A New Phase: Teachings from Bodhisattva Ashvaghosha

The Dawn of a New Phase

A new phase brings a new atmosphere. When you have spent your days cultivating your inner strength through deep, quiet practice, the time eventually arrives when the conditions are ripe for you to step forward. This is the moment to face the world and exert your efforts for the benefit of others. True practice relies on the power of meditative concentration. When you are working to save beings in the Pure Land path, it is even more essential to simultaneously cultivate the Three Learnings of Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom. You must learn to maintain this state of meditative concentration even while you are in the midst of movement and activity. If you do not possess genuine, solid skills and have not yet realised your true nature, it is extremely difficult to walk through this world without being overwhelmed by the myriad illusions and the endless distractions of sentient beings.

The Importance of Cultivating the Mind

As you walk through this world, you must constantly reflect upon yourself and examine your own heart. This is the essence of cultivating the mind. If you realise that you have made a mistake, you must correct it immediately. Do not allow yourself to continue creating negative karma. The most important thing is to protect your heart. If your heart is disturbed, your actions will inevitably falter. However, if your heart remains unmoved and tranquil, you will find peace wherever you go. This is the profound importance of the heart in your daily life.

The Precious Guidance of a Good Teacher

Life in this world is filled with suffering. Whether you are wealthy and successful, or whether you are a practitioner striving to do good, if you do not have the assistance of a Good Teacher to help you resolve your worries and leave suffering behind, you will inevitably remain entangled in the laws of karma and cause and effect. You will continue to face the cycle of aging, sickness, and death, and you will continue to fall back into the six realms of rebirth or stray from the righteous path. Meeting a Good Teacher who can guide and assist you is a rare and difficult occurrence. It is only through the accumulation of merit and virtue over many lifetimes, and when the causal conditions finally align, that such an encounter can manifest. Perhaps you have wandered through thousands of twists and turns, facing obstacles and feeling utterly exhausted. Even so, this process is a way of dissolving your karma and reducing your sins. Although the journey is not easy, as long as you can eventually meet a Good Teacher, everything you have endured becomes worthwhile.

The Value of Hard-Won Connections

A Good Teacher may manifest as a Buddha, a Bodhisattva, an ancestral master, or a virtuous practitioner or Venerable who has attained deep realisation. Often, when a good connection or a Good Teacher is too easily obtained, people do not cherish the opportunity. It is only after you have been tempered by trials and tests that you can truly grasp the opportunity to learn and ensure you do not let it slip away. Regardless of the circumstances, the one who gains the greatest benefit from this encounter is always yourself.

The Mission of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre

Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia lead their disciples in diligent group cultivation and purification. They travel to Hong Kong and Taipei to deliver lectures and conduct Thrice Yearning Ceremonies. The number of beings who have heard the Dharma, benefited from it, and received Chao Du is immeasurable and boundless. This is truly the greatest blessing for all sentient beings. The spirits in the underworld know their own suffering, and countless beings have rushed to seize the causal conditions presented by Practitioner Su in this world to receive spiritual deliverance. For the people of this world who are searching for the Truth and for eternal life, yet find themselves without a place to turn, you must know that if you encounter Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, you must cherish this connection and never let it go. The true wisdom, great power, and merit of Practitioner Su provide the best conditions for resolving karmic grievances. Everyone should seek the opportunity for liberation for the sake of themselves and others, and chant Namo Amituofo to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

A New Beginning for the Pure Land Path

The establishment of the Taiwan branch of the Pure Land Centre is the result of the earnest hopes of countless beings. It is the culmination of many causal conditions, the collective efforts of the fourfold assembly of disciples, and the dedication of many Dharma protectors. Although everyone comes from different directions, they have been brought together by past karmic affinities. Now, in this life, they have met because the conditions have matured. Those who hear the Dharma feel a deep resonance in their hearts. The vastness of the Pure Land teachings inspires them to contribute their resources and their strength. It is through this collective effort that the current venue has been established, allowing for the magnificent Dharma affinity of listening to sutras, studying the teachings, and participating in ceremonies to manifest. The disciples of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre work with one heart and one mind to take the next step forward. With every step taken by the Centre, countless beings throughout the Dharma realm of emptiness are saved.

The Inconceivable Power of Namo Amituofo

Countless beings are waiting for the name of the Taiwan branch and the headquarters of the Pure Land School to be established in this world. With Namo Amituofo present, it is like a stabilizing force for the heart. This is a rare opportunity, difficult to encounter in millions of years, for countless beings to leave suffering behind and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Sentient beings are finally able to escape the cycle of the six realms of rebirth that has trapped them for countless lifetimes. The compassion of the Buddha, the skillful means of his teachings, and the resonance between the Buddha and sentient beings are truly inconceivable. We in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss are delighted to see the Pure Land teachings flourish in Hong Kong and Taiwan, opening a new phase for the Pure Land School. Everything is difficult at the beginning, but once it has started, those with Dharma affinity throughout the Dharma realm—including Namo Amituofo, Practitioner Su, and the fourfold assembly of disciples—will quickly gather to participate in this grand event, earnestly seeking Chao Du and rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

A Call to Eternal Happiness

Every day is a good day, every moment is a good moment, and every year is a good year. As long as you make a start, it is an auspicious time. When Dharma protectors make their vows, it is an auspicious time. When a venue for spreading the Dharma is found, it is an auspicious time. When you begin to set up the venue, it is an auspicious time. Delivering lectures, conducting Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, and performing Chao Du are all auspicious activities. As long as your heart and actions are focused on saving the world and helping beings, every moment is auspicious. A single spark of light from your heart can illuminate the infinite. In this life, within this illusory world, you can transform the realms of the living and the dead. May the living enjoy health of body, mind, and spirit, attain purity, realise their true nature, and remain free from aging, sickness, and death. May all beings be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, where the lotus pond and the assembly of the Western Buddha-land await to welcome all beings back home.

The Taiwan branch of the Pure Land Centre, the headquarters of the Pure Land School, surrounds the Dharma venue, and a pure land is manifested. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the West—Amitabha, Avalokiteshvara, and Mahasthamaprapta—shine their immeasurable light, scattering golden lotuses across the land. Beings from all Buddha-lands gather like clouds. The turbulent, defiled world of the Saha realm is transformed into purity. Whoever comes is connected by karmic affinity. Together, we chant the name of Amitabha and vow to seek the Land of the Golden Lotus. The pure fragrance of the Buddha-land drifts gently. Celestial beings send their joy, and the Four Sages come to welcome us. The entire Dharma realm celebrates, and the emptiness of space resonates in harmony. May all spirits be at peace, and may we all firmly seek the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. With Pure Land chanting and the Ultimate Vow of Amitabha, we all board the Dharma ship and enter the Western Land of the Golden Lotus.

This message was recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.