The Wisdom of Calm and Composed Practice

Amitabha Buddha's discourse. Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

July 4, 2025, First Session.

Amitabha Buddha's discourse:

For a practitioner, to remain calm and composed is a mark of true dignity. When a person acts in a hurried or frantic manner, they appear rushed, and in that haste, they lose the grace and composure that should define a practitioner. When you observe someone whose speech is rapid and whose actions are erratic, you can see that their heart is unsettled and drifting in a state of constant agitation.

The Manifestation of Karmic Interference

For those who have attained a degree of clarity, or for those whose eyes are open to the unseen, it is evident that such frantic behaviour often signals the presence of karmic creditors and attached spirits. These beings are manifesting because of the individual's past karma. If one continues to dwell in this state of agitation, it will inevitably cause harm to one's Body-Mind-Spirit.

If you find yourself in such a situation, you must understand the underlying cause. You should strive to remain calm and composed. For the karmic creditors and attached spirits who are present, your first duty is to settle their hearts and stabilise their actions. You must observe the conditions and, with the greatest sincerity, offer them comfort, acceptance, or mediation. By doing so, you aim to resolve the manifestation of this karma while causing the least possible harm to both the karmic creditors and the beings involved.

Maintaining Stability Amidst Criticism

When others speak ill of you, or when you are faced with slander and false accusations, you must remain calm and composed. Within that state of steady, unwavering stillness, you should choose not to respond. By refusing to engage with the negativity, you prevent the other person's emotional turbulence from expanding or influencing your own state of mind. Most importantly, when your heart and actions are anchored in meditative concentration, you will not be distracted by these circumstances, and your practice will remain undisturbed. This is the true manifestation of Wisdom.

The Calm Demeanour of a Dharma Teacher

Those who are dedicated to saving the world and teaching the Dharma must maintain an attitude of stability and composure during their lectures. When a teacher is calm, it is much easier for the audience to listen to their words, believe in the teachings, and put them into practice. This is a sign that the Dharma affinity has manifested, and such efforts should be continued with diligence.

Remaining Unmoved by External Changes

When the people, events, or environments around you begin to change, you must face these fluctuations with a calm and composed heart. Do not allow these changes or the resulting waves of uncertainty to cloud your judgement. Do not let the agitation of an unsettled mind become an obstacle to your practice. When you encounter such testing environments, you must be able to remain at ease, refusing to be turned by the circumstances. This is the clear evidence of one who has achieved a high level of practice and meditative concentration.

In such moments, you should feel gratitude for the test. If you can remain as still as water, like one who passes through a garden of a hundred flowers without a single petal sticking to their clothes, then you have truly succeeded in your practice.

Spreading the Dharma with Patience

In the work of spreading the Dharma, if you encounter beings who do not yet understand, you must remain calm and composed. Use this stillness to resolve their confusion and help extend the reach of the Dharma. By observing the conditions and following the natural flow of affinity, you can create opportunities, at any time and in any place, for beings to hear the Buddha-name of Namo Amituofo. Through your calm guidance, they will come to know Namo Amituofo and the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, and in time, they will all have the opportunity to be saved and attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Namo Amituofo