The Wisdom of Letting Go of the Past

The Burden of Unresolved Memories

Words of Namo Amituofo, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe. For those engaged in spiritual practice, if you have not yet reached the state of an awakened being, your heart will inevitably experience fluctuations. Your inner state remains vulnerable, easily swayed by the external environment and the shifting conditions of the world. Because of this, you must learn to let go of the bits and pieces of your past. Do not dwell upon them, and do not allow your mind to wander back into the corridors of memory.

The Obstacle of Attachment

When you hold onto the past, you allow those memories to persist as tangible entities within your consciousness. This creates a sense of existence, a place where the mind is occupied and cluttered. Because your heart is not empty, it remains filled with the remnants of what has already passed. This is a significant obstacle to reaching an awakened being. If you touch upon these memories, you will feel ripples of emotion, and these ripples eventually harden into karma. This is a great affliction for any practitioner. True practice must be pure, and it must exist entirely in the present moment.

The Stillness of the Awakened Heart

Once you have truly awakened and become an awakened being, your heart becomes as still as a calm lake, undisturbed by waves. You are no longer influenced by external conditions. You have learned to see through and let go of the past, understanding clearly the nature of how conditions arise and cease. Your heart remains unmoved, and instead of being controlled by the world, you find that the world transforms according to your heart. At this stage, the bits and pieces of your past are no longer burdens; they can be used as valuable material to teach other beings.

Turning Experience into a Path for Others

Even if your past was filled with the changing seasons of life—the joys and sorrows, the successes and failures—these experiences are common to many practitioners. They are the very paths that eventually lead one to turn the heart toward the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way and achieve liberation. Especially when you have undergone the process of purification and reached the state of an awakened being, your personal journey and the process of transforming your heart become incredibly precious. These experiences can serve as a reference, a mirror, or a lesson for those who follow in your footsteps, for reaching an awakened being is truly not an easy task.

The Ultimate Vow in a Defiled World

Living in this defiled and evil world of suffering, it is difficult to achieve success without a profound commitment. You must make the Ultimate Vow and possess the firm determination to overcome ten thousand difficulties and break through every barrier. You must also develop the ability to subdue demonic enemies. While we speak of achieving success, in reality, there is no achievement to be attained, for the original nature was always there. We only perceive a lack because of our attachments. Now, by returning to your original nature, you are simply doing what is right—it is your own true work. Once you have found your way back, you will finally be able to benefit the masses and save the infinite beings who continue to suffer in the cycle of rebirth.

Namo Amituofo