Delusion and Awakening: Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju

The Illusion of the Self

We are often deeply deluded, believing that this physical body is truly ours. We pamper it, decorate it, and protect it in a hundred different ways, convinced that it is the centre of our existence. However, the reality is far more complex. This body is not merely a private vessel; it is a shared space, inhabited by beings from accumulated lifetimes, each seeking what they need to survive. When we cling to the body as our own, we are merely serving the needs of these past karmic connections rather than our true nature.

The Mechanism of Perception

To understand how we fall into this trap, we must look at how our consciousness interacts with the world. We live our lives trapped within the cycle of the Six Roots, the Six Dusts, and the Six Consciousnesses:

• The Six Roots:
• Our sensory inputs, which include the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind.The Six Dusts:
• The external world we perceive, consisting of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch, and phenomena.The Six Consciousnesses: The processing centres that interpret these inputs: visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, and mental consciousness.

Beyond these, there is the seventh consciousness, the Manas consciousness, which feeds into the eighth, the Alaya consciousness. This storehouse consciousness records every action and intention across all time. Most people spend their entire lives lost within this mechanism, mistaking these fleeting perceptions for reality.

Breaking Free from the Consciousness

True practice begins when you realise that this entire process of roots, dusts, and consciousness is a state of delusion and impurity. You must stop being deceived by the dusts and the consciousness. You must clearly recognise that all thoughts and mental formations are merely illusions and phantoms. It is time to face the truth of this reality with courage and clarity.

When you walk the path of the truth you have realised, you must learn to transcend the consciousness. You must no longer allow the following to be the master of your life:

• The consciousness itself or the weight of past karma.Karmic creditors or attached spirits seeking retribution.Demon crowds that seek to lead you astray.The pollution of delusion, discrimination, and attachment.The influence of past experiences or the laws of karma and cause and effect.

Living by the Original Nature

Instead, you must let the original nature of your Six Sense Organs: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind be the master. This is the sensitive, luminous awareness that manifests only after the purification of the body, heart, and spirit. This is the state of immediate, intuitive response—a wisdom that does not require the slow, clouded process of thinking or reasoning. This is the way of the awakened being.

Conversely, if you allow your consciousness to remain the master, you are acting as a deluded person. My dear students, which path will you choose? Will you remain in the state of the deluded, or will you strive to become an awakened being?

You must practise diligently. By upholding the Precepts, you will attain meditative concentration and wisdom. When you break through delusion and attain enlightenment, you will reach the state of an awakened being. You will then live a life that is free from the control of consciousness, a life of autonomy, coolness, and ease. Follow the Buddha-actions, and dedicate your life to the work of saving the world and helping all beings find rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Namo Amituofo.