The Necessity of Diligent Practice

As we journey through life, the passing years bring a multitude of encounters. With each day, our consciousness and our Six Roots become increasingly clouded by the dust of this world. If you have entered the Buddha’s gate with the intention of removing these defilements and achieving spiritual success, or if you truly wish to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, you must understand that this requires diligent effort.

The Weight of Worldly Experience

As we age, we accumulate a vast array of worldly impressions. Because we have spent so long interacting with the world, our Six Roots have become heavily stained. To return to our original nature, we must acknowledge that this accumulation is a heavy burden that obscures our clarity.

Purifying the Body, Mind, and Spirit

To make progress, you must focus on the purification of your Body-Mind-Spirit. This involves several essential practices: protecting your physical form from being misled by external material desires; guarding against the pull of emotional attachments; and understanding that all worldly phenomena are merely Causal Conditions—they arise and cease. You must maintain the Precepts strictly, ensuring your body does not engage in improper actions and your heart does not become entangled in worldly affairs. When you can prevent your heart and spirit from being led astray, you will purify your body, mind, and spirit simultaneously. Once this is achieved, the innate power of your Six Roots will manifest, allowing you to see the truth of reality clearly.

The Guidance of a True Spiritual Friend

While your Six Roots remain clouded by dust and your sense of self is still strong, you must rely on the guidance of a true spiritual friend. This is vital because a true spiritual friend has already realised the truth of reality. By following their instructions, you can avoid committing errors or creating negative karma, prevent yourself from becoming stagnant in your practice, and steer clear of the pitfalls of wrong knowledge and incorrect views.

The Path to Awakening

If you are able to devote your full strength to following these instructions, you will find that your growth accelerates rapidly. You will be able to remove defilements and attain purity, moving closer to the day when you realise your true nature. This is the path to becoming an awakened being. Namo Amituofo.