Saving Countless Suffering Beings

Recorded by Venerable HaiZe on September 5, 2025, First Session

Namo Amituofo's Discourse:

The Boundless Ocean of Suffering

To save countless suffering beings, we must first grasp the depth of these words. The term "boundless" refers to a quantity that has no end, a number so vast it is beyond human calculation. The term "suffering" encompasses the myriad forms of hardship that beings encounter throughout their existence, including the fundamental sufferings of birth, old age, sickness, and death, as well as the countless other tribulations that arise from our karmic conditions.

How, then, can one truly save these countless suffering beings? The process begins with yourself. You must first rescue your own spirit from the cycle of rebirth. By ceasing to enter the six realms of rebirth, you achieve liberation from the cycle of life and death, thereby securing your entry into the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is the essential first step in any mission of salvation.

The Radiant Path to Awakening

To "arouse the Bodhi mind and single-mindedly recite Namo Amituofo" is the fundamental condition for saving both yourself and all other beings. This practice is the key to your own transformation, allowing you to break through delusion and attain enlightenment, realise your true self-nature, and ultimately attain Buddhahood. When you achieve this for yourself, you are practising self-awakening. When you then assist others in achieving the same, you are practising the awakening of others. When your self-awakening, your awakening of others, and your practice are all perfected, that is the very moment of attaining Buddhahood.

Compassionate Hands of Deliverance

Within our Dharma assemblies, we employ various skillful means to assist beings. Through the practice of Chao Du—including both spiritual deliverance through visualization and deliverance through the Dharma Body—we can help beings receive the guidance of Namo Amituofo, allowing them to leave the suffering of their current realm behind. By dedicating merit or inviting spirits to resolve their grievances, we help beings receive the benefits of the practitioner's own diligent practice, thereby alleviating their deep-seated suffering.

We must also make wise use of skillful means in our daily operations. For instance, to remain in a location to continue spreading the Dharma and performing spiritual deliverance, we may need to invest significant time, physical energy, and financial resources to comply with local regulations and policies. This must be done with a mind of right mindfulness. By chanting Namo Amituofo and receiving the blessings of the Buddha, you will be able to navigate these challenges smoothly. Because your actions are rooted in the True Teachings and the heart of chanting to save beings, you will be protected by all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the Dragon and Heaven Dharma Protectors.

Illuminating the Dharma Realm

Delivering lectures and teaching the Dharma is an exceptionally important method for saving beings. Through Buddhist education, we convey the purpose of transforming and teaching all beings. This education allows beings to understand the laws of karma and cause and effect, recognise the nature of Goodness and evil, and understand the reality of the six realms of rebirth. It allows them to become familiar with Namo Amituofo, the Forty-eight Great Vows, and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and to comprehend the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way so that they may follow them in their daily lives.

Through this education, beings come to understand that Namo Amituofo is the Universal Buddha, meaning that all things in the Dharma Realm are contained within His body. If a practitioner can truly have faith in the Buddha and align their vows and actions with the heart of Namo Amituofo, they will surely receive the support of the Buddha's blessings. Buddhist education encompasses the true reality of all phenomena. Through the process of purification, you will step by step rediscover your true self-nature, vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and leave all suffering behind to find true happiness.

A Vow That Transcends the Cosmos

You will come to recognise the true nature of your heart, your spirit, and this physical body. You will understand the difference between the Buddha and demonic beings, the distinction between the six realms of rebirth and the Western Pure Land, and the contrast between the suffering of being bound by karma and the joy of Awakening. The widespread dissemination of Buddhist education is not only the responsibility of the monastics within the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Teachings, and the Sangha Community—but also the duty of every member of the fourfold assembly. Those who chant Namo Amituofo should manifest a peaceful and harmonious aura, as if one were bathing in a gentle spring breeze. You should chant with the goal of seeking liberation, saving yourself and others, and attaining Buddhahood. This is the compassionate vow of a Bodhisattva.

At the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia—the place where Namo Amituofo truly abides—the fourfold assembly acts for the sake of all beings awaiting salvation. By utilizing the two-fold power of the Pure Land path—your own diligent practice combined with the blessings of the Buddha—your practice will surely bear fruit. Follow the example of Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su in this mission to save countless suffering beings. Our scope of salvation knows no boundaries: it does not distinguish by nationality, language, race, or skin colour; it includes all beings of the six realms of rebirth; it extends beyond the Earth, the Dharma Realm, the Milky Way, the universe, the heavens beyond the heavens, and other dimensions; and it encompasses demonic beings and demon crowds, as well as beings from any planet or nation in this world or others.

The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre saves all beings and demonic beings alike. We transcend the Earth to enter the vastness of the universe and the Dharma Realm, for this is a place with a truly universal perspective. Only through compassion, Wisdom, and a heart of no-self and selflessness can one truly see the suffering of beings and carry out the work of salvation. By following the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way without violation, we remain free from the suffering of karmic retribution.

Namo Amituofo