The Weight of Past Karma and the Path to Repentance

The Illusion of Drowsiness

On the morning of the thirteenth of April, 2017, I, Practitioner Faxi, began my daily prostrations. Namo Amituofo. I am here to express my deepest repentance. I have had profound reflections regarding the heavy drowsiness I experienced during my morning prostrations today. From the very first bow and the first utterance of the Buddha-name, I felt as though I was being controlled by an external force. This state of drowsiness pulled me into an unknown space, a realm that felt eerily familiar yet entirely separate from our reality.

Within this space, the environment was identical to our Buddha hall. It contained all the necessary equipment for our practice, and even the sound of the Buddha-name being chanted was present. However, when I looked closely, I realised that the people standing beside me were different. At that moment, I truly did not know what was happening. Many times, I mistakenly thought that my prostrations were going well, not realising that they were actually very poor. When others were bowing upwards, I was bowing downwards. Often, when feelings of gain and loss arose, I would either blame myself or become completely dejected. But I cannot continue like this anymore. I must cast aside these worldly attachments. I told myself, if I do not change, how can I possibly perform Chao Du for these beings? Namo Amituofo. Beings and Bodhisattvas, please have compassion. I, Practitioner Faxi, repent for the ignorance and harm I caused in the past. May I ask, are you willing to accept an interview?

The Hidden Reality of Karmic Debt

The following is a record of the dialogue with the representative of the karmic creditors, a being known as Mokasiba, whose memorial tablet has already been sent to the Western Land of Dharma Nature at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

Mokasiba, speaking with visible anger, replied: "What do you mean by repentance? Repentance is determined by the heart. If your heart is insincere or divided, how can you speak of repentance?"

I, Practitioner Faxi, responded: "Namo Amituofo. I am truly sorry. In the past, I was truly ignorant and caused you harm. I dare not offer any excuses, for what is wrong is wrong. I am deeply sorry. Now, I sincerely hope to help you leave suffering behind and find happiness. I dare not lie to you; I truly hope that I will no longer be overcome by this drowsiness. Yet, at times, I reflect that the retribution I am currently suffering is not even one-ten-thousandth of what you endured. How terribly did I harm you in the past? I am filled with such shame. It was for the sake of worldly desires that I created this karma. The past can never be undone, but I hope to face my mistakes with strength and true repentance. I hope that you can leave suffering behind, find happiness, and attain true liberation. I am so sorry for the suffering I have caused you. I am truly apologetic."

A Sincere Plea for Reconciliation

Mokasiba remained silent, his expression heavy and solemn. I continued, "Practitioner Faxi repents. I am sorry. I am willing to take responsibility for the mistakes I have committed in the past. To be a person of integrity, one must have the courage to face one's own actions. May I ask if you would be willing to share what happened? How exactly did I harm you? If you are willing to speak, I would be truly grateful. I hope that this story of the laws of karma and cause and effect can serve as a warning to the world. The laws of karma are terrifying, and human life is filled with too much suffering. Do not be attached to this Saha world anymore! We should all hasten to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land."

At this, Mokasiba began to weep. I said, "I am sorry, I am truly sorry. It was all due to my ignorance and foolishness that I harmed you. Please do not cry. From this moment on, the Buddha’s compassion will guide you to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. Once you reach the Western Land, you will attain liberation and be free from suffering forever. Please go quickly; you must go. This world is simply too full of suffering."

Mokasiba: Suffering! It is truly suffering! No one understands the depth of our agony. We have been trapped in darkness for thousands of years. What did we ever do to deserve such punishment from the ancestral spirits? Over two thousand three hundred years ago, I was born into a quiet, small tribe. My parents were farmers, and we lived simple, innocent lives, detached from the complexities of the world. Our village was a place of serenity, where we lived self-sufficiently and rarely engaged in hunting. We believed that all things possessed a spirit and that we could coexist in peace; this was the way of life our people held most dear. In that environment, every villager was pure and untainted. We all possessed some degree of supernatural powers, and naturally, our village had a shaman. When villagers observed strange phenomena or encountered matters they could not understand, they would consult the shaman, receiving help or teachings through the blessings and protection of the ancestral spirits and deities. For three or four hundred years, it is said that our village lived in this peaceful, carefree manner, which made us all optimistic and cheerful.

