The Nature of Illusory Realms
Words of Namo Amituofo
Recorded by Venerable HaiZe on 25 March 2023
Teachings from Namo Amituofo, recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe, on the twenty-fifth of March, two thousand and twenty-three.
The Lure of the Pleasant Illusion
There are times when you encounter illusions that are deeply captivating. These realms appear to satisfy the deepest longings of your heart, filling the voids and deficiencies you feel within. They manifest exactly what you have been hoping for, creating a world so enticing that you become completely absorbed in it. You find yourself lost in this dream, unwilling to wake up, fearing that the moment the illusion fades, the comfort you feel will vanish along with it.
The Pain of Karmic Entanglement
Conversely, there are illusions that cause you immense suffering. You may desperately wish to wake up, hoping that the nightmare you are experiencing never truly happened, yet you find yourself unable to break free. Often, these painful realms are orchestrated by your and attached spirits who have come to seek balance for past grievances.
These spirits, existing as a spirit without a body, possess the power of the five supernatural faculties. They use these abilities to manifest the very pain you carry within your heart. They target the people or events you have not yet been able to see through and let go of. By doing so, they ensure your heart remains in turmoil, bringing forth endless suffering and preventing you from finding peace.
The Universal Illusion of the Six Realms
If you look at the six realms of rebirth, you must realise that they are all illusory. Whether it is the three higher realms of existence or the three lower realms, including the hells, all are merely manifestations of an illusion. This is because the six realms are subject to the laws of arising and ceasing; they come together due to Causal Conditions and disperse when those conditions are exhausted.
Even your current human body is part of this illusion. It is merely a temporary vessel, a false body formed by the combination of multiple and the four great elements. Everything you see before your eyes—every blade of grass, every tree, every person, and every event—is also subject to this same cycle. They gather when conditions are right and scatter when they are spent. They never remain in the same state, and once they pass, they are gone forever. They, too, are nothing more than an illusion.
Breaking Free from the Cycle
Beings trapped in the six realms of rebirth are dominated by . They spend their lives either collecting debts, repaying them, or seeking revenge for past harms. Within these illusory realms, you continue to sow causes and reap the fruits of your actions. You may fall into the hells, enduring the agony of extreme punishment, or, through the unwholesome actions of your Body, Speech, and Mind, you may invite demon crowds to interfere with your practice.
These demon crowds, driven by their desire to control, possess, and harm others, will eventually have to face the retribution of cause and effect. They will be drawn into realms of extreme cold, extreme heat, or absolute darkness to undergo the consequences of their actions. Everything is an illusion. Yesterday was an illusion, and today is an illusion; once they have passed, they can never be reclaimed.
A Call to
My children, have you gained any insight from these illusory realms? Will you continue to drift through this life, lost in the dream, or will you commit yourself to diligent practice? Will you seek the truth within the illusion and strive to rediscover your true, original nature— that is not an illusion and is capable of being the master of its own destiny?
Namo Amituofo
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