Recorded and transcribed by ’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
The Wisdom of Falling and Rising
In the course of a human life, the ability to fall and then rise again is a profound strength. Because one has experienced the pain of a fall, one learns to cherish the days of recovery and healing. When you stand up once more to continue your journey, you carry with you the wisdom gained from that experience. This allows you to avoid repeating the same mistakes, ensuring that you do not fall again, and ultimately enabling you to reach your destination and achieve success in your spiritual endeavours.
A true practitioner does not fear the pain of falling; rather, they fear the ignorance that follows. The greatest danger is to suffer a setback and yet remain unaware of one's own faults, failing to understand why the fall occurred in the first place. If one does not learn to cherish the time available for restoration and spiritual growth, one risks passing through an entire lifetime without accomplishing anything of true value.
The Path of the Practitioner
For those of us walking the path of the Pure Land, the journey toward the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is not always smooth. Sometimes, we fail to see the hidden pits and obstacles in our path, and we stumble into them. Even if you fall and find yourself covered in the wounds of your own karmic obstacles, do not despair. If you can pick yourself up and continue to move forward, there is always hope.
As long as you have a single breath remaining, as long as you maintain your faith in the Buddha, and as long as you keep the continuous chanting of Buddha's name alive in your heart, you have every opportunity to be led by the Buddha to your destination: the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The only true failure is to fall and refuse to rise again, to remain trapped in the pit of despair, forgetting the Buddha-name or allowing your heart to be filled with sighs and complaints instead of the light of the .
The Power of Faith and Continuous Chanting
If you are rescued by the Buddha’s , that is a great fortune. However, if you allow a fall to shake your faith in the Buddha, you distance yourself from the very source of your salvation. If one is not rescued and, as a result, passes away into the Three Evil Realms, one becomes a spirit waiting for deliverance. Yet, if you remain in the pit and still hold fast to your faith in the Buddha, continuing your practice of chanting Namo Amituofo without interruption, your sincerity will surely resonate with the Buddha. He will come to lead you, and you will successfully enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Purifying , Heart, and Spirit
Students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, you must remember that this physical form is a . Our practice in the Pure Land school is essentially the process of removing defilements and attaining purity. You must arouse the mind and single-mindedly recite Namo Amituofo. Put in the work from the depths of your heart, chanting straight ahead without interruption. By doing so, you are purifying the body, heart, and spirit, and elevating the quality of your spirit.
This is how you can realise your true nature in this very lifetime, saving yourself and helping to save others, eventually being reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Even if you encounter obstacles along the way, you can rely on your unwavering faith in the Buddha. Through diligent practice that does not falter, you will be able to break through these barriers with the help of the Buddha’s blessings and continue your journey until you reach the state of an awakened being.
It is my sincere hope that all students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre will learn to rise again after every fall, growing through these experiences. May you all achieve the state of an awakened being, leave the cycle of rebirth behind, and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
