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T
hose who desire to be born in Amitabha's Pure Land must perform three kinds of meritorious acts. The first act is: one must love his parents and attend dutifully to them, and he must also revere and serve his teachers and the elderly, refrain, with the loving-kindness he cultivates in his mind, from killing or irritating any living beings, and abide by the Ten Wholesome Ways.† The second act is: one must understand and abide by the true principles of non-ignorance, righteousness, and purity. In addition, one must keep the various precepts, and refrain from breaking the Rules of Conduct. The third act is: one must awaken the mind that aspires for Enlightenment, believe deeply in the principle of cause and effect, read and recite the Mahayana teachings, and encourage those who practice the way. These three acts (the Three Meritorious Acts) are called the undefiled acts. The Buddha further said to Queen Vaidehi: ‘You should know that these three kinds of virtuous deeds are none other than the true cause for the Enlightenment of all the Buddhas of the past, present and future.'
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