The Fragile Boundary

One day, a subtle evil energy appeared in the village. It was detected while still very faint, and it was quickly discovered to have originated from a single drop of blood. This blood had stained an animal that wandered in and out, as if by accident. If one did not observe carefully, it was difficult to see, yet the evil energy it radiated was unbearable. We all understood that this was the impure blood of a sorcerer. Since ancient times, our village had remained closed off from the outside world; this was how the ancestral spirits protected the people. The ancestral spirits, in their wisdom, understood that the outside world was being corrupted by sorcery and evil energy. They feared that the simple nature of our people would be easily polluted, causing us to lose our original, natural freedom. Therefore, while the ancestral spirits were still present, they had set up layers of protective barriers around the village, preventing external spirits from intruding. However, the hereditary shamans understood that these barriers could not prevent physical intrusion. If a physical object or a human entered, the barrier would gradually lose its effectiveness over time. For centuries, our people had been extremely cautious; no one had entered or left the village for three or four hundred years. But with this incident of the blood, the villagers knew that disaster was unavoidable and that the barrier was no longer defensible. The villagers prepared for the worst: the destruction of the village. In those days, for a sorcerer to destroy or achieve a village was effortless. The barrier had been set to protect the villagers from innocent suffering and to keep sorcerers from finding us, but the Causal Conditions were already set. The great disaster for the village had arrived.

The Weight of Past Karma

Although the drop of blood was small, it had already breached the protective barrier left by the ancestral spirits. The village elders clearly saw the barrier being torn apart by the outside world in a very short time, and a massive surge of evil energy poured in. It is said that this was also due to the love, hatred, and grievances between the villagers of the past and an old sorcerer; thus, what had to be faced finally arrived. You are the daughter of that old sorcerer. The village elders had always refused to speak of this past, but one day, to provide an explanation so that the villagers would not perish in ignorance, an elder revealed the story. The ancestral spirit was a handsome man with innate supernatural powers who had also studied the shamanic arts. At that time, shamanic arts were a way to save the world—to heal bodies, resolve disasters, answer questions, and predict the future. Without innate qualifications, one could not study these arts. The ancestral spirit had fallen in love with a beautiful woman, but it was a forbidden romance. Because they belonged to different factions, they were not allowed to marry, for fear of contaminating the pure lineage. One must be very cautious with shamanic arts, as even the slightest deviation can lead to evil paths and cults, especially amidst the Five Desires and the Six Dusts. A single careless thought of desire can lead to a terrible outcome. However, the love between the ancestral spirit and the woman was difficult to relinquish. They naively thought that leaving would solve everything, so they agreed to run away in the middle of the night. They truly left their hometown in the middle of the night. After walking for half a month, the hometown used supernatural powers to locate them, sending a message demanding their immediate return, or the consequences would be unimaginable. The ancestral spirit's parents were tied to a platform, prepared for fire-sacrifice to the heavens. If the ancestral spirit did not return immediately, he would be a person of great unfilial piety. Seeing this message, the ancestral spirit was frantic and could no longer care about their mutual love; he demanded to return to investigate. Because they were born with supernatural powers, the woman already knew she was pregnant. An impure person could not return to the village, for without a legitimate, noble union, it was a great impurity—what you call adultery today, a grave sin. If they returned, the child could be saved, but the adults would have to be punished. The only path was to die to repent for their sins, as an impure person would contaminate the purity of the entire shamanic lineage. To protect the shamanic arts from being corrupted by deviation, the elders protected these details very carefully, fearing harm to the world. The child was allowed to be protected, as it was innocent, but the condition was that it must grow up under the care of the elders, removing its innate polluted heart and the energy of contamination. The woman knew then that she had no other path. Since the man no longer intended to maintain their relationship, and this love was never blessed, she thought that if she insisted on her own way and caused the man's elderly parents to die miserably, it would be too cruel. Using her supernatural powers, she masked the child's energy in the womb and discussed with the man that they should each return to their own villages. Since they were not destined to be a couple in this life, they would follow the wishes of the elders, which was also to save the man's parents. Under the pressure of sorrow from both sides, the ancestral spirit decided to prioritize saving his parents' lives. He told the woman they should return together, but she, with quick wit, suggested they travel separately to avoid suspicion. The ancestral spirit, in his urgency, agreed without thinking. In reality, the woman never returned to the village, for she knew she could not go back. If she returned, someone would have to sacrifice their life. She did not mind sacrificing herself, but the child was still young, and she was worried. Thus, she made a decision to settle in a mountain cave. Soon, the child was born—a clever baby girl—but she was born with a state of a polluted heart. This is an unchanging truth passed down since ancient times: children born from illicit unions are impure vessels. Out of a sense of guilt, the woman cared for the baby girl in every possible way. The girl was born with exceptionally strong supernatural powers, possessing the abilities of both bloodlines. At this time, the woman understood why the ancient elders had forbidden intermarriage between lineages: they feared that the children born from such unions would possess the supernatural powers of both sides, which would be either a great blessing or a great disaster. The woman became even more careful in watching every word and action of the girl. The girl was very sensible and clever, but her wit was extraordinary. Her innate abilities sometimes made the woman feel there was nothing left to teach her. Until she reached adulthood, the girl lived in the cave under her mother's protection, never having seen the world, and was very pure and untainted. The woman thought she did not see any so-called energy of a polluted heart and assumed that perhaps such a thing no longer existed. So, on the day the girl turned fifteen, she brought her down the mountain.

