The Heavy Responsibility and the Long Road Ahead

The Weight of a Sacred Mission

When one carries a heavy responsibility, one must endure great effort and walk a long, arduous path. This is the essence of the mission to transmit the Buddha’s teachings, a duty shaped by the expectations and hopes of our predecessors and all suffering beings. The transmission of the Dharma is not a light task; it is a profound commitment that requires unwavering dedication and a heart that beats in unison with the Buddhas.

The Pure Land Dharma Gate is a path of pure essence. Only through the act of Awakening can one truly manifest the Ultimate Vow of Namo Amituofo. Today, many people chant the name of the Buddha, yet their hearts and minds remain distant from the Buddha’s heart and the Buddha’s vows. It is truly a pity, for without this alignment, it is difficult to obtain the true, transformative benefits of Buddha-recitation. The Pure Land path is the supreme method for transcending the cycle of rebirth and the suffering of life and death. Although the holy name of Namo Amituofo is widely known in the human world and easily spoken by many, those who can truly enter into the infinite compassion and vows of Namo Amituofo are few indeed.

The Obstacles to True Practice

To understand the essence of the Pure Land path, one must focus on single-minded recitation, allowing the name to enter the heart directly. However, those who can maintain a pure, unstained mind are limited. Many practitioners find it difficult to withstand the obstacles that arise when their past karma manifests at the time of death. This is precisely why, in this Dharma-ending age, although there are many who study the Pure Land path, those who successfully achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss are so rare.

The key points of Pure Land practice extend beyond Faith, Vows, and Practice; they require deep purification and the cultivation of a compassionate mind. Under the guidance of Practitioner Su, the students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre have experienced many inconceivable events. They should, therefore, clearly understand the earnestness of Namo Amituofo’s heart to save the world and the brilliance of His skillful means. Sentient beings are immeasurable and boundless, and the work of saving them and guiding them to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss never ceases.

The Eternal Work of Compassion

Saving beings requires us to seize the causal conditions of the present moment while maintaining a long-term vision. It is not only those with whom we have a direct connection in this life who need to hear the Dharma and be nurtured by it. The countless spirits residing in the space around us are also participants in listening to the teachings. They are all beings who can be saved, and they are all beings who can save. By continuously listening to the sutras, they can receive the subtle influence of the Dharma, which has the power to transform even the most stubborn and hardened spirits.

Suffering is the flavour of the human world. We experience suffering in our bodies, our minds, and our spirits, yet we often do not recognise this suffering, nor do we know how to leave it behind. As long as we remain within the six realms of existence, we cannot escape the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death. We drift and wander in the cycle of rebirth. Because the number of sentient beings is endless, the suffering of this cycle is also endless. Only the Buddha’s teachings can rescue us from this plight. As the saying goes, if the Buddha’s teachings are not explained by someone, even the wisest person cannot understand them. This is why the transmission of the Dharma is so vital.

The Tools for Awakening

By following the teachings of Namo Amituofo, we rely on the holy name of Namo Amituofo, the Infinite Sutra, and the Thrice Yearning Ceremony for Chao Du to open up space, rediscover our true self, and reclaim our original nature. Only then do we possess the ability to save ourselves and others, fulfilling our heavy responsibility and walking the long road ahead.

The Buddha’s teachings are currently in a state of decline, and sentient beings are in desperate need of education. They must understand the laws of karma and cause and effect, the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, and they must come to know Namo Amituofo and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. However, there are few people who can truly lecture on the sutras and spread the Dharma. Therefore, it is necessary to cultivate monastics and lay disciples who can spread the Dharma through their own conduct and bring peace to the hearts of the people. If the teachings provided emerge from the ocean of one’s own true nature, they are truly magnificent and precious.

The Power of a Pure Mind

Words that are spoken with the ability to observe the capacity of the listener can often break through barriers, point out the source of confusion, and lead people to Awakening. Such teachings allow them to face life and death without fear, with a clear goal in mind: rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Those who spread the Dharma must carry the responsibility of saving beings on their shoulders. To dedicate this body, mind, and spirit to the service of all beings, to be selfless and without ego—this is the way of a disciple of the Buddha, walking the long road ahead with a heavy responsibility.

