Sharing This Moment in the Dharma

Reflecting on the Passage of Time

To share this moment is to exist together in the present, or perhaps to reconnect with the past through the lens of the current moment. We have previously studied the Dharma together at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, wandering through the magnificent ocean of teachings left by the ancestral masters and contemplating their profound words. Where are those fellow practitioners who walked beside us then? Some may have aged, their appearances faded by the passage of years; others may still be walking steadfastly upon the Buddha's path; and some may have been lost in the vast, turbulent sea of humanity. At that time, we did not know what today would bring. Now, we must ask ourselves: where are our bodies, and where are our spirits? The moments we once shared have become the past, and the past can never be reclaimed. The people and circumstances of those days have changed, and it is impossible to return to how things were.

The Sacred Gathering at Hsiang Kuang

Yet, we are here now, sharing this moment in a new light. Practitioner Su is lecturing on the Sutras and expounding the Dharma. We are all gathered here to hear the teachings before the Buddha. The words of Namo Amituofo are spreading across the heavens, reaching the ten directions of the Dharma Realm. All beings who hear this great Dharma can attain liberation. This gathering takes place at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Because Namo Amituofo truly abides here, all sentient beings in the Dharma realm can receive the benefits of the Dharma.

Salvation for All Beings

Within the bodies of the fourfold assembly of disciples, the karmic creditors from countless aeons are the first to be saved. Beyond them, the infinite beings of the spiritual realms—the spirits of flowers, plants, and animals on Earth, as well as the flying insects, crawling creatures, and ants—are all able to shed their spiritual outer garments. Through this grace, they can reappear in their original human forms. We must be deeply grateful for the Buddha's benevolence. We should chant the name of Namo Amituofo with a heart of gratitude, ensuring our chanting is continuous and without interruption. By doing so, we will be led by the Buddha to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Magnificence of the Thrice Yearning Ceremony

In this Thrice Yearning Ceremony, Namo Amituofo acts as the lead of the ceremony. I, your teacher, sit beside the Buddha, while Practitioner Su leads the assembly. The fourfold assembly of disciples chants the name of the Buddha, and through this, they are directly liberated. Sentient beings throughout the ten directions of the Dharma realm are seeking Chao Du, and even the demon crowds have come forward to seek refuge. This is a magnificent Dharma assembly, a rare opportunity that is difficult to encounter in millions of years. Now is the time for all to be saved. Namo Amituofo.