The Encounter with Fate

As soon as they reached the mountainside, before even reaching the foot of the mountain, the girl saw a man who had been searching for the woman. The girl told her mother, and the woman knew in her heart that it was the girl's father, the man from years ago. The woman did not understand the man's purpose in searching, and a sense of unease naturally welled up in her heart. But she preferred to believe that the man was still the same, so she used her supernatural powers to send a message to him. Soon, the man found them, but he did not come alone; he brought the villagers from the woman's tribe. It was a hostile force. The woman understood that the man had changed and had set a trap. To protect the girl, the woman refused to submit and would not admit where the girl came from, only pretending that they had met by chance on the road. The tribal elders determined that the woman was no longer a pure woman and was no longer worthy of possessing supernatural powers, so they demanded a judgment. The girl and the woman were forcibly separated. At that time, the girl was already a fifteen-year-old who understood the ways of the world. She shouted in protest, but how could a group of aggressive tribesmen be willing to let go easily? At that moment, the woman also reached out to pull the girl away from herself. Upon this touch, the girl realized that the man was her father. She hated him! She hated her father for his heartless treatment of her mother and secretly resolved to take revenge. Using her last chance, the girl used her supernatural powers to tell her mother to rest assured, promising that she would avenge her. Her mother was the girl's entire world; she had never had contact with anyone else, and her mother was everything to her. But this time, with her mother's departure, the girl knew her mother would never return. The girl was very clever and escaped the tribe. Having survived in the wild since childhood, she knew how to take care of herself. On the night of her mother's execution, the girl visited her. Even though her mother asked her to be obedient, to let go of hatred, and to live a good life, the girl could not reconcile herself to the fact that her mother's devotion to the man had resulted in a fire-sacrifice. No matter how earnestly her mother tried to persuade her, the girl could not let go of this anger. The woman understood then that this was the power of the polluted heart. When a polluted heart encounters a polluted environment, it will take effect. The woman knew the girl's decision could not be changed. At the time of the execution, the man also arrived, using the excuse of caring about the development of events to come to the village. The woman was happy—not because the man had come, but because she was happy that the girl had a chance to be saved. The woman shouted, demanding to speak a word to this man. She could no longer care about suspicion. The man, out of guilt, agreed and stepped forward. The woman told him that the girl was his own flesh and blood and spoke of the dual-lineage power within the girl, hoping the man would save his daughter and not let her commit a grave error. Upon hearing this, the man realized he was wrong—wrong to a degree that was beyond measure—but it was too late to make amends. The scene was already beyond saving. Seeing the torches about to burn the woman's body, the man had no other choice; he used a displacement technique to swap the woman with a female macaque, letting the macaque suffer the pain of the fire-sacrifice in her place. The macaque's screams sounded like the woman's, and the tribesmen did not think much of it, so the matter slowly faded away. The woman and the man began to actively search for the girl, but she was too clever and her internal skills were too good; there was truly no way to predict where she would hide. Later, the man thought of a way, knowing that the girl wanted revenge on him, so he returned to the tribe and set a trap to lure the girl out. Sure enough, the girl's desire for revenge arose, and she appeared. The woman also hurried to meet her. As soon as the girl saw her, she knew her mother was truly alive. The family of three finally had a proper talk that night. The man and woman eventually decided that for the girl's sake, they must return to a normal life. The man, who was my ancestral spirit, was already an elder in the tribe, so he used his abilities to arrange a residence for the girl and the woman. The mother and daughter began to live in our tribe. The girl's cleverness and wit left many tribesmen spellbound. Because of her purity and her graceful appearance, suitors flocked to her during the coming-of-age ceremony. The woman momentarily forgot about the polluted heart within the girl and encouraged her to pursue happiness. The ancestral spirit also frequently expressed