In modern society, the Buddha’s teachings are often decorated to appear solemn and dignified, which makes people feel peaceful for a time. However, this peace lasts only for that brief moment. When people return to the influence of the Five Desires and the Six Dusts, they face the world of rebirth and fall back into their original ways of living. That previous moment of peace was merely a temporary purification; soon, they are stained once again. In this way, the filth of the mind remains forever. When will it ever be washed clean?

Learning from the Example of Cunda

In the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, there was a disciple named Cunda. He had a poor memory and was often slow to learn. He would hear a sentence, remember the first two words, and forget the last two. Because of this, he was often disregarded and mocked by others. Later, because Shakyamuni Buddha taught him according to his capacity, he was instructed to chant the phrase, "Sweep away the dust and remove the filth," continuously, twenty-four hours a day. He naturally realised that this referred to the filth within his own heart and body. By sweeping away this dust and removing the filth, he attained purification and eventually reached Awakening. If the students of our Centre can be as pure and single-minded as Cunda, without any messy thoughts or delusions, and if they can chant the name of Namo Amituofo without interruption, twenty-four hours a day, they will surely receive the blessings of the Buddha and find their way back to their true self.

The True Vitality of the Dharma

True Buddha’s teachings can purify the heart again and again, and the dust and filth are purified along with it. One comes to understand that this dust and filth are also the result of karmic actions from past lives, and that these dust-beings are also sentient beings. Once this is understood, the light of the heart, which has been covered for so long, is revealed because the dust-beings have been purified to a state of flawless clarity. Some of these dust-beings are even sent to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This allows the light of the heart to manifest, sweeping away all impurities and allowing every cell in the body to regain its vitality. One can breathe freely, and the body becomes crystal clear. Everything is understood with clarity, and one integrates with the heavens and the earth, with all things in existence. One can converse with flowers, trees, white clouds, and the blue sky; one understands their hearts. This is the manifestation of the "One-Body View." Everything is naturally as it is. This is the appearance of Awakening, where the true self naturally manifests. This is the true vitality of the Buddha’s teachings.

Everyone has become accustomed to accepting a decorated version of the Buddha’s teachings, and they can no longer see the original, pure, and natural true nature. Therefore, the teachings that are produced fail to reveal this nature. They are merely imitations that have lost the vitality of the true Dharma, making it difficult to attain Awakening or reveal one’s true self. Because the true self is naturally a part of the natural world, it resonates with nature. When it manifests within nature, it is lively, flexible, free, and able to gather the mind. It can penetrate through stained thoughts and decorated hearts, leaving people shocked and moved. This is the true Buddha’s teachings.

The Responsibility of Hsiang Kuang

Restoring the true face of the Buddha’s teachings through Awakening is the shared responsibility of all monastics. Today, the students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre are tasked with transmitting exactly this kind of Dharma. It points directly to the human heart; it is not packaged, but natural. By teaching according to the capacity of each individual, those who receive the teachings can find their true self. One person teaches another, and the ability to converse with Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the ancestral masters is not a myth, but the manifestation of the natural abilities of the true self. Relying on this natural ability, one can further save sentient beings from suffering. The Pure Land Dharma Gate is a two-power method; Namo Amituofo will certainly bless the students and help their karmic creditors be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

This heavy responsibility of changing the way Buddhist education is delivered is the duty of the students of Hsiang Kuang. Because these students have grown under the teachings of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, they have learned to converse with the Buddha and with nature. Consequently, their true self has manifested, and they are now able to save sentient beings, guiding them to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and bearing witness to the Western Land.

The students have accepted this responsibility, injecting a new vitality into the Pure Land path that resonates with the natural world. They walk the long road ahead, carrying this heavy responsibility with every step.

This message was recorded by the Buddha’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.