Time flies, and we once again welcome the auspicious Year of the Horse. In Chinese culture, the horse symbolizes vitality, courage, and forward momentum. We wish one another "success as swift as a galloping horse" and the "spirit of the dragon-steed" for good health.

       Yet amid the relentless pace of modern life, our minds often resemble a "restless monkey or wild horse." Driven by greed, anger, and delusion, our thoughts race under daily pressures. We find it hard to pause, harder still to find true peace.

The Horse as a Metaphor for the Mind

       In Buddhist teachings, the horse symbolizes the mind of ordinary beings. Without reins, a horse easily strays. Without a spiritual refuge, we wander blindly through samsara, creating negative karma and reaping its bitter fruits. If we focus only on the demands of the day while losing sight of life's ultimate direction, no matter how fast we run, we are left only with regret and pain.

       The old saying "an old horse knows the way" reminds us that true wisdom lies not in speed but in knowing the way home. If we toil through life without knowing our destination, we may panic at the end, realizing too late that we have nothing to rely on. As the Infinite Life Sutra warns:

"When life is about to end, regret and fear strike together."

The Parable of the Four Horses

       Buddhist sutras speak of four kinds of horses, representing our different capacities for awakening:

       The superior horse runs at the mere shadow of the whip.

       The good horse responds to a light touch at its tail.

       The mediocre horse requires harsh lashes before it moves.

       The inferior horse will not stir until pain pierces through flesh to marrow.

       So it is with people. Some awaken the moment they hear of impermanence and samsara, seeking liberation at once. Others reflect on life only after losing a loved one. Still others remain oblivious until old age or serious illness strikes—only when cornered by suffering and death do they frantically seek the way out.

       If we accept Amitabha's deliverance and recite his name before suffering forces our hand, we are like the superior horse that runs at the shadow of the whip. This is the most blessed life of all.

The Vow-Powered Steed

       On the Path of Sages, which relies on self-power, even a fast horse cannot outrun death. The Pure Land path offers another way: Amitabha's Other-power.

       When Bodhisattva Dharmākara became Amitabha Buddha, he forged through eons of cultivation a "Vow-Powered Steed" to carry all beings out of samsara. That steed is the name of the Buddha itself: Namo Amitabha Buddha.

       This steed is swift—crossing from this defiled world to the Land of Bliss in a single thought-moment. It is powerful—capable of carrying even those with the heaviest karmic burdens. It is tireless—waiting for us these ten kalpas, ready to depart the moment we call. And it never turns back—once we mount it, we will surely reach the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

       We need not cross the abyss of samsara on our own strength. By reciting "Namo Amitabha Buddha," we mount this steed. Whether our capacity is sharp or dull, our karma heavy or light, this horse carries us home.

The Year of the Horse Couplet

       I have composed this couplet as a compass for the coming year:

       Heading: Galloping Toward Peace and Joy

       First line: The steed of life bounds across blessed lands where kindness dwells

       Second line: The light of Amitabha shines on homes where his name resounds

       True good fortune is not found in feng shui or external luck, but in the kindness of the heart. For practitioners, the highest kindness is entrusting ourselves to Amitabha. Every step taken in recitation of the Buddha becomes a step on blessed ground.

       Master Shandao said: "Only those who recite Amitabha's name are embraced by his light; know that the Original Vow is most powerful."

       In a household where its inhabitants recite Amitabha's name, it naturally dwells within his radiance, finding protection from calamities and peace.

       The heading: "Galloping Toward Peace and Joy" is the heart of this couplet. It echoes the vitality of the Year of the Horse and symbolizes swift, steady progress on the path to liberation.

Knowing the Way Home

       Life is like a galloping horse—gone in the blink of an eye. As Bodhisattva Samantabhadra warned: "This day has passed; our life grows shorter. Like a fish in a pond that’s drying up, what joy is there?" 

       We are all riding the horse of life, racing toward the finish. The crucial question is: where does this horse run?

       A worldly horse, no matter how fast, only circles through the six realms—like an animal tethered to a millstone, busy yet going nowhere. But Amitabha has prepared a steed that breaks free of that circle entirely.

       The Year of the Horse reminds us that life is fleeting, and that we must know the destination. May we no longer let the horse of our life run blindly through the six realms. Let it carry us toward Amitabha’s Land – the land of peace and joy.

       As the ancient masters taught:

This human form, so rare, is now obtained;

The Buddha's teachings, so precious, are heard at last.

If not liberated in this very life,

In what future life shall we find the path?

       In this New Year, let us seek not only worldly success but the assurance of our true home. May every breath and step be taken in the light of Namo Amitabha Buddha.

       Wishing you an auspicious Year of the Horse. May your heart be full of kindness, your recitation deepen, and may we all be reborn together in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

       Namo Amitabha Buddha.

(Translated by the Pure Land School Translation Team;
edited by Householder Fojijn)