The Path to True Coolness and Freedom

April 22, 2019

The Mirage of Transient Pleasures

In the relentless pace of modern life, people often find themselves caught in a cycle of busyness and monotony. To cope with this, many seek various forms of leisure and recreation. They tell themselves that they need to relax, to take a holiday, or to experience a different way of living. They arrange travels, visit new tourist attractions, or explore unfamiliar sights, believing that these activities will bring them a sense of ease and freedom.

In reality, the sense of freshness and interest we feel during these activities arises only because we are encountering something new and previously unseen. We are driven by curiosity, wanting to try what we have not yet experienced, which temporarily masks our underlying feelings of fatigue and boredom. People constantly direct their hearts outward, chasing the changes in the external world to distract themselves. They exhaust their time and energy in this pursuit, hoping to find satisfaction, comfort, and joy from external sources. It is as if they are replenishing their strength, only to return to their original, unchanging lives, waiting for the next holiday to plan another trip as a reward for their hard work.

The Endless Wheel of Rebirth

Life is spent in this repetitive, circular motion. We continue this way until we become ill, grow old, and lose the strength to move. Eventually, we depart from this human world, ending this life only to be pulled back into the six realms of rebirth to face the destiny of our next life. Because people constantly seek satisfaction from the outside, their hearts are swayed by external conditions. When your heart follows the environment, you can never achieve true peace or satisfaction. You are merely following the currents of your karma and destiny, unable to change the course of your life.

From the perspective of the Buddha’s teachings, this precious human life and this physical body are meant for one purpose: to practise, to find your true self, and to attain the genuine coolness and freedom that naturally radiates from within your true self. It is not meant for drifting with the tide. No matter how busy or fulfilling your life may seem, or how much you reminisce about past travels, these are merely fleeting sensations. They leave behind memories that will eventually be washed away by time and the fading of your own recollection.

Unveiling the Treasure of the True Self

Most people are unaware that they possess a treasure—their own true self. They do not know how to look inward, so they continue to grasp and search outwardly. Even if you find what you desire in the external world, everything is subject to impermanence. It can only satisfy your needs and provide temporary happiness for a short while. Afterward, you must continue searching, for desires are endless, and the search never ceases. This is why the human world is constantly developing new static and dynamic forms of entertainment to satisfy the sense of emptiness in people's hearts.

Only by finding your true self can you attain true coolness and freedom. Your true self is constant and unmoving; it does not change with the shifts in external environments, people, or events. You can reach a state where the environment follows your heart, rather than your heart being moved by the environment. Although your body may be in this world to teach and save beings, your spirit and true self remain constantly in the meditative concentration of eternal joy, true self, and purity. This is the great cultivation of true practice.

The Great Cultivation of Wisdom

Once you have found your true self, you will possess an inexhaustible source of compassion, wisdom, virtue, and auspicious characteristics. You will be content wherever you are, without the need to seek anything externally. This inner treasure is yours, available at any time and in any place. Such lightness and freedom are attainable by everyone. However, because of the pollution of confusion and spiritual obstacles accumulated over accumulated lifetimes, people have become lost in the ocean of karma. Their true self has been covered up, unable to manifest. To reclaim your true self, you must put in the necessary effort. This is the primary purpose of learning the Buddha’s teachings.

There is an ancient saying that perfectly captures this: "You may wear out your iron shoes searching, only to find that it required no effort at all." This means that you may travel across mountains and rivers, searching everywhere for your original face, only to fail. It is only when you have a sudden "Aha!" moment of awakening that you realise your true self was never found outside; it has always been present within your own heart.

Returning Home to the Fragrant Light

Under the leadership of Practitioner Su, everything we do at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is intended to help everyone reach the state of an awakened being as soon as possible. You must listen, be humble, and learn with an open heart. In the process of learning, you must seek your own moments of insight. Day by day, bit by bit, these small awakenings will accumulate into a great Awakening. By putting these teachings into practice, you will surely reach the day when you realise your true self.

Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.