Understanding and Practising: The Path to True Awakening

Words of Namo Amituofo, Chief Writer: Venerable Fa Hui

25 November 2023

Namo Amituofo’s discourse:

Understand the body, understand the heart, and understand the spirit; only then will this body and spirit follow the heart in action. Understanding can be gained through listening to sutras and hearing the Dharma, through the Six Roots contacting the Six Dusts, and through learning and realisation within awareness. By remaining mindful and observant, we begin to recognise our own faults and strengthen our resolve to change our personality traits for the better.

The Foundation of True Understanding

There are moments when a practitioner suddenly experiences a profound breakthrough. One might exclaim, 'So that is the reason! This is why I have been stuck for so long!' Often, the root of our suffering lies in a limited mind-capacity, which prevents us from being truly inclusive or forgiving of the shortcomings of others. When we view the world through a lens of negativity, we struggle to see the goodness in others. Furthermore, when our self-esteem is rooted in ego, we become unable to accept constructive criticism or acknowledge our own flaws. This leads to a cascade of internal disturbances:

• Emotional Volatility: We become easily angered, and our moods fluctuate wildly between joy, sorrow, and frustration.
• Lack of Meditative Concentration: Because our hearts are not settled, our minds are easily agitated by external circumstances.
• Emotional Entanglements: We find it difficult to let go of attachments, which keeps us bound to the cycle of suffering.
• Difficulty in Upholding Precepts: We may know the right path to take, yet we find ourselves unable to follow it, leading to internal conflict and resistance.

The Integration of Understanding and Practice

When you achieve a moment of genuine insight, treat it as if you have discovered a precious treasure. It is essential to take this understanding and immediately put it into practice. This is what we call the integration of understanding and practice. Only when these two are unified can you experience actual, tangible transformation. If you gain an insight but fail to act upon it, or if you understand but do not change your behaviour, then your insight is not yet deep enough. The problem will inevitably resurface, and under the laws of karma and cause and effect, you will continue to experience suffering.

To truly progress, you must ensure that once you recognise a fault, you do not repeat it. You must put in the work from the heart. True change is revealed through your actions; it is in the process of doing that you refine your character. You must change genuinely and commit to not repeating past mistakes, rather than changing for a brief moment only to fall back into old habits, create karma, and taste the bitter consequences once again.

The Manifestation of the Heart Through Action

Practice is the external manifestation of the heart. It is expressed through the functions of the Six Roots, as well as through our limbs, our physical movements, our expressions, and our speech. A practitioner who has achieved purification is free from the Five Poisons and the Five Desires:

• The Five Poisons: Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt.
• The Five Desires: Wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep.

When these impurities are removed, your capacity for understanding becomes vast, your ability to put the Dharma into practice becomes powerful, and your reactions become swift and clear. You may find that you age more slowly, or that you remain free from illness. When the Five Poisons are no longer present in your heart, their corresponding behaviours will no longer manifest in your life. Therefore, one who has achieved self-mastery understands that every action is simply an expression of the heart. If you find that you cannot yet master your own actions, it is a sign that your heart is still being controlled by external forces. In such cases, you must return to the teachings, re-examine your understanding, and adjust your direction until you can once again enter the right path.

Namo Amituofo