The Journey to Ordination: Dharma Master Haize’s Path to Enlightenment

A Life of Quiet Order

I grew up in an ordinary environment, often described by adults as a well-behaved and obedient child. I was the type of person who did not require much supervision, as I naturally took responsibility for the tasks that were expected of me. From the time I began primary school, I never needed an adult to wake me up. It was as if I possessed an internal, automatic alarm clock; when the time arrived, I would simply wake up, ready to prepare for the school day. Like everyone else, I navigated the endless cycle of studying and examinations. After graduation, I entered the workforce, navigating the typical path of interviews and professional life. I spent my years balancing the demands of my career and my family. Time passed swiftly, and as I look back, I realise how fleeting life truly is. I experienced the full spectrum of life's flavours—the sweet, the sour, the bitter, and the spicy. Today, those experiences have drifted away like clouds and mist, leaving behind only the clarity of the present moment.

The Awakening of the Heart

My true journey into Buddhism began when I encountered the Pure Land Dharma Gate. Every week, I would take half a day off from my work to attend lectures on the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. Learning the Buddha's teachings was a vibrant and practical experience. I discovered that by listening to the sutras, one could actually find one's way back to one's true self.

In my home, I had long worshipped an image of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. Even before I formally encountered the Pure Land Dharma Gate, I would often kneel before the Bodhisattva with palms pressed together, and I would receive messages from her. At first, I wondered if it was merely an illusion, but that thought quickly vanished. These messages were so gentle and profound that they resolved the various problems I was facing. It was a form of spiritual communication that required no sound, tone, or expression. It felt like a spring breeze brushing against me, with the water of the Dharma washing away the dust and grime from my body, mind, and spirit. It was only through listening to the sutras that I came to understand Namo Amituofo and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. With the permission of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, I replaced the image with one of Namo Amituofo, as my karmic conditions had finally matured. I began to receive messages from Namo Amituofo, and everything proceeded with such natural ease. Namo Amituofo is like a compassionate father, and the Dharma sound flows through every detail of my daily life. His simple words are a perfect fusion of compassion and wisdom.

Unveiling the Truth of Karma

Under the suggestion of Practitioner Su, I compiled my dialogues with the Buddha into a book titled Modern Buddha Quotes. The content is accessible and grounded, avoiding overly obscure language. It contains the familiar details of our daily lives, teaching us how to face and resolve our challenges. It also includes many true records of individuals who have achieved rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. If you have the karmic affinity, you are welcome to request a copy.

At Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, which was originally a place for secluded practice, we have created a space for everyone to cultivate stillness and rediscover their original nature. Because Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre has successfully performed Chao Du for countless spirits, helping them reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, a new chapter has begun. Before this, Practitioner Su had been practising for thirty years. She possessed the ability to invite the spiritual attachments and karmic creditors residing within practitioners to come forward. She could resolve their grievances and lead these beings to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, rather than leaving them to drift in space, where they might eventually return to the body of the host. At that time, I participated in these sessions as a lay practitioner. Through one session after another, I learned about my own past lives. I realised that after being reborn, I had forgotten my past, but everything was stored within my Alaya consciousness—within the very cells of my body. My background in this life seemed simple, yet through the complaints of my karmic creditors, I learned the truth of cause and effect. The surgery I underwent on my lower back was one of the fruits of this karma. I learned that in my past lives, I had been subject to greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and doubt, as well as wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep. I had also been a monk, dedicating my life to the Buddha's gate, experiencing both Compassion, Joy, and Selfless Giving as well as arrogance and self-importance, accumulating merit while also creating enemies and karma. These were not just Buddhist terms or words in a confession text; they were real events that had played out in my past. The people and situations I encountered in this life were all individuals I had met before, entangled in past grievances and debts. It is hard to believe, yet it is undeniably true. Seeing the truth is not easy, but one must face it and adjust one's mindset to escape the karma of birth, aging, sickness, death, and the cycle of rebirth.

The Process of Deep Purification

The process of learning and chanting Namo Amituofo is a profound transformation, not merely a superficial change. Changing one's personality and habits is not something that can be achieved through words alone; it requires testing and tempering to see if one has truly changed. This is not an immediate process, as the depths of the heart still hold the habits of the past. These are not the parts of yourself you recognise in this life, but they are unearthed during the process of inviting spirits and through the clear vision of Practitioner Su. These are all forms of pollution that lie dormant, manifesting in subtle, unintended ways to obstruct our clarity and freedom. They are the primary causes of the karma we created in the past. These layers of impurity must be washed away one by one. We must repent, change our ways, and resolve our grievances with our karmic creditors. Only by following the Buddha's teachings can we truly take charge of our lives and reclaim our original nature.

The Mission of Ordination

Following the great compassion of Namo Amituofo, who leads all beings from the highest levels of attainment down to the hells, Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre works to save infinite suffering beings and lead them to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Our diligent practice has moved Namo Amituofo to truly abide at our temple, transforming it into Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. The transmission of the Buddha's great Dharma is my mission as an ordained monk. I vow to lead all beings with karmic affinity directly to the Western Pure Land. By shaving my head and receiving the Precepts, I have established a great vow of compassion, cultivating virtue and purity, so that I may lead others to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and unfold a completely different meaning to life. The existence of my body and life is no longer for my secular self. The suffering of sentient beings is immense, and my achievement in practice is for the sake of saving the Dharma lineage. This includes the more than fifty trillion cells in my body, which are also manifestations of beings with whom I have had karmic affinity. The transmission of the Pure Land teachings must be validated through right faith and right understanding in Buddhist education in this modern era. As a member of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, I hope that everyone can rediscover their original nature. Let us turn the Dharma ship together, for Namo Amituofo is guiding us toward the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. He is pure and dignified, wishing to descend into this world. I hope all beings can leave behind their impurities and return to their original state, seeing the true Buddha's teachings. Karmic conditions manifest at any moment and are constantly slipping away. The physical body will die due to the limitations of life, but the spirit that has always accompanied us does not die. By learning the Buddha's teachings before the body dies, we can elevate our spirits, achieve purification, and transform our cells. After death, the spirit must also be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss to avoid the suffering of the cycle of rebirth and attain ultimate liberation.

A Call to the Path

The magnificent sound of the Dharma has opened the doors of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. We welcome all beings, protecting them with compassion, and inviting them to join the Dharma ship as we sail directly to the West. Through the magnificent sound of the Dharma, one can learn the Buddha's teachings, avoid illness, and find one's true self and original nature. If you are already suffering from illness, the infinite power and light of Namo Amituofo will shine upon you with compassion, encouraging all spirits within you to resolve their grievances and settle their karmic debts. Through this great Dharma, those who truly practise can avoid illness and death, allowing their spirits to find peace and stability. I hope that all beings can return to their original state, free from illness and death, as we sail together on the Dharma ship.

The karmic conditions at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre are truly magnificent. With Namo Amituofo personally leading us, this is an opportunity difficult to encounter in millions of years. I am moved to tears of joy and am filled with gratitude for the Buddha's compassion. As long as you follow the teachings, Namo Amituofo is the best psychologist you could ever have. With endless gratitude, Namo Amituofo!