Living in the Present Moment
Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju
Given at the Winter Dharma Assembly, Hong Kong, 2019
The Unfolding Truth of Impermanence
Students of Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre, you have all experienced the relentless cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, as well as the various changes in human affairs. You should have a profound and shared understanding of the impermanence and ever-changing nature of this world. This is the true reality of the world.
If you truly know this, you should not be deceived. If you are awake, you should exert your full effort to attain the state of an awakened being. If you are still suffering from the ups and downs of emotions, you do not truly understand; you remain an ordinary person bound by . When will you finally wake up?
The Crossroads of the Present Moment
As your teacher, I truly cannot bear to see any of my children suffer and endure hardship due to the uncertainty of impermanence, unable to find their way back to their true self. This world, filled with illusory emotions, is a transit station within the six realms of existence. If you can overcome the obstacles of the physical body and live in the present to rediscover your true self, what a magnificent achievement that would be!
If you remain lost in the fog of your ego and stubborn "self", it will be difficult to escape, and suffering is inevitable. The present moment can be infinite. You can engage in purification, and then more purification, until you are perfectly pure and perfectly Good, working with unwavering focus until you attain the state of an awakened being. Alternatively, you may listen to the sutras, yet continue to act in your old ways, remaining trapped in suffering as always. Every single moment is a potential opportunity to attain the state of an awakened being, yet it can also be a source of endless suffering. Which kind of present moment do you choose? Your practice must be focused precisely here!
The Great Vow of
For the students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, attaining the state of an awakened being is merely a process in your practice. Because you carry the mission to save the world and all beings, you must continue to move forward even after attaining this state. Many beings who share a karmic affinity with you are waiting for your genuine actions to save them.
Once you attain the state of an awakened being, you not only change yourself but also the destiny of all beings, enabling them to be reborn in the Western Pure Land and no longer suffer the pains of reincarnation. This is a matter of the utmost importance! Students, you must remember this! Do not let down the expectations of , Practitioner Su, and all beings.
These teachings were recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
Namo Amituofo
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Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
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