The Wisdom of Advancing and Retreating

During the first session of the Thrice Yearning Ceremony held on the fourteenth of April, 2023, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju provided essential guidance for all practitioners. He spoke on the vital importance of discernment in our daily lives, explaining how we must choose our path with clarity and wisdom. To walk the path of a true practitioner, one must understand when to move forward with courage and when to step back to preserve one's purity.

Aligning with the Universal Principle

When an action or a thought is in perfect harmony with the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, you should advance without hesitation. This is the path of righteousness that leads to awakening. Conversely, if an action or a thought contradicts these sacred foundations, you must retreat immediately. Do not allow yourself to be swayed by external pressures or internal desires that lead you away from the light of the Dharma.

Furthermore, consider your conscience and the established norms of society. When your conduct aligns with a clear conscience and the ethical standards that uphold harmony, you should advance. However, if you find yourself acting in ways that violate your conscience or cause harm to the social fabric, you must retreat. This is the mark of a person who is truly awake and mindful of their impact on the world.

The Path of Righteous Conduct

In your practice, you must always follow the established rituals and the right path. When you act in accordance with these, you are moving forward on the road to liberation. If you find yourself drifting toward unconventional or deviant paths, you must be vigilant. You must possess the awareness to stop, reflect, and retreat from such deviations before they lead you further into confusion.

The work of saving beings, helping them to leave suffering behind, and benefiting all sentient beings is the highest calling. Even when you encounter difficulties, obstacles, or the interference of demons, you must face them with a steadfast heart. You must overcome these challenges and continue to advance in your mission to save others. However, if you find yourself engaging in actions that cause suffering to others or provide no benefit to the collective, you must cease immediately. If you have already begun such actions, you must have the awareness to stop and retreat.

The Foundation of Precepts, Samadhi, and Wisdom

In your spiritual practice, you must diligently cultivate the Three Learnings of Precepts, Samadhi, and Wisdom. Only through this diligent effort can you truly advance. Do not fall into the traps of laziness or indulgence. If you break your precepts, lose your concentration, or lack wisdom, you are effectively retreating from the path of Buddhahood. Stay focused, for your progress depends entirely on your commitment to these three pillars.

When you serve the public, do so without discrimination and without attachment. If you can serve with a pure, selfless heart, you are advancing. However, if you allow afflictions, discrimination, or attachment to arise within your mind, you are retreating. Always strive to think good thoughts, see the good in others, speak kind words, and perform good deeds. This is how you advance. Conversely, to think, see, speak, or act in ways that are harmful is to retreat. In every moment, between advancing and retreating, between acting and refraining, you must maintain a state of constant awareness. Namo Amituofo.