Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded and transcribed by ’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
March 28, 2026.
Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju once taught that the phrases, "Worldly people struggle together over non-urgent matters" and "They are noisy and troubled by impermanence," are essential verses found within the Infinite Life Sutra (The Buddha Speaks the , Infinite Life, Adornment, Purity, Impartiality, and Sutra).
The Cacophony of Worldly Distractions
The term "nao nao" refers to the state of constant arguing, endless disputes, and the noisy, chaotic nature of the world. It describes how people in this world spend their lives caught in petty squabbles over matters that hold no true urgency, all while living in constant anxiety over the inevitable arrival of impermanence. They are so distracted by the surface of life that they fail to see the deeper reality of their own existence.
The Illusion of Urgent Matters
What, then, are these "non-urgent matters" that consume so much of our precious time? They are the worldly concerns that we mistakenly believe are vital to our survival and happiness. These include:
Material Possessions: Such as land, property, and various forms of wealth.
Social Status: The pursuit of fame, rank, and the distinctions between poverty and wealth or high and low status.
Attachment to Others: Excessive clinging to family members and social connections.
The : Greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt.
The : Wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep.
We are constantly reminded not to become stained by these things, yet we often find ourselves deeply entangled in them, allowing them to dictate our thoughts and actions.
The Cycle of Attachment and Suffering
The deepest form of attachment is the clinging to our own physical bodies. This is a primary reason why people in this world create so much negative and suffer so profoundly. It is the very mechanism that keeps beings of the six realms of existence trapped in the endless cycle of reincarnation. Within this cycle, we are subjected to the relentless suffering of birth, aging, sickness, death.
Once you have entered the path of practice, you must clearly understand this truth. These non-urgent matters are obstacles that you should avoid and distance yourself from. You must learn to see through and let go. Do not allow your heart to become entangled or knotted by these fleeting concerns. If you allow your heart to be covered by layer upon layer of dust, it becomes increasingly difficult to see the true face of your self-nature. The day when you can finally find peace, freedom, and mastery over your own life will drift further and further away.
The Path to True Liberation
We rely on the education provided by the Buddha’s teachings to help us recognise the facts and the truth of our existence. Only then can we stop being led astray by illusions and suffering within them. If we continue to be pulled by these worldly forces, there will be no end to our suffering. The practice at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre is magnificent precisely because it encourages us to move away from a life of noisy strife and anxiety over impermanence.
As practitioners and members of the fourfold assembly (monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen), we must distance ourselves from these distractions. Instead, we must focus on the most important task: lifting our voices to chant the Buddha-name. By chanting Namo Amituofo, we engage in the Purifying , heart, and spirit. We must strive for the ultimate goal of this life: to not grow old, not get sick, and the spirit does not die. This is the only truly important work we have to do.
