Crossing the High Mountains: Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju

The Beauty and Burden of the Mountains

Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju shares these profound teachings, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe, on the twenty-sixth of November, 2023. Throughout history, the sight of majestic, layered mountain ranges has captivated the hearts of poets, scholars, and artists. These towering peaks serve as a canvas upon which they project their deepest ideals, ambitions, sorrows, and feelings of helplessness. To the ordinary observer, the mountains are a place of aesthetic beauty and quiet contemplation.

The Hidden Suffering Within the Peaks

However, for the Buddhist practitioner, these high and rugged mountains represent something far more significant. Within these vast landscapes, countless beings are waiting to be saved. Caught in the relentless cycle of rebirth, many souls have fallen into the depths of these mountains, manifesting in various forms:

• As the flowers, grasses, and trees that blanket the slopes.
• As the animals and insects that roam the forests.
• As the countless beings dwelling deep within the earth beneath the soil.

These beings are trapped in a cycle of endless transformation. They have endured countless lifetimes of birth and death, spanning vast stretches of time, with no clear end to their suffering in sight.

The Perilous Journey of the Seeker

In ancient times, when transportation was difficult and the world was vast, the path to enlightenment was fraught with physical danger. Many sincere seekers of the Dharma had to travel on foot, crossing treacherous high mountains to find the truth. They had to overcome:

• The physical barriers of harsh, unforgiving terrain.
• The unpredictable and often dangerous weather conditions.
• The immense exhaustion of long-distance travel.

Only by enduring these trials could they finally reach a true spiritual friend or a great patriarch, receiving the teachings necessary to illuminate the path of practice.

A Sanctuary for Awakening

Today, at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, the situation is vastly different. Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su are all present here to provide guidance. We offer support and direction to all who come to us, including:

• Those who wish to learn the Pure Land path.
• Those who are diligent in their practice and seek the Dharma.
• Those who aspire to realise their true nature.
• Those who seek to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
• Those who wish to find true liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Our mission is to assist in the propagation of the name of Namo Amituofo and the teachings of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. We strive to ensure that everywhere, and for everyone, the name of Amituofo is known, chanted, and studied. We encourage all beings to make the sincere vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, where they may finally leave suffering behind and find eternal happiness.

Namo Amituofo