Teachings for Two Disciples on the Path to Awakening

The Rarity of This Sacred Connection

The connections within the Dharma Realm are immeasurable and boundless. Today, the doors of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre have opened for you both. This opportunity is rare and precious, yet you have arrived here directly. This is a sign of deep Causal Conditions. By entering this temple, you have already begun to dissolve your past karma.

This transformation occurs because your entire being is bathed in the Buddha-light. The chanting of the Buddha-name purifies you, and the Buddha-water you consume cleanses your body and internal organs. The karmic creditors who reside within you are astonished by this place, for they have never encountered such a sanctuary before. Here, they can communicate, ask questions, and come to understand the laws of karma and cause and effect. We invite them to be resolved and sent to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. If they are not yet ready to be resolved, we still invite them to enter this sacred Buddha-land, where they too can leave suffering behind and find happiness. Even the karmic creditors, who have caused you such physical hardship, can find peace here.

The Discipline of Daily Practice

You have both travelled from another country with sincere hearts to reside in this bodhimanda. To make true progress, you must commit to the following daily practices:

• Prostrations:
• Perform one thousand prostrations daily to humble the ego and purify the body.Listening to the Dharma:
• Regularly attend sessions to listen to the Sutras and hear the Dharma, deepening your understanding of the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way.Daily Lessons: Follow the communal schedule of the temple, ensuring your daily practice aligns with the collective efforts of the fourfold community of disciples.

By doing this, you allow your own karmic creditors to witness your sincerity. Through their own spiritual faculties, they can perceive the Buddha-light, hear the Buddha’s words, and understand that you are under the protection of Namo Amituofo. The Buddha-water will heal your body, and your sincere repenting will resolve past grievances. You must chant the Buddha-name twenty-four hours a day, without pause. Time is limited, so you must quicken your pace. Do not hesitate; the words of Practitioner Su are like precious pearls, and you must grasp them firmly.

The Importance of a Pure Mind

Whether you will meet again depends on your individual Causal Conditions. When conditions arise, we gather; when conditions cease, we part. This is true for you, for the spirits, and for all beings. You must realise that this connection is difficult to obtain. Human life is filled with suffering, and one cannot truly be the master of one's own fate. We drift aimlessly through the six realms of existence. It is far better to resolve these issues here, where the temple can assist you in achieving rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Path of Compassion and Clarity

This is a magnificent beginning to your Dharma affinity. All spirits who learn of this can discover the wonderful method to leave suffering behind. You must cherish this. The disciples at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre are here to welcome all who have an affinity with the Dharma. When the suffering of these spirits is resolved, your own suffering will also diminish, for we are all one, without distinction between you and me. Helping others is, in truth, helping yourself.

Right Thought and Right Action

In your daily life, you must understand the reality of the universe and provide guidance to others according to their conditions. When you help others resolve their confusion, you must ensure that your own knowledge is correct. You must maintain the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. If you deviate from these, you will create negative karma through your speech. By helping others find peace of mind, you will receive the benefits of the Dharma. The Buddha-heart and the Buddha-vow will always respond to the needs of sentient beings.

The Sanctity of the Body-Mind-Spirit

You must be cautious with every thought and intention. Do not allow evil thoughts to arise, especially the thought of slandering the Buddha-land, for the response to such actions is extremely swift. If you cannot yet fully believe, you must at least be careful with your Body, Speech, and Mind. It is understandable to be half-believing and half-doubting, but by listening and experiencing the truth for yourself, you will be able to dispel your doubts. Once doubt is removed, your heart will become pure, and you will be further healed.

Illness of the Body-Mind-Spirit is closely related to the presence of karmic creditors. Whether you are willing to face this reality determines the effectiveness of your healing. Physical illness and mental suffering are difficult to endure. For the spirit to be stable, the three hun souls and seven po souls must be securely settled within the body. If the spirit is unstable, these souls may have already left the body. Even if the karmic creditors have been resolved, if the souls remain unsettled, the illness will be difficult to cure. Therefore, you must hold to the Right Way: perform prostrations, recite the Sutras, listen to the Dharma, and put these teachings into practice.

The Final Journey Home

If you return home and become too busy to maintain your daily practice, the spirits will return, and your illness will arise once more. Do not let the Buddha-name leave your mind. When you face the end of life, what will your state of mind be? While you are here in this Buddha-land, we will provide you with skillful guidance so that you may clearly understand the matter of life and death. This is a task that must be completed in this lifetime so that you do not fall back into the cycle of existence. Even if your stay is short, you must be taught these things. If you leave this place and the spirits disturb you again, your consciousness will be difficult to gather. These are vital matters. Although everything follows individual Causal Conditions, if you can generate the Bodhicitta to help all beings leave the sea of suffering, your vow will be supported, and you will be able to escape the cycle of existence and enter the Western Pure Land. This is the most important mission of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre as it exists in this world.

Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

Namo Amituofo