For Whom Do You Toil? Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju

The Burden of Worldly Toil

People in this world, for whom do you toil and for whom are you busy? We often believe we are working for our loved ones—for our families, our parents, our spouses, and our children. We are driven by the need to settle the complex web of our karmic debts: to pay back what we owe, to collect what is owed to us, to repay kindness, and to resolve the grievances of the past.

The Great Separation

Once the breath stops, the human world and the ghost realm become separated by an insurmountable divide. We exist in different spaces, and in that state, no one can truly save another. We do not know where the spirit goes, nor do we know when we might meet again. Even if we were to encounter one another in the vast cycle of rebirth, we would likely not recognise each other. We become strangers in the vastness of samsara.

The Sanctuary of Hsiang Kuang

Today, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, we are blessed. Because Namo Amituofo is residing here, we have the unique ability to know where sentient beings are located. Through the sacred practice of Chao Du, we can help these spirits enter the Dharma-Nature Land. From there, according to the strength of their own vows, they can be guided into the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The True Purpose of Diligent Practice

You may ask: why must we engage in diligent practice and cultivate compassion? The answer is profound. To save others, we must first save ourselves. We must strictly follow the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. We must make a firm vow to practise until we see our true nature. By doing so, we ensure we will no longer wander in the cycle of rebirth, but instead, we will enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Our practice is not merely for our own benefit. We do this to save our parents and family members of this life, as well as the countless parents, teachers, karmic creditors, and loved ones from our many past lifetimes. We practise to repay the karma of our past and to fulfil the vows we made long ago. By doing this, we can broadly save all those with whom we have a karmic affinity, helping them leave suffering behind and enter the Western Pure Land.

The Power of the Buddha-Name

We also work to ensure that the Pure Land teachings can be spread far and wide. We wish for the holy name of Namo Amituofo to reach every corner of the world, extending into the six realms of existence and throughout the entire Dharma Realm. As long as you can hold firmly to the Buddha-name, from your first moment of awakening until you achieve Buddhahood, you must chant Namo Amituofo all the way. If you do this, all that you seek will be fulfilled according to your wishes.

This is the magnificent power of the Buddha-name. It is a combination of two forces: your own effort and the power of the Buddha. Within this, the grace and support of Namo Amituofo are always present.

The Ultimate Offering

Why should you offer your body and mind to this path? Why should you dedicate your life to this mission? It is to repay the karmic debts of your past lives and to resolve the conflicts with your karmic creditors. It is to follow Namo Amituofo, the Teacher, and Practitioner Su in the work of saving the world and all sentient beings, without any thought of self. Only by letting go of the self in this way can you truly achieve the awakening of your true nature. Namo Amituofo.