Letting Go of the Past

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

20 March 2026

The Continuous Resonance of the Buddha-Name

The Buddha-name resonates continuously, echoing deep within your heart and ringing clearly in your ears. You must allow this sound to be constant, day and night, without a single moment of interruption. When you practise in this way, you can continue your journey without being disturbed by external distractions. This is the only way to move straight forward on the path to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Necessity of Letting Go

In your practice, you must learn to let go of everything you have held onto in the past. This includes the heavy burdens of your worldly life:

• Worldly wealth and material possessions that you have accumulated.
• Academic knowledge and intellectual pursuits that you have gathered over time.
• The thoughts and behaviours that have been instilled in you by others since your youth.

You must discard the vivid memories of your past. This is essential because memories are rooted in the concept of the self, in selfishness, and in physical sensations; they are merely the manifestation of your karma. As long as you cling to these, you remain trapped in the cycle of cause and effect.

The Path to Seeing Your True Self

As a practitioner, you must realise that you should no longer hold onto attachments. You must understand that to let go is to gain; if you can let go of everything, you will gain everything. This is how you see your true self. This is an opportunity that is difficult to encounter even in millions of years, and it is the deepest desire of countless practitioners who have walked this path before you.

Transcending the Cycle of Rebirth

Why is it that after passing through countless kalpas and countless lifetimes, you are still searching for your true self today? This karmic body of yours has been tossed and turned in the cycle of rebirth throughout your many lives. You remain lost simply because you have been unable to transcend the cycle of birth and death. It is time to stop this endless wandering and return to the purity of your original nature.

Namo Amituofo