The Path of Spiritual Breakthrough

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable Fa Hui.

7 November 2025

Beyond the Constraints of Worldly Knowledge

Worldly knowledge is acquired through study, yet it is always constrained by scope, objectives, and various limitations. In the world, we often focus our efforts on academic achievements, career advancement, interpersonal relationships, or the enhancement of our personal capabilities. However, we must realise that these pursuits are fundamentally centred on the self. Every breakthrough we seek in the mundane world is ultimately for the benefit of the ego.

The Sacred Art of Letting Go

In contrast, spiritual practice—the path that appears in the world to guide us beyond it—requires us to put in the work within our own hearts. What is a true breakthrough? It is the act of letting go of the defensive walls we build around our hearts. It is the conscious decision to abandon the mental notes and behaviours that we use to protect ourselves from perceived harm. When you truly let go of the I, you enter the state of no-self.

Purifying the Vessel of the Spirit

If our Body-Mind-Spirit has not undergone thorough purification, we remain in a state of contamination. Within this state of impurity, we cannot see the truth of reality clearly, and we remain beings trapped in the six realms of rebirth. Our spirits are constantly fluctuating; there is the possibility of falling into the three evil realms, just as there is the opportunity to ascend to the three realms of goodness.

Transcending the Loom of Karma

As long as we are reincarnated between falling and rising, we are not yet liberated. We remain beings dominated by karma, our lives woven together by the threads of our own actions, mental notes, and karmic forces, manifesting as one lifetime after another. Before one reaches Awakening, the heart is merely a heart of karma. The self that we work so hard to protect is itself a product of this karma.

The Radiant Path to True Self

If you can change your personality traits—even to the point of having no fixed personality at all—you have achieved a true breakthrough. This is what we call the ability to transform karma. When you continue to break through, life is no longer dominated by karma. You are no longer a being defined by karmic forces, nor are you subject to the demands of karmic creditors. Instead, you are able to rediscover your true self and live a new life.

This breakthrough does not happen by chance; it requires you to put in the work. For the practitioner, the purification of the Body-Mind-Spirit is an indispensable process. Once purified, your natural abilities will manifest, and your spirit will be elevated. Practice is a continuous process of see through and let go, leading eventually to Awakening and the attainment of Buddhahood.

Namo Amituofo