Teachings on Right Faith and Right Understanding in Buddhist Education
Teachings from National Master Xianshou
Recorded on October 19, 2017
The Foundation of the Path
In the journey of spiritual cultivation, we often speak of the four essential stages: right faith and right understanding in Buddhist education, practice, and realisation. Faith must be rooted deeply within the heart. Understanding must be cultivated through the . However, one must remember that sitting and speaking of the is never as effective as rising and putting it into practice. To truly progress, one must integrate understanding and practice; only then can one speak of genuine realisation.
If you are able to speak eloquently but fail to act, your words are merely empty sounds, like wind passing through the trees. Conversely, to act with sincerity while speaking little is far superior to all the grand speeches in the world. In this world, people often have sharp ears for listening to pleasant words, but whether they actually put those teachings into practice is an entirely different matter.
The Harmony of Speech and Action
A person with true vision and wisdom will observe others carefully. They look beyond the ability to speak and examine whether one truly possesses the capacity to act. For those of us walking the path of practice in the human world, the balance between speech and action is the primary method for saving ourselves and saving others. Those who teach must have the foundation of actual practice, and those who practise must possess true attainment. When speech and action support each other, your efforts will be far more powerful.
Before you begin to speak or act, you must have absolute, unwavering faith. This is the most critical requirement of all. In the vast, boundless expanse of the Dharma Realm, those who are connected by karmic affinity will naturally meet and naturally come to know the truth. You do not need to exert even the slightest bit of physical force; the moment every thought and intention arises, the entire Dharma Realm is already aware of it.
The Sensitivity of the Dharma Realm
Within the fabric of space, there is a natural vibration. As molecules collide, a resonance is created. This transmission through space is known to those who are sensitive and aware. You must maintain a high level of vigilance regarding your own state of mind. Every thought and intention must be clear and transparent. Do not harbour any thoughts of luck, and do not underestimate the power of your own mind.
Even the smallest pore or the most microscopic particle is observed by the vastness of the universe. The Dharma Realm is capable of discerning the most subtle movements. Even if a thought is faint, as thin as a single strand of silk, it can be amplified or diminished according to the conditions of the moment.
The Inconceivable Nature of Reality
We are speaking of an inconceivable power, an inconceivable phenomenon, an inconceivable realm, and an inconceivable event. Everything is encompassed within this reality. It is neither too large nor too small, neither too much nor too little. It is neither too fast nor too slow. When you observe your own actions and reflections, you must be clear and distinct. Do not rely on luck, and do not mistake your own negligence for something that can be overlooked.
If you make a mistake, who can take your place? No one can. You alone must bear the consequences of your own actions. You must be diligent in your own practice, focused in your own efforts, and clear in your own understanding. Do not think that because you believe no one knows, your actions are hidden. This is a grave mistake. The Dharma Realm knows everything, even if you are the only one who does not. Once the karmic result is formed, who will bear the fruit of that ? You alone will.
Realising the True Self
When one reaches a state of complete and perfect understanding, one naturally realises the truth. There is nothing that cannot be achieved, and there is no need to force anything. This is the appearance of the Truth itself, which can only be known through personal realisation. When you are completely integrated and unobstructed, your thoughts arrive the moment they are conceived. To speak is to illuminate the truth. Even before you see, you know, because your Six Roots have become interconnected and mutually functional.
There is no longer a distinction between one and two. The three and the four become one, and the five and the six are all perfected. Your entire being functions in total harmony. This is what we call complete realisation. You have seen your own true self, the pure , and you have realised the perfect, luminous state. Everything is one entity, which we call the pure, luminous body of the true self. You are free within the Dharma Realm. Time and space are infinite, and every Dharma is one. This is the state of the Buddha, whose light fills the entire universe.
Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
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Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
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