Living in the Present Moment: Teachings from Master Xuanzang

The Illusion of Constant Thought

"Thinking is of no use!" How often have we heard this sentiment? It is the cry of those who have spent their lives in endless contemplation, only to find that reality rarely conforms to their mental blueprints. We often believe that if we think hard enough, we can control the outcome of our lives. However, events unfold according to the laws of karma, not our desires. Many ordinary people spend their entire lives struggling against the current of their own karma. Even when they achieve success, it is merely the fruition of the karmic fortune they were destined to receive in this lifetime. Eventually, the curtain falls, and the drama of this life—with all its joys and sorrows—comes to an end.

The Script Written Before Our Birth

In a sense, our lives are like a play. Before we were born, the script was already written, determined by the judgment of our past deeds. We are cast in different roles—men and women, young and old, rich and poor. Even the length of our lives is preordained. When we arrive in this world, we are here to perform our parts. Whether we simply follow the script or create a new path beyond it depends entirely on our Causal Conditions.

The Innocence Lost in the Passage of Time

Thinking consumes so much of our time that we do not even notice it. It has become as natural as breathing, eating, or drinking. We were never taught that we could stop thinking. From the moment we wake until we sleep, we think about our food, our clothing, our work, our birth, aging, sickness, death, and the various circumstances of our lives. We think in times of prosperity and in times of adversity. We think while chatting and while drinking tea. We are constantly lost in a sea of thoughts.

We have forgotten what it means to be simple. The innocence of children often moves us deeply, reminding us of a familiarity we once possessed but have long since abandoned. We see it in their eyes, their smiles, and their movements. Yet, even this feeling of being stirred is a form of thought—a mental reaction. And where there is reaction, there is comparison, memory, and ultimately, suffering.

The Supreme Path of Living in the Present Moment

True simplicity, purity, and purification mean living in the present moment—and only in the present. Children are precious because they live entirely in the now. They have no past to regret and no future to fear. As we grow, we learn to protect ourselves, to build defences, and to analyse the world, and in doing so, we lose that innocent, pure smile.

In the Buddha’s teachings, living in the present is the most supreme attitude one can adopt. It is the most effective method for breaking through the complexities of our afflictions. When you are in the present, you accept what is there naturally. You react without the interference of mental fabrication. The ability to draw inferences or expand upon a situation does not come from intellectual thought, but from the natural capacity that arises after purification. This capacity is not limited by mental constructs; it is flexible, free, and boundless.

Transforming the Mind through the Buddha-name

If your thinking is driven by selfishness, greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, or doubt, you remain trapped within the cycle of karma. However, if you can transform that thinking into chanting the Buddha-name, you become a true practitioner. By chanting Namo Amituofo 24/7, you receive the infinite Wisdom (Prajna), virtues, auspicious characteristics, and the blessings of the forty-eight vows of Namo Amituofo. This power does not just transform your karma; it purifies your spirit and opens the door to Wisdom (Prajna), allowing you to achieve inconceivable results.

If you think for the sake of others—serving the beings of this world without personal bias or subjective opinion—you are liberated from the constraints of karma. Your heart becomes pure and selfless. In that moment, your life is filled with compassion, Wisdom (Prajna), and an expansive mind-capacity. This message was recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.