The Power of Vows and the Path of Practice

Namo Amituofo's discourse, recorded by Venerable HaiZe.

On the nineteenth of April, 2025, during the midday offering, Namo Amituofo provided the following guidance to all practitioners:

My children, do you truly believe in the power of your vows? When you make a vow, ask yourself: is it made without resentment, without regret, and without hesitation? Does it spring from the depths of your true heart? Is it firm, steady, and unshakeable? These qualities—the intensity and sincerity of your commitment—directly influence the vibration and amplitude of your vow. This is what we call the power of the vow.

The Vibrational Strength of Your Vows

If you are a practitioner who seeks to transform your karma, to escape the cycle of the six realms of rebirth, and to transcend the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death, you must understand a fundamental truth: the power of your vow must be greater than the power of your karma. Only when your vow is stronger than the accumulated karmic forces can you truly transform your karma.

If you make a vow that is weak, forced, or tainted by hidden resentment and regret, its vibration will be faint. It will be like a fragile structure that collapses at the slightest breeze, or like a ripple in water that vanishes as soon as the current flows. When you encounter the inevitable tests of life, such a weak vow will crumble. You will lose your determination and retreat from your practice. How, then, can such a fragile intention hope to withstand the powerful, churning vortex of your past karma?

Overcoming the Vortex of Karma

Even if you manage to hold on for a short time, you will eventually be overwhelmed by the relentless rotation of the karmic vortex. You will be pulled back into the depths, trapped once again in the ocean of suffering—the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death—where the elements separate in agony. This is the danger of a half-hearted commitment.

However, if your vow is born from your true nature and remains firm and unshakeable, your life in this world will be transformed. This transformation is the continuation of the Dharma affinity you cultivated in your past lives, allowing the connection to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss to manifest once again in this lifetime.

The Wisdom of the One Body Perspective

Therefore, for those who wish to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and for those who aspire to attain a higher lotus grade upon arrival, you must walk the great path to the West with absolute clarity:

• Firmness of Heart: Maintain an unwavering vow and a steadfast commitment to your practice.
• Bodhi Heart: Awaken your Bodhi heart, the compassionate desire to attain enlightenment for the sake of all.
• Universal Compassion: Understand that every achievement in your practice is not for yourself alone, but is dedicated to saving countless suffering beings.

You must realise that the countless cell-beings within your own body, your karmic creditors, your attached spirits, and even the demon crowds are all part of the countless suffering beings. They are the very first ones you must save.

A Call to Diligent Practice

To save these beings is to save yourself. When they are saved, you are saved. This is the One Body perspective. Only when you possess this vast eye and this expansive mind-capacity will you have the opportunity to realise your true nature and attain Buddhahood. With this perspective, no matter what tests you encounter, you will be able to overcome them and continue moving forward.

This firm, unshakeable vow and the corresponding practice are the primary causes for achieving your ultimate goal. Students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, you must cherish this magnificent period of time. Practise with speed and diligence. It is my hope that you will transform your karma, realise your true nature, leave the cycle of birth and death behind, and travel freely back to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Namo Amituofo.