The Path to Clarity and Purity

During the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, as we invite spirits and perform the noon offering, Namo Amituofo provides this profound teaching on the nature of clarity and purity. This guidance, recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, serves as a vital reminder for all practitioners to look beyond the surface of worldly affairs and seek the path to liberation.

The Fleeting Nature of Worldly Judgments

Right is right, and wrong is wrong. However, these distinctions of right and wrong are merely matters of this world. When we first arrive in this life, there is no right or wrong; these are concepts we create. Yet, when we depart, we carry the heavy burden of these judgments upon us, staining our spirits with the weight of our own perceptions. The space between our arrival and our departure is what we call a lifetime.

The Heart as the Master of Destiny

Whether you are the master of your own destiny depends entirely on your heart. If you can attain deep meditative concentration, your heart will remain still and level, regardless of external circumstances. In the blink of an eye, all worldly affairs become empty, like floating clouds and a light breeze. Many people allow their confusion to arise unchecked, staining themselves with heavy layers of karma.

The Direct Path to the Western Pure Land

You must seek clarity and purity, rather than following the path of your karma. When you can truly be the master of your own life, all things will become clear to you. You will understand the past, the present, and the future with wisdom. Therefore, you must set your sights directly on the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.