The Path to Enlightenment and True Spiritual Friends

May 18, 2019

As ordinary people, we have wandered through the six realms of rebirth for immeasurable and boundless lifetimes. Because of this long journey, our consciousness is deeply imprinted with the habits and personality traits of every realm we have inhabited. Even in this current life as a human, we often find ourselves, quite unconsciously, manifesting the heavy habits brought over from our past lives. Sometimes, we may even radiate the distinct characteristics or traits of a specific realm.

The Echoes of Past Lives

These imprints are not merely abstract concepts; they dictate how we interact with the world. Consider how these past experiences manifest in our current human existence: if one has recently transitioned from the ghost realm, they often carry a sense of greed that is significantly heavier than that of an average person. Those who have come from the animal realm often find their consciousness obscured, leading to habits of ignorance and a lack of clarity that exceed the norm. Individuals who have transitioned from the hells often carry a deep-seated sense of fear, anxiety, and profound insecurity within their hearts. Those coming from the asura realm are often prone to anger and irritability, making them difficult to get along with in social settings. Those who have transitioned from the celestial realms often carry an air of leisure and detachment, sometimes lacking the urgency required for serious practice.

Furthermore, if a specific personality trait was dominant during a previous life in the human realm, that same trait will naturally manifest again when we encounter similar external circumstances in this life. This phenomenon is clearly observable within a pure bodhimanda or a spiritual community.

Transcending the Ego

These personality traits and habits are devastating to one's spiritual practice. If the result of your practice—when weighed against your ignorance and karma—is that your personal habits continue to manifest frequently, it is a sign that your practice is not yet effective. You must return to the basics: repent, reflect, and improve. True practice is not about maintaining one's personality or habits. It is about selflessness, no-self, and the absence of deluded thoughts, all of which are in sync with your true self. Once you have realised your true nature, the Dharma is no longer fixed. When you are with different people in different situations, you will be able to teach according to their needs to help them. You will naturally manifest the appropriate words and actions, and you may even take on different roles to suit the situation, all while remaining perfectly in accordance with the Truth.

Because a true spiritual friend is free from the ego, selfishness, and deluded thoughts, they can see clearly into the problems and the Body-Mind-Spirit illnesses of others. Because they possess compassion and Wisdom, they can address these specific issues and lead the other person to face, improve, and resolve them. This is the precious value of a true spiritual friend. If this spiritual friend is also one who has realised their true nature, then it is truly the most fortunate of circumstances.

The Beacon of a True Spiritual Friend

A true spiritual friend can be anyone around you who speaks and acts with goodness. They may be someone of great virtue who has dedicated their life to serving others. They may be someone with profound compassion and Wisdom who can help resolve your doubts and take on great responsibilities. However, in the context of the Pure Land school, a true spiritual friend must be someone who can help everyone break through delusion, attain enlightenment, end the cycle of birth and death, and successfully be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The process of reclaiming your true self requires you to overcome your personality habits, evil tendencies, and wrong views before realising your true nature becomes possible. Therefore, the experiences of someone who has walked this path—everything they have done, seen, and heard—are incredibly precious. When combined with the inherent reactions and abilities that come with realising your true nature, they become the best possible spiritual guide.

A Living Guide in the Age of Decline

In this age of the Dharma’s decline, a person who has realised their true nature is rare and precious. Because our environment is so polluted and people carry such heavy spiritual obstacles, one must rely on a true spiritual friend and guide to reach a state of purity and goodness. One must practise diligently in a purified environment, accept various tests and trials, and constantly correct one's mistakes. Only by putting in this arduous effort can one have the opportunity to realise their true nature; it is truly not an easy task.

Practitioner Su is such a person. He has walked this path with constant vigilance. After thirty years of studying the Pure Land path, he has finally manifested his Dharma Body and is now able to perform Chao Du for immeasurable and boundless sentient beings, helping them be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The various abilities manifested through his Six Roots are the inherent capabilities of the true self, appearing naturally according to conditions. Everything he does and manifests is for the sake of saving beings. His presence in this human world is a blessing for all who seek the Truth of the true self, who are dedicated to the Pure Land, and who vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. He is a true spiritual friend and guide worthy of everyone’s respect and study.

Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su are right here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, a piece of the Western Pure Land on Earth. We invite you to come and see for yourself; you will surely gain much from your visit.

Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Shi Haiyuan.

Namo Amituofo