Reflections on the Past: Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju

The Fleeting Nature of Our Past

Whatever you have experienced in the past, it is all now just a memory. Regardless of whether you have faced the biting winds, the frost, the rain, or the snow of life's hardships, all of it has passed. Perhaps you once stood at the pinnacle of success, looking down upon the world with pride, holding great power where your every word was law and the masses listened to your commands. Or perhaps you lived the life of an ordinary person, humble and unnoticed, always feeling as though you were trailing behind others. Regardless of your station, you must all face the same fundamental sufferings of existence. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the inescapable realities of this world, and they follow you into the next life.

The Universal Truth of Suffering

Every being possesses the same Buddha-nature and is born from the same singular, unified reality. Although your circumstances in life may have differed greatly, those days have already become the past; there is no need to dwell upon them. When you look at others, you should see yourself. What they are experiencing now, you have experienced in the past. You must be cautious, for the truth of impermanence is always present within these experiences. The present moment cannot be replaced, and once it has passed, it will never return. If you wait for another lifetime to begin your practice, how many cycles of being reincarnated will you have to endure before you meet the Dharma again? You may return in a different form, having forgotten your original purpose, only to suffer through yet another cycle of rebirth.

Transforming Karma Through the Heart

While your encounters in life may seem predetermined, there is always room for change. Through the power of Buddhist education, you can learn how to transform your life. You must put in the work within your own heart. If you can successfully transform karma, you will be liberated from the cycle of rebirth. If you can successfully transform your destiny, you will see their true nature. You should feel gratitude for your past and for everything that has happened to you. Without that past, you would not have this present moment. How fortunate are the few in this world who have the great blessing to encounter a teacher with the Five Eyes of wisdom! With the vision of the Dharma Body, one can see the world in its entirety, opening up vast space to save infinite beings.

The Path of the Buddha-Heart

Follow the footsteps of the Buddha without fear. Even if ten thousand difficulties stand in your way, you must still walk forward alongside the Buddha. This is what it means to be a disciple of the Buddha, sharing the same Buddha-heart. After all, the Buddha's path is the supreme achievement. This message was recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.