The Right Path: Teachings on Doing What is Correct

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

During the second session of the Thrice Yearning Ceremony held on 24 January 2025, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offered these essential teachings.

Aligning with the Universal Principle

Whenever you encounter a situation, ask yourself if your intended action is correct. If it aligns with the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, proceed with unwavering determination. Do not hesitate or be swayed by the shifting opinions of the world.

Human standards of morality, right and wrong, and good and evil fluctuate according to the environment and the era. We live within this collective karma, sharing in the consequences of the seeds sown by humanity as a whole.

The Necessity of Spiritual Guidance

A wise person discerns the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, ensuring their actions never violate these standards. It is vital for a practitioner to have the guidance of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, ancestral masters, true spiritual friends, and wise teachers.

These mentors help us to identify improper actions of body, speech, and mind, adjust our behaviour, repent for past mistakes, and walk firmly upon the right path. Only through such guidance can our practice lead to spiritual success.

The Preciousness of Human Life

Before transforming your karma, life remains in a state of constant impermanence. A human body is precious and rare. Every action—righteous or misguided—influences your destination in the next life.

Righteous actions lead to rebirth in the higher realms, and for those who chant Namo Amituofo, it provides the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Conversely, misguided actions lead to the lower realms. If one falls into evil paths or the demon realm, it becomes incredibly difficult to find a way out. I urge all beings to stop walking the path of delusion that leads back into the cycle of reincarnation, where you are forced to endure the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

Defining the Right Path

What constitutes the right path? It is a life dedicated to the following:

• Changing your personality traits until you have shed your ego and attachments.
• Engaging in actions that help other beings be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
• Educating others about the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and the compassion of Namo Amituofo.
• Teaching others the importance and method of chanting Namo Amituofo.
• Faithfully following the teachings found within the sutras.
• Chanting Namo Amituofo until you reach a state of deep concentration, where you chant without the thought of chanting.
• Practising how to see through and let go of worldly attachments until you reach the state of Awakening.

The Ultimate Liberation

When you know an action is right, proceed with it directly. Do not let your resolve waver. The ultimate goal of our practice is to chant Namo Amituofo and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is the only way to leave the cycle of birth and death behind and achieve final liberation.

Namo Amituofo.