Teachings from , recorded and transcribed by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe, on the twenty-first of June, two thousand and twenty-four.
The Echoes of Our Past Lives
If you were to unfold the tapestry of the past, you would be astonished to discover that every person you encounter in this current life is someone you have already known in a previous existence. Although you meet again in this lifetime, you appear to one another in different roles, with different identities, and wearing different faces. You interact, you converse, and you navigate the complexities of life together, often unaware of the deep, ancient history that binds you.
While the physical body may perish and fade away, the remains as a vast, eternal repository. Within this storehouse of spiritual memory, the records of your past relationships are preserved with absolute clarity. The events that unfold in your life today are not isolated incidents; they are the direct extension and progression of causes and effects sown in the distant past. When a life ends, a chapter closes, but the story is far from over. When you meet again in this life, the relationship naturally continues, unfolding according to the karmic affinities established long ago.
The Infinite Reach of the Spirit
Consider the objects you use in your daily life. Even the items you touch are connected to beings who have shared your journey through the cycle of rebirth. Because of the constant shifting through the six realms of rebirth, these beings have taken on countless forms. Whether it was hundreds, thousands, or even billions of years ago, you have crossed paths, lived together, and shared experiences. Even a simple flower or a blade of grass carries the imprint of a past connection with your own spirit.
The past is truly beginningless, stretching back into an abyss where no end can be seen. The people, situations, and objects you encounter today are merely the latest threads in a tapestry woven over countless lifetimes. These connections are not confined to this Earth; they have occurred across the Milky Way and throughout the vast reaches of the universe. They are not limited to this world alone, for they have manifested in other realms of the Ten Directions. Because the spirit is neither born nor destroyed, it is capable of traversing the entire Realm.
to the Truth of Oneness
You may spend a long period of time wandering through the six realms of rebirth within this worldly realm, only to be reborn elsewhere as your spirit continues its journey. When you finally realise the truth of these facts, you will understand that every person, every environment, and every object you encounter is intimately linked to your true self. This relationship began in the beginningless past and will continue into the endless future.
Every single being possesses the same Buddha-nature and true self. It is only because of our delusions and discriminations that we fail to realise this truth. Because we have all met and known one another in the past, the Buddha’s teachings declare that we are all one body: I am the beings, and the beings are me. There is no separation between and the other, for we are all part of the same infinite, interconnected reality.
A New Beginning in the
It is my sincere wish that all beings will make the vow to chant Namo Amituofo and attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is the moment when your spiritual life, which has existed without beginning or end, can finally achieve realisation of your true nature and attain Buddhahood. If you can use this precious time at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to practise with diligence, you will be embarking on a new beginning within the infinite span of your spiritual existence.
