Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded and transcribed by ’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
On the ninth of March, 2025, during the noon offering, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju provided these essential teachings on the practice of crawling forward.
The Strategy of Humility
To crawl forward means to move ahead with one's hands and feet pressed firmly against the ground. Why must a practitioner adopt such a posture? It is a tactical approach designed to navigate through various obstacles. When we move in this manner, we remain low to the earth, ensuring that we do not draw the attention of our enemies.
In the context of our spiritual practice, who are these enemies? They are the internal defilements that constantly threaten our progress:
Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt: These are the fundamental poisons that cloud our true nature.
Wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep: These are the worldly attachments that bind us to the cycle of rebirth.
Our own personality and ego: These are the most persistent enemies, as they are deeply ingrained within us.
When these enemies are awake, they are watching you with wide, vigilant eyes, waiting for any opportunity to strike. If you do not know how to remain hidden, you will surely be discovered. The most direct and effective method to avoid detection is to crawl forward. By keeping your hands and feet on the ground, you move steadily ahead. Once you have safely passed the territory where these enemies reside, you may then rise and continue your straightforward advance toward the of Ultimate Bliss.
The Peril of Exposure
Why is such extreme caution necessary? It is because when you are discovered by these enemies, you are left completely defenceless. You lose your ability to act with wisdom and are left to be manipulated by your own negative . Once a practitioner falls under the control of these defilements, they often create significant negative karma:
They may speak words that should not be spoken.
They may commit actions that violate the .
They may allow harmful and evil thoughts to arise within their minds.
These actions can lead to the terrible consequence of falling into the hells to suffer intense retribution. More importantly, such exposure distances you from the possibility of becoming an awakened being. It causes you to be reincarnated once again as a suffering being, trapped in the cycle of rebirth and enduring the agonies of the Three Evil Realms.
The Ultimate Protection of the Buddha-Name
Given these dangers, what is the best method to ensure our safety? It is to chant the Buddha's name, to seek the Buddha's blessing, and to hold onto the Buddha-name of Namo Amituofo without ever letting go. When the Buddha covers the earth with His golden light, these enemies are also illuminated by the Buddha’s light. Under this radiance, their power is diminished, and they may even fall to the ground, unable to rise.
If an enemy still possesses strength, they may be moved by the resonance of the Buddha-name. They may join you in chanting, losing their hostility and being transformed through purification and goodness. This is the immense power of the Buddha-name and the Buddha-light. However, the prerequisite for this protection is your faith. To believe in the Buddha is the most important matter of all. By maintaining this faith and keeping the Buddha-name in your heart, you are never truly alone, and you are always under the compassionate care of Namo Amituofo.
