Living in the Present and Moving Forward

The Vital Task of the Present Moment

Living in the present is currently the most important task for all students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Many of you find it difficult to let go of the past, your family members, or your own stubborn personality traits. Because you are still deeply attached to these things, you become vulnerable to the influence of other beings or demon crowds. They can easily control and pull you away from your practice, making it difficult for you to resist. This vulnerability often leads you into a state of being drowsy or entering space, where your consciousness drifts away from the path of the Dharma.

The Weight of Unresolved Attachments

You must engage in deep introspection. Ask yourself: why do you still hold onto these past events? Keeping them in your heart does not solve anything. It does not change the past, nor does it improve your current situation. Instead, it only provides an opportunity for other beings or demon crowds to exert control over you. These attachments become significant obstacles to your practice. When you allow these burdens to remain, you are essentially creating a barrier that prevents your heart from being clear and pure.

Seeking Guidance and Breaking Through

If you find that these obstacles and problems are too heavy for you to resolve or break through on your own, you must seek assistance. Do not hesitate to turn to the Buddha or Practitioner Su for help. They can provide the guidance needed to remove these layers of confusion and delusion. If you ignore these issues, thinking that everything is fine, you are merely deceiving yourself. In reality, these unresolved matters are the very reasons you fall into states of drowsiness or enter space. Once you successfully remove these delusions, change your ways, and truly let go, these states of drowsiness and distraction will naturally improve.

The Path of Determination and Faith

If you allow these delusions to remain, if you refuse to change your ways, and if you cannot bring yourself to let go completely, you are essentially opening a wide road for other beings and demon crowds. You are inviting them to lead you astray. This is when drowsiness manifests, and this is when you find yourself entering space. Therefore, you must summon your determination, your faith, and your perseverance. You must face your problems head-on. Only by doing so will you have the opportunity to continue your practice and eventually reach the state of an awakened being. Namo Amituofo.