The Wisdom of Confucius: Deliverance through the Thrice Yearning Ceremony

In the vast expanse of the spiritual journey, one must approach the cultivation of the heart with the utmost sincerity and clarity. If you have not yet realised your true nature, do not waste your precious time in idle study. If you have not yet attained liberation from suffering, do not allow your mind to become polluted by the dust of worldly attachments. If you are not yet ready to put the teachings into immediate practice, do not let your mind wander into empty delusions. Furthermore, if an action does not serve to help others, but only benefits your own selfish interests, you must refrain from doing it.

The Foundation of a Pure Heart

When a friend comes from afar, and you see that their demeanour has transformed into that of a noble person, your heart will naturally fill with joy. You will naturally wish to emulate their conduct. If you can perform actions that bring happiness to all sentient beings, you should do so without hesitation. If you can perform actions that benefit both yourself and others, you should strive to do them with all your might. The righteous path is never separate from your own heart. The True Teachings are found only when the heart is pure and the intentions are upright. You must constantly practise true Goodness and maintain right thoughts.

Imagine a sky that is vast and clear, a deep azure without a single cloud or mist. When you can stop your mind from chasing after the dust of the world, and instead rest it in the state of ultimate Goodness, your heart will be able to encompass all things. Whether one is considered a benevolent person, a virtuous person, a wise person, or a great sage in this world, they all rely on the essence of the heart, which is inherently Good.

Beyond Worldly Knowledge

Those who study the classics of Confucianism can gain great wisdom and understand the affairs of the world. They may know the principles of life and be able to interpret the complexities of human existence. However, their hearts may not yet be truly awakened. A truly awakened being is one whose heart does not linger in the mundane world. They do not cling to worldly laws, nor do they allow worldly knowledge to become an obstacle to their own clarity. They seek liberation and true, great freedom. Their spirit is liberated, no longer bound by the conventions of the world, and their original nature shines forth, pure and natural.

Therefore, what people learn in this world should not be limited to mere intellectual knowledge. The teachings of the Buddha focus on the cultivation of the heart. If you can study the classics of Confucianism while also learning the Buddha’s teachings, and ensure that your actions do not violate the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, then you will be able to understand all things. As the times change and the environment shifts, the way we learn has also changed. The hearts of scholars today are different from those of the past. In the hearts of many, I am known as the Supreme Sage and Teacher. I am a person of the past, and what I said is still studied by people today. However, in this era of many differences, it is no longer as easy to grasp the essence of these teachings as it once was. This is because the human heart has changed; it is difficult to find clarity amidst the chaos. Therefore, one must use the scriptures and Dharma taught by the Buddha to rectify the heart and mind, to adjust one's nature, and to find stability in this world, so that the heart does not deviate into wrong paths.

The Compassionate Rescue of Practitioner Su

Today, the internet is prevalent, and knowledge is easily accessible. Obtaining information is as simple as tapping on a keyboard, something that scholars of the past could never have imagined. This is a result of the changing times. While one can benefit from this convenience, it can also be harmful if one does not follow the right path. You should take advantage of this convenience to benefit others, to spread Goodness, and to propagate the True Teachings widely. By using these means, you can transform the hearts of people in this world. Education cannot be without the Buddha’s teachings, for only the Buddha’s teachings can provide the power to promote Goodness, to transform the mundane heart into a heart that seeks transcendence, and to ensure that one is no longer lost in the dust of the world, or trapped in it to the point of being unable to escape.

Those who know too much often become arrogant, and those who have too much worldly knowledge often become proud. This is not the way a person should learn. No matter how much knowledge one possesses, if one does not know how to awaken, it is all empty. A true practitioner does not need vast knowledge, and a compassionate heart does not require profound academic learning. It is only through cultivation within the heart that one can realise one's true nature. If your heart is properly settled and rests in Goodness, then everything you do will benefit the world. Your actions will manifest true Wisdom, the light of your original nature.

I am deeply grateful to Practitioner Su for saving me, for pulling me out of the heavenly realms so that I could enter the pure and dignified Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Only then could I see the true Namo Amituofo, understand the true path, and awaken to the truth. Only then did I realise that the world is full of delusions. I see Namo Amituofo, I learn from Namo Amituofo, and I pray that the Buddha’s teachings will continue to adjust my heart, so that I may awaken day by day in the sound of the Buddha’s name.

The Universal Power of Goodness

My disciples, who studied with me in the past, were very diligent during their lives, yet at the time of their passing, they fell into the various realms of rebirth. It turns out that everything stems from the heart. Even if one understands the philosophy of the Dharma, if the heart has not been truly adjusted or transformed, and if one does not know to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, then at the moment of death, one will still not see the light.

I never knew that there were so many sentient beings in this world, all living in suffering and fear, unable to find peace at any moment. Because there is no Namo Amituofo in their hearts, even Namo Amituofo finds it difficult to help them, and they fall into the various realms of rebirth with no end in sight. My heart is filled with urgency, hoping that all sentient beings can be saved. Fortunately, Practitioner Su possesses a heart of great compassion, having made the vow to deliver sentient beings. Through the Dharma Body, he has rescued infinite suffering beings, helping them escape the sea of suffering forever. Only now can so many beings enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Otherwise, beings remain entangled in their karma, unable to free themselves, let alone be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Throughout my life, I sought the true path and true Wisdom, wanting to understand the truth of the universe, but it was difficult to truly attain the path. Now, seeing Practitioner Su study the Buddha’s teachings, gaining clarity in purity, and understanding the true meaning, I have come to realise that the truth lies right here in this heart. The heart can govern all things; the universe is governed by this heart. Today, Practitioner Su’s teaching of sentient beings also begins with this heart. With the single thought of "give rise to all roots of goodness and achieve the fruit of Bodhi," he plants right thoughts and good thoughts in the hearts of sentient beings. When the hearts of sentient beings are in sync, and every thought is one of Goodness, the universe itself will turn. Darkness will no longer exist, and true clarity and true light will appear before our eyes. Practitioner Su possesses great Wisdom; changing the heart is the fundamental path. In every Chao Du ceremony, he spreads Goodness in all directions, planting pure Goodness into every speck of dust, every particle, and every grain of sand. Goodness is originally a state of pure clarity, which is gradually lost during the cycle of rebirth. It is only because we lose this original thought of Goodness and allow evil to intermingle that various evil manifestations appear before us. Throughout the ages, disasters have been constant, all caused by the hearts of the people. If everyone could hold onto Goodness, why would there be a need for war between nations? Naturally, we would be able to live in harmony with our neighbours, viewing the people of other nations as one with our own, without any sense of discrimination. Nations would coexist in peace, no longer fighting, invading, or harming one another out of selfish interests. All sentient beings would be transformed by the teachings of Goodness, and the world would present a state of peace and prosperity.

The teachings of the Buddha are truly worthy of praise. Today, the three teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are integrated, and those who study Confucianism also read Buddhist scriptures. However, to truly gain the benefits of the Dharma, one must be like Practitioner Su, following the teachings in every word and sentence of the Buddhist scriptures. If a student of Confucianism uses their own knowledge and understanding to interpret the words of the Buddha, with their own thoughts and ideas mixed in, then it is not the true Buddha or the true Truth. You must know that every thought should be in the state of no-self; that is true learning of the Buddha, true attainment of the path, and true liberation. Practitioner Su is truly like this, demonstrating it before the eyes of the world; everything he does every day is for the sake of sentient beings. I do not have the great heart of Practitioner Su. Every thought of Practitioner Su is not for himself; every thought is for the sake of all beings, truly acting for their benefit.

Regarding the current pandemic, if it were not for Practitioner Su’s vow to perform Chao Du, saving countless spirits from the Demon Realm and helping infinite viruses and bacteria return to their original state, the pandemic would be difficult to resolve. Practitioner Su has great Wisdom, planting the good thought of "give rise to all roots of goodness and achieve the fruit of Bodhi." Many spirits have come to the temple seeking deliverance, and only now is the pandemic gradually weakening and subsiding. Everything is a good sign, a sign of Goodness. I am deeply grateful for the compassion of Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.