When Making Progress

Teachings by the Teacher. Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

13 June 2026

Teachings by Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju:

If you wish to achieve spiritual success in your practice,

it is not about fearing difficulties and stopping your progress, but about striving to overcome those obstacles.

In the present moment, you must also maintain your awareness, firm your heart in believing in the Buddha,

and continue to chant Buddha's name. Maintain your daily diligent practice, and be even more fiercely diligent without interruption,

you will then surely receive the Buddha's blessings,

allowing your awareness to manifest. When you have an awakening, you will find the method to resolve issues and break through to move forward.

When you are making progress, you must never stop; instead, you should press forward even more vigorously,

you can achieve twice the result with half the effort, attaining double the effect with half the exertion.

If you stop or retreat due to difficulties, you will achieve half the result with twice the effort,

putting in double the exertion for only half the effect.

When making progress, never be arrogant or conceited; this is the greatest enemy of progress in practice,

you will only stop there, or even fall and suffer, unable to move forward again.

Because at that moment, you have already attracted karma to manifest,

causing external beings to attach to you, or even causing your heart to be in sync with the demon crowds.

At this time, your words and actions,

have lost their usual state, or the compassion, temperament, and mind-capacity that a practitioner should possess.

At this time, it is no longer your own spirit that is the master,

but rather your karmic creditors are the masters, or even the demon crowds are the masters. You must be cautious!

Whether in dealing with worldly affairs or in your practice to transcend the world, when making progress, you must be humble and modest,

so that you can continue to move forward.

The mindset when making progress will affect your speech and physical actions, so you must always maintain a calm heart.

Do not let your heart be exposed to fluctuations; this is a state of instability,

easily led by external changes, resulting in shifts in emotions or mental notes, or the occurrence of inappropriate behaviour.

In practice, you should have the meditative concentration to transform the environment, rather than having an unstable heart that is turned by the environment.

In this way, no matter how the external environment changes, you can always maintain a state of progress and stability,

moving forward in stability.

Even if you encounter tests, you will be able to pass through them smoothly and continue to move forward.

Namo Amituofo