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Time Does Not Return

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe.

February 5, 2023.

The Fleeting Nature of Existence

Time does not return. For every individual, every minute and every second is truly priceless. This is because no two moments are ever identical. No two instants are the same, for our hearts are constantly changing, and our environments are in a state of perpetual flux. Even if you find yourself in the same scene, every moment is undergoing the inevitable process of formation, abiding, decay, and emptiness. Therefore, you must cherish every present moment—every minute, every second, and even the space between your breaths. Because time does not return, you must not let it slip away.

The Urgency of the Practitioner's Path

For the practitioner, the passage of time carries a profound weight. If you delay your and your ability to save others by even a single second, consider the consequences for those connected to you by karmic affinity. Because they have not yet been saved, they continue to drift through the six realms of rebirth. They may manifest in many forms:

As earthly creatures struggling for survival.
As spirits lost in the cycle of samsara.
As invisible molecules in the air, drifting without direction.

If you wish to save them later, you may find that you cannot even locate them. How then can you save them? This is why the urgency of your practice is paramount.

The Boundless Power of Oneness

Only by realising your true nature can you perceive the universe as a single body. In this state of oneness, all those you save are those with whom you have karmic affinity. Whether they are earthly creatures or molecules in the air, they are all your family members. Those who have realised their true nature can see the past and the future clearly. They know that every being they save is someone with whom they have had a connection in the past. How, then, can you make discriminations? If you make discriminations, you have failed. You have fallen into the trap of having a selfish heart and making distinctions. Because of this, your power to perform is limited. However, if you maintain a heart of oneness, follow the conditions of the moment, and remain free from discriminations, your power to perform Chao Du becomes infinite.