The Wisdom of Opening the Eyes
Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju
Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
On the sixteenth of December, 2023, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offered these profound teachings regarding the nature of perception and the spiritual state known as 'opening the eyes.'
The Purity of
When your heart is truly pure, your Six Roots—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—will naturally undergo a process of purification. As this purification deepens, the inherent functions of these roots begin to manifest with clarity. Within your true self, the heart is originally pure, and consequently, the Six Roots are also inherently pure. When the eyes are purified and opened, you are able to perceive the true reality of the world. You begin to see the suffering of all beings clearly, which in turn allows you to realise that the Buddha’s words and the Buddha-heart are the ultimate truth. This realisation serves to strengthen your faith in Namo Amituofo immensely.
The Dangers of a Tainted Heart
However, one must be extremely cautious. If the eyes are 'opened' while the heart remains tainted by impurities, the information perceived through these eyes will be filtered through your own mental . This inevitably leads to distortions and misinterpretations. If these are not corrected, they can lead to erroneous paths, deviating from the right way of practice, or abnormal behaviour that is inconsistent with the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. Furthermore, one may become susceptible to the influence of or be controlled by external forces. Because of these dangers, those who experience the opening of their eyes must ensure that their mental notes remain upright and righteous at all times.
The Necessity of a True Spiritual Friend
It is essential for a practitioner to have a true spiritual friend by their side. A mentor can help one understand the situations they are witnessing and provide necessary guidance. Without such guidance, one may easily fall into the traps of ego-attachment and personal views. If one becomes attached to the states they perceive, they may inadvertently become in sync with demonic beings, ultimately causing harm to themselves and others. Always remember that the purpose of a practitioner’s vision is to save the world and benefit all beings, never for the sake of personal fame, wealth, or status.
The Progression of the Five Eyes
The phenomenon of 'opening the eyes' manifests differently depending on the level of purification and the depth of one's meditative concentration. We speak of the Five Eyes, which represent the unfolding of our latent potential: the physical eyes, the heavenly eyes, the eyes, the wisdom eyes, and the Buddha eyes. As your practice deepens, the depth and breadth of the time and space you can perceive will expand. When one reaches the state where the Buddha eyes are fully opened, there are no longer any limitations of time or space. Everything is seen and known with absolute clarity. This is the state of the Five Eyes being perfectly bright and clear, which is the vision of the Buddha Himself. Namo Amituofo.
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