The Profound and Subtle Dharma of the Pure Land

Words of Namo Amituofo, recorded by Venerable HaiZe.

On the fourteenth day of December, 2024, during the first session, Namo Amituofo offered these profound teachings:

"The supreme, profound, and subtle Dharma is difficult to encounter in millions of years. Now that I have seen, heard, and received it, I vow to understand the true meaning of the Tathagata."

This verse is recited before we begin our study of the Sutras. It is essential because the Sutras contain the Subtle Dharma. When a practitioner receives these teachings with faith and puts them into practice, they can truly comprehend the subtle meaning and the profound essence contained within. By practising with diligence, one can attain the magnificent and subtle benefits of the Dharma.

The Profound Essence of the Subtle Dharma

What exactly can be called the Subtle Dharma? It is that which broadly benefits countless suffering beings, helping them to leave suffering behind and find happiness. It is the path that allows one to attain Buddhahood, thereby leaving behind all suffering and attaining ultimate bliss. The Pure Land Dharma Gate is the One Vehicle Buddhism. The One Vehicle is the path to Buddhahood, and the path to Buddhahood is the Subtle Dharma. Therefore, the Pure Land Dharma Gate is, in itself, the Subtle Dharma.

Before one can attain Buddhahood, one must first save oneself. One must realise one's true nature and achieve accomplishment, and only then can one broadly save countless suffering beings. Arousing the Bodhi mind is the key to assisting in the realisation of one's true nature, and it is also the motivation for saving beings from the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

The Vital Role of Bodhicitta

If one has not yet aroused the Bodhi mind to save all beings, one cannot realise one's true nature. This is because the heart has not yet become in sync with the empty nature of the true self, nor has it attained the state of no-self and selflessness. Realising one's true nature is a natural outcome; it is not something that can be obtained by seeking it externally.

Arousing the Bodhi mind is the Subtle Dharma. Within the Pure Land Dharma Gate, the practice of chanting the Buddha's name relies on deep faith in Namo Amituofo. This practice is accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender, social status, or wealth. It is a path that covers all levels of capacity. If you are willing to chant the name of Namo Amituofo and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land, and if you can maintain your Faith, Vows, and Practice with a single-minded focus, you will surely achieve your wish.

The Accessibility of Chanting Namo Amituofo

Chanting the Buddha's name is the Subtle Dharma. Rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is the most important matter in your life. By arousing the Bodhi mind and single-mindedly reciting Namo Amituofo, from your initial aspiration all the way to the attainment of Buddhahood, you must keep the holy name of Namo Amituofo in your heart from beginning to end. By single-mindedly calling upon the name and vowing to be reborn in the Western Pure Land, you can finally achieve complete liberation from the cycle of rebirth. This is the most convenient and swift path to Buddhahood.

The Unique Grace of the Western Pure Land

The Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss was established through the fulfilment of Namo Amituofo’s Forty-eight Great Vows. In this magnificent land, beings can be reborn while still carrying their karma. Once you enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, all your wishes will be fulfilled, and you will be able to attain Buddhahood amidst the environment of Infinite Life and Infinite Light. The ability to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss while carrying karma, and to continue one's practice there until Buddhahood is attained, is a unique and magnificent feature not found in any other Buddha-land. Thus, Namo Amituofo and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss are the supreme, profound, and subtle Dharma.

The Two-Power Method of Liberation

When a practitioner chants the holy name of Namo Amituofo, they rely on their own faith, but they also receive the compassionate support and assistance of Namo Amituofo. This is known as the Two-Power Method. Through this, one can invisibly dissolve karmic obstacles. Furthermore, during the practice of chanting the Buddha's name, one is simultaneously cultivating the Three Learnings of Precepts (Discipline), Concentration and Wisdom. While you are still living in this world, you can open your Prajna wisdom, realise your true nature, and attain Buddhahood.

A Call to Diligent Practice

The Pure Land Dharma Gate gathers all these subtle methods together. Only through this can we, in this age of the Dharma’s decline, where beings have deep karmic obstacles and the demon path is rampant, take on the responsibility of teaching beings to leave suffering behind, find happiness, realise their true nature, and attain Buddhahood. Today, the students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre are in the midst of this path. You must be diligent and persistent, cherish every second, and seize the opportunity to realise your true nature in this very lifetime. You must truly cherish this.

Namo Amituofo