Contentment and Gratitude

The Lost Innocence of the Human Heart

The most moving sight in this world is the sincere concern from the heart, reflected in the pure, innocent smile of a child. In our modern age, however, people have lost this simplicity, both in their hearts and upon their faces. A natural, spontaneous joy has become a rarity in our lives. Many busy people today yearn to reclaim this lost innocence, yet it feels like a distant, unreachable memory from a time long ago. Because of this, the human heart has become increasingly complex and fickle, and many have forgotten what it truly means to be sincere.

We carry layer upon layer of shackles and burdens, and the weight upon our shoulders is so heavy that we can barely breathe. We often project our unfulfilled hopes onto the next generation, passing these heavy burdens down from one generation to the next. Consequently, the time children have to be truly happy grows shorter and shorter. How painful this is! Even at a young age, they taste the bitterness of life, yet they mistakenly believe that this is simply how life is meant to be. They grow up accustomed to this cycle, living out an entire life defined by birth, aging, sickness, and death. Countless people, regardless of their nationality or age, have lived through life after life in this very manner.

The Compassionate Path of the Buddha

Shakyamuni Buddha, in His infinite compassion, witnessed the suffering of all beings in this worldly realm. He descended into the human world, manifested the process of attaining Buddhahood, and taught the path to liberation. From birth to the end of one's life, no matter what stage you are in, if you study the Buddha's teachings, you have the opportunity to chant Namo Amituofo and realise your true nature. You have the chance to attain Buddhahood while in a human body.

This is a magnificent and precious opportunity that you have encountered! By studying the Buddha's teachings, you change the destiny of your cycle of rebirth. You find the vital opportunity to leave suffering behind and find happiness. Furthermore, you have encountered Namo Amituofo. Finding your way back to your original, pure, and natural self is no longer an unreachable dream. You no longer need to be crushed by the baggage of your past lives. Even when facing the impermanence and changes of this world, you can maintain a smile of genuine happiness and contentment, filled with gratitude. What a tremendous blessing this is! There is nothing in this world more joyful and auspicious than studying the Buddha's teachings, meeting the Buddha, realising your true nature, and being reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. One cannot help but feel an endless sense of gratitude rising from the depths of the heart.

The Intertwined Nature of Contentment and Gratitude

Only those who understand gratitude can possess a life of constant contentment. Conversely, those who are truly content must be people who understand gratitude. At the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, the fourfold assembly of disciples—ranging from one year old to nearly one hundred—have all gathered here. Regardless of where we have come from or what we have encountered in this life, we should all be filled with gratitude.

We are grateful to our parents for nourishing our physical bodies and bringing us into this human world. We are grateful to those who have helped us on our path to studying the Buddha's teachings, and to those who have helped us reach the point where our spiritual foundations are fully matured, allowing us to meet Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. We are grateful for the efforts and the great vows of Practitioner Su, who provides us with food and shelter. His only wish is for us to resolve our conflicts with our karmic creditors, rediscover our true nature, keep our bodies free from illness, ensure our spirits never die, and carry on the Pure Land teachings to save all beings and help them be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

This great vow is in perfect sync with Namo Amituofo, which has moved Namo Amituofo to abide here, leading to the establishment of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. We are deeply grateful to Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su for their endless compassion and patient guidance, which allow the fourfold assembly of disciples to grow and flourish continuously.

A Sanctuary for Purification and Growth

Even when faced with external changes or the tests of human impermanence, we gather here to practise together. We hold the Precepts as our foundation, with the clear direction of the Pure Land as our ultimate destination. We focus on repenting, changing our ways, and observing our own minds. Among fellow practitioners, we rely on virtuous friends, diligently repenting, correcting our mistakes, and engaging in the purification of our body, mind, and spirit.

Even for those spirits who have lost their physical bodies, there is hope. Because of the presence of Practitioner Su in this world, the fourfold assembly of disciples resides in a true Buddha-land. Through the skill of Practitioner Su in inviting spirits to hear the Dharma, these karmic creditors and attached spirits are given the opportunity to be invited to the Western Land of Dharma Nature at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. There, they listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma, which is equivalent to leaving the six realms of rebirth and preparing to enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. During our morning sessions and the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, we perform the Chao Du of countless beings, helping them be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss or the realms of humans and heavens.

The Daily Path of the Practitioner

These events occur so naturally within the temple. Those who understand should realise that such an opportunity is not a common occurrence. It is a magnificent Dharma affinity that is difficult to encounter in millions of years. We are filled with gratitude!

Our daily life is a testament to this path: we rise at two o'clock in the morning to begin our daily practice of prostrations, walking meditation, and reciting the Sutras; we listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma without interruption; we engage in the practice of silence, a profound personal experience; we enjoy the vegetarian meals prepared with great care by our fellow practitioners in the kitchen, which are rich in colour, fragrance, and taste; we live in a naturally peaceful and vast environment, where cattle graze and kangaroos leap; and we are under the constant care and protection of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, ancestral masters, and Dharma protectors. These are environments and experiences that cannot be found elsewhere. They allow us to thoroughly purify our hearts and bodies. We are filled with gratitude!

Walking the Path Together

All of these things are the current reality for the students of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, and our hearts are overflowing with gratitude! No matter what trials or challenges we may face, we must all remain in one heart and one vow with Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. We must continue to move forward with diligence, putting our practice into action, transforming our environment through our minds, and striving for the realisation of our true nature to save ourselves and all beings.

Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

Namo Amituofo