his concern as a father and encouraged the child to find her own happiness. But the girl was actually not interested at all. She had grown accustomed to a free life and did not like being bound by emotions. However, the woman had lived in fear of being alone and helpless, so she hoped to entrust the girl to someone she could trust to live out the rest of her life, as this was the custom of the tribe at the time—women should marry, and men should take wives. Soon, many marriage proposals came, but the girl liked none of them. One day, the woman suddenly contracted malaria, and the old illness from living in the cave recurred. Tortured by both diseases, the woman gave her final instructions. The girl sadly bid farewell to her mother and promised her that she would find a good family to marry into. Not long after her mother's funeral was completed, the girl married a warrior arranged by her father. The two treated each other with respect, but as time passed, feelings of love and desire arose. They loved each other more and more, inseparable as glue and lacquer. But good times do not last. This warrior soon changed his heart. The girl was sad, but the heart of love and pollution had already sprouted; she could not live without her husband. The girl was no longer as pure and rational as she had been in the cave; she began to have many kinds of evil thoughts. The pollution grew greater and greater, changing the power within her body and mind. This warrior was unfaithful, having desires for other women in the tribe. When the girl found out, she was very angry and determined to take revenge on both of them, wanting to teach them a lesson. Unexpectedly, she accidentally killed the woman. This poison of emotion grew more and more uncontrollable in her deep heart. After the ancestral spirit found out, he wanted to stop her, but it was already too late, because the heart of emotional pollution could no longer be purified. To maintain her relationship with her husband, the girl began to use her supernatural powers to control him. Because there was a beginning, the girl became even more stubborn, controlling everything about her husband to satisfy her own desires. Desire is truly a bottomless pit. The warrior was controlled by the girl until he was unrecognizable. The girl, because of this, became part of an evil faction. The two shamanic powers she was born with also made her abilities difficult to resist. The girl changed; she became evil, deviated, and became a sorceress who made people's hair stand on end. The evil power quickly strengthened the girl's abilities even more, and the Demon Realm also arrived. The ancestral spirit, who was the girl's father, wanted to stop his daughter's actions, but there was no way. The girl was no longer the girl she had been; the heart of love and pollution had already caused her to lose her reason, filled only with jealousy, possession, and the intermingling of love and hatred. To preserve the final peace of the tribe, the ancestral spirit gave up most of the tribal space, leaving only a small piece of land about ten acres in size, and set up a strict barrier, using the connection of blood between himself and the girl as material to lay the barrier. No matter how hard the girl tried, she could not find the tribesmen within the barrier. The ancestral spirit died in regret, unable to persuade his daughter, and died complaining to the heavens. The sorceress's personality, temperament, and habits all changed; she completely became a member of the Demon Realm. The only thing that remained unchanged was that the power within her body continued to grow. The sorceress controlled many affairs between men and women in the world, satisfying her own desires, controlling men, controlling women, turning the world upside down, harming innocent creatures, and satisfying her own infinite needs, drowning in the lust of love and adultery, unable to extricate herself. Everyone knew that the beautiful sorceress had a terrifying yet pitiful shamanic heart, but no one dared to approach her, and they tried their best to hide themselves. It is said that at that time, the sorceress was only twenty-two or twenty-three years old, a single person spanning the two realms of humans and demons. Later, the sorceress became increasingly close to the demon path. Looking at it now, it was because the anxiety and fear in her heart were growing, and she wanted to possess and control more and more to secure her own body and mind. The sorceress learned to control souls, summoning souls in her dreams to do things for her, and even controlling certain talented individuals, keeping these people in a state of being controlled—drowsy, with unfocused thoughts, without their own opinions or ideas, only obeying orders. At that time, ancient India fell into a long period of darkness for shamanic arts, and