The Profound Benefits of Group Prostrations: Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju

(This image was created by the dedicated efforts of Lay Practitioner Hui Ying.)

Teachings from the Teacher
Chief Writer: Venerable HaiZe

June 9, 2023

Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offers these teachings:

To the fourfold assembly of disciples, have you yet come to fully realise the profound benefits of our weekly group prostrations held every Thursday evening from six to nine o'clock?

The Sacred Return of the Soul

Every Thursday morning, a sacred process takes place. Namo Amituofo and the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su personally invite the three hun souls and seven po souls of our disciples back into their physical bodies. To those who have not heard of such things, this may seem difficult to believe. However, at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, this is a regular occurrence. The purpose of this ritual is to ensure that the souls of the fourfold assembly remain firmly within their bodies, allowing the spirit to find peace and providing a stable foundation for your practice to grow.

The Radiance of Buddha-light

During our group prostrations on Thursday evenings, the bodies and minds of the fourfold assembly—along with all the sentient beings residing within them—are bathed in the Buddha’s light. This light carries the power of compassion, which works to transform the inner state of these beings. Through this, we see the following results:

• The hearts of the beings residing within us are softened.They become willing to resolve the conflicts and grievances of the past.As you rise from a prostration and look up to see the Buddha, these spirits are able to leave the body and enter the Buddha’s light.One by one, the karmic grievances you have held with these beings are finally resolved.

This process is a common sight for those who practise with sincere repentance. It is a visible manifestation of the inner work occurring during our collective practice.

The Salvation of Infant Spirits

We also witness many infant spirits who, upon seeing the infant spirit dwellings manifested by the Buddha’s light, are filled with immense joy. They leap with happiness as they depart from the bodies of our disciples and enter the Buddha’s light. This is truly the compassionate blessing and majestic power of the Buddha in action. It is a path that saves beings, helps them leave suffering behind, and guides them to rebirth in the Western Pure Land, bringing benefit to both the living and the deceased. Namo Amituofo.