Alone We Come, Alone We Go: The Truth of Samsara

The Solitary Path of the Spirit

Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offers this profound guidance, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe, on the 20th of December, 2025. In The Infinite Sutra (The Buddha Speaks the Mahayana, Infinite Life, Adornment, Purity, Impartiality, and Enlightenment Sutra), it is written: "Alone we are born, alone we die; alone we come, and alone we go. We bear our own joys and sorrows, and no one can take our place." This single sentence reveals the absolute truth of our cycle of rebirth. While our physical body has a limited lifespan, the life of our spirit is infinite. Yet, throughout this long journey, we have always travelled alone. Who can truly accompany us through the threshold of life and death? Who can take our place in suffering the pains of birth, aging, sickness, and death? Even our most beloved family members can only witness our suffering; they are powerless to bear it for us.

A Rare Opportunity for Awakening

Because of this, you must awaken. You currently possess a human body and have the tremendous blessing of being able to practise the Dharma. You have heard the teachings of the Pure Land and have encountered Namo Amituofo. This is a rare opportunity, difficult to encounter in millions of years. It is your chance to realise your true self and ensure that your spirit can enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Do not let your spirit continue to suffer, to be tossed about by the winds of change, or to wander endlessly in the cycle of rebirth without finding an exit. If you can grasp this, you are an awakened being. If you do not, and you allow yourself to fall back into the cycle of rebirth, you are truly lost and worthy of great compassion.

The Records of the Alaya Consciousness

Within your Alaya consciousness, every detail of your past is recorded with absolute precision. Nothing is omitted. It is a clear, vivid record of a past woven together by blood and tears. You must awaken to this reality. Do not repeat the mistakes of the past; stop the cycle of negative thoughts and do not let them continue. You must realise that "alone we are born, alone we die; alone we come, and alone we go" is the true state of existence. Once you recognise this fact, you can focus on your practice, perform purification, dissolve your karmic obstacles, and rediscover your true self.

Embracing the Universal Principle

Do not delay, for impermanence is always by your side. Until you have successfully transformed your karma, impermanence can manifest at any moment. This truth—that we come and go alone—is an essential part of the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. It remains constant across all time and space, whether in the past, the present, or the future. You must quickly seize this time at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. In the space between coming and going, seek to reclaim your life of eternal light. Do not be led astray any longer, wandering in confusion, dying and being reborn in the cycle of life and death. When will you finally wake up? Namo Amituofo.