few could escape the sorceress's clutches. In her heart, the sorceress always longed for true love. The more profound her abilities, the more she could see through the truth and falsehood of the human heart. There were no relatives left in the world. The sorceress searched everywhere for the tribe that had disappeared years ago—the tribe that had been protected by the barrier set by the ancestral spirit with his life. The sorceress believed that this tribe still existed. The sorceress also understood that with her abilities, she could not find the tribe, presumably because there was a blood barrier covering it, making it impossible for her to find it smoothly. The sorceress used every method to search. In fact, she wanted to return to the place where she had lived with her mother, but she could never fulfill her wish. Until one day, due to a Causal Condition, an animal accidentally stained itself with the sorceress's blood and broke into the barrier. The barrier opened, and the sorceress immediately discovered the tribe. The sorceress returned to the tribe, but even though it was familiar, the relationships were no longer the same; she could never go back. The sorceress controlled the entire tribe. The pure bodies and clean, transparent spiritual power of the tribesmen made them the sorceress's best troops. For about twenty years, the sorceress connected with the Demon Realm and occupied a part of ancient India, until one day, the preaching of the Buddha's teachings reached the sorceress's ears. The sorceress could not help but pay attention to this matter. At that time, the World-Honoured One had already entered Nirvana for over a thousand years. When the World-Honoured One manifested to save this demon child, she was actually a lead disciple under the World-Honoured One, but due to the cycle of rebirth throughout many lives, she could not escape the quagmire of the red dust. This lifetime was not her first; even as a lead disciple of the Buddha, being deeply trapped in the red dust would still lead to influence, and even one mistake would make it impossible to turn back, falling into the Avici Hell, suffering and enduring retribution. Buddha and demon are originally one; it all depends on which side is manifested. At that time, the girl who held the power of many demon realms was intolerable to heaven and earth, but no one could manage her. The World-Honoured One manifested as a handsome young man, naturally attracting the girl's attention, but in fact, the girl was no longer a girl; she was already three or four hundred years old, but her demonic power allowed her to maintain her youth and beauty. The World-Honoured One compassionately first spread the Buddha's teachings, and then manifested as a man to follow by the girl's side, in order to save his disciple and help her turn back. The girl liked this handsome man very much, and the World-Honoured One used his Wisdom to compassionately save what the girl lacked—which was actually love. The World-Honoured One understood that the girl had been suffering since birth, born into the wrong status, and even though she possessed unique supernatural powers, she could not have a good destiny, and in the end, she went astray and committed monstrous sins. The World-Honoured One compassionately came to save her, using their relationship to tempt the girl, but he did not let the girl get the desire between men and women she wanted. Instead, the World-Honoured One used his wit and supernatural powers to soften the missing corner in the girl's heart—the anxiety and fear—satisfying the pain the girl had endured for over four hundred years, which was actually hidden beneath her powerful abilities. The World-Honoured One successfully subdued the girl's heart and used his supernatural powers to guide the girl to see her past. The girl wept bitterly, let go of her identity in the Demon Realm, and was willing to fall into the Avici Hell to suffer retribution for a thousand years, using pain and torture to repay her guilt toward the world. She also made a vow to rely on the pain of the Avici Hell to strengthen her unchanging vow and path, to save all beings. From a thousand years ago until today, in fact, the girl—who is you now—has always been under the compassionate care and protection of the World-Honoured One and the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Because they hoped that the child could truly grow, and they were worried that in this Five Turbidities and Evil World, one misstep would be irreversible, there have always been Dharma protectors by her side, waiting for the child's Causal Conditions to mature, to contribute to the Buddha's teachings and propagate the True Teachings. For a thousand years, we have always hated you and have been looking for you to take revenge, filled with the heart of revenge. But today, coming