Transforming the Personality on the Path of Practice
Teachings from Namo Amituofo
Recorded on January 17, 2025
Namo Amituofo's discourse, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
January 17, 2025, First Session.
The Connection Between Personality and
Refining one's personality is a necessary process for any practitioner who wishes to achieve success in their spiritual practice. In truth, your personality is your karma. As long as you possess a distinct personality, you are tethered to the cycle of karma. However, if you can reach a state of no-personality, your will no longer be able to find you. This is the only way to truly transform your karma, because your personality is an integral part of your karmic force. For those of us who are beings bound by karma, we must transform this karma if we ever hope to realise our true nature as an awakened being.
The Long Journey of Self-Transformation
Refining one's personality is not something that can be achieved in a single day or night. If you do not adjust your heart and turn your mind, it is difficult to fundamentally improve your personality from the roots. You must work diligently until you reach a state where there is no personality left—not even a trace of it. When you have no personality, karma has nowhere to manifest. In your daily practice, adjusting and changing your personality is an absolute requirement. You must ensure that your practice and your self-transformation proceed hand in hand. Whenever you notice a part of your personality that has not yet been refined, you must move quickly to improve it.
Understanding the Roots of Personality
What exactly is personality? It is the collection of your personal views, your thoughts, your subjectivity, your attachments, and the actions of your Body, Speech, and Mind. These are all manifestations of personality. When your personality manifests, your heart moves, and thoughts arise. These thoughts enter your and become karma. If your thoughts are good, they become good karma; if your thoughts are evil, they become negative karma. Therefore, if you can keep your heart still and stop the arising of thoughts, you stop the creation of karma.
The Path to Stillness and
When you have no personality, your heart remains unmoved. Every thought is good and free from evil. This state allows you to grow and achieve the fruit of . It also allows you to increase your , your Wisdom (Prajna), and your mind-capacity, which is the only way to truly transform your karma. By chanting the six-syllable name of Namo Amituofo, you are engaging in pure practice. Chanting is the cause, and becoming a Buddha is the result. When you have adjusted your personality to the point of no-personality during your practice, you have truly achieved success. Namo Amituofo.
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library