Coming and Going: The Truth of Our Existence
Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju
The Endless Cycle of Coming and Going
We have arrived and departed from this world countless times. If we pause to reflect, we must ask ourselves: what have we truly been doing? What have we been so busy with? We spend our entire lives caught in the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, constantly forming attachments to people and things, only to be separated again. When the time comes to leave, we must depart alone. No matter how much we wish to stay, no one can hold onto another. Regardless of our past status—whether we were high or low, rich or poor, wise or foolish—this current lifetime will eventually end, and we will simply begin the cycle all over again.
The Urgency of This Final Lifetime
My dear children, within the vast ocean of karmic suffering, this constant coming and going is truly painful. Do not let yourself drift through life after life in this state of confusion. You have already spent several decades in this current existence; how many days do you truly have left? You must chant Namo Amituofo with great urgency. Hold onto the Buddha tightly and do not let a single moment pass without his presence. It is incredibly difficult to encounter the Buddha, yet today, Namo Amituofo appears right before your eyes. Do not cling to this world any longer. You must realise that this lifetime is meant to be your final one.
Recognising the Illusion of the World
Everything in this world is like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, or a shadow. Once it has passed, it becomes empty and will never return. Only when you clearly recognise this truth can you commit yourself wholeheartedly to chanting. With every thought of Namo Amituofo, you draw closer to your true self-nature. Do not let your time slip away into nothingness. You must find the Buddha nature within you and stop wasting this precious opportunity.
The Choice of Our Actions
Between the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre and the world outside, is there truly a difference? The distinction lies in the state of your heart and the nature of your actions. You must ask yourself: what is your heart focused on? What are your actions achieving? Is your spirit truly at peace? If you are busy pursuing wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep, you are walking a path of suffering. If you act according to Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt, you will create negative causes that inevitably lead to evil consequences. However, if you keep your heart focused on Goodness, and ensure that your body, speech, and mind are all aligned with virtue, you will create good causes that lead to good fruit. If your actions are a mixture of both, you will experience a life of mixed results.
The Path to
How should the students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre conduct themselves? It is my hope that within this environment of purity and goodness, you will engage in diligent practice without pause. Chant Namo Amituofo, and then chant again. Be active and persistent, moving straight ahead on this path. Through this unwavering dedication, you will eventually realise your true self-nature and the light of your original nature will shine forth. Namo Amituofo.
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
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