Knowing Suffering, Practising through Suffering, and Resolving Suffering

The Universal Burden of Suffering

Everyone in this world knows that suffering is difficult to endure. Because of this, people fear suffering; no one wishes to experience it, yet we often find ourselves battered and bruised, unable to find peace. In the human world, parents are often willing to suffer on behalf of their children without complaint. However, they do not realise that this, too, is a result of the laws of karma and cause and effect within the six realms of rebirth. If one wishes to transcend the suffering of this cycle, one must ask: who is truly willing to suffer on behalf of all sentient beings? Who is willing to endure hardship for the sake of strangers? Who is willing to help beings they have never met to leave suffering behind? Even more, who is willing to endure countless trials and tribulations, suffering in both body and mind, while still moving forward courageously to help the spirits of the vast Dharma Realm escape the six realms of rebirth?

There is only one type of person who does this: the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who manifest in human form to save the beings of the Saha world and the Dharma Realm from the miseries of reincarnation. Whether these beings can be successfully led to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss depends on whether they possess sufficient good roots, blessings, and causal conditions.

The Synergy of Self-Effort and Buddha's Power

When you encounter the Buddha's teachings, it means that the necessary causal conditions have manifested. However, the accumulation of good roots and blessings is deeply intertwined with your past karma. This is not something that can be transformed in a single moment. Even Shakyamuni Buddha stated that one cannot be reborn in that land with only a few good roots, blessings, and causal conditions. This teaches us that rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is not something that can be achieved by one party alone. It requires the cooperation of many factors, and most importantly, it requires your own sincere effort. You must possess unwavering Faith, Vows, and Practice, free from doubt and complaint, so that the power of Namo Amituofo can truly support you. Even if the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are willing to save you with all their might, if you do not exert your own effort first, everything will come to nothing. Therefore, we must do our best to save others, while also learning to follow the conditions, the strength, and the capacity of each individual.

The Pilgrimage of Master Xuanzang

In the past, when I, Xuanzang, sought the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, and the ultimate path to liberation, I travelled far to the Western regions to seek the Dharma. I endured countless hardships and trials, facing extreme conditions:

• Extreme thirst and hungerExtreme cold and heatThe loneliness of the vast, uninhabited wilderness

There was a time when I lay unconscious in the desert for several days. Upon waking, I miraculously found the strength to walk. Although I was weak, I was saved by local people who provided me with water and food, preserving my physical life. I believe it was my firm perseverance and determination—my willingness to sacrifice my life for the Dharma and never retreat from my original intention—that moved the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to protect me, allowing me to survive those days. Finally, I was able to study the great Dharma and return to Chang'an, continuing the lineage of the Buddha's teachings, which has been preserved to this day.

The Emergence of the Pure Land Path

During the period when I was translating the sutras, although I was protected by the grace of the Emperor, I also faced much slander. Many of those who opposed me dared to be angry but did not dare to speak. Nevertheless, I persisted without regret to complete the mission of translating the sutras and spreading the Dharma. The Pure Land school is one of the great traditions, but because the Chan school was so prominent at that time, the Pure Land school only gradually became more visible later on. The appearance of the successive ancestral masters of the Pure Land school is truly the compassionate blessing of the Buddha. The Buddha's teachings are no longer reserved only for those in high positions or wealthy families; they are now accessible to all, allowing the teachings to benefit people of all capacities equally, enabling them to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Namo Amituofo.

A Beacon of Hope in the Dharma-Ending Age

Time has flowed on for over a thousand years, and the Buddha's teachings have entered the Dharma-ending age. In the Western Pure Land, the sight of only one or two people out of thousands being reborn there truly makes the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and ancestral masters shake their heads and sigh. Amidst this atmosphere of depression and powerlessness, we see a ray of hope. My disciple, Practitioner Su, has studied diligently through self-effort and, with the blessing of Namo Amituofo, has finally realised his true nature and attained Buddhahood. His great vows and great power have risen again, with the wish to save the suffering spirits of the world and lead them to rebirth in the Western Pure Land. When one person attains Buddhahood, a thousand Buddhas support them. This is because, in the Saha world during the Dharma-ending age, it is difficult to save beings, yet he is doing it. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will naturally protect him, for the Dharma lineage must not be severed. However, the spirits must also have great blessings to encounter the Buddha's manifestation.

The Collective Mission of Hsiang Kuang

Although my disciple is currently facing physical trials, he will eventually overcome them. Even though the body suffers, his spirit knows that this suffering is for the sake of all beings and the Dharma; he should be encouraged to continue. At this time, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre still needs him to protect the path. Regardless of what comes from the outside—whether it be storms or gentle breezes—he must lead the students forward. He must lead them to find their true self, to extend the wisdom-life of the Pure Land, and to save infinite suffering spirits so they may be reborn in the West. Furthermore, there are still disciples under my lineage waiting for him to guide and teach them so they may awaken and carry out this great work.

All students of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre should be of one heart and one body. You must support each other in promoting the Pure Land of Namo Amituofo, lead those with karmic affinity and the spirits of the void, and work hard to establish a Western Pure Land in the human world, striving for rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Namo Amituofo.

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