Firm Faith in the Path of Awakening
Teachings from Master Shang Xuan Xia Zang
Recorded on June 20, 2019
The Priceless Treasure of Faith
The world presents many tests to the practitioner, demanding a price from both and the spirit. However, faith is a priceless treasure. It allows one to overcome all difficulties, leading to spiritual elevation and the purification of the body. Through these tests, layers of dust and pollution are washed away from the body and spirit. Only then can one realise one's true nature and enter the stage of saving beings.
Ordinary problems have ordinary solutions. But the most difficult or sudden challenges directly test the wisdom of the practitioner and those who have realised their true nature. No matter where you are or what you encounter, your faith in Namo Amituofo must remain firm and unchanging. The difficulties you see before you are often turning points; they are necessary problems to face to change your current situation. The teachings—whether through physical example, words, or written works—provided by those who have truly practised and realised their true nature are precious learning experiences for those who follow. This is why the Buddha’s teachings have been passed down through the generations.
The Compassionate Burden of the Awakened
Saving the world is not easy, as beings arrive in this world bound by and the laws of and cause and effect. In times of prosperity, people enjoy their . In times of adversity, they seek solutions. If one has a rare and precious affinity and meets a true practitioner who has realised their true nature, that practitioner will endure physical suffering to save beings and protect their and Wisdom. Why do those who walk the path of the True Teachings and are protected by the Dragon and Heaven Dharma Protectors still suffer in their physical bodies? This is a question practitioners have faced throughout history. It is because the beings they save are burdened by karma. They are meant to suffer according to the laws of karma and cause and effect. When a true practitioner helps them leave suffering behind, the practitioner must take on some of that suffering to satisfy the , without violating the laws of karma. This is the rare and precious quality of those who have realised their true nature—they harmonise the principle and the practice.
Transcending the Duality of Success and Failure
Principle is verified by the heart, while practice is manifested externally. When principle and practice are unified, and one acts with both and wisdom, the result is perfection. If they are difficult to harmonise, one must rely on the heart to transform the situation. As long as you can transform your heart, there is a turning point. All dharmas are mind-only. Whether in the world or beyond it, firm faith is the combination of experience, compassion, and wisdom. It is the necessary condition for success.
Success and failure are relative concepts in the world; they are part of destiny and karma. For those who have realised their true nature, success and failure are the same—they are natural occurrences. They do not judge things as good or bad based on success or failure. No one stays at the peak of success forever, nor does anyone fail forever. Good is not necessarily good, and bad is not necessarily bad. The world is impermanent and fickle. However, for those who have realised their true nature, they see that all is mind-only and do not get caught in these relative views.
A Call to Unwavering Devotion
People in the world are unfamiliar with purity, compassion, wisdom, equality, and mind-capacity. They easily judge things based on relativity, creating distinctions like high and low, right and wrong, good and bad, self and other, light and dark. This is why they drift further and further away from their true heart. Those who have realised their true nature naturally radiate the light of compassion and wisdom. They do not see opposition between self and others. They break through all relativity, and their hearts dwell in a world of equality and freedom.
No matter how the external world changes, they know clearly that illusions are impermanent. Their original heart remains unshaken, cool, and still. Therefore, no matter what situation manifests, they can remain firm in their faith without fear. That sense of stability in their heart is irreplaceable. To all disciples at Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre: no matter what tests or changes you encounter, let your faith in Namo Amituofo remain firm and never waver!
Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library