Perseverance and Determination on the Path to Awakening

The Foundation of Spiritual Achievement

To achieve true success in your spiritual practice, you must be fiercely diligent. It requires an effort that goes far beyond the ordinary. In this world, there is no such thing as a free lunch; every accomplishment in your practice is earned through the strength of your perseverance and the firmness of your determination. You must learn to overcome the difficulties that arise on your path. Only by breaking through these barriers can you make genuine progress, moving forward step by step.

Under the guidance of a true spiritual friend, you must grit your teeth and remain steadfast. Treat perseverance as your closest companion and determination as your most trusted friend. Together, these virtues will help you navigate through the most challenging times. Once you have successfully passed through these trials, you will surely gain new insights and harvests. The experiences and feelings you accumulate along the way become the very provisions that sustain your journey, encouraging you to continue moving forward.

Breaking Free from the Cycle of Samsara

Everything you do is ultimately for the purpose of saving yourself and saving all beings from the cycle of rebirth. You must no longer allow yourself to be trapped in samsara, unable to take charge of your own destiny. The cycle of rebirth is fueled by the following negative forces:

• Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt: These create a chain reaction of karma, where one negative action leads to another, binding you ever tighter to the cycle.
• The Five Desires: Wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep, which keep the mind distracted and attached to the material world.
• The Suffering of Birth, Aging, Sickness, and Death: These are the inevitable companions of a life lived in delusion.

You have likely experienced this cycle countless times, wandering through the darkness of the ghost realm, the foolishness of the animal realm, or the intense suffering of the hells. You have been entangled in the complexities of emotional attachments for far too long.

A Rare Opportunity at Hsiang Kuang

Today, you have encountered a rare and powerful combination: Namo Amituofo, Teacher Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su. This is a formidable lineup of spiritual guides, acting as a bright lamp to illuminate your path. When you combine their guidance with your own perseverance and determination, you create the perfect conditions to realise your true nature and attain Buddhahood.

If you have heard these teachings and have come to Hsiang Kuang to seek the Dharma, you must follow it with your whole heart. To assist in your spiritual achievement is the greatest priority. If you allow this opportunity to slip away easily, it is like losing your direction while in flight. You will struggle to reach your destination, and the possibility of awakening will vanish before your eyes.

My children, your presence here at Hsiang Kuang is an opportunity that is difficult to encounter even in millions of years. Please summon your perseverance and determination to find your true self once more. Namo Amituofo abides at Hsiang Kuang, and I look forward to seeing all of you walking together on the great path of saving yourselves, saving the world, and saving all beings.

Namo Amituofo