Teachings from , recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
On the seventh day of September, 2024, during the first session of the ceremony, Namo Amituofo provided these profound teachings. Namo Amituofo, Avalokiteshvara , Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, and the thirteen generations of patriarchs are present throughout every moment of our . Because of this, they are fully aware of the state of every student of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre who participates in these sacred gatherings.
The Magnificence of the Thrice Yearning Ceremony
In the human world, the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies held at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre are unique. Because Namo Amituofo personally leads the ceremony, the thirteen generations of Pure Land patriarchs and the entire holy assembly participate from beginning to end. Furthermore, because the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre enshrines the memorial tablets of these thirteen generations of patriarchs, we are blessed to witness the magnificent presence of these Western holy beings manifest right before us during the ceremony.
Understanding the Five Aggregates
During the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, we recite the Heart Sutra in every session. Within this sacred text, it is written: "Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, while practising the deep Prajna Paramita, illuminated the Five Aggregates and saw that they are all empty." These Five Aggregates—form, feeling, perception, impulse, and —are the very conditions that constitute what we call a "human being." In the Buddha's teachings, "form" refers to matter, which includes our physical body. This body is composed of the four elements: earth, water, fire, and wind.
The Illusion of the Physical Body
When the suffering of death arrives and the elements separate, this body loses all its vital functions. It becomes nothing more than an empty shell. In our daily lives, we cling tightly to this body, unable to let go. Whether we feel attachment or aversion toward it, when the moment of death comes, reveals its true nature: it withers, shrinks, and falls into a state of total silence. No matter how much you call out to it, it cannot be awakened or brought back. Where have all the emotions and interactions that arose from our worldly connections gone? They are already gone. As the elements separate, the conditions that brought them together dissipate, and they return to emptiness.
The Cycle of , , and Consciousness
Beyond the physical form, we must also understand the remaining four aggregates:
Feeling: This refers to our daily emotional responses and sensations.
Perception: This encompasses our daily thoughts, judgments, and mental images.
Impulse: This is the processing and action that follows our feelings and perceptions, often manifesting as Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt.
Consciousness: This is our psychological and spiritual state. It is the "master" that arrives first at birth and is the last to depart at death.
These Five Aggregates are phenomena of arising and ceasing; they are empty in nature. They arise according to conditions and dissipate when those conditions end. However, because we cling to them, we create endless suffering. While this body still exists, we generate various attachments to the feelings, thoughts, actions, and consciousness associated with it. These attachments become , leading to all manner of pain. Within every thought and intention, we create good or negative karma, perform good or evil deeds, and consequently reap the corresponding fruits of those actions.
Purifying the Body, Heart, and Spirit
To break free from this cycle, you must chant Namo Amituofo 24/7 without interruption. This is the essential method for purifying the body, heart, and spirit, for letting go of attachments, and for severing the influence of wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep, as well as the of Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt. Once you have achieved the purification of the body, heart, and spirit, your spiritual nature will be elevated. You will be able to realise the emptiness of the Five Aggregates, align yourself with the wisdom of Prajna, and practise the correctly. This is how you move steadily toward .
