My children, if the doors of the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre are opening, are you all prepared? How many days have passed? Beings are living in the midst of fire and water, and not a single day of peace has been found! Practitioner Su is constantly concerned, for outside the temple, the pandemic remains uncontrolled. There are no tourists, no customers for the shops, and no travellers to be seen. One by one, businesses are forced to close their doors.
To prevent the spread of this illness, governments have had to implement strict regulations, and the skies remain largely empty as flights are repeatedly delayed or cancelled. These circumstances have persisted for a long time, deeply affecting the hearts of the people and the very fabric of their daily lives.
The Path of Self-Purification
However, you, as students of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, must not be swayed by these worldly anxieties. Your duty is to focus entirely on your practice, to change your ways, and to engage in diligent practice. I hope that you will all attain the state of an awakened being and find your true self. Only when you have achieved this can you truly take charge of your life and possess the capacity to save other beings.
But look at the current state of the world—it is filled with suffering. Are you truly diligent in your practice? If you are waiting for the moment of awakening, how much longer will it take? If the temple doors were to open today, would your pure and good bodies be able to withstand the tests and the temptations of the world? You must prepare yourselves for these various situations.
The Urgency of
In your hearts, you must truly understand the suffering of all beings. You must develop a genuine vow to save those who are enduring the many forms of agony: mental suffering, physical suffering, the suffering of ageing, the suffering of sickness, and the suffering of death. During your time of pure practice, you must first save yourself. This means addressing your own and the spiritual attachments that reside within you. You must save yourself before you can effectively save others.
If you can focus your efforts on the most difficult aspects of your , you will find that this is the fastest way to make progress in your practice. You should know where your heaviest karmic burdens lie. You must make a firm resolution, summon your boldness, and cut through your confusion like a sharp blade. Only then will you see real results. Time does not wait for anyone, and beings are desperately waiting to be saved. Remember, saving others is also a way of saving yourself.
The Foundation of True Practice
Within the laws of and the causes and effects, even the drought and the changing environment are shifting. The drought will be resolved, and the rain will come. This is because the one who can transform the environment has now appeared. The great power and the Ultimate Vow of Practitioner Su are manifest, and the affinity is already before you. Saving beings is the fundamental duty of all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and monastics. The Dharma protectors are following and guarding you; now, they are waiting for your progress.
The Threefold Path
You must let your compassion manifest, summon your courage, and let your great power arise. You must put aside your personal and physical sensations. In all things, you must hold the three studies as your primary guide: , Concentration, and Wisdom. You must uphold the Precepts and ensure you do not commit further transgressions. Through the stability of your mind, meditative concentration will manifest, and wisdom will naturally open and shine forth.
You must change your personality, speak less, and remain calm. Do not let your mind fluctuate; keep the Buddha-name tightly held in your heart. If you can hold onto these principles and stop adding to your past mistakes, you will receive the Buddha's . Only then will you be able to truly perceive and understand the urgency of the beings who come to the temple seeking salvation. Namo Amituofo.
