The Essence of Honesty in Practice
The Second Letter of Venerable KaiLin
Recorded on July 28, 2017
The Illusion of Intellectual Understanding
The word honesty is simple to speak, yet it is profoundly difficult to embody in one's daily practice. The more we cling to our own ideas, opinions, and , the more we become trapped within the narrow confines of our own mental space. Once we are locked inside this self-constructed world, it becomes nearly impossible to find a way out. We believe we are practising, but we are merely circling within our own ego.
What does it truly mean to be honest in our practice? Venerable Master Chin Kung often speaks of the importance of honestly chanting the Buddha-name. This means placing your heart securely within the Buddha-name, using it to steady your mind and suppress the rising tide of wandering thoughts. I have observed many devoted followers and lay practitioners walking about with counting devices in their hands, chanting Namo Amituofo while they move. They alternate between fast and slow chanting, desperately striving to achieve a state of single-mindedness. They are working with all their might, hoping to reach that elusive state of perfect concentration.
The Trap of Emotional Volatility
I was once exactly like them. Every morning, I would rise early to perform prostrations, recite the sutras, and engage in diligent practice. Yet, despite all this effort, I did not attain rebirth in the of Ultimate Bliss. Why did this happen? It was because I had not truly been honest in applying the principles of the Buddha's teachings to my actual life. I had studied the words, but I had not lived them.
Whenever the tests of life arrived—those moments when our manifest—I would still be tossed about by my emotions. My heart would rise and fall with every passing circumstance. In such a state, there is no meditative concentration to speak of. When the final moment of life arrives, such superficial skills are completely useless. As soon as the reality of death presents itself, one is swept away by the turbulence of the mind, unable to remain the master of one's own life. This is the inevitable result of not truly learning the Buddha's teachings. In truth, I had not even stepped through the gate of the Buddha's path.
The Path to True Liberation
I am able to speak these words today with complete sincerity because I wish for those who read this letter to understand the vital difference between merely studying Buddhism and truly practising it. I do not want you to repeat the mistakes that I made. It is through the great of the Buddha that I have been granted the opportunity to be interviewed by the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Through this, the truth of the has been revealed, and I can now help those beings who are still lost in the confusion of the mundane world.
My hope is that you will find your way back to your true self, learn to master your own life, and attain a peaceful, liberated rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am deeply grateful for the great compassion of the Buddha. Namo Amituofo.
Written by Venerable KaiLin
Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Shi Facie
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library