The Path to Subduing and Eliminating Afflictions

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable Fa Hui.

The vow to eliminate infinite afflictions is one of the Four Great Vows that every practitioner must take to heart. Afflictions are the primary obstacles that hinder our practice and prevent us from effectively saving other beings. They act as a heavy veil, obscuring the clarity of our original nature.

The Veils That Obscure Our True Nature

We can categorise these afflictions into three distinct levels, which function like layers of dust and grime covering a mirror:

• Afflictions of View and Thought: These are the most superficial layers, caused by our erroneous perspectives and misguided thoughts. For instance, the belief that the physical body is truly "mine" is a fundamental error in our understanding. If you can subdue and eventually eliminate these, your practice will surely progress.
• Afflictions of Dust and Sand: These are as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River, representing the countless distractions and attachments we encounter in the world.
• Afflictions of Ignorance: These are the deepest and most profound layers. They are subtle, difficult to detect, and even harder to remove. Only when the outer layers of pollution are stripped away can we begin to perceive and address this deep-seated ignorance.

Our true self-nature is inherently perfect, yet it remains covered by these layers of pollution. When we finally succeed in eliminating these afflictions entirely, we reach the state of Awakening and attain Buddhahood. This is why, from the initial aspiration to Buddhahood, we must hold fast to the practice of chanting one Buddha's name to the end. The power of Namo Amituofo is truly inconceivable; by keeping the Buddha-name firmly in your heart, you can effectively subdue and eventually eradicate all afflictions.

The Magnificent Universality of the Pure Land Dharma Gate

Beings possess different capacities for practice, often classified as upper, middle, or lower. Those of upper capacity—often seen in the great patriarchs and venerable masters who return to the world to save sentient beings—can achieve total Awakening in a single moment of realisation. However, in this age of the Dharma’s decline, most beings are burdened by heavy spiritual obstacles and fall into the middle or lower categories of capacity.

This is where the magnificence of the Pure Land Dharma Gate shines. It is a path that covers all three capacities, ensuring that anyone—regardless of their starting point—can attain Buddhahood through Buddha recitation. Once your spiritual quality is elevated and you enter the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, you will naturally be placed in the appropriate level of the four lands and nine grades of rebirth.

Walking the Path with Humility and Diligence

In your practice, it is wise to consider yourself a practitioner of lower capacity. Remain humble and modest, and walk your path step by step, keeping your feet firmly on the ground as you work to subdue and eliminate your afflictions. While you still possess this physical body, you must engage in diligent practice to elevate the quality of your spirit. Chanting Namo Amituofo is the most magnificent method for this purpose.

The process of purification follows a clear progression:

• First, you must learn to subdue the afflictions of view and thought.
• Those who are "carrying karma" to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss have successfully subdued these shallowest layers, though they have not yet fully eliminated them.
• The journey continues as you work to subdue and eliminate the afflictions of dust and sand, and finally, the deep-seated afflictions of ignorance.

Ascending the Stages of the Dharma Body

The Land of Real Reward is the dwelling place of the forty-one levels of the Dharma Body. These forty-one stages represent the progressive journey of a practitioner: the Ten Dwellings, Ten Practices, and Ten Dedications, followed by the Ten Grounds and the stage of Equal Enlightenment.

At each of these forty-one stages, the practitioner breaks through one level of ignorance and realises a portion of the Dharma Body. Once all forty-one levels of ignorance are completely eliminated, one enters the Land of Eternally Quiescent Light. May you remain diligent in your practice, holding fast to the Buddha-name until you reach this ultimate destination.

Namo Amituofo