Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded and transcribed by ’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
On this day, the thirtieth of May, 2025, during the third session of the , Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offered these essential teachings regarding the nature of the hidden and the manifested in our practice.
The Dangers of an Unsettled Mind
The concepts of the hidden and the manifested are deeply intertwined with the state of your heart and the quality of your practice. When your faith in the Buddha is not yet firm, your heart remains unsettled. Because your heart is not yet anchored, it is easily swayed by the shifting conditions of the world. You find yourself influenced by external environments, internal physical sensations, fleeting thoughts, and the habitual patterns of your . When your practice is subject to such variables, it becomes vulnerable to external interference. In such states, you are not yet ready to manifest the full power of your true nature.
The Necessity of Restraint and Purification
In these moments of instability, it is wise to adopt the path of the hidden. This means you must actively restrain your Six Roots. You should remain silent, listen carefully, and be receptive to the teachings of Namo Amituofo, the guidance of your Teacher, and the instructions of Practitioner Su. This is a time for deep, internal work. You must focus on the purification of your body, heart, and spirit, the purification of your body, speech, and mind, and the purification of your Six Roots. By turning your attention inward, you protect your practice from the turbulence of the outside world.
The Foundation of Daily Practice
Prostrations, chanting the name of Namo Amituofo, and reciting the Sutras are your fundamental daily lessons. You must be diligent and persistent in these practices, never allowing your efforts to slacken. If you are truly able to chant, you will find yourself chanting Namo Amituofo all the way, twenty-four hours a day, without interruption. If your faith in the Buddha is genuine, your confidence will never retreat. By diligently practising , Concentration and Wisdom, you will naturally extinguish the of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt.
Transcending to Reach
If you truly wish to dedicate your deep heart to the service of all beings across the universe, you must be willing to offer this body in the service of the . You must follow the path of Namo Amituofo, your Teacher, and Practitioner Su in the work of saving yourself and saving others. This requires you to let go of your physical sensations, your personal , your own ideas, and your own ways of doing things. You must be able to subdue and halt the delusions, discriminations, and attachments that cloud your mind. When you can live without the weight of the past or the anxiety of the future, and instead focus entirely on the present moment—chanting Namo Amituofo all the way—you will find that you can communicate with Namo Amituofo and Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju. You will be able to open up space, visit the beings of other realms, and write memorial tablets for those in need.
The Manifested State of True Wisdom
Even when you reach these states, you must continue to restrain your Six Roots; do not become complacent. Before you have fully severed the Five Poisons and the —wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep—and before you have successfully transformed your , you remain susceptible to being turned by circumstances and pulled by conditions, which can lead to a retreat in your practice. You must cultivate meditative concentration. When you face any situation, remain unmoved. By staying in this state of stillness and keeping your chanting continuous, you will eventually reach Awakening. Only then will your true nature be fully manifested. Namo Amituofo.
