Beyond Ideals, Truly Ultimate
The Twenty-ninth Letter of President Zhao Puchu
August 24, 2017
The Academic Trap of Modern Practice
It is a lamentable truth that few people today truly understand the vital importance of rebirth in the . This is particularly evident among the students in our Buddhist colleges. In these institutions, the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings has often been reduced to a rigorous pursuit of academic excellence. A culture of hidden competition permeates the halls of learning, and the true meaning of studying the Buddha’s teachings, along with the ultimate home for our spirits, remains obscured from many.
Observe the students as they prepare for their examinations. They carry exquisite notebooks, meticulously filled with filtered highlights of Buddhist philosophy. These pages are a kaleidoscope of colours, dense with information, adorned with sticky notes that mark what is essential for the test. Everyone is buried in their books, working with a frantic intensity, afraid to let their guard down for even a moment. They believe that their efforts to study and preserve the Buddha’s teachings are defined by their grades. They believe that these scores tell the world exactly how much they have achieved in their practice.
This pattern is not unfamiliar to us. It is the very same model used in secular education throughout the world today. It appears that those within the realm of Buddhist studies are merely acting as people of the world, operating under a different management system. They remain a vast distance away from what it truly means to be a practitioner who appears in the world to save others. Competition, conflict, the desire to win, jealousy, and arrogance have become inextricably linked to their practice. If the only difference between this kind of study and secular life is the content of the textbooks, then it is a profound tragedy.
The Illusion of Comfort in the World
The intention and the driving force to leave this cycle of rebirth must be ignited within us. We must learn to see the suffering of the world for what it truly is. Human beings possess a remarkably resilient ability to adapt, which often leads us to become numb to our own pain. When you ask people how much suffering exists in this world, they might simply shrug or scratch their heads, as if they feel no intense hardship at all. They seem so comfortable, so settled in their current lives, that they begin to question the necessity of leaving. They ask themselves, Is it really necessary to depart? Is life here not quite pleasant enough?
To such people, the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss remains a distant, illusory dream—an ideal world that is nice to have but ultimately optional. Meanwhile, the six realms of existence never experience a shortage of inhabitants. The queue of souls waiting to enter these realms remains as long as it has ever been.
to the Preciousness of Human Life
Every individual who has encountered the Buddha’s teachings possesses a rare and precious human body. We have been granted the opportunity to hear the profound , yet we must ask ourselves: do we truly see its value? We should allow the Buddha’s teachings to educate our physical bodies, to elevate our spirits, and to safeguard our future. When the time comes for us to depart this life, we should be heading toward the real, non-illusory Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.
The six realms of existence offer far too many distractions. The and will keep you so busy that you will have no time for anything else. You will be consumed by greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt. Why continue to wander in this maze? It is far better to simplify your path and walk directly toward the West.
Returning to the True Path
We must move beyond the superficial ideals of academic success and strive for the ultimate reality. The goal of our practice is not to accumulate knowledge, but to purify our minds and secure our return to our true home. Let us cast aside the competitive spirit that belongs to the world and embrace the compassionate heart that belongs to the Buddha. By doing so, we can transform our lives from confusion to awakening, from wrong paths to the right path, and from impurity to purity. This is the only way to leave suffering behind and find true, lasting happiness.
Recorded by the Buddha’s disciple, Shi Fajing.
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library