Recorded and transcribed by ’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.
On the eighth of December, 2023, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju offered these vital teachings during the .
The Priority of the Spiritual Path
When you are diligently engaged in your practice at the centre, and simultaneously learning skills required for worldly affairs, you may find yourself at a crossroads. When these two paths exist side by side, which one is truly important? You must understand that spiritual practice is your own personal journey. No one can walk this path for you, and no one can substitute for your own efforts. The goal of your diligent practice is to realise your true nature as early as possible. By achieving this, you gain the ability to master your own life, leave suffering behind, and attain the freedom to know the time of your departure or to travel back to the at will.
Regarding worldly affairs, you should only learn them if they are directly related to your practice and your ability to save other beings. If there are others within the community who possess the necessary expertise, it is perfectly fine to follow their lead and support them. Once you have reached the state of , all things will become clear to you, and you will naturally understand how to navigate the world.
Navigating Obstacles and Maintaining Stillness
If you find that certain worldly tasks create obstacles in your practice, causing your heart to fluctuate or making it difficult to maintain a state of meditative concentration, you must be prepared to let go. You must be willing to release these burdens. When your practice reaches a point of success and you have realised your true nature, your mind will naturally become settled and unmoving. You will possess the necessary meditative concentration to face the work of saving beings with wisdom, knowing exactly how to respond to any situation that arises.
The Mirror of Self-Reflection
When you encounter a situation in your practice where others' views or methods differ from your own, it is common for anger to arise. In such moments, you must ask yourself: will you allow this anger to take hold and follow the path of least resistance, or will you take a step back? Do not blame others. Instead, look inward and reflect upon yourself. Ask if you have made a mistake, if you have been insufficient in your duties, or if you have acted in a way that caused the other person to be upset. If you find you have no fault, take it as a warning to remain vigilant. If you find that you were indeed at fault, then you must change your behaviour immediately.
The Crucial Choice: Ego or Awakening
When you strive for Awakening and work to purify your Body-Mind-Spirit, you may find that the process conflicts with your own 'self,' personal ego, and selfishness, making it difficult to adjust. In these moments, you must ask: what is truly important? Is it more important to reach Awakening, or is it more important to indulge in your own 'self,' personal ego, and selfishness? If you realise that Awakening is the priority, then you must act quickly to change your personality traits, repent for your past, and practise diligently to live in harmony with others. Only then is it possible to bring your Body-Mind-Spirit into alignment, remove the pollution brought about by your 'self,' personal ego, and selfishness, and continue on your path of practice.
However, if you choose to follow your 'self,' personal ego, and selfishness, finding it too difficult to change or repent for past mistakes, you will continue to create at every moment. If you continue to create karma, how can you hope to avoid the retribution of the hells? You must ask yourself if you are truly continuing your path of practice. This is a matter that requires deep, careful, and sincere consideration. What is truly important? You must reflect on this, understand it, and act upon it.
