Taking on the Suffering of Sentient Beings

The Illusion of the Physical Form

In this world, people cherish and protect their physical bodies with immense devotion. We spend countless hours, vast amounts of mental energy, and significant financial resources on the maintenance of this form. From the tips of our hair to the soles of our feet, we obsess over every minute detail. We are concerned with the style of our hair, the quality of our clothing, the accessories we wear, and the shoes upon our feet. There is no part of the body that escapes our attention, for we believe that our appearance defines our status and identity within society. This is precisely why the saying, "judging by appearance," has become so deeply ingrained in our collective consciousness.

For the average person, the spirit is often perceived as being one with the body, as if it were merely a component of the physical form. In truth, while the body and the spirit are deeply interconnected and influence one another, they are fundamentally independent. The state of your physical health affects your spiritual condition, just as the state of your spirit influences your physical well-being. From the moment of birth until the final breath of old age, people dedicate their lives to the care of the body. When sickness strikes, we nurture it with even greater intensity, often allowing our entire daily routine to be disrupted by the needs of the flesh. When the body is severely ill, our only wish is for a swift recovery. We have come to accept the cycle of birth, old age, sickness, and death as an inevitable, natural part of human existence.

The Path of the Practitioner

For the practitioner who has not yet reached the state of an awakened being, if one does not truly make a vow and engage in genuine practice, one must continue to face the laws of karma and cause and effect. It is difficult to escape the cycle of birth, old age, sickness, and death. This is especially true for the monastic community. Having let go of the three thousand strands of worldly affliction, the monastic wears the three robes and carries a single bowl, facing the present moment with a simplified form. If one is to succeed in this life, one must focus entirely on the purification of the body, mind, and spirit, ensuring that one remains untainted by the dust of the world.

To achieve this, the practitioner must master several essential disciplines:

• Overcoming Sensory Attachment:
• One must learn to transcend the body's reactions to external stimuli, refusing to be misled by the false body or the illusions of the external world.Cultivating the Three Pillars:
• One must be diligent in the practice of Precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom, which serve as the foundation for all spiritual progress.Maintaining Constant Mindfulness:
• Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, one must never let go of the Buddha-name, Namo Amituofo, for even a single moment.Subduing the Ego:
• One must actively suppress the manifestations of afflictions, personal habits, and the "self," personal ego, and selfishness that arise within the mind.Cultivating Compassion: One must treat all beings with a vast and compassionate heart, for it is through this that the path to becoming an awakened being is revealed.

The Burden of Compassion

The awakened being, having achieved success in their practice, has long since let go of attachment to the body. They enter the world to deliver sentient beings, viewing the propagating the Dharma as their sacred mission. In the process of delivering beings, helping them break through delusion and attain enlightenment is a magnificent and rare opportunity. However, this work is not without its trials. Often, when a teacher guides a student, the student's karmic creditors are unable to seek revenge against the student, or perhaps the student refuses to change their personal habits and ego. In such cases, these karmic creditors may turn their resentment toward the teacher, demanding payment for past debts and causing the teacher to suffer physically.

The pain endured by those who take on the suffering of sentient beings is difficult for anyone else to describe or comprehend. It serves as a profound test of the teacher’s resolve. To do what is difficult to do, and to endure what is difficult to endure, is the very spirit and strength required of a practitioner who wishes to save the world. Throughout history, many teachers have found it difficult to persist in this work. When they lose their determination, they create obstacles that hinder their own progress and their ability to continue saving others. Yet, if one persists with unwavering faith, one will surely witness a new horizon of understanding and harvest the fruits of true liberation.

The Gate to Immortality

For the practitioner, the physical form is often referred to as an "illusory body." This is not to encourage neglect, but to remind us not to be attached to the body's changing sensations. We must use this illusory body as a vessel for practice, for it is only through this form that we can complete the great work of becoming an awakened being, delivering sentient beings, and ensuring our rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Our Practitioner Su, on the path of becoming an awakened being and delivering sentient beings, has endured the arduous process of taking on the suffering of sentient beings multiple times. The immense pain endured by their body is understood by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, witnessed by the Dharma protectors, and seen by all the disciples.

Beyond feeling gratitude and repenting for our own shortcomings, we must be even more determined to follow the path of becoming an awakened being and rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The gate to the truth that the body may age but the spirit never dies has been demonstrated through the life of Practitioner Su. As disciples who have personally experienced this and received such grace, you must take the truth of what you have seen and heard, and the knowledge of this immortal gate to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and pass it on to future generations. If you do this, the suffering endured by Practitioner Su will have been truly worthwhile.

Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

Namo Amituofo