The Path of Repentance and True Cultivation

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

On the twenty-third of September, 2023, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offered these profound teachings to all practitioners.

The Personal Responsibility of Practice

My dear students, you must understand that the path of practice is, first and foremost, your own personal journey. While your teachers and Practitioner Su are here to supervise, encourage, and support you, their role is to guide you toward your own awakening. No matter how meticulously we care for you, or how perfect the environment we provide for your growth, the ultimate success of your practice depends on your own initiative.

We can help you identify your faults and shortcomings, but we cannot repent on your behalf. You must be the one to open your heart to the truth of your actions, take full responsibility for your past mistakes, and commit yourself to diligent practice with a sincere and unwavering heart. Only through this personal commitment can you find the opportunity to wash away your impurities, purify your spirit, and truly transform your karma.

The Virtue of Correcting One's Faults

There is a saying: to recognise a fault and then correct it is the greatest of all virtues. The only true danger in practice is the refusal to change. If you continue to cling to your old ways, you will inevitably continue to sow negative causes, which will lead to painful consequences. If you are truly seeking the path, if you truly wish to change your ways and rediscover your true self, then the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is indeed a precious land for your practice.

The Sacred Environment of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre

Because Namo Amituofo truly abides here, the laws of karma and cause and effect are both clear and swift. You must never harbour a heart of complacency or think that you can simply drift through your practice. If you hold onto such a casual attitude, you will find yourself creating negative causes that lead to suffering. It is a great tragedy to squander your precious life in this way. By failing to take your practice seriously, you risk polluting the very spirit that allows you to use this "temporary" body to find the "eternal" truth, and wasting the rare opportunity to walk alongside the Buddha, an encounter that is difficult to encounter in millions of years.

Understanding the Reality of Our Karmic Burden

You must realise that this physical body carries the weight of everything you have done in this life and in the past. You do not walk this path alone; you coexist with your karmic creditors, attached spirits, and demon crowds. It is a fundamental truth that we must share with everyone, so that all beings may understand the laws of karma and cause and effect. With this knowledge, you should be vigilant, guarding your speech and your actions with the utmost care.

Know that by sowing good causes, you will reap good fruit. Do not think of evil, do not speak of evil, and do not do evil. If you do, you will only attract more karma and cause your karmic creditors and other spirits to manifest, leading to further suffering for everyone involved. To recognise your faults and change your ways is the highest form of goodness. You must seize this precious opportunity in this lifetime to hear the Dharma, see your true nature and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Do not let this moment pass in vain. Namo Amituofo.