The Courage to Awaken: A Mother's Call
The Eleventh Letter of Lay Practitioner Zhao Liangyu
August 8, 2017
The Path of Learning to be Human
My son, Dinghong, you are a person of great wisdom. However, regarding the concept of boldness, there remains significant room for growth within your practice. First, I must express my deepest gratitude to Practitioner Su. It is through her that, even after leaving my physical body, I have been granted the precious opportunity to study the Buddha’s teachings and learn how to become a Buddha while residing in the -Nature Land. During this time, I would not dare to claim that I have mastered much, but I have certainly corrected many of my past erroneous concepts and behaviours regarding how to conduct myself in the world.
These lessons on how to interact with others may seem simple on the surface, yet they are often the very things that cause us to offend others, create unhappiness, and engage in selfish actions that harm the interests of others. We often create without even realising it. To speak plainly, based on my current understanding, the true essence of learning the Buddha’s teachings begins with learning how to be a proper human being. It requires us to learn how to let go of . It means acting solely for the benefit of others, with no thought for one's own gain. To be honest, this requires constant practice; it is not a pattern of behaviour that can be corrected the moment one understands it.
Defining True Boldness
Today, I wish to share with you a vital aspect of this practice: the quality of boldness. Boldness is the strength required to adjust one's own difficult latent habits or bad character traits. It is the courage to make the right decisions when faced with life's crossroads. It is the bravery to speak the true thoughts within one's heart, for only then can one discern whether these thoughts serve as a help or a hindrance on the path of practice. Sometimes, those who have not yet reached the state of an awakened being view matters through a worldly lens, using standard criteria that often fail to account for the hidden causes and conditions that shape our lives.
My son, Dinghong, you are a person of great wisdom, yet the concept of boldness is something you must continue to cultivate. You must have the boldness to make changes in your method of practice that will bring the greatest benefit to your fellow practitioners. You must have the boldness to pursue what you truly wish to do, provided that your actions do not violate the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. When the Venerable Master Chin Kung gives his lectures, he often reminds us to rely on the Dharma and not on people. As someone who has studied science, you understand that when a person is influenced by spiritual attachment from , their words and actions can differ significantly from the true self you have come to know and understand. This is what Practitioner Su often refers to as being unable to master oneself. Only by finding the person of the true self can one truly become the master of one's own life.
A Mother’s Hope for Rebirth
I have been waiting for you here for some time now. I do not know how much longer I must wait, but I hope that you will soon be able to make a decision that is both reasonable and filled with heart. No one will ever say that you are wrong for fulfilling your filial duty to your parents, or for helping your mother take the final step on her journey to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Boldness is what I hope to see in you, and I look forward to receiving news of your progress very soon.
This message was recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Practitioner Cao Rudi.
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library