Emptiness and Existence as One

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

On the seventeenth of August, 2025, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offered these profound teachings:

The Interplay of Void and Form

Within the void, all things can manifest; within the existence of all things, one can perceive the nature of emptiness. To realise that emptiness and existence are one is to attain true freedom. However, this is not merely a philosophical concept to be understood intellectually; it requires genuine, diligent practice and personal verification. You must learn to let go of what needs to be released, never clinging to the past. To be able to let go is to be a person of true freedom. When you are ready to release, do so immediately without hoarding or attachment. To be able to put down is to be a person of true coolness and clarity.

The Mastery of Skillful Means

Emptiness and existence are one. When you are in the state of emptiness, you are free; when you are in the state of existence, you are able to make good use of it. In the world of form, you should skillfully take hold of existence to teach and save beings. Emptiness and existence are not two separate things. Whether you are in the state of emptiness or the state of existence, you remain cool, free, and unhindered. When you are in the world of existence, you know that existence is an illusion. Because you know it is an illusion, you are not deceived by it. You do not allow existence to create obstacles for you, nor are you stained by it. Instead, you are able to make good use of existence, and this is what we call true freedom.

The Autonomy of the True Self

When you are in the state of emptiness, you know that this emptiness is not a mere void. Those who have realised their true nature can move freely within this state. Within the emptiness of the true self, all things can be born. You do not feel a sense of lack because of emptiness; in fact, you lack nothing at all. This is the state of true autonomy. Within the Buddha’s gate, the Six Roots are pure. You have few desires and know how to be content. You find joy in having no desires, and you do not view emptiness as a state of deficiency.

Transcending the Dualism of Words

Whether we speak of emptiness or existence, these are merely words used within the Buddha’s teachings to express a meaning that is, in its essence, beyond words. The heart does not dwell in emptiness, nor does it dwell in existence. You do not cling to emptiness, and you do not cling to existence. Regardless of whether you are facing emptiness or existence, you do not allow your heart to be stirred, nor do you allow a single thought to arise. This is the mark of great cultivation. Emptiness and existence as one is the nature of equality.

The Pure Land as the Ultimate Manifestation

Consider the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. It is a world constructed from the flow of Amitabha Buddha’s true self. Within this state of equality, there is no distinction between the four lands, the three grades, or the nine levels of rebirth. As long as you are a being of the Western Land who has entered the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, you can equally enjoy all that exists there. Your heart’s desires are fulfilled; if you wish for something, it appears, and if you do not wish for it, it is not there. At that moment, even if it is not there, it still exists; even if it is there, you do not need it, so it is as if it is not there. This is the true meaning of emptiness and existence as one.

The Path of Namo Amituofo

Those who have realised the unity of emptiness and existence include Amitabha Buddha, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the ancestral masters, and those who have realised their true nature. The six-character name, Namo Amituofo, is the key. When you chant until you reach the state of chanting while having no thought, and having no thought while still chanting, you have reached the state where emptiness and existence are one. May you all walk this path with sincerity and diligence.

Namo Amituofo