The Process of Spiritual Transformation

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

On the third of August, 2024, during the noon offering, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju provided the following guidance on the path of practice.

The Natural Instinct for Growth

When a seed is buried deep beneath the earth, it possesses an innate, powerful instinct to grow. This vital force compels the seed to break through the surface, pushing upward with determination until it emerges as a tender, vibrant sprout reaching toward the light. This is the natural way of life, and it is the way of the practitioner.

Persevering Through Stagnation

If you find your practice stalling at a certain stage, or if you encounter obstacles that block your forward momentum, do not retreat. It is essential that you maintain your current progress while facing these challenges head-on. You must break through these barriers with courage. If you truly wish to reach the state of an awakened being, you must understand that these trials are simply a necessary part of the journey of practice.

Purifying the Personality

The personality you exhibit in this lifetime is, in reality, a manifestation of your accumulated karma. If you can work to change your personality traits until you no longer cling to a rigid sense of self, your karma will have no place to manifest. By doing this, you remove the very obstacles that hinder your spiritual progress.

Resolving Karmic Debts

Consider the relationships you navigate in this world:

• Your connections with parents and children.
• The dynamics within your family life.
• Your professional responsibilities and career.
• Your academic pursuits and intellectual goals.

These are all arenas where the laws of karma and cause and effect play out. They are opportunities to settle debts, repay a kindness, or resolve past grievances. You must learn to truly "see through" and "let go" of these attachments. Do not allow them to leave a trace upon your heart.

The Path to True Awakening

Once you have become fiercely diligent and achieved the state of an awakened being, you will be able to save infinite beings. You will be able to act in a way that flows naturally with the Dharma. The beings with whom you shared karmic ties in the past will be transformed into those with whom you share Dharma affinity. They will become part of the multitude you are destined to save. You must understand that the past is gone; the present moment is what matters. Let go of the past completely; do not let it bind you. Thoroughly change your personality, just as a new seed breaks through the soil to grow into a fresh, new plant. This is the process of transformation. Without undergoing this profound change, there is no hope of reaching the state of an awakened being.

Namo Amituofo