A single lamp can illuminate a room that has been dark for a thousand years. To practise the Buddha’s teachings is to cultivate the heart; when the heart is pure, it shines with the light of a lamp in a dark room. For those who are just beginning their journey of practice, the focus must be on the heart—on discerning its impurities and its inherent purity. When a person who learns the Buddha’s teachings encounters afflictions, they should immediately become aware of the movement within their heart. If the heart feels suffering, it is because it lacks peace and is still clinging to selfish thoughts.
The Radiance of a Pure Heart
The heart is essentially a stream of thoughts. When there are no thoughts, the heart is at peace, and Wisdom shines even more brightly. If your thoughts are chaotic, you must immediately use the practice of chanting to subdue them. The Buddha-name is the supreme medicine. If you wish to eliminate your afflictions, you must increase your Wisdom, for as the saying goes, one spark of Wisdom can resolve a thousand sorrows. A person who possesses true Wisdom has no selfishness; they understand only pure Goodness. Because they are pure, they are not swayed by external circumstances.
When you possess a kind heart, you ignite the lamp of the heart. This light illuminates not only yourself but also others. When these lamps are passed from one to another, they can illuminate all darkness. The lamp of the heart is simply the clarity and purity of your own thoughts. Use the Buddha-name to ignite this lamp. When deluded thoughts arise, use the Buddha-name to suppress them. Awareness is Wisdom. Therefore, a heart of pure Goodness and a mind of pure equality will naturally be free from afflictions.
The Boundless of the
The 84,000 Dharma gates all exist to cultivate this heart. Whether it is the Zen school, the school, or the Vajrayana school, all are observing this heart. The Zen school speaks of internal observation, watching the movement of one's own heart—that is, every thought and intention. The Pure Land school also considers the observation of the heart to be essential. We must observe whether our heart is mixed with impurities and whether our chanting of Namo Amituofo has reached the state of single-mindedness. Both the understanding of the principle and the focus on the phenomenon require the Buddha-name to achieve the state of uninterrupted chanting.
The Vajrayana school uses the Four Preliminary Practices as its foundation: Compassion, , , and the ability to let go of attachment and aversion. They also engage in prostrations, repenting, and practising the Dharma to learn the compassion of the Buddhas. In Tibet, practitioners utilize the natural resources of the high-altitude terrain to spread the Buddha’s teachings through the elements of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind. Prayer flags printed with sutras are hung to flutter in the breeze, allowing the wind to carry the teachings to all directions. Prayer wheels are turned by flowing water, ensuring that all beings touched by the water receive the benefit of the Dharma. Lamps are lit as a prayer that the lamp of the heart may be ignited in every person. Stone tablets are carved with sutras so that all who pass by may see the sacred words.
The Direct Path to Rebirth
Regardless of the sect, the primary goal is to teach every practitioner to act for the benefit of self and others, helping all beings leave suffering behind and find happiness. Among these, the Pure Land method of chanting Namo Amituofo is the most direct and the fastest way to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. If everyone could understand the magnificent nature of this chanting method, they would surely grasp this precious Causal Condition.
To all the Bodhisattvas and virtuous ones of the Western Land of Dharma Nature: has your lamp of the heart been ignited? Have you considered how to benefit all beings? Do not remain focused only on your own selfish interests; instead, work to save all those connected by karmic affinity.
