The Path of True Practice

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe, during the Third Session of the Thrice Yearning Ceremony on 20 December 2024.

The Call to Sincere and Diligent Practice

True practice demands absolute sincerity. You must commit yourself fully! You must rouse your spirit and strive forward with genuine determination. Do not fall into the trap of practising for one day and then stopping for two. Do not work hard for a single day only to lose your momentum the next. If you sprint forward with diligent practice for one day, only to lack the strength to continue for the next two, you cannot expect to make any real progress.

The Peril of Stagnation and Pollution

If your regressions outnumber your advances, you remain mired in pollution. If you purify one part of yourself but allow two parts of pollution to return, you are merely slowing down the rate of your contamination compared to those in the world who do not practise at all. While the degree of your pollution may be lighter, you are still continuously accumulating it. There is no true purification here, and certainly no opportunity to realise your true nature. A practitioner of true practice understands the profound meaning of their journey. They remain active and persistent, working diligently every single day without interruption. They do not allow any person, object, or environment to influence them or hinder their diligent practice.

The Unshakable Foundation of Faith

The most important element is to have faith in the Buddha, and this faith must be firm and unyielding. It must never retreat. No matter what happens, those who have faith in the Buddha will seek His help, invite His presence, and chant the Buddha-name with persistent diligence. By initiating this effort yourself, you will receive the Buddha's blessings and support. Taking faith in the Buddha as your foundation, you must engage in true practice, moving forward step by step with your feet firmly on the ground. This is an essential condition for any practitioner who wishes to make progress and realise their true nature.

Mastering the Mind Through the Buddha-name

A true practitioner not only believes in the Buddha but also understands the importance of the morning service. They attend on time and engage in the practice with total sincerity. If you wish to avoid becoming drowsy or drifting into space—that state where your mind wanders and loses focus—you must exert your full strength to concentrate your spirit. You must grasp the Buddha-name tightly, word by word, without a single moment of interruption. The moment you stop, you become vulnerable to becoming drowsy and the tendency to drift into space. If you find yourself drifting, you must immediately exert your full strength again, concentrate your spirit, and seize the Buddha-name once more. Through this, you will receive the Buddha's blessings to overcome being drowsy and the tendency to drift into space.

Namo Amituofo.