Where Does Your Heart Abide? Teachings from Namo Amituofo

Teachings from Namo Amituofo, recorded and transcribed by Venerable HaiZe.

The Anchor of the Heart

My children, at this very moment, where does your heart abide? When you sit in practice, you must constantly observe the state of your mind. If you find that your eyes are heavy and you are quickly falling into a state of drowsiness, you must immediately lift up the Buddha-name. Focus your entire attention on every single syllable of the name of Namo Amituofo. To further strengthen this focus, you should combine your chanting with the practice of prostrations. By physically bowing to the Buddha while reciting the name, you can effectively draw your wandering heart back to the Buddha-name. Let your heart condense and settle upon the Buddha-name, and in doing so, you will bring the state of drowsiness to a complete halt.

The Protagonist of Your Practice

If you find that the Buddha-name cannot solidify in your mind, or if you even forget to chant it entirely, how can you expect to avoid the fog of drowsiness? Consider the space of your own consciousness. You are the protagonist of this space, the one who must direct the play of your life. If the protagonist is absent or distracted, the play cannot continue, and the heart will sink into darkness, unable to find its way out of the confusion of this mental space. However, if you can maintain your awareness within this space, the Buddha-name will resonate from within your heart. When your heart is firmly placed upon the Buddha-name, the light of your heart will pierce through the darkness. This light will dissolve the conditions that led you into that state of confusion, and you will awaken to clarity once more.

The Trap of Personal Feelings

Often, the heart becomes entangled in the sense of 'I'—my feelings, my perceptions, and my experiences. You may forget the Buddha-name that you usually keep on your lips and in your heart. You might even begin to grasp at these feelings more tightly than you hold onto the Buddha-name, allowing your emotional state to become stronger than your practice of chanting. When this happens, the waves of the heart become difficult to calm. This is precisely the moment when confusion and karma begin to arise. Feelings are a part of karma; if you dwell on your sensations without lifting up the Buddha-name, you are feeding the cycle of rebirth. If your heart is led by these feelings, your chanting will become intermittent and fragmented. When your recitation is mixed with delusions and messy thoughts, the Buddha-name loses its power, and you lose the state of meditative concentration.

Living with the Buddha-name

Where does your heart abide? I ask you to practise 24/7, keeping your heart securely anchored in the Buddha-name at all times. You must have faith in yourself and faith in the Buddha. Let the Buddha be present in every aspect of your life: in your heart, in your speech and hearing, in your actions, and in your vows. As your faith in the Buddha deepens, and as your sincerity in your heart, speech, hearing, actions, and vows grows, the Buddha-name will manifest its true power. The merit and the majestic spiritual strength of the Buddha will be unleashed, and the Buddha's blessings will merge with your own efforts. Through this union, you will find the strength to transcend all obstacles and return to your original nature.

Namo Amituofo