The Infinite Vow to Save All Beings

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable Fa Hui.

My children, to practise is to embark upon the path of liberation, first to save yourself, and then to extend that salvation to all beings. You must understand that you are not merely a single individual. You are a universe unto yourself, and within your own body, you carry a vast multitude of beings that are also in need of salvation.

The Universe Within

Your physical form is a vessel for countless lives. When you look at yourself, you must realise that you are composed of:

• Cells:
• The countless microscopic lives that make up your physical form.Karmic Creditors:
• Those to whom you owe debts from past lifetimes.Attached Spirits:
• Beings who have attached themselves to your energy field.Demon Crowds: Negative influences that seek to lead you away from the path.

To save others, you must first save yourself. To awaken others, you must first awaken yourself. If you have not yet achieved self-liberation and self-awakening, how can you possibly possess the capacity to guide others toward the same goal?

The True Meaning of Awakening

What does it mean to be awakened? It is to deeply understand the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. It is to reach a state of profound clarity where you finally attain Buddhahood. If you have not yet realised your true nature in this lifetime, you have not even begun to save yourself, let alone others. How, then, can you speak of saving beings?

The Boundless Scope of Compassion

The beings you are called to save are not limited to those you see with your physical eyes. Beyond the people, animals, and insects that inhabit our world, there are immeasurable and boundless beings that exist in other dimensions, as well as the very elements of the earth itself:

• Nature:
• The spirits of flowers, grasses, trees, and forests.The Earth:
• The very dust, sand, soil, and stone that form the foundation of our world.Invisible Realms: The countless beings residing in spaces that remain hidden from our physical sight.

When you consider the sheer scale of this, you will realise that the work of saving beings truly never ends. If you are not yet diligent in your practice and have not yet reached the state of an awakened being, how can you justify any moment of laziness, hesitation, or self-forgiveness?

Resolving the Past

Within your own body, many of the karmic creditors, attached spirits, and demon crowds are actually your past family members or those with whom you shared deep bonds. However, even more of them are beings with whom you have created enmity through your own confusion, ignorance, and indulgence in the Five Desires and the Six Dusts. You have not yet done enough to repent for these past actions and resolve the conflict with them. How, then, could you possibly justify creating new sins and forming new enmities?

A Call to Action for Hsiang Kuang Students

Students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, you must seize this precious time to resolve your karmic debts. You must look within and reflect upon your own actions. Start by changing your ways thoroughly. With the assistance of the Buddha and Practitioner Su, you will be able to resolve these conflicts and invite these spirits to undergo Chao Du. This is the only true way to save yourself and to save others.

Continue to resolve these conflicts. Continue to invite spirits for Chao Du. Do not stop. The suffering of beings is endless. How can you bear to seek the satisfaction of your own desires, thereby creating new sins and dragging both yourself and these beings into a deep abyss of suffering from which it is difficult to escape? You must learn to stop your wandering mind and cease your negative actions. Save yourself first, and only then will you be able to save others. The work of saving beings never ends.

Namo Amituofo