Burrowing Underground

Teachings by the Teacher

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable Fa Hui

12 July 2026

Teachings by Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju:

"Burrowing underground" means to escape into the earth.

If animals, insects, or ants make the earth their home,

they possess innate instincts to drill or burrow into the ground.

When a spirit enters the body of such animals, insects, or ants,

it will possess the abilities required by those bodies.

A spirit cannot decide for itself which animal, insect, or ant body it will enter;

this is determined by the pull of karma at the final thought,

or by the judgment of the spirit's destination at the place of judgment.

In the worldly realm, the Ten Kings of Hell serve as the place of interrogation for spirits that have fallen.

After judgment, negative karma manifests, and they enter the hells, the hungry ghost realm, or the animal realm.

If judged to enter the animal realm, they don the "outer garment" of that animal, insect, or ant,

naturally entering the corresponding space.

This is the common situation for the reincarnation of spirits on Earth and in other parts of this realm.

When people learn of this situation,

they should seize the time while they have a human body to "use this temporary body to find the eternal truth,"

practise diligently to rediscover their true self-nature,

or grasp the precious opportunity to chant the Buddha's name and make the vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss;

otherwise, might one be reduced in the next life to an earthly creature, such as an insect, a crawling or flying creature,

or a bird or beast?

Demon crowds also possess the skill of burrowing underground,

or the spirits of demon crowds, pulled by the karmic consequences of their own evil deeds,

enter the dark world beneath the earth to suffer the retribution of their negative karma,

remaining trapped in darkness, unable to escape,

or they suffer the agony of being crushed by people or vehicles passing overhead deep underground or beneath roads,

with no ability to resist.

When one's own connected sentient beings enter the hells to undergo punishment,

their suffering in hell is reflected within oneself;

that is, one's Body-Mind-Spirit is pulled, resulting in a miserable reaction of suffering, sorrow, and pain.

This situation is beyond one's control.

Burrowing underground is a state of suffering for a karmic body,

but it can also be a manifestation of skills attained through practice.

The Dharma Body and countless manifestations of Practitioner Su can also burrow deep into the earth,

to perform Chao Du for the countless sentient beings and demon crowds beneath the ground.

Regardless of whether the students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre were flying in the heavens or burrowing underground in the past,

having obtained a human body in this life, they must practise actively, be fiercely diligent,

put in the effort to change their personality traits, follow the teachings,

and allow their spirits to ascend rather than descend.

Only then can they achieve the vow to chant Namo Amituofo and enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss,

or through fierce and diligent practice, attain the supreme Buddhahood of seeing their true self-nature.

Namo Amituofo