We often find ourselves trapped in the monotony of daily life. Every day seems to follow the same rigid schedule, the same repetitive motions, and the same predictable routines. We go through the motions without truly engaging our hearts or minds. Yet, if you were to live each day with intention, positivity, and a deep sense of purpose, the harvest you would reap would be truly immense. How many people in this world are fortunate enough to have a place like this, where you are encouraged to constantly perform prostrations, engage in walking meditation, and recite the Sutras?
The Endless Cycle of Mundane Toil
Most people spend their entire lives caught in a whirlwind of worldly afflictions. You worry endlessly about the necessities of life:
Providing three meals a day for your family
Managing mortgage payments and car loans
Covering the rising costs of your children's education
Paying for insurance, electricity, water, and a myriad of other miscellaneous expenses
You struggle and strive, enduring the wind, the sun, and the rain. In the process of working, you inevitably generate various emotions and complex thoughts. These internal states allow sentient beings to constantly attach themselves to you. This is the phenomenon of spiritual attachment. Often, it is not until your body and mind are completely occupied by these external influences that you finally begin to seek a way out.
The Hidden Burden of Spiritual Attachments
If one lacks sufficient and the right Causal Conditions, they may enter a hospital, relying on medication to temporarily suppress their pain, soreness, or numbness. However, this only allows more toxins to accumulate within . Your are delighted by this, as your suffering provides them with the balance they seek. For those with deeper grievances, these karmic creditors may even drive you to undergo surgery, turning you into a frequent visitor or a long-term resident of the hospital. In the end, the hospital becomes the place where your life concludes, and they take you away. This is the life story of the vast majority of people in society. When I was still in the world, I did not see this as clearly as I do now. The more I see and the more I know, the more I understand why studying the Buddha’s teachings is so profoundly important.
The Irony of Empty Recitation
To truly understand why you have come into this world, what you are doing, and the purpose of your actions—this is the key that the Buddha’s teachings provide. When you clearly know your path, your actions, and your destination, everything can be resolved through the . Many people spend their lives searching for the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, yet they remain unaware that the Buddha has already analysed everything with absolute clarity and precision. The contents of the Sutras are, in reality, a true reflection of our own lives. They provide us with a step-by-step guide on how to leave suffering behind.
However, it is a great irony that many people merely recite the Sutras to the Buddha, praying for the Buddha's blessing, without ever internalising the message. This is the fundamental reason why many who study Buddhism today fail to achieve success. Without truly following the teachings, you remain lost in the Buddha's actions, the Buddha's deeds, and the Buddha's vows, while failing to let go of the "self" to truly implement them in your own life. How can you expect to receive any real benefit if you do not put the teachings into practice?
Through True Practice
The Sutras are the greatest blessing and assistance the Buddha has given us. Everything you need to change your life and attain liberation is contained within them. Whether you can truly receive these benefits depends entirely on whether you, as part of the fourfold assembly, are willing to follow the teachings with sincerity and diligence. It is time to stop merely going through the motions and start living the Dharma.
Venerable KaiLin
Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Shi Facie, acting as chief writer.
