The Path to True Awakening: The Second Letter of Lay Practitioner Li Muyuan

The Illusion of External Achievement

I, Lay Practitioner Li Muyuan, although I may not be a person of great status, have at least dedicated my life and energy to the Dharma in Singapore. It is through this collective effort that the Singapore Buddhist Lodge stands as it does today. I share this not to boast or seek recognition; please do not misunderstand my intention. I speak of this because I wish to share a truly terrifying realisation with all of you. Despite my years of service to the Dharma, and despite leading so many people in chanting Namo Amituofo and studying the Buddha’s teachings, I found that after my passing, I had not attained rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is a sobering truth that I must share with you all.

Learning with the Heart, Not the Body

I wish to clarify what it truly means to learn Buddhism. Many of us fall into the trap of believing that learning is merely a matter of physical action. We think that if we perform prostrations, chant the name of Namo Amituofo, read the sutras, and contemplate the Buddha, we are doing enough. However, if your heart remains untouched—if you do not embody the essence of the Buddha’s teachings—then rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss remains impossible. You may spend your entire day in these practices, but if your heart is not aligned with the Buddha, you have not yet begun to learn.

The Necessity of Changing Personality Traits

What does it mean to grasp the essence of the Buddha’s teachings? At its simplest level, it is the process of changing one's personality traits. The Buddha possesses no ego, no stubborn personality, and no attachment to self. If he had such traits, he would not be a Buddha. If you truly wish to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, you must aspire to Buddhahood. Yet, if you cling to even a tiny fragment of your old personality, you cannot become a Buddha. You cannot be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Do you understand the gravity of this fact? This is the absolute truth, which I only came to understand after being rescued by the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and listening to the teachings here.

The Truth of the Universe

Even if you only attend one or two sessions of listening to the Dharma here, you will begin to understand the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. Without coming to listen and reflect, one truly remains in the dark. I sincerely hope that those whom I have guided in the past, those who have walked this path of learning Buddhism with me, will take the opportunity to visit the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. I want to show you how to truly learn Buddhism. I wish for you to take the wisdom you gain here back to the Singapore Buddhist Lodge and share it with even more people. I am here, waiting for you to join me on this path of true awakening.

Namo Amituofo