The Abundance of the True Self and the Compassion of Namo Amituofo

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on the 4th of March, 2023.

The Pervasive Nature of Worldly Suffering

The world we inhabit is filled with suffering. It is a cycle that traps us in endless dissatisfaction and pain. We often find ourselves lost in a sea of desires, unable to achieve what we seek. Even when we do attain our goals, the happiness is fleeting, leaving us wanting more. We suffer because we are subject to the inevitable processes of life, and we have no control over them:

• Birth, aging, sickness, and death: These are the fundamental conditions of our existence that we cannot escape or command.
• Karmic burdens: We carry the weight of our past actions, and because we are bound by these karmic debts, we find it difficult to transform our karma.
• The Three Evil Realms: Many beings are trapped in these lower realms of existence, suffering the consequences of their past actions with no clear path to liberation.
• Unheard cries: When we are in the depths of our suffering, we often feel that our pleas for help go unanswered, and we feel utterly alone.
• Lack of Buddha’s teachings: Many beings never have the precious opportunity to hear the Buddha’s teachings, and thus they remain unaware of the beauty of their own true self or the profound state of being an awakened being.

The Compassion of the Buddha

However, the Buddha’s compassion is vast and boundless. Where there is suffering that no one else can resolve, the Buddha comes to offer relief. He teaches us that our experiences of birth, aging, sickness, and death are not random occurrences; they are the inevitable results of causes sown in the past. When we understand the laws of karma and cause and effect, we can accept our circumstances with a calm heart, knowing that everything we encounter is a manifestation of these underlying truths.

The Path to Inner Stillness

We must learn to recognise that our worldly desires are merely illusions. Seeking satisfaction in external things only leads to more suffering. By understanding that these desires are illusory, we can let go of our attachments and find freedom from suffering. We must stop looking outward for happiness, as everything external is subject to change and is therefore not the ultimate truth. Instead, we must turn our practice inward to rediscover our true self. When we return to our true self, we find a state of constant, unchanging peace. In this state of meditative concentration, there is no suffering, and all our deepest aspirations are fulfilled.

The Boundless Provision of the Western Land

Within our true self, everything we could ever need is already present; there is no lack whatsoever. This is the great grace of Namo Amituofo, who spent five kalpas establishing the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Through the Forty-eight Great Vows, Namo Amituofo ensures that even those with heavy karma can chant Buddha's name and be reborn in the Western Land while carrying their karma. For those spirits who have been lost in the cycle of samsara, this provides a true destination and a place of refuge. Once you enter the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, all your needs are met, you will never experience lack again, and you will surely attain Buddhahood. Namo Amituofo.