Witnessing the Suffering of All Beings

Words of Namo Amituofo, recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on the sixteenth of September, two thousand and twenty-two.

My children, have you truly witnessed the suffering of all beings? You must understand that you are also one of these beings. My children, are you suffering yourself? Is it the suffering of the body, the suffering of the heart, or the suffering of the spirit?

The Inevitable Cycles of Physical and Mental Pain

Consider the nature of our existence. We are born into this world following the momentum of our past karma, and we have no control over whether we are born into poverty or wealth. As we age, we face the inevitable decline of the body:

• Sickness:
• We endure physical pain, skin irritations, and the gradual weakening of our vitality.Loss of Energy:
• As our internal energy diminishes, we become weak and breathless.Helplessness: We reach a state where we can neither live comfortably nor find a peaceful end, trapped in a cycle where we have no autonomy over our own existence.

When death arrives, the elements separate, and we are carried away by the momentum of our final thoughts into the next life, bound by the laws of karma and cause and effect.

The Endless Cycle of the Six Realms

The cycle of rebirth in the six realms of existence is a profound source of suffering:

• The Hells:
• The spirit endures the intense suffering of retribution and punishment.The Animal Realm:
• Beings are trapped in the suffering of ignorance and confusion.The Hungry Ghost Realm:
• Beings suffer from the inability to satisfy their hunger and thirst.The Heavenly and Human Realms:
• Once our blessings are exhausted, we must face the suffering of karmic retribution.The Asura Realm: Beings are consumed by the suffering of anger, which burns within the heart like a fire.

The Chains of Unfulfilled Desires

Beyond these realms, we are shackled by the Five Desires, which can never be fully satisfied. We suffer from our greed for wealth, our attachment to physical beauty, our craving for fame, our obsession with food, and our indulgence in sleep. These are but a few of the many forms of suffering that permeate our lives.

Awakening to True Compassion

When you witness the suffering of all beings, you must use it as a warning to yourself. Do not create negative causes that will inevitably lead to the consumption of bitter fruits, leaving you without control over your own destiny. While you possess this human body, you must engage in True Cultivation. True compassion is not merely a feeling; it is the act of saving oneself and saving all beings so that we may all leave suffering behind and find rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

When you see the suffering of others, you must awaken your compassion. You may ask, how can one truly save beings from their suffering? You must first save yourself. Only by liberating your own heart from suffering will you have the capacity and the strength to help others do the same. You must hold fast to this vow, for it is only through such dedication that your practice will reach fruition.

Namo Amituofo.