Everything for the Sake of All Beings

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

On September 2, 2023, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju provided the following teachings during the Thrice Yearning Ceremony:

The Universal Nature of All Beings

You must understand that you are, in essence, one of many beings. This is the fundamental truth of our existence. Every living creature, without exception, possesses the same original nature. When the self-nature of all beings is fully revealed, we will reach a state of perfect oneness. To exist within a world formed by this vision of oneness is truly the greatest blessing for all beings.

Consider the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. It is a realm of supreme purity and supreme Goodness, brought into existence by the vows of Namo Amituofo, who acts from this very state of oneness. For ten kalpas, Namo Amituofo has never ceased teaching. His compassion is boundless and absolute. Namo Amituofo is the Universal Buddha, and everything He does is for the sake of all beings. Yet, He does not hold the thought that He is doing this; it is simply the natural, inherent way of the universe.

The Necessity of Letting Go

To walk the path of the practitioner, you must learn to let go of your personality, your ego-attachment, your subjective views, and everything you claim as your own. Only by letting go of the self can you truly act for the sake of others. Only when you have completely abandoned the self can you truly dedicate everything to all beings.

Those who can let go of the self are able to see through the illusions of this world and release their attachments. This is the essence of compassion, and it is the highest form of Wisdom. Conversely, those who cling tightly to the self find it difficult to release their ego-attachment and subjective views. They hold their own opinions as absolute, and they cannot tolerate it when others challenge them, deny their views, or point out their faults.

The Danger of Arrogance

This rigid attachment is the manifestation of arrogance. If you do not change your ways or transform your hearts and actions, this arrogance will continue to grow, eventually becoming a source of great suffering and harm. Those who commit great evils do so because they take the self as their starting point. They allow their ego-attachment, their subjective views, and their negative emotions to dictate their hearts and actions, manifesting these traits to the extreme.

In contrast, those who embody great Goodness manifest the state of no-self and selflessness to the extreme. Although they appear to have nothing, they are able to encompass all things. Therefore, to be selfless and to act for the sake of all beings is the essential condition for any practitioner seeking to rediscover their true self.

The Path to Awakening

In your daily life, you must be actively diligent in your practice of purification and in letting go of the self. Your ego must become smaller and smaller, until it reaches the state of no-self. Do not allow the ego to grow and become a source of trouble. When you do everything for the sake of all beings, you are, in fact, the greatest beneficiary. This is because the state of no-self and selflessness is the very heart and action of one who has realised their true nature and attained Buddhahood.

Namo Amituofo.