Do Not Be Negligent: Teachings on the True Self

Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offers these words of wisdom, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

August 17, 2025

The Eternal Nature of Your True Self

The physical body is governed by the true self, which is the protagonist of the cycle of rebirth. In the process of reincarnating, the physical body will change, but the true self is singular; it does not disappear, nor does it increase or decrease, yet it possesses the distinction of being pure or polluted. The purer the true self, the more its sensitivity, compassion, Wisdom (Prajna), mind-capacity, and inclusiveness are manifested, and the true self appears light and at peace.

The more turbid and polluted the true self, the more it will naturally descend after leaving the body, entering into turbid and polluted spaces, which is entering the three evil realms of existence.

The Peril of Losing Control

The purpose of our practice is to escape the ocean of suffering of the six realms of rebirth, to chant Namo Amituofo and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, to attain the state of an awakened being, and to see our original face. In the process of practising in this world, because one's lifestyle, the people one interacts with, and one's daily routine differ from those of worldly people, one will have different experiences and realisations.

Before meditative concentration is achieved, due to the fluctuations of the heart and every thought and intention, one may attract karmic creditors to manifest. Attached spirits and demon crowds may enter the body, causing the true self to be unable to be the master, becoming trapped, and causing the Body, Speech, and Mind to be controlled by other beings, thereby creating karma and suffering endlessly.

The Weight of Every Thought and Action

Do not be negligent regarding every thought and intention within every word, action, and move. When a thought arises, one is constantly creating karma through Body, Speech, and Mind. Do not be negligent by failing to perform small acts of Goodness or by performing small acts of evil. The laws of karma and cause and effect are never empty; one will still receive the consequences, which will pollute one's character and hinder one's practice.

Do not be negligent regarding the harm that one's personality brings to one's practice. This is the main reason why one's practice has not attained purity, why one has not achieved Discipline (Precepts) and meditative concentration to open Wisdom (Prajna), why one has not made progress, and why one has not attained the state of an awakened being.

The Infinite Power of the Holy Name

Do not be negligent regarding the holy name of Namo Amituofo. Chanting the Buddha's name with a pure heart can open the heavens and enter the vastness of space, saving countless suffering beings, and can extinguish the heavy karmic sins of eighty billion kalpas of rebirth. Once it enters the ear, it becomes a seed of the Dharma forever, and there will always be a time when one meets Amitabha Buddha and is saved. Namo Amituofo.