Revealing the Pure and White Nature

The Pristine Clarity of the True Nature

Recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable Fa Hui. On the seventeenth of January, 2025, during the second session of the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offered these profound teachings.

When we speak of the pure and white, we are referring to our true self, our original nature. The ancient wisdom tells us to wash away the dust and grime, so that the pure and white may be revealed. When you successfully cleanse the dust and pollution that have accumulated within your heart, your true self and original nature will naturally manifest in their full clarity. This is what we call Awakening.

Revealing this pure and white nature is the most important task of your life. Why do we engage in spiritual practice? We practise to reach Awakening and to attain Buddhahood. And why do we strive to become a Buddha? We do so to save infinite beings. The Pure Land Dharma Gate is the supreme path, specifically designed for the attainment of Buddhahood.

The Essential Path to Buddhahood

Many practitioners ask about the concept of carrying karma to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This does not mean you are free from all burdens. Rather, it means that even though your afflictions have not been completely eradicated, you possess the ability to chant Namo Amituofo to subdue them. Being able to chant Namo Amituofo to suppress your afflictions is the fundamental requirement for rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I ask the fourfold assembly (monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen) to reflect deeply upon your own practice:

• How effective is your chanting of Namo Amituofo?
• Are you truly able to subdue your afflictions in moments of trial?
• If you do not chant Namo Amituofo, how can you expect to suppress the rising tides of your afflictions?
• Without this control, how can you have any certainty regarding your rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss?

The Infinite Opportunity of the Western Pure Land

From the initial aspiration to Buddhahood, the journey traditionally requires three great eons of time. In this human world, no one lives long enough to complete such a journey. This is why those who reach Awakening in this world are so rare. They are usually practitioners from past lives or those who have returned with a specific vow to save beings.

However, in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, you are supported by the vows of Namo Amituofo. You are accompanied by the energy of infinite light and possess infinite time for your practice. This is how one can attain Buddhahood within a single lifetime.

A Rare Moment for Awakening

At this very moment, the fourfold assembly (monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen) at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Queensland, Australia, is incredibly fortunate. You are blessed by the fact that Namo Amituofo truly abides here, and you have the guidance of your teacher and Practitioner Su, who have manifested in this human world to lead you.

Because of these conditions, you have been granted the rare opportunity to reach Awakening. You must be diligent and swift in your practice. Cherish every minute and every second. Do not let your time slip away in vain. Practise with unwavering diligence, and look forward to the day when you can truly wash away all dust and grime, revealing the pure and white brilliance of your original nature.

Namo Amituofo