The Path of No-Self: A Dialogue with Namo Amituofo
Teachings from Namo Amituofo
Recorded on July 3, 2017
The Splendour of the
On the third of July, 2017, the disciple Shi Faxi humbly prostrated and invited the Buddha to offer his compassionate guidance. Namo Amituofo responded with a vision of supreme beauty: the clouds are painted with vibrant colours, leaping with light, and filled with auspicious signs of peace and harmony. Every being ascends to the Three Jewels, soaring through the clouds toward their own destined realms, each preparing to manifest their unique potential.
When a practitioner achieves success in their practice, they increase the size and brilliance of their -lotus. The size of one's lotus in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is not fixed; it is a reflection of the depth of one's practice. Imagine a great city: there is a king who rules, there are citizens who dwell within, and the city itself exists within the broader kingdom. The city protects its people, and the city shows for their journey. In the same way, the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss acts as a sanctuary, a place where all beings are nourished by the same flowing river of the Dharma—a vast ocean of the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way that saves all sentient beings.
The Infinite Capacity of the Heart
The Buddha-land is not limited by physical dimensions; it is infinite and eternal. Its true scale depends entirely on the capacity of your heart and how you choose to nurture it. To save a vast multitude of beings, one must understand that the ocean of the Dharma is boundless. The number of sentient beings in need of salvation is beyond measure. If you wish to possess a magnificent Dharma-lotus, you must be willing to embrace all spirits; you cannot seek to enjoy the fruits of practice for yourself alone. Those who are connected by karmic affinity can be saved, provided you open your heart to them.
The Trap of the Ego
Why is it that so many people in this world fail to achieve true success? Why do they remain unable to see the Dharma-lotus or understand the nature of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss? The reason lies in the narrowness of their mind-capacity. Even those who appear to have a large heart are often fundamentally small because they are still tethered to the ego. How can one measure this size? It is measured by the presence or absence of a 'self'. If you are constantly protecting your own interests, how can your heart ever become vast?
- The Mirror of Ego:
- If you are like a mirror facing four directions, you are only ever reflecting yourself.The Presence of Self:
- When every situation is viewed through the lens of 'me' and 'mine', your capacity cannot expand.The Path of Freedom: If you can open your heart to be as wide as the horizon, you will be able to soar freely, letting your spirit wander through the ocean of the world.
The Realisation of
To reach the state of 'no-self' is to transcend the ego entirely. You must ask yourself: Who is this 'I'? When you have truly let go, you will realise that there is no 'I' to be found. You will no longer be attached to appearances, for you will have moved beyond them. When you have truly reached the state of no-self, you will no longer wonder who you are. This is the essence of and the path to great achievement. It is the only way to transcend the three realms of rebirth and attain . This is the righteous path that every practitioner must follow.
Cultivating True Practice
In the current state of the world, many practitioners lack auspicious characteristics. This is because their mind-capacity is small, and they have not yet seen the true path of practice. You may be working hard, reciting the sutras, and attending the Dharma assembly, yet you may wonder why you do not see the results you expect. If your heart is not aligned with the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, your actions will not be aligned either. If your heart is not in the right place, how can you expect to see the truth? To engage in a false understanding of the truth is to go against the nature of reality. True practice is subtle; it requires a heart that is vast, kind, and ready to serve. In this great era, I urge all of you to cultivate your hearts. Only by truly verifying the truth within can you reach the ultimate goal.
Namo Amituofo
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
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