Light is radiance, carrying energy. When we speak of the Heart-Light, we are referring to the radiant energy that emanates from the brightness within our own hearts. This bright Heart-Light is inherently present; it is currently waiting to manifest. The Heart-Light is infinite, and the brightness within your heart is boundless, capable of bringing infinite light and infinite energy to all beings.
In your true self, this Heart-Light is naturally infinite. However, because of confusion, it has been obscured, and the original infinite energy and light have been hidden from view. Now that you have learned this, you must engage in diligent practice to remove the stains. You must allow your heart to undergo a process of purification, washing away the layers of pollution and dust that have accumulated.
The Virtues of a Pure Heart
To reveal this light, you must cultivate the noble qualities of a practitioner. These virtues act as a broom, sweeping away the darkness and grime that cloud your inner nature:
: Developing a heart that truly cares for the suffering of others.
Wisdom (Prajna): Cultivating the clarity to see the truth of the .
The ability to let go of attachments: Learning to release possessiveness.
Mind-capacity: Expanding your heart to embrace all beings without discrimination.
Inclusivity: Practising tolerance and understanding in every interaction.
By choosing to see the good, think the good, speak the good, and do the good, you align yourself with the path of the enlightened. When you maintain a good heart, speak good words, perform good deeds, and strive to be a good person, these beautiful, virtuous qualities will help you sweep away the darkness and dust of the heart. This is how you allow the bright Heart-Light to manifest.
The Necessity of Meditative Concentration
Before you have transformed your and reached the state of , your heart lacks meditative concentration, and thus it moves in accordance with impermanence. If this heart moves, it is acceptable if it is a good heart; however, if it is an evil heart, you allow your heart to become polluted once again. Therefore, if the heart can remain in meditative concentration and not move, it is one of the essential methods for protecting the heart.
The daily practices of the fourfold assembly are vital for dissolving karma, reducing transgressions, and building meditative concentration:
Chanting Buddha's name: This is the core of your daily practice.
Prostrations: Bowing to the Buddha to humble the ego and purify .
Reciting the Sutras: Engaging with the wisdom of the Buddhas to guide your path.
The fourfold assembly must prioritize diligent practice! When you chant Buddha's name, you should strive for continuous chanting of Buddha's name 24/7. This continuity allows you to receive the full measure of the Buddha's .
Stopping the Fluctuations of the Mind
You should earnestly beseech the compassionate to allow your restless, impermanent heart to find peace and stability, and to stop the mind's fluctuations. By relying on the Buddha's blessings, you can stop the mind's fluctuations. To stop these fluctuations is, in effect, to stop the manifestation of karma. No matter how the external environment changes, you will remain unmoved by it.
When you allow your inner heart to remain perpetually calm and stable, Wisdom (Prajna) will naturally manifest from within, and the bright Heart-Light will shine forth. Continue your diligent practice of purification, which can stop the mind's fluctuations. Do not allow delusions and messy thoughts to stain your heart. Persist in this way until you reach Awakening. At that point, your Heart-Light will be infinite, illuminating the mountains, the rivers, the Dharma Realm, and the vastness of empty space itself.
Namo Amituofo
Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe
