The Vow of Never Retreating

Words of Namo Amituofo, recorded by Venerable HaiZe on the fifth of October, 2024, during the midday offering.

The Foundation of Unwavering Faith

What does it mean to never retreat? It means that your heart, your vows, and your practice in the following areas must remain constant and firm, never wavering regardless of the circumstances you face:

• Your faith in the Buddha, your dedication to chanting the name of Namo Amituofo, and your aspiration to attain Buddhahood.
• Your commitment to saving yourself and all other beings, ensuring that everyone reaches the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
• Your resolve to escape the cycle of reincarnation and secure your place in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
• Your fiercely diligent practice to rediscover your true self.
• Your determination to face the problems of life head-on and to overcome every karmic obstacle that stands in your way.

My children, as you practise at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, reflect upon these points: how many of these vows are truly in sync with your own heart? Do you truly desire to become an awakened being?

The Harmony of Body, Mind, and Spirit

The heart can guide the stability of physical actions and the spirit; when the heart is settled, the body is settled, and the spirit is also settled. When the heart does not retreat, faith does not retreat, the body does not retreat, and the spirit does not retreat.

In your daily life, you must be ready to face problems and overcome karmic obstacles at any time. In your daily life, you must be fiercely diligent to rediscover your true self.

The Urgency of the Present Moment

This physical body will eventually reach its end. When that time comes, will you have the certainty of having become an awakened being, having escaped the cycle of reincarnation, and having the assurance of rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss through chanting the Buddha's name? Or perhaps you will have already become an awakened being, able to travel freely to and from the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, having mastered life and death?

The Great Mission of Compassion

Or perhaps, not only do you maintain these vows of never retreating, but having entered the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in this lifetime, you also follow the vows and practice of Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su to save the world and deliver all beings, never retreating?

In this world and in other realms, there are countless suffering beings who have no one to save them, waiting for salvation. The demon crowds are also among them. My children, do you possess a heart of great compassion? Are you willing to make the vow to rediscover your true self, and while the Buddha is present at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, like Practitioner Su, walk with the Buddha to save the demon crowds?

Namo Amituofo.