Speaking Fairly and Objectively: Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju

The Trap of Emotional Speech

When you speak in the heat of the moment, how many of your words are truly objective? How many are spoken from a position of fairness? In truth, most of the time, we speak from a place of self-protection or a desire to hurt others. For a practitioner, such emotional turbulence and volatility should be avoided at all costs. It is not appropriate for these states to arise in your heart.

Cultivating the Precepts, Concentration, and Wisdom

You must remember that Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt are violations of the Precepts. Those who diligently practise the Precepts (Discipline), Concentration and Wisdom know that anger is a grave violation of the Precepts. When you do not allow anger to manifest, your meditative concentration will naturally appear. You will no longer be covered by the dark clouds of anger.

Even if you feel a subtle ripple of emotion, please use your awareness and chant Namo Amituofo to calm your heart. Do not let these ripples expand or grow into a storm. By maintaining this stillness, your wisdom will gradually manifest. This wisdom is inherent within you; it is your original nature. Therefore, it can naturally manifest without the need for external force or searching outside of yourself.

The Natural Manifestation of Wisdom

When you reach the state of an awakened being, your Wisdom (Prajna) will be fully revealed. Compassion, tolerance, and a vast mind-capacity are all contained within this state. This is your original face, the one you possessed before your parents were born. It is the pure, unconditioned state of your true nature.

Purification at Hsiang Kuang

Speaking fairly and objectively, if you can follow the teachings of the Buddha and Practitioner Su at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, you will be able to change your ways through diligent practice. In the shortest and fastest time possible, you will be able to purify yourself and remove all defilements. It is a natural process. You will hear the gentle, heart-to-heart voice of the Buddha, and you will be granted the precious opportunity to converse with Him. Everything proceeds in a state of natural, harmonious flow.

The Ubiquity of Namo Amituofo

Namo Amituofo abides everywhere. He is present in the vastness of the Dharma Realm, He is present here at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, and He is present in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Most importantly, He is present in the heart of every person who chants Namo Amituofo, and in the heart of everyone who believes in the Buddha. Namo Amituofo.