The Clarity of the True Self

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

On the twenty-eighth of April, 2023, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offered these profound teachings on the nature of clarity and the path to awakening.

The Mirror of Still Water

When water is perfectly clear, it allows you to see straight to the very bottom. This state of water represents a condition that is pure, clean, and entirely free from any contamination. Because the water is so pristine, it does not obscure what lies beneath it. In this state, one can clearly perceive even the most subtle changes occurring on the surface of the water or within its depths.

This is a powerful metaphor for the state of your heart. When we speak of a heart that is like still water, we are describing a mind that has reached a state of profound tranquility. It is as calm, quiet, and motionless as a mirror-like pool. When your heart reaches this level of stability and clarity, you become capable of understanding both your internal state and the external world with absolute precision.

The Journey of Purification

This clarity is not something that happens by chance; it is the result of diligent practice. It is the state of a mind that has undergone deep purification and settling. Think of this as a continuous process of refinement:

• Constant Purification:
• You must practise purification again and again, layer by layer.Removing Impurities:
• You must continue this work until not even a single trace of pollution or a tiny speck of impurity remains within your heart.The Result of Practice: When you have reached this level of absolute purity, you have arrived at the moment of awakened being.

At this stage, your Body-Mind-Spirit becomes luminous, radiant, and perfectly transparent. You are no longer clouded by the dust of worldly attachments or the weight of past karma.

The Luminous State of Awakening

When you reach this state of clarity, a sensitive, intuitive awareness naturally manifests before you. While the physical eyes may not be able to perceive this transformation, the truth of the situation remains unchanged. Those who have attained the state of those with open eyes can see this reality clearly.

It is a state of being where the true nature of existence is revealed. Whether we are speaking of the six realms of existence, the four holy states, this world, other dimensions, or the vastness of the galaxy, the fundamental truth remains the same. Every single being, without exception, is originally this clear, this clean, and this free from any stain.

Returning to the True Self

This purity is not something you need to go out and find; it is already present within your true self. The work of your practice is simply to remove the layers of confusion and attachment that have hidden this natural state from your view. By chanting Namo Amituofo and maintaining your meditative concentration, you are gradually returning to that original, clear, and luminous state.

Do not let your practice falter. Cherish every moment, and continue to refine your heart until it is as clear as the deepest, stillest water. In that clarity, you will find the peace and the wisdom you have been seeking all along.

Namo Amituofo