The Teachings of Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju on the Invitation of Spirits

The Universal Nature of Sentient Beings

During the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, we engage in the sacred act of the Invitation of Spirits. You may ask, who exactly are these sentient beings? In truth, we are all sentient beings. The karmic creditors who follow us are sentient beings, and the attached spirits residing within our bodies are also sentient beings. From my perspective, these beings are my karmic creditors and my attached spirits. Yet, if we look at this relationship from their perspective, am I not also their karmic creditor? I am the karmic creditor of my own karmic creditors. We are all bound together in this cycle, differing only in our names and our physical forms.

Despite these outward differences, our original nature is identical. Every one of us possesses the same Buddha-nature and the same true self. However, because of our deep-seated habits of discrimination and attachment, we have covered our true self with layers of dust. It is this accumulation that causes us to fall from our original state of Buddha-nature into a state of impurity, and from the pure Buddha-body into a physical body burdened by worldly dust.

Restoring the Original Nature

Now that we have the rare opportunity to undergo purification within this Buddha-land, we must take this chance to wash away the dust that clings to our Body-Mind-Spirit. We must strive to restore our original Buddha-nature and our original Buddha-body. This is why the Invitation of Spirits is such a vital and essential practice for every practitioner.

Where does this dust come from? Before one reaches the state of pure goodness and achieves Awakening, we are all covered in dust. Our bodies have dust, our minds have dust, and our spirits have dust. The beings around us have dust, and I have dust. It is precisely because we all carry this dust that we have become beings of dust. We are trapped by these layers of defilement, unable to see the clarity of our own true self.

The Compassionate Resolution of Karma

The Invitation of Spirits is a process of profound resolution. Through this practice, we invite our karmic creditors and attached spirits to come forward. We seek to resolve the conflicts of the past, encouraging them to willingly depart from the body of the host. When these karmic creditors and attached spirits are invited to leave, they are no longer bound by the dust of the host's Body-Mind-Spirit. By letting go, they attain purity, and in turn, the host's Body-Mind-Spirit is also cleansed of that same dust.

This mutual purification is a powerful catalyst. It helps the practitioner to quickly rediscover their true self and move closer to Awakening. When we invite these spirits to depart, we do not simply cast them away; we guide them so that they may be sent to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. As they find their way to that pure realm, the host is also able to attain purity and reach the state of Awakening, ultimately ensuring their own rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

A Path of Perfect Completion

For those of us at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, this practice is a manifestation of our good roots, our blessings, and our Causal Conditions coming together in perfect harmony. It is a great blessing, and it is the path to complete fulfillment. By engaging in this work of saving endless suffering beings, we ensure that our own journey toward the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is secure. This is the true meaning of our practice, and it is a work that must never cease. Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

Namo Amituofo