Transforming the Deluded Mind into a Pure Mind
Teachings from Namo Amituofo
Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe on February 22, 2025
The Nature of Delusion, Illusion, and Falsehood
Namo Amituofo teaches us to examine the very nature of our existence. We must ask ourselves: what is truly real? What is merely a passing shadow? To understand this, we must first define the terms that govern our suffering.
Delusion: This refers to that which is not real and is merely an illusion. It is the constant, restless movement of every thought and intention—the waves of the mind that prevent us from seeing the truth.
Illusion: This describes the nature of the world we perceive. The cycle of being reincarnated is an illusion; our Causal Conditions are illusions; the gathering and scattering of people, the birth and death of all things—these are all illusions.
Falsehood: This refers to things that cannot last. Our physical body is false because it cannot exist forever. A mind that lacks meditative concentration is false because it cannot remain stable or find peace. Even our emotion is both illusory and false, changing in an instant like the shifting winds.
When the mind is deluded and lacks meditative concentration, and when is recognised as a temporary, false vessel, how can we expect to find anything eternal? We are left only with the heavy burden of suffer greatly.
The Eternal Truth of
In contrast to these fleeting things, what is truly real? That which is eternal and indestructible is the truth. Your true self—your self-nature—is the only reality. This true nature is immovable and possesses deep, unshakable meditative concentration. This stillness is the mark of the truth.
The truth can manifest as an illusory form, but an illusory form can never become the truth. People in this world spend countless aeons being reincarnated, trapped in the belief that these unreal, illusory, and false things are substantial. They rise and fall within this delusion, creating negative cause and reaping bitter fruits of suffering. It is truly a sorrowful state of existence.
The Burden of the Deluded Mind
Our heart is covered by the heavy veil of delusion. Because we are lost in this deluded mind, we drift through the six realms of existence, life after life. This is the essence of our suffering. The Buddha provides Buddhist education to the world, hoping that all beings can clearly distinguish between the real and the illusory, the true and the false. He urges us to stop creating negative cause and to cease our suffering.
However, if you attempt to study the Buddha’s teachings or practice with a deluded mind, you will not succeed. If you do not break through this delusion, what you learn remains merely another form of delusion. It is difficult to attain purity, difficult to see the truth, and impossible to realise one's true nature and attain Buddhahood as the Buddha has done.
Breaking Through the Illusory
How, then, can you break through this delusion? You must stop being lost in illusory appearances. You must see clearly what is real and what is false, and you must recognise the deluded mind for what it is. Once you see through these illusions, you can break them down. When you no longer allow your mind to be moved by external circumstances, you have achieved the state of "see through." When you no longer look back, and your mind remains calm and undisturbed, you have achieved the state of "let go." If you truly see through and let go, how can delusion ever arise again?
The Path to a Pure Mind
How do we transform a deluded mind into a pure mind? You must have the right affinity. You need the guidance of the Buddha or and true spiritual friend to point out the illusions and the delusions within your own heart. However, you must also be willing to receive this guidance. If your heart is closed, if you allow your karmic habits to take charge, and if you remain accompanied by illusions, you will find it difficult to bear the weight of your own . You will remain lost in these illusions, in perfect sync with your deluded mind.
If these illusions and delusions act like a wall of copper and iron, blocking the entry of a pure mind, then purity cannot enter. How can we shatter these illusions? Chant Buddha's name is the correct path. The power of the Buddha will assist you. After all, the deluded mind has been sinking for aeons; we have long forgotten our original, true heart. We have been trapped in the cycle of being reincarnated for so long that we have mistaken the illusion for the truth.
Returning to the Original Nature
Therefore, please transform your deluded mind into a pure mind. This means that your heart no longer rises and falls; it no longer fluctuates. You no longer allow your thoughts to be stirred by illusory appearances or environments. When you can remain as still as water without waves, your pure mind will be able to see the truth. This pure mind must be sustained; even if the storms of life disturb you, you must remain undisturbed, without a single ripple of agitation.
A mind that possesses this kind of meditative concentration is true and precious. and attaining Buddhahood is not a dream; it is a reality that you and I both possess. At Hsiang Kuang: A Sacred Sanctuary, we listen, we practise non-thought, and we listen to sutras and hear the Dharma. Every word spoken by Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su is intended to shatter the illusions, the deluded mind, and the deluded environment, so that you may finally see the truth. You must detach from all delusions and transform your deluded mind into a pure mind. Only then will you be able to see the truth.
Namo Amituofo
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Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
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