Returning to Simplicity: Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable Fa Hui.

January 31, 2026.

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju:

To engage in true practice, you must prepare yourself with the right attitude—a readiness to return to simplicity. This applies to your physical body, your heart, and your spirit. Most importantly, your Body, Speech, and Mind must undergo a profound transformation and purification.

The Path to Inner Stillness

In the past, we may have been accustomed to the superficial adornments of the world. However, to be truly pure, one must return to a state of natural, unadorned simplicity. The secular world often craves vibrant colours and external displays, leading us to add unnecessary layers to our lives. Now that you have returned to the Buddha’s gate, you must realise that returning to your original nature is the only path to what is truly real.

Returning to simplicity begins within the heart. Once the heart is settled, your physical actions and your speech will naturally follow, becoming different from the ways of the world. You will no longer be driven by the chaotic impulses of the secular life.

The Daily Practice as the Foundation

What is the most important step in returning to this state of simplicity? You must place great importance on your daily practice and maintain it with consistency, never allowing it to be interrupted. Your daily commitment should include:

• Prostrations: Bowing to the Buddha to humble the ego.
• Chanting: Reciting the name of Namo Amituofo to focus the mind.
• Reciting the Sutras: Reading the sacred texts to gain wisdom.

As you engage in these prostrations, chanting, and reciting Sutras, the Buddha-light will shine upon you, helping to dissolve karma. With every single recitation of the Buddha-name, your meditative concentration will manifest. By reciting the words of the Sutras with absolute clarity, you take the first vital step toward awakening.

Cultivating the True Nature

Language is a tool for communication, and you must learn to govern your speech and conduct. Keep your words simple, honest, and free from exaggeration. When you reach a state of simplicity, you will no longer seek the fleeting glories of the past; instead, you will see the natural beauty of the truth.

Your physical movements should be steady and dignified. When your conduct is disciplined, you will naturally inspire others. You must work to:

• Subdue your wandering mind.
• Refrain from false speech.
• Prevent the arising of deluded thoughts.

Every word you speak should be a true word. Let your mouth be filled with the name of Namo Amituofo, whether you are speaking or remaining silent. This is how a true disciple of the Buddha lives in this world.

The Eternal Seed of Awakening

At this very moment, Namo Amituofo is residing here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. When you see someone approaching, greet them with a smile and speak the name "Namo Amituofo" first.

This greeting is more than just a salutation; it is an offering of Infinite Life and Infinite Light. It is an act of friendship that dissolves the defensive walls of the secular heart. It is an act of supreme compassion, for the Vajra Seed of Namo Amituofo, once it enters the ear, becomes a permanent seed of the path to Enlightenment.

When every thought is focused on Namo Amituofo, you have truly returned to simplicity. This is the essential provision for you to leave suffering behind and achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Namo Amituofo