to this place, we have finally woken up. Saying such things was not our original intention, and now that we have seen this past of yours, we no longer hate you. In fact, we are all people who have fallen into the same plight; it is just that some succeeded and some failed. As losers, we were still unwilling and hated for a thousand years, which is truly too foolish. The worldly realm is just like this—karmic retribution without end. We should also be grateful for your story, which allowed us to slowly pull away from the heart of hatred. We can understand that we cannot be human again; it is too painful. We can now see your many lives clearly. In fact, you are truly a very, very good person. Perhaps the fate of the sorceress in this lifetime was also a destined educational curriculum. We were victims, people controlled by you. Now we ask you not to control yourself anymore; let yourself go! These are all in the past, and they were just a play arranged under the combination of multiple karmic conditions. We advise you to let go, find your glorious past, and sincerely fulfill the mission of saving the world. Your mission is great; do not let down the World-Honoured One's painstaking cultivation and the protection and companionship throughout many lives. In fact, you have always doubted your own cognition. Now we want to tell you, tell you the truth: we see it very clearly. You are Ananda, the Venerable Ananda. The Causal Conditions have finally matured. But why choose me to say this? I truly have magnificent blessings, because I was also a person with supernatural powers, and I had supernatural powers in the past. Now I am not controlled, and I have let go of all evil hearts. I see it very clearly. Please believe this fact. You have actually had a premonition about this in your heart; you just didn't believe it. Now the Causal Conditions are complete. Why? Because your sincere Ultimate Vow has moved heaven and earth. A monastic who makes a sincere vow is very precious, and the power is truly capable of changing the world. This is also your innate quality and ability. You must exert it. You are truly the return of Venerable Ananda. You must find yourself and find your self-confidence. We understand that you now rarely have a heart of arrogance, because you dare not believe in your own abilities, and thus you dare not give rise to a heart of arrogance. But we hope you believe in yourself. Only when self-confidence takes effect can your vow truly exert its efficacy. The Tripitaka and the twelve divisions of the Buddha's teachings—one day you will be able to remember them all. Now the only thing you need to do is to let go of the suffering of reincarnation throughout many lives in the Five Turbidities and Evil World. These sufferings are all hidden in your heart and cannot be waved away, such as the pain of the Avici Hell. You must believe that at the moment you made your vow, you already wiped out all your sins and karma. What you need to do now is to exert your vow to the maximum, purification, and then more purification, and find the original you. You can propagate the True Teachings. From now on, do not think about these pasts anymore. Just like Practitioner Su, who also has a heart of compassion, taking care of you every minute and every second, because Practitioner Su understands that you are a person of great achievement, but he is afraid of your childish personality; if he doesn't understand, a careless move will be like pulling up seedlings to help them grow, which would instead promote a heart of arrogance. Practitioner Su has always been using great Wisdom to lead you. We hope you believe in yourself and truly fulfill your vow; that is the immeasurable blessing for all beings. Although we were still karmic creditors biting and not letting go a moment ago, at this moment we are willing to become the good affinity that helps you. Let us tell you honestly and clearly again: your drowsiness comes from your distrust of yourself. You would rather believe that you will be drowsy, because you believe that you cannot repay your own karma, because your Alaya consciousness is too deep. In fact, you are not like others; you know very well what sins you have committed in the past. Child! Believe in yourself; these are all in the past. Starting over will be fine. That is why I just said that we ask you not to bind yourself anymore. Let yourself go, and your heart will not feel tight. You can well place yourself in the joy of the Buddha's teachings, just like the Dharma Seal—it is Dharma joy. This is the World-Honoured One's care for you; you should be able to understand. When you lock yourself up, it is difficult to see the light, and of course, you will be drowsy. The current you is different. Letting go is great freedom. Isn't that what you want to pursue? The Truth you want to propagate?

