The Story of Time

The Endless Tapestry of Our Lives

My dear children, each of you carries within you a unique story of time. The story of this current lifetime is still unfolding, progressing moment by moment. When you consider the countless stories from your many lives throughout the cycle of rebirth, they become an endless, unwritten volume that no one could ever fully recount. Before you have successfully rediscovered your true self, every story you live is merely a dream.

Life as a Fleeting Dream

These dreams take many forms: long dreams that span years of struggle, short dreams that vanish in an instant, beautiful dreams that bring temporary joy, and nightmarish dreams that cause deep suffering. Regardless of the nature of these dreams, they are all filled with a complex web of people, events, time, and space. Within these dreams, you are constantly performing the stories of karma. Throughout your many lives, you have appeared in countless such stories, playing various roles in this grand cycle of rebirth.

The Weight of Karma and the Path to Freedom

For those of you who have now entered the path of practice, you must understand that these stories are both related and unrelated to you. They are related in that your current life is the result of the causes you planted in the past, manifesting now as the fruits you must experience. However, they are also unrelated, for the beings you encounter in these dreams are separate from you. He is who he is, and you are who you are. Do not allow yourself to be entangled by these past connections any longer.

Awakening to Your True Self

Everything must wait until you have achieved purification and become an awakened being. If you meet these beings again after you have attained this state, it will be the beginning of a completely new story. In this new chapter, you will have become the master of your own life. You will no longer be pulled or influenced by others or by the shadows of your past. You will be able to live a life of autonomy and freedom, completely untethered from the cycle of rebirth and the heavy weight of karma. From this point forward, let all your efforts be dedicated to the benefit of all beings and to your own rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Namo Amituofo.