Looking Inward: The Path to True Awakening

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe. On the fifteenth day of July, 2023, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju provided the following guidance during the Thrice Yearning Ceremony.

The Nature of Our Perception

To understand the path of practice, one must first distinguish between the internal and the external. The Six Roots—the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—are inherent to our being. They are the instruments through which we experience existence. In contrast, the Six Dusts—sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch, and phenomena—are external influences that come from the world around us.

For a practitioner, the relationship between these two is the crux of spiritual progress:

• When the Six Roots remain detached from the Six Dusts, one does not cling to external phenomena, and the mind remains pure.
• When the Six Roots merge with the Six Dusts, attachment arises, and the mind becomes clouded by impurity.

The Clarity of the Awakened Being

Those who have achieved success in their meditative concentration and have attained the Buddha-Recitation Samadhi are known as those who have realised their true nature. Such individuals possess a profound ability to navigate the world. They can skillfully utilise the Six Roots and the Six Dusts to deliver sentient beings, yet they remain unmoved by them. They are not turned by the external world, nor are they swayed by the needs of others in a way that compromises their own spiritual stability.

The Dangers of External Attachment

For those who have not yet attained deep meditative concentration or realised their true nature, the world presents significant challenges. It is easy to be turned by the Six Roots, the Six Dusts, and the surrounding environment. Therefore, one should strive to distance oneself from the Six Dusts, as they are the source of karmic pollution. If one is not careful, one can easily be manipulated by the forces of karmic creditors and the laws of karma and cause and effect. When beings cling to these dusts, they often fall into an ocean of karma, finding it difficult to escape. They drift along with the currents of fate, unable to take charge of their own lives.

The Practice of Looking Inward

If you have the vow to practise diligently and wish to eventually realise your true nature so that you may take charge of your own destiny, you must learn to look inward. Ask yourself daily: Am I making progress without slackening? Do not seek answers outside of yourself. Do not chase after external conditions, and do not be deceived by the external environment. This environment can manifest as any person, any event, or any object, even down to a single word or phrase that comes from the outside.

Discernment in Daily Life

How should one respond to the world? It requires wisdom and discernment:

• If you encounter a condition of Goodness that aids your practice and helps you elevate the quality of your spirit, then you should be grateful and accept it.
• If you encounter an evil condition that pollutes your Body-Mind-Spirit and interferes with your inner peace, you must distance yourself from it.

If you become addicted to or lost within such negative conditions, you will find yourself drifting further and further away from the state of an awakened being. Therefore, you must be cautious in your conduct. By maintaining this vigilance and consistently chanting Namo Amituofo, you will find the strength to remain on the right path.

Namo Amituofo