Recorded and transcribed by ’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
During the second session of the held on June 29, 2024, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju provided essential guidance on the nature of our internal spiritual landscape. To understand our practice, we must first understand who is truly in charge of our lives.
The Sovereign Master of the Inner Realm
Within the human body, the true self serves as the rightful host. It is the master of the vessel, possessing the inherent capacity to make decisions and govern with clarity and purpose. However, we are rarely alone in this vessel. We are accompanied by many guests, which include:
: Beings from our past who seek to settle grievances.
Attached spirits: Entities that have latched onto our energy field.
Demon crowds: Negative influences that seek to disrupt our path to peace.
Under normal and healthy circumstances, these guests must listen to the host. They should follow the host's lead and adjust themselves according to the host's state of being. When the host is strong and clear, the body remains under the rightful command of the true self.
The Wandering Guest of the Mind
We must also understand the nature of our . The true self is the host, but the consciousness—our ordinary, everyday mind—is actually a guest. This consciousness is defined by its constant activity:
It is filled with endless thoughts and mental fluctuations.
It engages in constant discriminations between this and that.
It is clouded by delusions and subjective viewpoints.
Because this consciousness is a guest, it sits on the side, observing. Yet, every thought it generates is recorded and stored within the host’s . This is why the quality of our thoughts is so critical; they are not merely passing clouds, but seeds that are planted deep within the foundation of our being.
The Shadow of Usurped Authority
What happens when the host loses its way? If the host becomes biased, holds onto personal attachments, or lacks the strength of character to remain upright, the balance of power shifts. When the host is not aligned with the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, the guests—the karmic creditors, the attached spirits, and the demon crowds—are stirred into action.
They sense the host's weakness and, in a reversal of roles, they take over. They effectively imprison the true self in a corner of the body. Once the true self is sidelined, it no longer has the power to act. The guests then take control, dominating the body and forcing it to endure the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death. When these karmic creditors come to seek revenge and repay grievances, the true self remains trapped. Consequently, our Body, Speech, and Mind begin to act according to the desires of these guests rather than the wisdom of the host.
Reclaiming the Throne Through Diligent Practice
If a practitioner finds themselves in this state, how can they hope to achieve Body-Mind-Spirit purification? How can they reach a state of pure goodness and purity? How can they ever hope to achieve the state of an awakened being? If we allow our guests to rule, we are moving further and further away from our true nature.
This is why we must engage in True Cultivation. We must use this temporary, physical body as a tool to help our spirit. Our goal is to elevate the quality of one's spirit through diligent practice. When our practice becomes powerful and consistent, when we reach a state of absolute purity and goodness without a single trace of defilement, we will naturally achieve the state of an awakened being.
At that moment, we successfully transform the Alaya consciousness into the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom. The host finally reclaims its rightful place, and we are truly able to master our own lives. Let us strive for this clarity, keeping our focus on the path of the Buddha, and never let the guests usurp the throne of our true self.
