Teachings from Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva
The Wisdom of Cherishing Blessings: An Interview with Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva
The Path to Buddhahood: An Interview with Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva
The Compassionate Call for Rain: An Interview with Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva
The Vastness of the Mind-Capacity
The Energy of Thoughts and the Energy of the Buddha-Name
Do Not Cling to Bodily Sensations
Interview with Gu Fangzhou (Chinese Virologist)
Interview with Li Yining (The Theoretical Founder of China's Shareholding System Reform)
Interview with Li Wenrui (Expert in Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Master of National Medicine)
Cells of Namo Amituofo
Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Shi Faxi, on the thirty-first of October, 2017.
Disciple Shi Faxi: I respectfully invite to guide me. What should I ask about today? I humbly request the Buddha's compassionate teachings.
Namo Amituofo: Mahasthamaprapta will provide teachings on the subject of karmic affinity.
Disciple Shi Faxi: I am deeply grateful for the Buddha's . I respectfully invite Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva to share these teachings. Namo Amituofo.
Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva: Karmic affinity is the invisible thread that weaves through the joys and sorrows of our existence. It manifests in moments of harmony and conflict, sometimes appearing as obvious waves of emotion, and at other times, as subtle, lingering that we cannot quite name. When we create our own destiny, we are naturally influenced by these karmic connections. This single word, affinity, pulls us through countless lifetimes, constantly shifting and changing in an uncertain world.
There is an irresistible gravitational pull that draws all beings together. Whether these encounters are physical or formless, they are always accompanied by the weight of past emotions. In the span of our individual lives, these connections sprout quietly. The wonder of this process is difficult to describe in words. Consider the following ways these connections manifest in our daily lives:
Whether these experiences are pleasant or painful, they are all linked to the causes and effects of our past . Under the influence of these connections, all things in this world are caught in a cycle of attraction and repulsion.
The power of karmic affinity is vast, stretching across lifetimes of love, hatred, and resentment. When we examine this closely, we realise that these connections are merely the turning of karmic seeds. If we continue to treat these affinities as purely worldly matters, we remain trapped. However, if we treat these connections as elements to be used within the power of , we can transform them into something magnificent.
By using these connections as a bridge and a medium for spreading the , we no longer need to engage with them in a worldly way. We can achieve a profound transformation of all our affinities. Instead of distinguishing between good and bad, we can use them to achieve the status of sages. By turning the wheel of the Dharma through these connections, we can transcend the mundane world. Karmic affinity can be your greatest aid, rather than a source of confusion.
We often discuss our relationships using the language of emotion, yet we remain unable to cross the threshold of life and death. This is because we are stained by the dust of the world. We wander through the six realms of rebirth for thousands of kalpas, tied in knots that we cannot untie, lost in the sleep of desire. Originally, affinity should be pure and indestructible. However, once it falls into the mundane world, it is recorded with false thoughts and delusions. It becomes difficult to maintain a straight path when we are caught in the cycle of karmic causes.
We must be wary of the following traps:
There is no such thing as a perfect worldly connection. Even if you weep until the seas run dry, these things are not real; they are illusions. The world is like a flower that cannot bloom for a hundred days; worldly happiness does not last forever, and even the deepest connections do not always reach a perfect conclusion.
When you realise that worldly affairs are ultimately empty, you can follow the flow of affinity without being trapped by it. If your body and mind are pure, you are no longer bound by these connections. To be without attachment is the true meaning of affinity. With pure wisdom, one can see that all beings are one with the Tathagata. If you do not see this, you are not yet a Buddha. When you see everything as a manifestation of affinity, and yet realise that there is nothing to grasp, you will understand that all beings share the same life. Why then do we worry about worldly connections? They arise only from a confused mind. In truth, the original nature is empty, and the true self abides in the state of suchness.
I urge you to cherish good affinities and avoid worldly states of mind. Do not let emotions pull you back into the cycle of suffering. Instead, focus on verifying the path to . Let your nature be true and real. By purifying the way you handle these connections, you will lead all those with whom you have an affinity to seek the supreme path. Namo Amituofo.
In this profound dialogue, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva offers guidance on the spiritual significance of the drought in Taiwan, the importance of cherishing our blessings, and how the compassionate intervention of Practitioner Su and the power of Namo Amituofo can restore harmony to the land.
Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva shares profound insights on the suffering of the world, the mission of Practitioner Su, and the vital importance of the Buddha-name in guiding all beings back to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva shares the profound significance of the collective prayer for rain at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, highlighting the power of the Buddha-name to nourish all sentient beings.
Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva offers profound guidance on the nature of mind-capacity, explaining how expanding our heart is the key to the Six Paramitas, the practice of Discipline and Precepts, and ultimately, the attainment of Buddhahood.
A candid reflection from the spirit of Elizabeth Taylor, who shares her journey from the blinding lights of Hollywood to the serene, transformative teachings of the Buddha in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Michael Jackson shares his journey from the pressures of global fame to the peace of the Western Pure Land, revealing the truth behind his life and his ultimate deliverance.
Helen Keller, the renowned deaf-blind philanthropist, shares her journey from the darkness of the ghost realm to the light of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, guided by the compassion of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su.
Albert Einstein, once considered the most brilliant mind in human history, reflects on his life, the nature of 'science' versus the Truth of the Dharma, and his existence in the Western Pure Land.
Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, reflects on his life, his political career, and his profound journey from the depths of hell to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss through the compassion of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su.
This is a record of an interview with Kim Il Sung, the founder and former leader of North Korea, who sought deliverance 32 years ago. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library