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Reading 1:

The Long River of Our Spiritual Life

A translated piece from 《靈命長河》by Practitioner Xia Lian Ju （夏蓮居老居士）

Spiritual Message received by Venerable Hai Yuan

15th Feb 2025

Original Piece: https://amtbpureland.cc/ZzGV3

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Human beings are made up of body, mind, and spirit.

The life of the spirit is extremely long—so long that no one knows when it began. Was it trillions of years ago, or even further back? Its origin cannot be traced, nor can its end be known.

Thus, the life of the spirit is like a long river:

*The Long River of Our Spiritual Life: Looking forward, we cannot see where it starts; looking back, we cannot see where it ends.*

This spirit is you, it is me, it is everyone, it is all living beings—including:

beings in the six realms of rebirth (hell, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, asura spirits, and heaven）,
Enlightened beings in the four noble realms,
Creatures from other worlds, all life on earth, including all animals & insects.
Spiritual essence within dust, sand, mountains, and rivers.
Beings invisible to the naked eye, such as air molecules.

There are also spiritual beings in fruits and vegetables, in pots and pans, in everything we know around us!

*Even the smallest grain of spice carries a soul—each one a traveler in the endless cycle of rebirth.*

Every being has an original pure nature (true self). But this nature has been covered over by ignorance, afflictions, and spiritual impurities (defilements) accumulated over countless lifetimes.

As a result, the spirit becomes confused and lost. During this long spiritual journey, we have all lived as creatures of the earth, as particles of dust and sand, as insects and animals. We have wandered through human life, the heavenly realms, the asura realm, and even through hell, the hungry ghost realm, and the animal realm.

*We have even lived as beings on other planets in different worlds throughout the universe!*

This is you, this is me, this is him, this is the journey of all beings.

Until one realises one’s true nature and how every spirit carries the eight consciousnesses and the fifty-one mental functions (in short, it is something akin to your storage of memories, experiences & emotions in all of your past life), and continues to wander in samsara (rebirth and rebirth...).

Only by realising this true nature and awakening to Buddhahood can one be freed.

A Buddha is free from birth and death, no longer caught in rebirth. They are no longer forced to keep cycling through different forms of existence.

A Buddha see clearly through the entire river of spiritual life without confusion, gain perfect peace and freedom, and can move freely throughout all realms.

*All Buddhas: Moving freely throughout all realms -- Never stopping in lifting countless beings!*

If a being has not yet realised Buddhahood, they can still make a vow: to give rise to the Bodhi mind (A mind filled with wisdom, compassion & selflessness), single-heartedly recite “Namo Amituofo,”and aspire to be reborn in the Western Pure Land to continue cultivation, attain Buddhahood, and help liberate countless beings. Since each of us is also a being among all beings, we must first save ourselves.

The Western Pure Land: A Land of Ultimate Bliss

Now, in this present life as a human being, our lifespan is like a tiny pebble within the great river of the spirit’s life.

And yet, here in this lifetime, at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Gombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, a place where Amituofo (Amitabha Buddha) truly abides, we have the rare and precious opportunity to practice, and even in this lifetime, to realise our true nature and attain Buddhahood.

Such a chance is truly rare and extraordinary. Therefore, all should cherish this short human life and make the most of it!