The Return Journey to the Land of the Golden Lotus

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

The Call of the Compassionate Father

You are like a traveler who has wandered far from home, lost on a long and weary path. Yet, know this: the compassionate Father, Namo Amituofo, is waiting for you At Hsiang Kuang: A Sacred Sanctuary. The sound of the Buddha-name chanting calls out to you in every moment, echoing through the void. It is a gentle, persistent summons, hoping to awaken the lost child within you and guide you back to the path of return, so that you may enter the sanctuary of Hsiang Kuang and find your way home.

The Illusions of the Wandering Path

In this state of being lost, you are surrounded by countless illusions. The world is filled with sights and sounds that captivate your senses, drawing your attention away from the Truth. You mistake your every thought and intention for reality, clinging to these fleeting experiences as if they were permanent. Because of this, you remain trapped within the cycle of Aging, sickness, and death, suffering under the weight of these inevitable burdens.

The wealth, status, and fame you may possess are merely the fruits of your cultivation from past lives. You must understand that you must accumulate Goodness and blessings while you still have the opportunity. When your breath stops, all these worldly attachments will vanish, becoming entirely empty. Your spirit will then carry the heavy burden of your accumulated karma into the cycle of being reincarnated, drifting once more into the vast ocean of suffering.

The Urgency of True Cultivation

Within this cycle, you may encounter those you once knew and loved, but they have been transformed by their own karmic conditions and the causes and effects, and you no longer recognise who they are. You wander through the six realms of existence without end. When will you finally awaken and leave this cycle of samsara behind? The time you have in this human body passes in the blink of an eye. You must engage in diligent practice to purify your Six Roots.

You must come to understand the karmic conditions and the causes and effects that govern your life. Use this temporary, physical existence for True Cultivation, so that you may see their true nature. Do not waste this precious human body; instead, use it to achieve the Buddha's path.

A Direct Inquiry to the Fourfold Assembly

To the fourfold assembly of disciples, I ask you: at this very moment, At Hsiang Kuang: A Sacred Sanctuary, are you truly engaged in diligent practice? Is the Buddha-name with you 24/7, never leaving your heart? Are you actively working to improve your personality and character? When you feel drowsy, or when your mind drifts into other spaces, are you facing these challenges and working to improve them? Have you found solutions to the people or the matters that you still cannot let go of?

Every bits and pieces of your daily life is a form of practice. Your progress in your skills is clearly visible in these moments, whether you are advancing or retreating. You are a traveler who has been lost for too long; it is time to awaken. Return to the path, and find your way back to the Land of the Golden Lotus.

Namo Amituofo