The Value of a Single Day and Night

The Preciousness of Every Moment

What can you accomplish in a single day and night? The term "day" refers to the light of the sun, while "night" refers to the darkness that follows. Together, they form a complete cycle of twenty-four hours. As a practitioner, you must pause and reflect deeply upon this cycle. Ask yourself: What have I done during these hours? What am I doing right now? And what have I left undone?

The state of your practice encompasses many dimensions: the ability to practise, broad practice, diligent practice, completed practice, and unfinished practice. When you have completed a task, you should examine your heart to see if it remains in a state of meditative concentration. A wise person is one who acts with directness and clarity. They do not dwell on the past, nor do they anxiously anticipate the future. They live entirely in the present moment.

The Trap of Endless Thinking

If your thoughts are constantly drifting between memories of the past and worries about the future, the present moment will slip through your fingers. Time is then lost in a cycle of meaningless consumption. People often spend an immense amount of time trapped in their own thoughts, comparisons, and mental fabrications.

If you could save this time and instead focus on performing practical actions one by one, you would find great benefit: you would conserve the mental energy and strength usually wasted on idle thinking, maintain a higher level of spiritual and physical vitality, and be able to dedicate your full energy to the most important tasks at hand. What are these important tasks? They are the acts of benefiting others, helping those in need, and serving all beings. You must strive to achieve spiritual success, for only by achieving it yourself can you truly help others on a vast scale.

The Path of Service and Compassion

Practice requires constant, diligent effort. It is only through persistent perseverance that you will see results. Spiritual success is not something that can be achieved in a day or two; it requires long-term immersing ourselves in these teachings and a gradual, step-by-step process of purification. If you allow the dust of worldly habits to accumulate layer upon layer, you will never be able to reveal the cool, pure, and dignified nature of your own body, mind, and spirit. This would be a great tragedy.

The fourfold assembly of disciples at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is fortunate to be protected. Within this simple environment, life is lived with profound purpose. During the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, for instance, the schedule is rigorous. From the early morning prostrations with Practitioner Su until the conclusion of the third session of the ceremony, every moment is filled with activity. This is the life of a practitioner who follows the Buddha’s path to save oneself and to save others.

Reflecting on the True Self

Practitioner Su embodies this dedication. In a single day and night, he works tirelessly to perform Chao Du for countless beings and demon crowds, guiding them into the Western Land of Dharma Nature. No matter the circumstances, the Buddha is always working to save suffering beings. Within the limits of this human life, one should hope to make the most effective use of the body. While you still have breath, if there is something you can do for the sake of all beings, do it quickly and do it with diligent practice.

In the Buddha-land, many things exist in absolute reality. The laws of karma and cause and effect—whether they bring good or evil results—are true and never false. Those who work hard will find their skills advancing to higher levels. This depends entirely on you; for every measure of effort you sow, you will reap a measure of harvest. If you still harbour ego-attachment or selfish desires in your practice, you will not achieve success, even if you were to practise for one, two, five, or ten kalpas, or even longer.

The practice at Hsiang Kuang is about letting go of the self. It is about reaching a state of no-self and selflessness to rediscover your true self. If you can rediscover your true self, then no matter how difficult the path may seem, it is worth it. Practitioner Su has already achieved this, and the fourfold assembly of disciples should follow his example. Each of you still carries the habits of greed, anger, ignorance, arrogance, and doubt, as well as the attachments to wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep. Think of how much energy, time, and strength you waste on these habits every day. In a single day and night, what have you truly accomplished? You must reflect deeply. If your actions are good and pure, continue them. If they are not, or if they are driven by personal ego, you must change them immediately. Namo Amituofo.