The Profound Path of Forgetting the Self

The Echoes of Identity

Words of Namo Amituofo:

Who am I?

Is the name I carry now truly me? Or is it the spirit that has been reincarnated for aeons, traversing trillions of years? Or is it this body born of my parents, with its appearance, emotions, and age that defines the 'me' of this moment?

These are all me!

Can one truly forget the self? If I set aside all these versions of 'me' and leave only the name of Namo Amituofo, is it possible to achieve? If one can achieve this, then one's practice will surely progress.

The Shadow of Past Debts

This is because I have created immeasurable and boundless negative causes in the past. I have committed countless negative deeds, and my karmic creditors are always waiting for my appearance.

If my personality, behaviour, and thoughts are the same as the 'me' that my karmic creditors recognise, then I am in sync with my karma and my karmic creditors. This is the moment when the manifestation of karma occurs, and I must endure suffering.

The Unseen Path to Liberation

Therefore, if a practitioner wishes to achieve spiritual success, the most precious state is that of no-self. With no-self, one can transform karma. This is because the karma and the karmic creditors cannot find me—that is, they cannot find the owner of the karma. Consequently, the karma has nowhere to manifest.

It will not stir the karma or the karmic creditors, and thus there is no karma to speak of. If there is no interference from karma and karmic creditors, or if one can face and overcome such interference, only then is there an opportunity to become an awakened being.

The Compassionate Heart of Practice

Before reaching the state of no-self, the focus of one's practice lies in the purification of the spirit. If one can reach the stage of forgetting the self, it indicates that one's practice is advancing; one must simply continue with diligent practice!

If forgetting the self is for the sake of all beings, rather than for oneself, it is the duty of a practitioner and will be of great help to one's practice. If forgetting the self is for one's own sake, rather than for the sake of all beings, then karma will manifest as suffering. These two are vastly different. I hope all of you will come to understand what is the right way!

Namo Amituofo