Moving Forward Despite Obstacles

The Inner Landscape of the Heart

When you encounter obstacles on your path of practice, please face them, overcome them, and continue your journey forward. This process of overcoming is, in essence, the very process of facing your true self. Within your inner world, these obstacles originate from the heart, because the heart interprets external circumstances and dictates how to face them. If the heart interprets these situations with a positive and proactive attitude, the body will manifest positive attitudes and behaviours, such as:

• Compassion:
• A deep, heartfelt desire to alleviate the suffering of others.Perseverance:
• The unwavering strength to continue your practice despite difficulties.Inclusivity:
• The ability to embrace others and different perspectives with an open heart.Joy:
• A serene happiness that arises from living in accordance with the Truth.Generosity:
• The willingness to give of yourself and your resources to benefit all beings.Acceptance: The grace to receive whatever life presents to you without resistance.

If the heart interprets these situations with a negative and passive attitude, the body will manifest negative attitudes and behaviours, such as selfishness, avoidance, retreat, anger, greed, rejection, resistance, arrogance, and doubt.

Walking Through the Storm of External Trials

If these obstacles originate from the external world, such as interactions within the fourfold assembly or even the influence of demon crowds, then you, my children, must summon your faith in the Buddha and a fearless heart to overcome the various obstacles within your body and mind. This includes listening to counseling, listening and following instructions, and changing personality traits—a task that the fourfold assembly must maintain with high awareness at every moment to avoid transgression.

Because every time you allow anger to arise, you must spend time repenting and inviting spirits to restore your original state. During these days, you suffer, and the beings around you suffer as well; this also hinders your progress. Regardless of the reason, the arising of anger is always your own fault. Failing to transform your thoughts and stop the anger in time, failing to give rise to all roots of goodness and achieve the fruit of Bodhi, and failing to think well, see well, and chant well—when your personality traits manifest and you fail to stop them, this allows the karma of karmic creditors to manifest, permits attached spirits to enter your body, and leaves you vulnerable to the control of demon crowds. Consequently, you lose your autonomy and find yourself regressing due to these obstacles.

The Radiant Path of Diligent Practice

Once you discover the problem, self-power arises, and only then can the Buddha’s power provide support. You must be diligent in chanting Buddha's name, performing prostrations, and thinking of the Buddha. When working, please chant Buddha's name; do not forget the Buddha by allowing your mind to wander into delusions. When eating, dressing, sleeping, or walking, please chant Buddha's name; do not forget the Buddha by letting other matters occupy your heart.

Actively overcome states of being drowsy or entering space during sutra study, Dharma assemblies, and morning services. Chanting loudly, listening to sutras while kneeling, and performing prostrations are all methods to overcome and improve these states of being drowsy or entering space. Do not have attachment; be able to accept the views and opinions of others, feel shame and be repenting for your own shortcomings, be humble and modest, change your ways, and change personality traits until you reach no-self and have no personality traits. These methods can also overcome and improve states of being drowsy or entering space. In your practice, when you encounter obstacles, overcome them and continue to move forward; only then will you have the opportunity to make progress and become an awakened being. Namo Amituofo.