Opening the Space: Teachings on Spiritual Stability

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe

The Hidden Dangers of Spiritual Dissociation

We are truly fortunate that Practitioner Su possesses the unique ability to open up space and call back the three hun souls and seven po souls of the students. Without this intervention, the spirit would be left vulnerable, easily dragged away by other beings. This leads to a state of deep drowsiness, where the spirit drifts into other dimensions. Once there, the spirit may struggle to return, or in the most severe cases, it may never come back at all, which ultimately results in the death of the physical body. This is the true and perilous nature of what occurs when one experiences such profound drowsiness and enters these other spaces.

The Compassionate Burden of Practitioner Su

To all the students, you must strive to overcome the problems of drowsiness and the tendency to drift into these spaces. You must identify the root causes of these issues and refuse to let such situations continue. You must take responsibility for your own salvation. Practitioner Su carries the heavy burden of looking after everyone’s spirit. He must constantly work to call back the spirits of those who have wandered into these spaces, which is an incredibly exhausting task. You should all hold a heart of deep gratitude for this.

The Vital Call for Self-Rescue

If it were not for Practitioner Su repeatedly calling back the spirits of the students and inviting back their three hun souls and seven po souls, these spirits would be left wandering outside the body in a state of great anxiety. They might even become attached spirits themselves. How, then, could your spirits remain stable enough to continue your practice? This is a collective effort of salvation: the Buddha saves, Practitioner Su saves, but you must also save yourselves.

Transforming the Self to Secure the Path

Consider the current state of many students who enter these deep spaces:

• Some spirits have become trapped within these dimensions and cannot find their way out.Others face the dangerous situation of becoming wandering spirits.

While the Buddha and Practitioner Su provide the necessary rescue at the forefront, you must exert every effort to save yourselves. This requires a dedicated commitment to your own transformation:

• You must actively change your personality traits to align with the Dharma.You must work to transform your karma through diligent practice.You must face these problems directly and overcome them with a firm and steady heart.

Namo Amituofo.