Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju: recorded and transcribed by ’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
During the third session of the held on April 4, 2025, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju provided these profound insights on the practice of diligent seeking.
The Sacred Essence of Diligent Seeking
To engage in diligent seeking is to commit oneself fully to the path of practice. Let us break down the meaning of this term to understand its depth:
Jing (精): This signifies diligent practice that is constant and never slackens. It is the unwavering focus of the mind.
Qin (勤): This refers to industriousness, hard work, and a quick, responsive spirit in one's daily practice.
Qiu (求): This is the act of making a sincere vow.
Suo (索): This is the active pursuit or search for the realisation of that vow.
Therefore, diligent seeking is the state of being active and persistent, never allowing oneself to become lazy, with the singular hope of fulfilling one's sacred vows.
The Vow that Built the
This concept of diligent seeking was exemplified by . After he established his Forty-eight Great Vows, he knew that to ensure every single vow would be fulfilled, he had to be incredibly diligent and never allow himself to slacken. He maintained a heart of profound respect and caution, carefully guarding his intentions and actions.
For five kalpas, he laboured with this spirit of diligent seeking. Through his immense vow-power, he finally succeeded in establishing the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, the magnificent Buddha-land. Upon his success, he became known as Namo Amituofo.
Today, as practitioners, you must also learn to make your vows first. Let your vows be the guide that leads you forward. By engaging in diligent seeking with a heart of respect and caution, you can hope to fulfil your aspirations early. Only through this process can your practice truly achieve spiritual success.
The Selfless Spirit of Buddhahood
Those who practise the Pure Land path should learn from the example of Namo Amituofo. You must learn to make vows, to seek diligently, and to follow the process and spirit of the path that leads to the attainment of Buddhahood. Namo Amituofo established his Buddha-land not for his own sake, but to save countless suffering beings. He created this land to help all beings leave suffering behind and find happiness, and in doing so, he achieved his own perfection.
This spirit is the very essence of Buddhahood. Becoming a Buddha is not for the benefit of ; it is entirely for the sake of all beings. Within your own body, there are countless beings who are connected to you by karmic affinity. They are the first who must be saved. If you seek only for your own liberation, you will never be able to realise one's true nature and attain Buddhahood.
Walking the Path of the Great Masters
Within the Forty-eight Great Vows, we can clearly see that Dharmakara Bhikshu attained Buddhahood so that beings from the ten directions could come to his Buddha-land, or at the very least, hear his holy name. Whether through the magnificent dignity of his land and the profound , or through the incredible merits of his name, he paved the way for all to attain Buddhahood.
Therefore, as a Pure Land practitioner, you must learn the Buddha-heart, the Buddha-vow, and the Buddha-actions of Dharmakara Bhikshu. You must seek diligently, delve deeply into the teachings, and then put them into practice in your daily life. Only then will your practice bear fruit. Practitioner Su has also achieved success by following this very path, which is why we have the current state of and the Western Land of Dharma Nature.
To the students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre: if you encounter difficulties during your process of diligent practice, you must wake up quickly. Break through these obstacles and continue your diligent seeking. Take the practice of Dharmakara Bhikshu and Practitioner Su as your guide. I hope that you will all follow this path and achieve success soon.
