The Humble Path to Awakening

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

On the third of February, 2024, during the first session, Namo Amituofo offered these profound teachings to all practitioners.

The Foundation of Humility

Spiritual practice must always be conducted in a state of being humble and modest. It is not a path to be travelled in a state of arrogance or pride. The more you cultivate a humble and modest heart, the more effectively you will be able to transform karma. Conversely, if you remain careless or indifferent, your days will simply slip through your fingers like sand. In that state of negligence, your past karma and debts will manifest without mercy. If you are not grounded in the Buddha-land, these situations will only intensify, becoming even more overwhelming than before.

The Illusion of the Self

Within the state of humility, you must gradually shrink the size of your ego. Do not cling to your personal feelings or your subjective perceptions. This sense of a permanent self is merely a combination of multiple karmic conditions. Your feelings are simply the presentation of the laws of karma and cause and effect, coloured by the unique personality traits you have developed over time. In truth, everything you experience is unfolding within the framework of karma. This very attachment to the self is the primary reason your true self is covered up and hidden from view.

The Burden of the Ego

For countless lifetimes, you have been influenced by this false sense of self and these rigid personality traits. This has allowed negative forces to take control of your life: selfishness, arrogance, stubbornness, and ego-attachment. This "self" you cling to is not your true self. It is a self formed by the combination of multiple karmic conditions, and it is a self that remains trapped in the cycle of being reincarnated. At this moment, you must finally realise the truth: if you wish to transform karma and leave the cycle of rebirth behind, you must be willing to let go of this ego entirely.

The Quiet Path of Obedience

Do not continue to tighten your grip on your personal feelings and perceptions. It is far better to be a practitioner who appears unremarkable to the world, yet is obedient, diligent, and works silently for the benefit of all. You should strive to be someone who follows the path with a compliant and responsible heart, observes the rules of conduct without selfishness, avoids the trap of having a strong, unyielding personality, refrains from holding onto heavy ego-attachment, and does not easily give rise to anger or insist upon their own opinions.

Returning to the True Nature

Throughout the process of your practice, if you can discard the heavy burdens you carry one by one, you will find that life becomes simpler and more peaceful. The more you can remain unmoved in your mind, silent in your speech, and free from anger, the closer you will be to your true self. When you are content to be quiet, unremarkable, and steady in your work without seeking recognition, you are aligning yourself with your original nature. By ceasing to create negative causes and ensuring that your actions are for the sake of all beings rather than for your own gain, you will eventually see your true nature in the purity of the Buddha-land.

Namo Amituofo