The Path of Swift Correction

The Swift Path to Inner Renewal

In your practice at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, you must be diligent in your commitment to listen to sutras and hear the Dharma. After you receive reminders or instructions from Namo Amituofo, from your teacher, or from Practitioner Su, you will naturally become aware of your own faults and shortcomings. Once you recognise these faults, you must be able to change your ways; to correct them swiftly is the essence of the path. Each time you correct a fault and work to change your personality traits, you are performing a concrete act of purification. Regardless of the situation you find yourself in at this very moment, you must focus on immediate correction. Living in the present is the most important priority for any practitioner.

Releasing the Shadows of Yesterday

Do not look back at the past. There is no longer any need to dwell on who was right or who was wrong, or to debate who was at fault. Those things belong to a time that has already passed. Instead, focus entirely on your current situation and how you can apply the Dharma right now. If your practice is still tethered to the past, it will be very difficult for you to attain a pure heart. If you continue to hold onto thoughts of what has already happened, you are allowing those experiences to enter your consciousness and solidify into karma. Once these thoughts enter your consciousness, they will cause ripples in your heart. These ripples will stir up your karma, and when that karma manifests, it will inevitably disrupt both your practice and your daily life.

Awakening from the Dream of Illusion

Children, you must learn to look further ahead. Are you currently acting based on your fleeting feelings? If you act according to these illusions, you will never have a moment of clarity. You will remain trapped, continuously deceived by the illusory environment around you. You will lose your autonomy and find yourself living entirely within the sway of your emotions—your joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. If you are a practitioner, how can you expect to make progress if you are living within an illusory world? This illusory environment is a form of tainted karma. If you are constantly being polluted by these illusions, your Body-Mind-Spirit will suffer from the various miseries of life, such as ageing, sickness, and the inevitable hardships of the world. When will you finally be able to attain purity, awaken, and realise your true nature?

The Pure Light of the Buddha-name

You must learn to subdue your feelings. You must understand clearly that these feelings are merely illusory. Do not sink into the depths of your emotional states. Instead, you must swiftly sever these feelings, stop the emotional turbulence, and correct your faults immediately. To do this, you must live in the present moment and hold firmly to the Buddha-name. Keep the name of Namo Amituofo in your heart at all times. Use the pure, focused recitation of the Buddha-name to wash away the pollution brought about by your feelings and attachments. You are at a crossroads; make your choices wisely, and let the light of Namo Amituofo guide you back to the path of truth. Namo Amituofo.