Teachings on Opening the Heart by Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju

The Original Luminous Nature

Your heart was originally empty and devoid of any thing. Its inherent light illuminates the entire void of the universe, shining with a clarity that is beyond description. However, in your current state, layer upon layer of ignorance obscures this brilliance. These layers of pollution are the obstacles that block the natural clarity of your heart, preventing you from seeing your true nature.

Now that you are practising at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, you have the rare opportunity to quickly identify the areas in your life that require adjustment. You must clearly understand that this ignorance is the fundamental reason you find it so difficult to escape the cycle of rebirth. When you choose the right path and the right place to practise, you begin your journey anew, and the results will be entirely different from your past experiences.

The Path of Purification

At this moment, you have already removed one layer of pollution. You must be vigilant and not allow yourself to become attached to new defilements, which would only create fresh karmic burdens. Purification is the essential work of your daily life, and it is achieved through the following practices:

• Prostrations: Bowing to the Buddha with a sincere heart to humble the ego.
• Chanting Namo Amituofo: Reciting the Buddha's name to align your mind with the infinite compassion of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
• Reciting the Sutras: Engaging with the wisdom of the Buddha to cultivate the Three Studies of Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom.

These practices are not merely rituals; they are the tools that allow the Buddha's blessings to remove your ignorance. Practising in this way is fundamentally different from the pursuits of the mundane world. With every step you take in your practice, you are adjusting your heart, peeling away the layers of contamination, and moving closer to the truth. To remove defilements and attain purity is the true measure of your attainment.

The Great Vehicle and the Path to Buddhahood

To practise well, you must cultivate a heart of no-self and selflessness. While those who focus only on their own liberation follow the Small Vehicle, the path of the Great Vehicle is far more vast. Even the sages of the Four Holy Realms within the Dharma Realm possess the attainment to stop the cycle of rebirth; they are no longer ordinary people drifting through samsara. Now that you are situated within the Great Vehicle, you must be diligent in opening your heart to the needs of all beings.

You must learn to follow conditions to resolve old karmic debts without creating new disasters. By keeping your body, mind, and spirit pure, you can follow the Buddha in the work of saving the world. Do not fear when demons appear before you; instead, use your practice to subdue these demonic enemies. To offer your entire being to the service of all beings in the infinite worlds is what it truly means to open your heart.

The Assurance of the Western Pure Land

When you realise that your family members and all beings with whom you have a karmic connection are suffering, you can rely on the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to perform Chao Du. Through this, they can be sent to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. When they are filled with joy upon entering the Pure Land, you will find peace of mind, and your heart will truly open. At this very moment, Namo Amituofo is present here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Seize this magnificent opportunity to enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Namo Amituofo