The Path of Steadfast Practice
Words of Namo Amituofo
Recorded on December 22, 2024
Words of Namo Amituofo, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
The process of learning the Buddha's teachings, practising, and chanting Namo Amituofo to attain Buddhahood is connected by one essential element: Practice. If you engage in practice without true, consistent action, you will achieve nothing. Even if you chant Namo Amituofo, if your practice is inconsistent, lazy, or lacks a sincere heart, you will not reach your goal.
The Essence of Right Practice
Your practice must be what we call "Right Practice." This means it must be perfectly aligned with the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. If your practice is not right, even if you are diligent, you may be veering off course and creating negative . This takes you further and further away from the state of an awakened being, which is truly a pity.
During the course of your practice, you may encounter tests that cause disturbances or pain within your Body-Mind-Spirit. When these challenges arise, you must develop a deep understanding of what is real and what is illusory. You must chant Namo Amituofo with unwavering faith. You must work to change personality traits that do not serve your growth and ensure you do not resonate with demon crowds. If you remain steadfast in your practice, the demon crowds will find no place to interfere and will naturally retreat.
The for Rebirth
If you allow the demon crowds to manifest and follow your old habits, you may be disturbed without even realising it. If you fear hardship and find it difficult to continue your diligent practice, you will not only fail to move forward but will actually regress. You may even create the karma that leads to the hells, which is a profound tragedy.
The process of attaining Buddhahood through Buddha recitation depends entirely on how you practise. A practitioner’s pace may be slow or fast, but the direction must remain constant. In the Three Provisions—Faith, Vows, and Practice—it is your practice that connects your faith and your vows. By remaining steadfast, you combine your faith in the Buddha with your diligent practice of vows. Through the synergy of your own and the Buddha's , your wish to see your true nature and be reborn in the of Ultimate Bliss can be fulfilled.
The Necessity of Steadfastness
If you lack practice, or if your practice regresses, your faith in the Buddha will be insufficient and your vow will not be firm. Without these, you will not be able to realise your true nature or fulfil your wish for rebirth. Steadfast practice requires the support of the Buddha's blessings, especially for those who have not yet fully changed their personality traits. When you are in the midst of the manifestation of karma and struggling with the influence of other beings, you must rely on the Buddha's power to remain steadfast and to counteract the weight of your karma.
The Buddha can teach you how to practise, but the Buddha cannot practise for you, nor can the Buddha bear your karma on your behalf. If your faith in the Buddha is not firm, it is easy to regress. Before you have attained meditative concentration or realised your true nature, your character is unstable and easily shaken. If your heart changes or stops its progress because of external events or the manifestation of karma, it means your practice has regressed. Steadfast practice is the essential condition for success in your practice and for your rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Continuing the Journey
Even after you have achieved rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, your practice will continue. Within the four lands and the nine grades of rebirth, you will remain steadfast. You will continue to practise amidst the Infinite Life and Infinite Light, constantly working to elevate the quality of your spirit. By chanting Namo Amituofo without interruption, your skills will increase until you reach the stage of a , enter the Land of Eternally Quiescent Light, and finally attain Buddhahood.
Namo Amituofo
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library