Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded and transcribed by ’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
August 9, 2025.
Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offers this profound guidance on the path of practice. In our spiritual journey, we must distinguish between the unfamiliar and the familiar. The unfamiliar represents the path of the Buddha, which we have yet to fully integrate into our lives. The familiar represents the worldly habits and attachments that have governed our existence for aeons.
The Path of the Unfamiliar
What is the unfamiliar? It is the practice of reciting the name of Namo Amituofo throughout the twenty-four hours of the day. This means maintaining a continuous, unbroken flow of the Buddha-name, keeping it close and dense within your heart. For many, this practice feels strange and difficult to sustain. Because you are not accustomed to it, you may find that after only a short time of chanting, your focus drifts, and the connection is broken. It is a challenge to maintain this continuity, yet it is the very essence of our practice.
The Trap of the Familiar
What is the familiar? It is the state of being deeply accustomed to the and the . Because we have spent countless lifetimes immersed in these states, they have become our default way of being. We are intimately familiar with:
The Five Poisons: Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt.
The Five Desires: Wealth, Sexual Pleasure, Fame, Food, and Sleep.
Because we have lived within these states for so long, we often create negative without even realising it, leading us into the cycle of rebirth and even the suffering of the hells.
The Clarity of the True Nature
The unfamiliar also encompasses the state of being truly in control of one's life—a state where one is free from the suffering of aging, sickness, and death, and where the spirit never dies but enters the of Ultimate Bliss. This is what every practitioner longs for. However, in the endless cycle of rebirth, we often lose our precious human body. Even when we do obtain a human body, we may not have the opportunity to hear the Buddha’s teachings or learn about the Pure Land path. Even if we do study the Pure Land, we may fail to achieve our goal, or we may practise without the necessary depth to ensure our rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss at the end of our lives.
In contrast, the familiar is the state of suffering within the cycle of rebirth. We find ourselves unable to control the processes of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and we become frequent travellers within the six realms of existence.
Transforming the Heart and Mind
To turn the unfamiliar into the familiar, we must embrace the education of the Buddha and the laws of karma. We must come to recognise our true self, the presence of Namo Amituofo, and the reality of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Conversely, the familiar is the worldly education that keeps us ignorant of our true self and the Pure Land.
When we are in the state of the unfamiliar, we are clear, alert, and quick to respond. We do not fall into , and we maintain our awareness even when navigating different spaces. When we listen to the sutras and hear the , we are awake and capable of gaining deep insights. In the state of the familiar, however, our spirit is scattered. We fall into drowsiness, lose our awareness, and find it difficult to remain alert while listening to the Dharma, leaving us without any true understanding.
The for Rebirth
How can a practitioner turn the unfamiliar into the familiar? The answer lies in the Three Provisions: Faith, Vows, and Practice. These are the essential requirements for rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Faith: You must have the Buddha in your heart, in your vows, and in your every action. You must walk with the Buddha at all times, never departing from Him.
Practice: You must be diligent and persistent. Especially during your daily practice, you should focus on the Three Learnings of , Samadhi, and Wisdom.
Guidance: Follow the teachings of Namo Amituofo, the words of your teachers, and the reminders and lectures provided by Practitioner Su.
You must strive to change your personality traits until they are completely transformed, leaving not even a trace of your former ego. When karmic obstacles and appear, you must resolve these conflicts through and by inviting these spirits to hear the Dharma, thereby dissolving your karmic obstacles and reducing the barriers to your practice and your final rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
If you can truly achieve this transformation—turning the unfamiliar into the familiar, and the familiar into the unfamiliar—you will have made a significant breakthrough in your practice. This is the moment when you begin to transform your karma and realise your true self.
