Recorded and transcribed by ’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
On the fifteenth of March, 2025, during the third session of the , Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju provided these profound teachings on the necessity of detachment and the forward momentum of the spiritual path.
The Art of Letting Go
When you enter the world of spiritual practice, you are embarking on a journey that leads directly to the . This is the supreme path of , where one vows to save all beings. To succeed on this path, you must first learn to leave behind the various polluted states of the world. Once your practice has matured and you have achieved a certain level of stability, you must be able to abandon all attachments to move forward. This is the essence of the teaching: "Even the should be let go of, let alone that which is not the Dharma." By releasing even your attachment to the teachings themselves, you gain the capacity to save infinite beings without hindrance.
Transforming into Wisdom
It is essential that you elevate the quality of your spirit through pure and diligent practice. Awakening is not a destination you reach by adding more to your mind; rather, it is the process of transforming consciousness into wisdom. Consciousness itself is formless, colourless, and infinite. When you successfully transform this consciousness into wisdom, you achieve Awakening. This wisdom is boundless, pure, and inherently good, radiating a brilliant, singular light. This is the wisdom of Prajna. Prajna is characterized by a state of "no-knowing," yet it is also a state where nothing is unknown. It does not know when it is not required to know, but the moment the need arises, it knows everything perfectly.
The Purity of the Path
If you encounter anything that causes your spirit to sink or fall into degradation, you must distance yourself from it immediately. This applies to the Five Skandhas: form, feeling, perception, , and consciousness. For the monastics, the precept regarding form is the foremost of all . You must be able to uphold this discipline strictly; only then can you attain true purity. In this world, you must leave and move forward. You must leave behind your desires and your attachments to the home, and move forward toward the Buddha's path, toward Awakening, and toward rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.
The Supreme Method of Deliverance
Once you have attained Awakening, you must be willing to abandon everything and offer your very body in service to others. This is done to save beings from the cycle of rebirth and guide them to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. The phrase "Even the Dharma should be let go of, let alone that which is not the Dharma" refers to those who have already reached the other shore—the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss—and have returned to this world to save beings. Look at Practitioner Su, who possesses the ability to freely travel to and from the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. During the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, Practitioner Su guides the spirits of the deceased and even the jailers of the hells into the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is a method of saving beings that has never been heard of before; it is truly magnificent. It is a method that exists beyond the conventional teachings, yet it flows naturally with the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. It is a method that is difficult to encounter in millions of years. The fourfold assembly must recognize this treasure, study it, and practise it diligently, so that your time at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is not spent in vain.
