Do Not Linger on the Path of Practice

Words of Namo Amituofo. Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

December 15, 2024, Noon Offering.

The Preciousness of This Moment

The path of practice is a journey that requires your constant, forward momentum. You must never linger, hesitate, or stand still along the way. Why is this urgency so vital? It is because you have encountered three rare and precious conditions that are difficult to obtain:

• The human body is rare: You have been granted the unique opportunity to practise in this life.
• The Buddha’s teachings are rare: You have the chance to hear the profound Dharma that leads to liberation.
• The Pure Land path is rare: You have encountered the most direct and effective method to return to your true nature.

Life is governed by impermanence. When your breath stops, your life in this world comes to an end. If your practice has not yet reached fruition and you have not attained rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, it is a profound tragedy to have wasted this precious human life. Therefore, once you have stepped onto the path of practice, you must seize the time and the Causal Conditions. Do not let a single moment pass in vain; instead, make the most complete and beneficial use of every instant.

Cultivating a Heart of Service

For those of you who have taken on responsibilities to serve the community, your attitude is paramount. You should:

• Serve with a joyful heart: Do not calculate your efforts or seek personal gain.
• Maintain a smiling countenance: Greet others with warmth and kindness, and do not let sorrow or bitterness cloud your expression.

When you serve in this way, your Blessings and merit will naturally accumulate. This creates a supportive environment that allows your own practice to proceed smoothly and without obstruction.

Resolving Karma and Transforming the Self

If you have not yet changed your personality traits, you must use prostrations and chanting Namo Amituofo to subdue your wandering thoughts. By achieving the Buddha-Recitation Samadhi, you will be able to quell your afflictions and elevate your spirit to a higher level. If you do not transform your karma, how can you escape the suffering of aging and illness that comes with a karmic body? Therefore, you must be diligent in your practice to change your personality, resolve conflicts with your karmic creditors, and invite spirits to receive Chao Du. This is the only way to hasten your Awakening, so that you may attain a state where you are free from aging, free from illness, your spirit never dies, and you ultimately enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Overcoming the Fog of Drowsiness

Live in the present moment. Do not look back at the past, whether it was filled with joy, anger, sorrow, or pain. Do not linger on these memories. Instead, listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma to regulate your own heart. It is better to resolve grievances than to create new ones. I hope that all beings who hear these teachings will take them to heart, and that the spirits invited to this place may enter the Dharma-Nature Land. By resolving your own suffering, you also help to resolve the suffering of all beings. You are one among many; if you find yourself in the midst of suffering, you must resolve it.

What is this suffering? It is the state of drowsiness and mental fog that you cannot seem to improve. This occurs because your character is not yet settled and your personality has not yet been transformed. If you wish to make progress in your practice, you must face these challenges, take responsibility for them, and break through them. Will you allow this drowsiness to continue, or will you make a firm resolution to change your personality? You must have the wisdom to choose the right path.

The Wisdom of Constant Diligence

Time flies, and every day passes by; your life is constantly slipping away. Those who are diligent will move straight ahead without laziness or hesitation. They focus on purifying the body, heart, and spirit, and then they purify themselves again, seeking to increase their Goodness. Before you reach Awakening, you must continue your diligent practice without stopping. If you linger, it is easy to regress. If you do regress, you must work twice as hard to regain your momentum, because your karma will manifest and your karmic creditors will arise. Only by continuing to resolve these issues and performing Chao Du for these beings can you find the time to advance in your practice once more.

Students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, you must have faith in the words of Namo Amituofo. If you are facing the problems mentioned above, do not linger—change and improve immediately. Time at Hsiang Kuang passes with great speed. This means that if you have faults and do not correct them, the karmic consequences will manifest quickly. Regression in practice will become apparent, but the achievements of diligent practice will also manifest just as rapidly. Which path do you choose? You must have wisdom; you must use wisdom to seize the time at Hsiang Kuang.

Namo Amituofo