The Mirror of the Heart: The Essential Practice of Introspection

Teachings from Namo Amituofo:

The Weight of Our Past

Who among us has never made a mistake? Throughout countless aeons, the transgressions we have committed through our Body, Speech, and Mind are vast enough to rival the height of Mount Sumeru and the depth of the great oceans. We have simply forgotten them. Yet, when we look upon the faults or shortcomings of others today, we find it difficult to be tolerant. We react with anger and resentment, our faces hardening in judgment. Where has our compassion gone? Where is our Wisdom (Prajna)? Where is our capacity for inclusion, and where is our mind-capacity?

The Hidden Cost of Anger

When you witness the faults or inadequacies of another, you must immediately turn your gaze inward. Reflect upon whether you have committed similar mistakes in this life or in your past lives. If you were to commit such an error right now, how would you wish for others to treat you? Once this thought arises, it can calm the fires of anger and resentment that flare up when you perceive the faults of others.

In truth, every time you give rise to anger and resentment, the one who suffers the most is you. The stronger the emotional turbulence, the more you awaken the karmic creditors residing within your body. Furthermore, you invite countless spiritual attachments from the outside. This constant state of agitation is precisely what causes the symptoms of aging and illness to manifest in your physical form.

The Path of True Repentance

If you wish to prevent the onset of aging and illness, the most important practice is to engage in constant introspection. You must possess a heart and action that is truly committed to changing your ways, vowing never to repeat the same mistakes. Only then can you stop the sins from manifesting and cease the cycle of suffering. Often, however, we have accumulated sins from the past that are as heavy as mountains. When our karmic creditors come to seek balance, they press us urgently, causing various obstacles of age and illness to appear. When you face such suffering, you must respond with truly repented thoughts, not with complaints, dissatisfaction, or anger. To react with anger is to add sin upon sin and karma upon karma. You must work to resolve the conflict and perform Chao Du for these beings; only then can your suffering be truly relieved.

The Skill of Inner Reflection

Introspection is a necessary skills for the monastics and all practitioners to achieve success. If you know your faults through introspection but fail to change them—whether due to a lack of strength or because you are hindered by situations—then you have not truly repented. If the problem remains, the pain remains. How can you expect to resolve the conflict with your karmic creditors under such conditions?

A truly wise person is one who can handle situations promptly based on their introspection. They confront their faults directly, take full responsibility, and immediately change their ways. By stopping the fault, they prevent the evil consequences from continuing. This is the essence of truly repented, which allows your karmic creditors to be willing to resolve the conflict and accept Chao Du, thereby healing illness and ending suffering.

Living with Humility

Practise introspection at all times and in all places. If you see the faults of others, unless you are a true spiritual friend, a guide, or someone in a position of responsibility who can address the issue, you must never criticise or blame them. Instead, you should look inward to see if you have committed the same mistake. If you have, you must quickly change your ways and stop the evil. If you have not, you should realise that you have many other shortcomings and faults that you have yet to correct. Use this as a warning to yourself, and be vigilant not to commit similar errors.

Do not view people with a sense of superiority or inferiority. By remaining humble and modest, you can avoid committing faults and creating negative ties with others. To remain free from the ravages of age and illness, and to ensure that when the body dies, the spirit does not perish but achieves rebirth in the Western Pure Land, you must be a genuine practitioner. You must be willing to put in the work. Only through deep Faith, great strength, the Ultimate Vow, and genuine practice can you achieve success.

Namo Amituofo