Cherish Every Moment: A Message from Master Xuanzang

April 21, 2019.

I, Master Xuanzang, have witnessed the vast expanse of the void filled with countless spirits. As the fourfold assembly of disciples at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre chants the name of Namo Amituofo, these spirits are carried forward like the surging waves of a great ocean. They are being guided toward the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. As one wave of beings is sent forth, another follows, rising like the tide to be delivered in turn. This magnificent scene is one that I witness week after week during the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies held at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. The urgency and sincerity with which these spirits from the underworld seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land are truly profound.

A Vision of Boundless Deliverance

My heart is filled with a dual sense of emotion. On one hand, I feel immense joy for the great fortune of these spirits. They have encountered Practitioner Su, who has cultivated a heart of vast compassion, diligently practised the Buddha’s path, realised his true nature, and attained Buddhahood. Because of his vow to save all beings, Namo Amituofo truly abides at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Through this, these spirits are genuinely saved, leaving their suffering behind to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

On the other hand, I feel a deep, aching sorrow. There are still immeasurable and boundless numbers of sentient beings who remain submerged in the bitter sea of the cycle of rebirth. They find it difficult to hear the teachings of the Pure Land, and they lack the necessary Dharma affinity to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land. This is the source of my profound pain.

The Vital Role of the Hsiang Kuang Community

I have the ability to perceive the past, present, and future of every sentient being. I feel a deep sense of celebration for those spirits who have established a karmic connection with Practitioner Su and the fourfold assembly of disciples at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. As long as the disciples remain at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, these connected spirits will have the opportunity to be saved through Chao Du. However, if the disciples were to abandon their practice or depart from the Centre, these spirits would lose the chance to be nurtured by the true, Mahayana Pure Land teachings and would be unable to chant the name of Namo Amituofo to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is the very foundation and root of the Pure Land school. All of our efforts in this human world are ultimately aimed at one goal: to transcend the cycle of rebirth and attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Regardless of one's achievements, wealth, or status in this life, if one reaches the end of their karmic conditions without attaining rebirth in the Western Pure Land, then this human life has been lived in vain. It is a tragedy to come into this world and leave without fulfilling this ultimate purpose. I rejoice to see that every student at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre can learn to emulate Practitioner Su, realising their true nature and mastering the skills of Dharma Body deliverance to save the beings with whom they have a karmic connection.

A Once-in-a-Thousand-Years Opportunity

Young practitioners, you must never assume that you have an abundance of time. Do not be negligent or indulgent, allowing time to slip away unnoticed. You must realise that every single second you spend at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is the result of the accumulated good roots and blessings from countless past lives. To have Namo Amituofo, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the ancestral masters, the Dharma protectors, and the external Bodhisattvas from the cosmos manifest here is a treasure beyond measure. It is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.

How many practitioners in history would have been overjoyed simply to receive the blessing of one such enlightened being? They would have been unable to sleep for days or months, let alone receive direct teachings. Most could only read about such masters in ancient sutras and texts; to even hear a fragment of their wisdom was considered an incredibly rare event. If a practitioner could truly connect their heart with the ancestral masters and grasp the essence of their teachings, they would be filled with boundless joy. If this is true for the ancestral masters, how much more so for Namo Amituofo and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas?

The Inconceivable Presence of Namo Amituofo

Namo Amituofo is the highest spiritual presence in the Dharma Realm. Traditionally, one could only learn of the Buddha’s vows and his practice from the sutras passed down by Shakyamuni Buddha. How could it be possible, as it is for the students at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, to ask the Buddha questions at any time and receive his precious teachings directly? To those outside of this temple, this is something they have never heard of, something they dare not believe, and something they find difficult to comprehend.

Because of this, all students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre must truly cherish this inconceivable and magnificent karmic affinity. It is a fleeting moment that will vanish in the blink of an eye. I, Master Xuanzang, urge you once again: do not let a single second pass in vain.

Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Shi Haiyuan.