Transcending the Deluded Heart

Teachings from Namo Amituofo: Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe, September 28, 2024, during the noon offering.

The Root of Our Suffering

All beings suffer because they have lost touch with their true heart and have not yet realised their original self-nature. We live in a world of impermanence, where the heart feels unsettled and constantly seeks a place of refuge or someone to rely upon. This is the state of beings caught in the cycle of reincarnation, drifting through the six realms of existence according to their karma. How can one find stability and a true reliance amidst such constant change? How can one rediscover the true self and ensure that the heart never loses its way again?

The Nature of the Deluded Heart

The deluded heart is one that remains deeply immersed in the endless, tangled web of desires. But what exactly is this deluded heart? In truth, the heart of anyone who has not yet become an awakened being is a deluded heart. It manifests in several distinct ways:

• Attachment to Emotion: One is obsessed with romantic love and personal relationships, finding it difficult to let go of these attachments.
• Anger: One easily gives rise to feelings of resentment and hostility toward people, objects, and circumstances.
• Ignorance: One finds it difficult to transform karma or release emotional burdens, remaining trapped in suffering—such as the suffering of ageing, sickness, and death—without even realising that one is suffering.
• Arrogance: One trusts only in oneself, refusing to believe in the Buddha or the Bodhisattvas.
• Doubt: One harbours suspicion toward the Truth and the innate potential of the Six Roots, choosing to mistake the false for the real.

Breaking Through the Veil of Delusion

If you recognise that you are suffering, how can this deluded heart be liberated? If you have the necessary Dharma affinity, you will be able to receive the protection and assistance of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, patriarchs and venerable masters, or true spiritual friends. You must draw close to these true spiritual friends and seek the supreme Dharma—the path that leads to leaving suffering behind and realising one's true self. This is your opportunity to depart from the places of delusion and break through delusion and attain enlightenment.

The Path of Purification

Through the diligent practice of chanting Buddha's name, performing prostrations, and reciting the Sutras, you can achieve the purification of Body, Speech, and Mind. By listening to sutras and hearing the Dharma, you will come to understand the true reality of all things. You will begin to see where your Body, Speech, and Mind have deviated from the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, allowing you to adjust your conduct and cease creating negative karma. You must change your personality traits and engage in sincere repenting for past transgressions. The methods to dissolve karma and reduce your sins include Resolving conflicts with karmic creditors through mediation and spiritual deliverance. When the deluded heart finally awakens, the six fundamental abilities can manifest. You will know how to leave suffering behind, and this is the moment of Awakening.

Namo Amituofo