Discerning the Priorities of Life and Spiritual Practice

The Endless Cycle of Worldly Pursuit

In this world, why do people spend their lives in such a state of constant, frantic busyness? We often find ourselves rushing from one task to another, driven by deep-seated desires. We seek recognition and validation from others, striving for academic credentials, social status, fame, and material wealth. We work tirelessly to establish a home and a career, hoping to stand on our own two feet without relying on anyone else. We marry, raise children, and navigate the inevitable waves of birth, aging, sickness, and death. This entire journey, from beginning to end, is simply the cycle of reincarnation, where we remain trapped by the momentum of our own karma.

The Path of Diligent Practice

In contrast, the path of spiritual practice requires us to let go of our attachments to home and desire. It is a journey of returning to our true self through active and persistent effort. This is not a static state, but a dynamic process of constant breakthrough. We must engage in the work of purification, only to find that we must purify ourselves again and again. In this continuous process of alternating between impurity and purity, we strive for the ultimate goal: Awakening, liberation from the cycle of birth and death, and the salvation of our spiritual life.

Discerning What is Essential

When we hold these two paths—the worldly and the spiritual—side by side, we must ask ourselves: Which is light and which is heavy? Which is slow and which is urgent? Perhaps, deep within your own heart, the answer is already beginning to emerge. If your goal is to transcend this world and achieve Awakening, then stepping onto the path of practice is the most essential, heavy, and urgent task of your life. In comparison, the affairs of the world become light and slow; they are things that can, and perhaps should, be gradually distanced from your focus.

However, if you have no intention of seeking liberation from this world, then worldly affairs will naturally appear to you as heavy and urgent, while the work of spiritual practice will seem light and slow. Those who view worldly matters as the priority are often here to settle karmic debts—to repay kindness or to seek retribution for past grievances. If you find your heart caught between these two paths, participating in both the worldly and the spiritual, you must eventually choose which one will be your priority, and which one will be your urgency.

A Rare Opportunity for Awakening

I strongly counsel you to make spiritual practice your priority and your urgency. This is because the opportunity to encounter Namo Amituofo, to receive the guidance of the Teacher, and to learn alongside Practitioner Su is truly an opportunity that is difficult to encounter even in millions of years. You must grasp this precious chance to practise, to realise your true nature, and to attain Buddhahood. Do not let this rare moment slip through your fingers, for the path to the Western Pure Land is open to those who are sincere in their vows and diligent in their practice.

Namo Amituofo