The Story of Time: An Eternal Record

The Eternal Record of Our Lives

Teachings from the Teacher. Chief Writer: Venerable HaiZe

11 November 2022

Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju provides these teachings:

Every being, throughout your many lives across infinite kalpas, has a story of time that belongs uniquely to you. These stories are not merely fleeting memories; they are deeply embedded within your consciousness and your spirit. Because the spirit is unborn and undying, these stories never fade from your consciousness. They remain as a permanent record of your journey through the cosmos.

How you have spent your days, your every mental note and action, the realms you have entered, the forms you have taken, and the deeds of Goodness or evil you have performed—all of this is recorded with absolute precision in your memory bank, known as the Alaya consciousness. It is upon this foundation that your karma and the cycle of rebirth continue to turn without end.

The Weight of the Cycle

We often find ourselves trapped in this cycle because we are unaware of the records we carry. The momentum of our past actions dictates the direction of our future lives. As long as we remain in ignorance, we are bound by the laws of cause and effect, drifting through the six realms of rebirth. This is the nature of our existence until we awaken to the truth of our condition.

The Rare Opportunity of the Human Body

Only when you attain a human body and truly realise the suffering inherent in the physical form and the cycle of rebirth can you begin to seek genuine liberation. This is a rare and precious opportunity. By engaging in dedicated practice, you can begin to purify your spirit, reach the state of an awakened being, and ultimately attain Buddhahood.

This practice is the only way to halt the relentless pressure of impermanence and the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, death that defines your story of time. When you stop this cycle and enter the Buddha's path, you are no longer a victim of your past. Instead, you become a practitioner who can engage in the noble work of saving the world and helping all beings achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land. This is the ultimate path to liberation, leading you away from suffering and toward the eternal peace of Namo Amituofo.

Namo Amituofo