The Stillness of the Heart

The Heart as the Foundation of Practice

The true attainment of your spiritual practice lies entirely within your heart. When you focus your efforts on cultivating the heart, your progress becomes visible through your thoughts, your intentions, and your outward behaviour. No matter who you encounter or what situation you face, I ask you to keep your heart still and equanimous. Everything that happens in this world is governed by the laws of karma and cause and effect.

The Power of a Still Heart

If your heart remains like a calm, undisturbed lake—without ripples, without the stirring of thoughts or intentions—then the cycle of karma will cease at that very point. You will no longer continue to create new causes, and consequently, you will no longer reap the bitter fruits of suffering. However, if your heart is agitated, if it rises and falls with the tides of emotion, and if you allow your thoughts and intentions to run wild, then the cycle of karma will continue. You will create negative causes, form negative connections, and inevitably suffer the consequences.

Overcoming Obstacles through Concentration

Therefore, keeping the heart still is the best possible response to any situation you encounter. Yet, this requires the strength of meditative concentration. Your heart must not be moved by external circumstances. Only when you can overcome the challenges posed by people, events, and objects—as well as the obstacles created by your karmic creditors and spiritual attachments—will you be able to pass through these trials and move forward on your path.

Embracing Life with Equanimity

A still heart is a state of profound stability. It carries with it the freedom of following conditions without clinging to them. When you face the various changes and pains of life—birth, aging, sickness, and death—you must be able to meet them with a level heart. Understand the laws of karma and cause and effect, and use these moments to let go of your old karma. Do not let your heart become restless, for that only stirs up old karmic debts and brings your karmic creditors back to the fore, leading to a cycle of suffering that never ends.

Returning to the True Self

A still heart is free from agitation and free from anger. It is not disturbed by the Five Poisons: Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt. When you do nothing but chant Namo Amituofo, chanting it straight through from beginning to end, your heart will be purified and find greater peace. This is the skill of bringing stability to the heart, which in turn helps your practice to advance. A still heart allows you to see the truth of the facts clearly, ensuring that you do not create new enmity with others. If you feel unsettled, know that your practice is regressing and you are creating negative causes. You must return to a state of stillness to avoid continuing the cycle of cause and effect, which only leads to suffering. Your true self is inherently still. Allowing your heart to remain in a state of stability, free from agitation at all times, is a necessary condition for finding your way back to your true self.

Namo Amituofo