

A practitioner must dedicate themselves to the process of purification, entering the state of no-heart and no-self. When you live your life solely to alleviate the suffering of all beings, you dissolve the ego. Because you no longer cling to a self, your karmic creditors can no longer find you. Whether it is good karma or negative karma, they lose their hold, and they can no longer force you to repay past grievances. Because having a heart and a self is the root of all suffering, you must practise diligently to enter the state of no-heart and no-suffering. Namo Amituofo.