The Pursuit of Great Liberation

Venerable Faxi replied with deep sincerity, "Yes, I truly wish to pursue that state of great liberation. It is my heartfelt aspiration to lead all people in this world toward that same profound freedom!"

Mercasba responded with gentle encouragement, "That is the correct path. Why then do you continue to torment yourself with unnecessary burdens? If you simply let go, you will find that all obstacles dissolve. I have said enough for now, and I trust that you understand the essence of these words. Continue your diligent practice with all your heart. We have full faith that you can achieve the perfect realization of the Dharma Body."

Releasing the Mundane

Venerable Faxi expressed his gratitude, "I am truly grateful for your guidance. Namo Amituofo. I will change. I have now learned to let go of the mundane world, for I aspire to be a citizen of the Western Land. I will no longer be tethered to worldly concerns. Everything that I cannot take with me to the Western Land, I must release—including the heavy weight of my karma. While I cannot simply discard my karma, I must repay it with a sincere heart. From this moment on, I will learn not to let karma entangle my spirit. I will work hard, and I humbly beseech the compassionate blessing of the Buddha. Namo Amituofo."

The Protection of the World-Honoured One

Shakyamuni Buddha offered these teachings: "It is very good. You will surely find that great liberation you seek. The World-Honoured One will always be here to protect your practice."

Disciple Faxi bowed in deep gratitude, "I bow to thank the World-Honoured One for this compassionate grace. Namo Amituofo."

Shakyamuni Buddha continued: "If you can see the path clearly again, begin your journey now. It is worth every effort. Do not forget your original intention, and lead the ship of the Buddha’s teachings forward."

The Path of Diligent Practice

Disciple Faxi replied, "Thank you, World-Honoured One. Namo Amituofo. I will engage in diligent practice. My first step is to transform my stubborn habits and my personality. I must ensure that I do not lose the responsibilities that a monastic should uphold."

Shakyamuni Buddha offered further guidance: "It is wonderful to see such growth. It is truly rare for someone in their early twenties to possess such a vast and noble heart. Continue to move forward steadily, and you will surely display an inconceivable light to the world. Proceed step by step, never violating your original vow. If you do not depart from your original vow, the fruit of Buddhahood can certainly be attained."

A Vow to Return Home

Disciple Faxi concluded, "I am deeply grateful for your compassionate teachings. Namo Amituofo. I must constantly urge myself never to become lazy or lax. Today marks approximately three days since I began this reflection, and I understand that there are infinite 'three days' ahead that will require my constant persistence. I will work hard. I have a profound hope that the Buddha’s teachings can be widely propagated. I hope that all those who have the heart to become monastics, and all the lay practitioners who have the heart to study the Buddha’s teachings, can all achieve the ultimate result—returning to the Western Land! Life as a human is filled with too much suffering. I must, I absolutely must, work hard. Namo Amituofo."

Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Shi Faxi.