Where Does the Buddha Truly Abide?

For many, the act of visiting a temple and performing prostrations has become a vital source of comfort and spiritual refuge. It is a place where the heart finds a sense of belonging and peace.

The Sanctuary of the Three Jewels

Why do we seek this refuge? Within the temple, we find the physical presence of the Buddha, which allows us to engage in our practice through several essential means:

• Prostrations: We bow to the Buddha to express our reverence and humility.
• Guidance: We can ask questions, make vows, and seek clarity on our path.
• Dharma Treasures: We have access to a wealth of sutras and teachings to read and contemplate.
• Spiritual Mentorship: We have the presence of teachers who can answer our questions and resolve our doubts on the spot.

Is the Buddha, therefore, confined solely to the temple? Certainly not. Within the world of form, where we rely on Seeing is Believing: The Hidden Reality, the temple represents the presence of the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Teachings, and the Sangha Community. This is how we first come to understand the Buddha’s teachings.

The Boundless Dharma Body

However, the Buddha is far more than what we perceive with our physical eyes. Throughout the vast Dharma Realm, in the boundless, empty space, and across the infinite stars of the Milky Way, the Buddha’s Dharma Body is one with the cosmos. Because of this, the Buddha is present in every corner of the universe. The Buddha is omnipresent; He is everywhere.

This is why, whenever a being calls out to the Buddha, He knows. That call is heard because that being is also a part of the Buddha. The Buddha stands ready at all times, working with the greatest efficiency to save beings and to lead those who chant Buddha's name and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

The Dangers of Seeking Visions

Before one has become an awakened being, the desire to actively seek out visions of the Buddha can be perilous. This desire is easily exploited by demon crowds, who may manifest illusory scenes to lead you astray, causing your hearts and actions to become abnormal.

Therefore, I urge you: do not seek to see the Buddha or chase after visions in space. If you do, you become vulnerable to the influence of karmic creditors and demon crowds. They may lead your soul into other spaces, resulting in:

• A scattered and unfocused mind.
• A state of drowsy, heavy-headed confusion.
• An inability to concentrate on prostrations, chanting Buddha's name, reciting the Sutras, or listening to sutras and hearing the Dharma.

When these conditions arise, your practice cannot reach fruition.

The Buddha Within You

My dear children, you must understand that every single being possesses the original nature, the Buddha nature within you. So, where is the Buddha? In truth, every being is a Buddha. Every member of the fourfold assembly is a Buddha. Therefore, the Buddha is everywhere.

The only reason this is not apparent is that these Buddhas have had their original nature and Buddha-nature covered by confusion and various forms of pollution. Because of this, the actions, appearance, and hearts and actions of these beings do not resemble a Buddha; instead, they manifest the appearance of beings reincarnated through karma.

However, if you can sweep away this confusion and all forms of pollution, then every thought becomes a Buddha. You will then be able to attain Buddhahood through Buddha recitation. When you see your own precious true self, you realise one's true nature and attain Buddhahood. At that moment, your actions, your appearance, and your hearts and actions will be exactly like the Buddha—you will be a Buddha!

The effort you put into your practice at this stage has already saved you; you have reclaimed your original self. You are no longer a being waiting to be saved, but a Buddha capable of saving others. All Buddhas walk the same path, and at this stage, your true self is Namo Amituofo.

Namo Amituofo