The Heart That Endures: The Compassionate Mission of Practitioner Su

The Heart That Endures

What kind of heart can truly function as if one day is two? What manner of virtue and meditative skill can transform the ancient demons, the old demons, and the ancestral demons—those who have wandered for ten thousand, a hundred million, or even a trillion years—and move them to come voluntarily to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Queensland, Australia, to seek refuge?

What kind of heart can endure the relentless magical attacks from demon crowds every single morning? Even when the body is weak, the head is spinning, and walking has become a struggle, this heart continues to serve. It continues to assist the fourfold assembly of disciples by performing the rites of Chao Du, striking the bell, and inviting the spirits—those very demons and beings who interfere with the practice of the fourfold assembly—to come forward and be saved.

The Sacrifice for the Fourfold Assembly

Practitioner Su invites these ancient, old, and ancestral demons who, out of sheer terror, cast spells to attack his physical body. He does this with one singular hope: that the fourfold assembly of disciples will strive diligently today, reach Awakening as soon as possible, and be able to serve the public. He wishes for them to:

• Listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma to cultivate both blessings and wisdom.
• Maintain the operations of the temple to prepare for the reception of sentient beings.
• Help all beings hear the holy name of Namo Amituofo.
• Ensure that, eventually, all beings will have the opportunity to be saved and leave suffering behind.

Even when his legs feel heavier and his head spins more intensely after performing these rites for the disciples, and even when his entire body is drenched in sweat, he does not falter. After changing his robes, he prepares for the next task: to lecture on the Dharma. He speaks for the sake of the fourfold assembly, for the countless beings in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, and for the celestial beings and sages present to hear the Dharma. He speaks so that the beings residing within the bodies of the disciples may understand the true reality of all laws and resolve their conflicts with the disciples. He speaks because the world is in desperate need of the Dharma.

The Urgency of the Pure Land Path

He speaks to ensure that all may know the vital importance of Namo Amituofo abiding at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. He speaks so that people may understand the Buddha’s teachings and the urgency of purification through chanting Namo Amituofo and the necessity of Awakening. He wishes for all to recognise Namo Amituofo and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, to make the vow to be reborn there, and to encourage others to come quickly to the temple to secure their path to the Western Pure Land.

What kind of heart can endure the continuous, 24/7 magical attacks from demon crowds? These attacks cause total physical exhaustion, dizziness, blurred vision, aching in the lower back, and weakness in the legs. Yet, he still endures this physical suffering to invite these very demons to enter the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Only then can these beings escape the demon path and have the opportunity to repent and turn towards goodness. They no longer need to worry about karmic retribution; they can let go of their anxieties, smile once more, and, with no past and no future, chant Namo Amituofo all the way.

The Power of Faith and Vows

This endurance is possible only because of a complete, unwavering, and regretless faith in Namo Amituofo. It is a heart that possesses the same great compassion, great courage, and great meritorious power as Namo Amituofo. This practice is based entirely on the Infinite Life Sutra, putting its teachings into action and adopting the Forty-eight Great Vows of Namo Amituofo as one's own. By following the instructions in the sutra, step by step, one must practise with steady, solid diligence.

Through this, one can truly let go of the home and abandon desires. Although he has not taken the formal robes of a monk, his fierce diligence has allowed him to rediscover his true self-nature. He can travel freely to and from the Western Pure Land and bring the spirits he has saved back to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This transcends the limitations of the monastic identity; it is a feat that goes far beyond.

A Call to Persevere

Originally, his life was destined to end at sixty. Yet, for the sake of the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings, he continues, at the age of eighty-one, to teach the fourfold assembly and save sentient beings. We hope that more practitioners—those who possess the same compassion, mind-capacity, and ability to endure suffering for the sake of others as Practitioner Su, and those who have reached Awakening—will emerge. We need those who can save beings, resolve their suffering, and carry on the Pure Land tradition, allowing Namo Amituofo to continue to abide at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

By keeping Namo Amituofo in this world, people and all kinds of creatures have the chance to be saved, to leave suffering behind, and even to chant the Buddha’s name to transcend this space and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Children, at this very moment, you are with Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, performing the work of saving the world and delivering beings. You must be able to endure the tests of the body, mind, and spirit—the interference from demons, the disturbance from sentient beings, and the manifestation of karma. If you can break through these tests, you will reach the moment of rapid achievement and Awakening.

Do not interrupt your practice. If you choose to leave, abandon your practice halfway, or seek other paths, it would be a tragedy beyond measure. The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is cared for by Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, Practitioner Su, and the Dragon and Heaven Dharma Protectors. We hope the fourfold assembly will soon practise diligently, realise their true nature, and join the Buddha in saving the world. When you return to the Western Pure Land, your lotus grade will be elevated. Such an opportunity is truly difficult to encounter in millions of years. The fourfold assembly must overcome these obstacles, let go of the self, and set aside physical sensations. Do not succumb to the control of demons or the disturbances of others. Only by passing the tests of the demons can you reach the time of Awakening.

Namo Amituofo