Working from the Heart: Teachings from Namo Amituofo
A Discourse on the Essential Practice of the Heart
Recorded on January 27, 2024
Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
On the twenty-seventh of January, 2024, during the noon offering, Namo Amituofo provided these teachings:
The Sacred Priority of the Heart
Working from the heart is the most important task for any practitioner of the Buddha’s teachings. I speak of this often, yet I must ask: have you truly grasped its significance? When you fail to guard your heart, you allow yourself to be led by your desires and whims. This lack of discipline only serves to cover your heart in further layers of dust and confusion.
You must remember that in Buddhism, especially for the monastic community, every thought and intention carries weight. If you harbour anger in your heart, even if you do not speak it aloud, you have already created a negative cause. If you entertain improper thoughts regarding relationships, you have already stained your heart. You have planted a seed that will inevitably lead to evil consequences.
The Noble Responsibility of the Sangha
This is because the monastic community serves as the Sangha Jewel. Your actions and conduct serve as a model for all beings. You are the inheritors and transmitters of the Buddha’s teachings. You are not ordinary people; therefore, according to the natural laws of the universe, you are held to a higher standard of conduct.
I ask you all: do you truly wish to learn from the Buddha? Do you wish to learn from Namo Amituofo? To learn from the Buddha is to embody his purity, his freedom, and his brilliance. It is to be all-knowing and all-capable, while never violating the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. It is to walk the path without ever creating negative . To learn from the Buddha is to become one with all, responding to the needs of beings according to their capacity to understand.
The Boundless of the Buddha-Heart
The Buddha’s body appears vast because the Buddha-heart is boundless. It encompasses all things and is fused into one with the vastness of the Realm. Namo Amituofo possesses infinite light and infinite life, which I share with all who reside in the . Furthermore, beings can enter the Western Pure Land even while carrying karma. With just ten sincere recitations, one is certain to be reborn there. This heart and this vow are praised by all the Buddhas.
This Buddha-nature exists within each of you. It is waiting to be purified, and once it is, it will naturally manifest. In the Pure Land path, you must purify your own heart and your own intentions. Before you reach the state of an awakened being, you will lack true purity, meditative concentration, and Wisdom. Therefore, you must put in the work from the heart.
The Foundation of Discipline and Transformation
are essential. They are the guardrails that prevent you from committing transgressions that would stain your heart. Working from the heart, using Discipline as your foundation, is the only way to resolve the spiritual obstacles and confusion that manifest in your life. Only then will you have the opportunity to reach .
Your heart governs both your physical body and your spirit. Therefore, when you practise, you must work from the heart to transform both your body and your spirit. With sincerity and perseverance, you are not only helping yourself; you are also helping the countless cells within your body, your , your attached spirits, and even the demon crowds. They, too, can receive the benefits of the Dharma, learn to act in accordance with the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, and avoid creating negative causes or suffering evil consequences. Your spirit will be transformed along with you. This is the precious value of the heart.
The Path to Ultimate Liberation
Only by working from the heart can you achieve real, lasting change. This includes learning to "see through" and "let go", to change personality traits, to see the good in others, to think good thoughts, and to speak good words. By doing so, you will give rise to all and achieve the fruit of . Only then can you truly resolve the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Otherwise, your practice is merely treating the symptoms rather than the root cause.
If you wish to make progress in your practice, and ultimately reach Awakening, you must work from the heart. It is the ultimate, fundamental method to escape the cycle of rebirth and ensure that your wish to be reborn in the West is fulfilled through chanting Buddha's name.
Namo Amituofo
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Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
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