My dear children, you are currently residing in a sacred Buddha-land. This is a place where truly abides, a sanctuary protected by the teachers, and a place where Practitioner Su provides his guidance. Within this environment, you are receiving the most precious teachings. However, I must ask you: when you receive the guidance of Namo Amituofo, the teachers, and Practitioner Su, are you truly listening and obeying? Do you carry out these instructions as requested, or do you only listen to half and act on half, leaving the work unfinished? Or perhaps, do you find yourselves creating reasons and excuses for why you cannot fully listen and obey?
The Medicine for Your Karmic Ailments
You must understand that the words spoken by the Buddha, the teachers, and Practitioner Su are not casual remarks. They are specifically directed at the problems you face. They are, in essence, the precise medicine prescribed for your specific karmic ailments. When a doctor provides a prescription, it is because he has diagnosed the illness and knows exactly what is needed for recovery. Similarly, these teachings are the solutions required for your current state. Only by listening and obeying can you resolve these problems. This is the only way to improve the conditions of being drowsy and the tendency to drift into other spaces that many of you are currently experiencing.
The Power of Self-Effort
To resolve your problems, you must possess great strength. This is not a physical strength, but a strength of will—the power to exert effort against your own karmic obstacles. You must be able to resist the inertia of your past habits and the ingrained behaviours that arise whenever these problems manifest. The ability to resist these old patterns is where your true strength lies; this is what we call . Only when your Self-Power is manifest can the be effectively applied to assist you.
If you continue to follow your old habits and behaviours when problems arise, you are failing to resist the cycle of .
Consequently, the same problems will continue to repeat themselves, and you will remain unable to find a resolution.
If your Self-Power does not manifest, even if the Buddha-Power attempts to assist you, it will be difficult for that support to be sustained.
This happens because you have not listened and obeyed; the problems remain, and the beings manifest before you, one after another, in an endless cycle.
The Necessity of Diligent Practice
Children, beyond merely listening, you must also put these teachings into vigorous action. To listen without acting is the same as not listening at all. If you fail to follow the instructions provided by the teachers and Practitioner Su, how can you expect your conditions of being drowsy or your tendency to wander into other spaces to improve? You are here at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre to practise, and the purpose of this practice is to resolve your own problems and ultimately reach . Therefore, you must listen and obey the guidance of the teachers and Practitioner Su. This is the only path that will allow you to achieve success in your practice.
The Apprentice’s Path to Mastery
Throughout history, if an apprentice wished to master a craft, they had to follow their master’s instructions in every word, every sentence, and every action. If they did not, they would not only waste their time and days, but even after spending a long period in study, they would never truly learn the skill. You must apply this same dedication to your practice. By aligning your every move with the instructions given, you will find the clarity needed to progress. Namo Amituofo
