By Elise

During the Great Perfection Dharma class, the compassionate Holy Master Ziguang Shang Shi delivered a series of extraordinary and profound teachings to his students and disciples. Being part of this experience filled me with immense gratitude. Some teachings are so precious that even a piece of gold at the size of a human head is not sufficient to exchange for them; others are so impactful that they leave me feeling fulfilled enough to face the end of life without regret.

Among the Holy Master’s crucial discourses on the Great Perfection, one particular point stood out: it directly illuminated the purpose of entering the path of Great Perfection. Its profound meaning and extraordinary essence encapsulate the vast and boundless wisdom of the Dharma.

A single word, “awakening,” is like the toll of an ancient bell resonating through morning mist. In its deep and far-reaching echoes, one offers blessings to the Bodhisattvas and celestial beings above, while below, it calls out to awaken the slumbering multitudes.

Living in this world, it is often difficult to distinguish between dreams and reality. In dreams, we fail to live as we should; upon waking, we find ourselves lost and unsure of the path ahead. I was once one of the bewildered, until I encountered the Holy Master’s true teachings. Reflecting on it now, those words of authentic Dharma felt like gifts from the cosmos—each syllable struck my soul with a rhythmic intensity, over and over, until I finally awoke from my dream.

For those who carry a mission, awakening means embracing the series of tasks that lie ahead after transformation. It is through trials and challenges that one grows, taking each step closer to truth and light.

This reminds me of the iconic scene from The Matrix, where Neo faces the most important choice of his life: take the blue pill to wake up in his own bed but remain in the illusion created by the machines, or take the red pill to free him from the dream and begin a journey to uncover ultimate truth. The former is false awakening; the latter is true awakening.

In the state of half-sleep and half-awake, some are called by the karmic ties of countless lifetimes. This becomes their opportunity to enter the path of Great Perfection. Under the Holy Master’s guidance, even in those moments when one stirs from a dream and remains hazy or stumbles along a long road, it still marks the beginning of liberation from illusion.

One of the Holy Master’s students once remarked that the “side effect” of practicing the Esoteric Dharma is “being too awake.” That was his heartfelt gratitude after overcoming decades of illness and anxiety through learning the Dharma. Which Guang Huan Mi Zong Dharma practitioner hasn’t experienced a clearer mind and sharper intellect through their practice?

For those awakened within the Great Perfection, it is like the energy of all things reviving in spring—a vibrant and dynamic sensitivity, a surge of vitality from newfound life. Thus, they return as youthful souls, brimming with confidence and vigor, ready to embrace their purpose and continue their journey.