The Path to Buddhahood: Teachings from Bodhisattva Ashvaghosha

The Sacred Intent of Spiritual Practice

The fundamental purpose of all spiritual practice is to achieve liberation and leave suffering behind. What we truly hope for in our practice is to reach a state of clarity, awakening, and the realisation of our true self. Throughout their lives, many practitioners pursue their path with specific goals in mind. Some come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre seeking healing for their physical ailments, while others wish to find psychological balance. Some are in search of the ultimate Truth, and others possess a genuine, noble aspiration to spread the Dharma and save the world. Every individual arrives here with a unique motivation, and it is through these diverse intentions that we gather to engage in purification and practice.

Every spiritual journey begins with a set of Causal Conditions. Perhaps you met a certain person, or perhaps you encountered a specific set of circumstances that led you here. These Causal Conditions are interconnected, guiding those with the right affinity into the magnificent Pure Land. You may wonder why practice at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre leads to such different achievements. This, too, is a matter of Causal Conditions, for this environment is deeply connected to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Unveiling the Shadows Within the Heart

In this world, there are countless people engaged in spiritual practice. Like you, they all have their own goals and aspirations. They search for the path, they pursue the path, and they hold onto their own visions of what practice should be. Some seek success in their spiritual endeavours, some desire liberation from suffering, some wish for better health, and others simply want to escape the harsh realities of the world. Within these varied motivations, some possess a truly sincere heart for practice. However, there are also complex, hidden layers of motivation that cloud the mind. Why is it that so many cannot achieve a state of pure practice? The reason lies in the fact that their initial motivation is not entirely simple or selfless.

What is the ultimate goal of your practice? If you can honestly say that your only desire is to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, your heart is indeed purer than most. Yet, even this is not enough to achieve full success if it lacks a truly sincere heart. Although you may seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land, if your motivation is purely for your own sake—if you only want to save yourself and leave your own suffering behind—then your heart lacks the necessary mind-capacity. Without compassion, without seeing the suffering of all other beings, your practice cannot be considered truly authentic. You cannot achieve genuine liberation while holding onto the self. If your practice remains rooted in selfishness, if your chanting of Namo Amituofo is done only for your own benefit, then such practice is merely an illusion. A worldly, self-centred heart cannot lead to the attainment of Buddhahood.

The Radiant Path of Selfless Compassion

We must uncover the truth of our practice. What in this world can truly be called a pure heart? I do not say this to criticise, but because I, Ashvaghosha, wish for all practitioners to wake up. The world of spiritual practice is in great chaos, and without a truly sincere heart, how can one possibly achieve success? Practice should not be for your own sake alone. It must be rooted in a genuine, selfless heart, free from the entanglements of personal emotion and false intentions. If you cannot let go of yourself, even if you focus all your energy on seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land, you may still encounter misunderstandings, tests, and obstacles that reveal the superficiality of your practice.

No test or challenge should ever affect your dedication to the path. If you find yourself shaken by these trials, it is a sign that your heart has not yet truly entered the path of genuine practice. The most important task upon coming into this world is to find your true self, rather than continuing to be disturbed by the fleeting concerns of the world—things you cannot take with you when you leave. You must adjust your mindset. Do not seek to gain anything for this physical body. Instead, you must focus entirely on your practice, rediscover your true nature, and cultivate a great vow of compassion to save all beings.

The Sanctuary of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre

Why is the practice at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre considered authentic? It is because everyone here must focus solely on practice, on rediscovering their original nature, and on saving beings. There is no room for thoughts of the self. Even your own body should be treated as an offering to be given away. You must sever your ties to worldly emotions, wealth, and status. Furthermore, you must cut off the attachments of the body—its sensations, its desires, and the influence of the Six Dusts. None of these worldly things should be allowed to cling to you.

Pure practice requires a pure body and a pure spirit. It requires a state of purification where there are no obstacles before or after, where you have karmic affinity with the world but no worldly attachments. When we speak of the character of the heart, we must have a vast mind-capacity. We must be free of the ego, truly breaking through the limitations of space to practise, to find the Dharma Body, and to find the true self. This is what we call true, pure practice.

The Weight of Responsibility and the Laws of Karma

How does this differ from the rest of the world? The most important difference is the absence of worldliness. You are no longer practising just for the sake of practising. Everything you do is for the purpose of realising your true nature. Anything that prevents this realisation must be removed. When you encounter things you cannot easily let go of, you must exert your full effort to change and break through. This is a level of practice that people of the world can hardly imagine. It is about truly finding yourself, for every person possesses infinite potential that can be unleashed. Only then will you have the strength to save the world. Practice cannot exist without a heart that seeks to save others, for you must save beings who suffer just as you once did. If you are unwilling to save others, your practice is merely a facade; it is not a genuine expression of the heart, and it remains trapped in the worldly realm.

Today, I have spoken much about the difference between true practice and worldly pursuits. I ask you to reflect: is your practice truly authentic? What is the purpose of your practice? If you remain trapped in worldly concerns, you will not be able to achieve success. Practice is a process of examining the truth, examining your own heart, and examining your own actions.

If you only perform the outward appearances of practice without doing the work of true cultivation, especially if you are a high-ranking monastic who receives the respect and offerings of the world, you bear a heavy responsibility. If you do not achieve success in your practice, you will find it difficult to escape the consequences of your actions. The selfless support and Generosity of others must be used entirely for the sake of Goodness. If you harbour other intentions, or if you waste the sincerity of those who support you, it means your practice has failed to lead beings to rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is a violation of the Buddha’s teachings and a heavy karmic debt that you must bear.

Practice is also governed by the laws of karma and cause and effect. Every action you take must follow the Truth. If there is even a hint of insincerity, the laws of karma will account for it clearly, and you will have to make amends. While you may enjoy the conditions provided for your practice, you must fulfil the most basic requirement: to achieve success, to rediscover your true nature, and to save others so they may be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

It is not easy to practise in this world, but it is essential that you do so. Find yourself, so that this life will not have been lived in vain. Only true practice is real. If you do not practise truly, you will only accumulate more karmic stains than ordinary people. I hope that everyone will learn to follow the Buddha with a sincere heart. The Buddha’s teachings are magnificent, and your practice should lead to true awakening. Pay attention to every thought and ensure that every action is verified by the Truth. You must find your breakthrough and rediscover your achievement; only then will you not have wasted this human life. I hope you all practise diligently, become a Buddha, and find the path back to the shore of liberation.

Namo Amituofo.

Ashvaghosha