Overcoming Drowsiness and Choosing the Right Dharma Path

Maintaining Clarity in the Buddha-Land

On the 29th of March 2019, observing the current state of the students during their classes, I wish to offer several suggestions. I remind all students: you must maintain your own clarity and purity at all times. Whether you are reciting the Sutras, performing prostrations, studying the teachings, inviting spirits, conducting interviews, or participating in Dharma assemblies for Chao Du, you must remain vigilant.

If you encounter drowsiness, you should possess the awareness to detect it at its very inception. You must choose the right Dharma path to address it immediately. Do not allow drowsiness to persist due to a lack of self-awareness, nor should you stubbornly force yourself to sit motionless out of a concern for appearances. Doing so will only intensify the drowsiness and cause your precious time for practice to be squandered in a state of lethargy. In this sacred Buddha-land, such a situation is truly a great pity.

The Root Causes of Drowsiness

Practitioner Su has always placed great importance on the issue of drowsiness, constantly observing, reminding, and caring for the students. Today, I will provide a simple summary, which Practitioner Su may supplement later. I hope this brief discussion on the causes of drowsiness and the selection of appropriate Dharma methods will help improve the situation for all students.

You must face the issue of drowsiness with absolute sincerity. You must ask yourself: where exactly does the cause of your drowsiness lie? The more subtle the cause, the more sensitive and alert your awareness must be to detect it. Only then can you truly improve this problem. The causes of drowsiness are numerous and often deeply rooted in our own minds:

• Mental Distractions:
• Deep contemplation, wandering thoughts, anger, and worry.Spiritual Interference:
• The presence of karmic creditors and attached ghost deities.Mental Obstacles:
• Lingering attachments, worldly thoughts, and unresolved matters that you have not truly let go of.Lack of Faith:
• Even the slightest impurity in your heart, or any doubt or misunderstanding regarding the people, events, or objects at the temple.Uncorrected Habits: Persistent negative personality traits, or improper actions of Body, Speech, and Mind that you mistake for mere habits and continue to repeat without improvement.

These are all significant obstacles to your practice. If you do not detect and change them, the state of drowsiness will continue to occur. If you detect them but lack the strength to change, or if you simply allow the situation to persist, it is truly unacceptable. Furthermore, it is a sign of disrespect toward Practitioner Su, who delivers these Dharma talks for your benefit.

The Path of Diligent Practice

True diligent practice means putting in the work exactly where these problems exist. You must not only adjust your heart but also make tangible changes in your behaviour. Practitioner Su reminds everyone daily to change their personality traits and habits. From what I have observed, those students who repent and make improvements have shown progress, and their drowsiness has diminished. Conversely, those who remain unchanged continue to struggle with drowsiness.

For those students who wish to listen to the teachings attentively but still fall into drowsiness, or for those who have newly joined, do not let this state cause you to retreat from your practice. These are simply challenges you will encounter during your spiritual journey. You must face them and break through them to achieve progress.

Methods for Overcoming Drowsiness

When you feel drowsy, you should follow the guidance of Practitioner Su or choose the appropriate Dharma method to improve your state. You may select and adjust these methods based on the time and location:

• Sincere Repentance:
• First, express your repentance. Drowsiness is often a sign of the negative karma you have created against your karmic creditors in the past. Even when inviting these creditors to depart, you must have a sincere heart of repentance to achieve results. If you merely want them to leave without changing your own heart, or if you feel annoyed and blame them, you will not only fail to achieve the desired effect but may even exacerbate the symptoms.Inviting Dharma Protectors:
• You may respectfully invite Skanda Bodhisattva, Venerable Chang Ren, or the Dharma-protecting Bodhisattvas present to assist. Request that the beings interfering with your listening to the Dharma be guided to the lotus seats within the venue, or to the protection of the Namo Amituofo refuge certificate of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, so they may enter the Western Land of Dharma Nature and cease their disturbance.Physical Engagement:
• If you become drowsy while studying the teachings or reciting the Sutras, you may choose to listen or recite while kneeling, or perform prostrations while listening. This allows you to wake up and remain alert, while also serving as an act of repentance.Purification with Buddha-Water:
• You may use the Eight-Virtue Water or Buddha-water to rinse your face and eyes for purification and refreshment. Please respectfully chant the name of Namo Amituofo while doing so.Recording and Chao Du:
• You may note the date, time, and specific circumstances of the drowsiness—such as being unable to keep your eyes open—and write a memorial tablet after the class or assembly to deliver those sentient beings.Movement: You may stand up, move about, drink some water, or gently pat your body or face to help regain your focus.

A Call to Resolve

The benefit of choosing the right Dharma method is that it helps you regain your focus and prevents your time from being wasted. Students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre should be aware of and vigilant regarding the entry of spirits into our space. Adjusting your heart, regulating your body, understanding the truth of reality, upholding the Precepts, cultivating meditative concentration to gain wisdom, resolving karmic conflicts, and accumulating merit—each of these must be done with sincerity. Diligently changing your ways and eliminating the causes of drowsiness is the only true remedy.

Students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre must summon the perseverance, boldness, and determination to break through drowsiness. Only then will you have the possibility to save yourself and others, reaching the Western Pure Land and finding one's own Buddha nature.

This message was recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

Namo Amituofo