Illusion and Reality: Teachings on the True Nature
Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju
Most people in this world believe that the sufferings associated with birth, aging, sickness, and death are simply the natural, unavoidable stages of human life. Because of this, many individuals are moved to begin their practice. They hope to enter the Buddha's path so that they may finally leave suffering behind and escape the cycle of these four great hardships.
The Unfolding of
To achieve any real progress, you must put in the work at the level of your spirit. Only by purifying the spirit can you truly distance yourself from these persistent hardships. If you truly wish to be liberated from these sufferings, you must first understand that they do not arise without cause. They are firmly rooted in karmic conditions and the causes and effects.
You must recognise that your physical body is merely one of the many illusory manifestations within this temporary human world. Because people do not understand that this body is a false construct—a temporary vessel formed by the convergence of past karmic conditions—they mistakenly believe it to be their true self. Consequently, they believe that everything that happens to this body is real. Because they cling to this illusion, they find it impossible to escape the suffering that comes with it. They remain trapped in a state of constant distress, unable to enter the truth of the awakened being.
The Mirage of the Transient Body
By clinging to , you allow yourself to be controlled by the forces of impermanence and the inevitable cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. This attachment has several profound consequences for your spiritual journey:
- Your spirit's true light becomes obscured, making it difficult to see your true self.
- Your spirit is forced to suffer alongside the body, trapped in the same cycle of pain.
- You remain bound to the cycle of rebirth, unable to break free from the weight of your past actions.
If you wish to elevate your spirit, you must first learn to distinguish clearly between what is illusory and what is real. You must understand the fundamental difference between your physical body and your eternal spirit. Only then can you see your true self, and only then will you no longer be tormented by the body, by the cycle of birth and death, or by the shifting, illusory conditions of this world.
to the Eternal Truth
When you achieve this clarity, you allow both your body and your spirit to truly leave suffering behind, enabling you to attain eternal, authentic happiness. If you continue to treat the body as real, then every event, every emotion, and every sensation that occurs within it will be perceived as real. In such a state, suffering and the consequences of that suffering are inevitable.
However, if you understand that the body is false, you can engage in True Cultivation. By using the false to cultivate the true, you can face all the illusory sufferings that occur within the body with a calm and detached mind. You will no longer be swayed, disturbed, or polluted by the various and reactions that arise from external interference. When you reach this state of purity and stillness, you will find that:
- A state of inner purity naturally emerges from within.
- Various signs of purity and truth will manifest spontaneously.
- You will be in perfect sync with the Truth and the Buddha nature within you.
This is the ultimate reality. This is the path to returning to your original nature. Namo Amituofo.
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