The Urgency of Liberation

Venerable Master Wei Jue, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, shared this guidance in his twentieth letter. This message was recorded by the disciple Shi Faxi on July 6, 2017.

Venerable Master Wei Jue speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Wei Jue.

I feel a deep sense of lamentation. It is so difficult to achieve true accomplishment, so difficult to maintain a consistent practice, and, perhaps most challenging of all, so difficult to truly be a human being. Do you agree with this assessment?

The Difficulty of the Path

If you agree, then why is it that, even now, so few are willing to come forward and seek me out? I am merely a temporary manifestation, a shadow if you will. My true intention is to guide the fourfold assembly of disciples to step out and actively seek the Truth. If you look within your own heart and calculate, you should have some clarity regarding your own progress. You should be able to discern the likelihood of your own accomplishment or your chances of achieving rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. It is very difficult—truly, it is incredibly difficult.

The Weight of Attachments

In all the people I have encountered, I have yet to meet a single one whose heart is completely empty of worldly burdens. Everyone carries their own obstacles; everyone clings to their own attachments. Some still hold onto their distinct personalities and their insatiable desires. This is a fact that is as clear as day. Rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is an absolute necessity. A human life spans only a few short decades. Please, I implore you, do not let this precious opportunity slip through your fingers.

The Rarity of Human Life

Think of the immeasurable and boundless beings throughout the Dharma realm of emptiness, all trapped by their own karmic retribution. Today, you have been fortunate enough to obtain a human body and encounter the Buddha’s teachings. If, even with these conditions, you still cannot achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and you fail to escape the ten directions of the cycle of rebirth, you will find yourself back at the starting point. Think about it for yourself: how long will it take before you have another chance at liberation? This is a very serious and, indeed, a very cruel reality.

Taking Responsibility for Your Own Liberation

The power over your own life and death rests entirely in your own hands. I can only say so much, hoping that one day, you will suddenly have an awakening. If that happens, then all these words will have been worth it. I do not ask that you believe in me; I only ask that you believe in yourself. Whether you believe or not, please trust that this is a path you will not regret. If you act in this way, you take full responsibility for your own choices. Walk this path well. Perhaps you are right, but if you decide to turn back halfway, it will become even more difficult.

The essence of the body is strongest before old age and illness set in. Once you are sick and aged, trying to start over or change your ways becomes extremely difficult. It becomes very hard to be saved. The karmic conditions are gradually fading away. I ask that you all see this clearly. Namo Amituofo."