Entering the Many Realms of Space

The Boundless Nature of Space

Space is truly infinite, and within its vast expanse, countless sentient beings reside. You may wonder what exactly constitutes these spaces. If you look around you, you will see that everything is space. Whether it is something you can perceive with your physical senses or something that remains hidden, whether it is something that moves or something that remains still, all of these are manifestations of space.

Consider the diversity of these realms: the physical world—wishing to be as free as the wind, mountains & rivers, including the soil, the vast oceans, and the very air we breathe; the natural kingdom, encompassing all animals, plants, insects, vegetables, and fruits; the heavens, including the birds in flight, the open sky, and the drifting clouds; the objects of our daily lives, such as the words we write, the paper we use, and the pens that record our thoughts; the modern technological landscape, including hardware and software, digital games, computers, the internet, mobile phones, robots, and various toys; the complex realms of human emotion, such as romantic love, familial affection, and the intricate web of interpersonal relationships; the temporal realms of our dreams, encompassing our memories of the past, our experiences in the present, and our aspirations for the future; and the spiritual dimensions, including the six realms of existence and the four holy realms, which together form the ten directions. Each of these realms and each of their layers constitutes a distinct and separate space.

Even within your own body, every single cell and every tiny pore is a unique space. Because the number of cells in your body is beyond calculation, the number of spaces within you is likewise infinite.

How We Become Entrapped

You might ask, how does one enter these spaces? It happens whenever you allow your mind to be governed by the following: attachments, cravings, and desires; a sense of wanting, liking, or being moved by external objects; deep-seated preferences, obsessions, or addictions; and the turbulence of emotions, such as joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, dislike, or resentment.

When these emotions arise, your karmic creditors are able to take charge of your life. They pull your spirit into these various spaces, causing you to fall into states of drowsiness, agitation, deep sleep, or a lethargy from which it is difficult to awaken. If your worldly life and lifespan come to an end while you are in such a state, your spirit will be drawn into the specific space that corresponds to your final thought at the moment of death. There, you will exist as a wandering spirit, trapped within that space without a physical body.

The Path to Liberation

How, then, can you avoid being trapped in these endless cycles? You must learn to let go of all forms of attachment and craving; the tendency to hold onto personal thoughts or desires; selfishness and partiality; the "self," personal ego, and selfishness; and the constant fluctuations of emotional states.

When you treat everything as natural—using what is necessary without claiming ownership or forming attachments—you can avoid the states of drowsiness, agitation, and the deep sleep of ignorance. Only by maintaining this clarity can you hope to reach the moment of Awakening in your practice.

The Compassion of Namo Amituofo

At the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, Practitioner Su, who has realised his true nature, works in perfect harmony with Namo Amituofo. Sharing the same heart, the same vows, and the same power, he relies on the six-character name of Namo Amituofo and its great, majestic power to open the countless spaces connected by karmic affinity. Through this, infinite sentient beings are able to depart from these confined spaces, receive the benefit of Chao Du, and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss or in the realms of Goodness among humans and devas. This is truly the boundless, compassionate grace of the Buddha towards all sentient beings.

This message was recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

Namo Amituofo