Do Not Delay Your Awakening

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

Second Session, 24 February 2024.

Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju provides these teachings:

As the days fly by with such incredible speed, your life is shortening with every passing second. How many of us truly stop to consider the preciousness of this time? We often live as if we have an eternity, yet the reality of our impermanence is always present. There are certain things in your life that you must never delay, and today, we must reflect deeply upon what those priorities are.

The Urgency of Transforming Your Personality

You must not delay in changing your personality traits. This is the most urgent task of your life. If you do not change your personality now, when your final breath comes, you will carry these same traits into your next destination. Your spirit will remain trapped in the same patterns, and you will inevitably face the same suffering that your personality has attracted. Why would you choose to continue suffering in this way? You have the power to break this cycle, but you must act now.

This life is a rare opportunity. You have encountered Namo Amituofo, you have encountered your Teacher, and you have encountered Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo, your Teacher, and Practitioner Su all share the same singular goal: to guide you to leave suffering behind. How could they bear to watch you fall back into the depths of suffering? Therefore, you must make the decision to change your personality traits without any further delay.

The Path of Diligent Practice

What else must you not delay? You must not delay your diligent practice. Living in this defiled and evil world of suffering, the only way to achieve success is through the two-power method: relying on your own diligent practice and the compassionate Buddha's blessings. At this very moment, the Buddha's blessings are being bestowed upon you through your diligent practice of chanting Buddha's name, your sincere prostrations, and your recitation of the Sutras.

• Chanting Buddha's name:
• Aim for ten thousand recitations every day. This is the fundamental foundation of your practice. You must learn to let go of all worldly attachments and focus entirely on the name of Namo Amituofo.Purifying the body, heart, and spirit:
• As you chant, allow the Buddha-name to cleanse your entire being, washing away the impurities that have accumulated over countless lifetimes.Prostrations:
• Through the act of bowing, you gather your body, heart, and spirit, focusing your entire being upon the Buddha-name.Reciting the Sutras: This is how you cultivate your meditative concentration, allowing your wisdom to shine forth.

The Peril of Samsara

If you do not achieve success in your diligent practice in this lifetime, you will be forced to enter the cycle of reincarnated life once again. If you do not attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, when will you ever have another chance to get a human body? When will you again hear the teachings of the Pure Land, chant Buddha's name, encounter Namo Amituofo, and finally find true liberation? The window of opportunity is narrow, and the consequences of hesitation are profound. Please, do not let this precious life pass in vain. Namo Amituofo.