The Karmic Retribution of Attachment
Amitabha Buddha's discourse
Words of Namo Amituofo, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
September 8, 2024.
The Art of Letting Go
Practice requires the skill of letting go. Letting go is the essential path to purity. The degree of your purity depends entirely on how much you are willing to let go. As you let go more, you become purer.
If you truly wish to rediscover your true self, you must let go until you reach a state of emptiness. In this state, your heart is free from even the slightest attachment. You become completely pure, with your six roots are pure, and your body-mind-spirit cleansed of even the smallest trace of pollution.
The Nature of the True Self
In truth, the original nature is empty, yet it contains everything. When you need to use it, it is there, and you can be the master of your own life. For instance, the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is the world of the true self. There, whatever you think of manifests instantly; everything you desire appears before your eyes.
The Bitter Fruits of Attachment
If you lack the skill of letting go, what is the ? It is suffering. This includes the suffering of birth, ageing, sickness, and death, as well as the delusions, discriminations, and attachments brought by . It encompasses constant comparisons, the fear of loss, jealousy, and various emotions, , desires, and cravings.
This also includes the Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt, as well as the wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep. These are all manifestations of karma. You must not only let go of these, but also sever them completely. Only by letting go of these sufferings can you transform karma.
The Veil Over the True Nature
People in this world cling tightly to fleeting pleasures. They are terrified of losing what they have. When something or someone leaves them, it brings unbearable pain. This difficulty in letting go obscures your inherently good nature. It hides your , gratitude, , happiness, contentment, and Wisdom (Prajna). It buries your true self deep within your heart, preventing it from manifesting.
The Path to
The karmic retribution of attachment is suffering, and it leaves you unable to master your own life. It causes you to remain drowsy and trapped within the space of rebirth. Because your personality is hard to change, your practice cannot progress. You must let go of these sufferings to leave suffering behind. To truly let go, you must be willing to surrender even this physical body, dedicating it to the service of all beings across the universe. This is the great utility of letting go and the path to becoming an awakened being. Namo Amituofo.
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library