The Truth of Arising and Ceasing: Teachings of Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju

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

The phenomenon of arising and ceasing is the fundamental nature of the world we inhabit. Everything within this human world proceeds through the constant cycle of causal conditions. Our karma, too, operates within this endless flow of arising and ceasing. We are caught in the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and we are perpetually tossed by the waves of our emotions: joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hatred, and desire.

The Endless Cycle of Suffering

Consider the nature of our existence in this world. From the moment of birth, we experience pain. As we age, we suffer; when we fall ill, the suffering intensifies; and at the moment of death, the pain reaches its peak. This cycle of suffering has never ceased, and the pain has never truly left us. How many can truly find a way out of this? Only through diligent practice can one hope to transcend the cycle of birth and death. By doing so, we ensure that suffering has no cause to manifest, and pain has no root from which to grow. This is the only way to find true liberation.

The Importance of Restraint

To achieve this, we must understand that all phenomena of arising and ceasing are ultimately illusory. Within this process, we experience the fruits of our past actions, whether good or evil. Simultaneously, we are constantly creating new karmic causes through our thoughts, words, and deeds. Therefore, it is essential that we:

• Constantly restrain our Six Roots: Do not let the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind be led astray by external temptations.
• Exercise caution in our Body, Speech, and Mind: Every action, every word, and every thought carries weight.

Even in our most casual moments, the things we encounter—the sights we see and the sounds we hear—are all recorded. Every single detail is stored within the Alaya consciousness. Over time, these seeds mature into the karmic cause and effect that shapes our future destiny.

A Sanctuary of True Practice

At the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, where Namo Amituofo truly abides, we are situated within this world, yet we strive for something higher. Every activity here is an opportunity to accumulate good roots and blessings:

• The development of the land and the construction of the lecture hall.
• The efforts of the construction workers and the selection of building materials.
• The daily provision of food and the essential supplies for the fourfold assembly.

All these interactions, including the connections between the Buddha, the Bodhisattvas, and the disciples, are conducted within the realm of good roots, blessings, and causal conditions. They manifest in the cycle of arising and ceasing, in the coming together and the parting of ways.

The Path to Rebirth

When the final breath comes and the physical body can no longer sustain us, the importance of our practice becomes clear. Practitioner Su, who moves freely between this world and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, possesses the unique ability to guide the spirits of the deceased to that sacred realm. He is truly a treasure for those in the human world seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The spiritual realms hold this work in high regard. It is my sincere hope that those in the human world can also understand this truth clearly, so that their vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss may be fulfilled. Namo Amituofo.