Gathering the Body and Mind

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

During the third session of the Thrice Yearning Ceremony on March 30, 2025, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offered these essential instructions on the path of practice.

The Essence of Inward Reflection

In the context of your spiritual practice, to "gather" means to turn your attention inward. It is a process of introspection and internal observation, rather than seeking answers or validation from the external world. Many practitioners make the mistake of looking outward for peace, but the true source of stability lies within your own heart.

What Must Be Gathered

What exactly must you gather? You must focus on bringing your entire being into alignment. This involves a comprehensive purification of your:

• Body, Speech, and Mind: Aligning your physical actions, your words, and your thoughts with the Dharma.
• Personality and Habits: Working diligently to refine your character until your negative traits are transformed, eventually reaching a state where your personality no longer obstructs your true nature.
• Delusions and Messy Thoughts: Subduing the constant stream of wandering thoughts that cloud your clarity.
• Anger: Actively suppressing and eventually eliminating the fires of resentment and irritation.

These efforts are the true achievements of a practitioner. If you can accomplish this, your skills will mature, and you will surely succeed in your practice.

The Power of Namo Amituofo

If you find that you have not yet reached this level of mastery, do not be discouraged. It is natural to feel that your own strength is insufficient. In such moments, please diligently chant Namo Amituofo. Under the compassionate support of the Buddha’s power, you will find the strength to succeed. Through this reliance on Namo Amituofo, your skills will ripen, and you will attain the ultimate goal of your practice.

Sensitivity and the Illusion of the Self

Consider the current state of your Body-Mind-Spirit. Is your heart easily swayed by external circumstances, leading to anger, or is it calm and stable? You must be able to self-reflect, adjust your course, and practise diligent inward gathering. This requires constant self-discipline and a commitment to improvement.

As you progress in your purification, you will become much more sensitive to the state of your Body-Mind-Spirit than you were before. You must continue to listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma, for this will help you understand that the physical body is merely a temporary vessel. Do not cling to it. When you reach a state of purification, you will be able to face the conditions of your body, mind, and spirit with a calm and accepting heart.

The Path to Awakening

Continue to be diligent. Continue to cultivate goodness and elevate the quality of your spirit. This is what it means to make genuine progress. Gathering the body and mind is a process that every practitioner must experience. Your true self, your original nature, has always been within you—it is not found outside.

Through the process of purification, you remove the stains of the world. As your heart becomes still and free of waves, you will be able to:

• Exercise self-restraint and uphold the Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom.
• See clearly and understand the truth of many facts that were previously hidden from you.
• Achieve further progress and eventual success by repeatedly gathering your body and mind as you advance along the path.

Namo Amituofo