A Message from the Western Dharma-Nature Land to Venerable Wuxing

This article records an interview conducted by Practitioner Shi Haize on November 21, 2022, with the spirit of the late Venerable Master Chin Kung. Residing in the Western Dharma-Nature Land at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, the Venerable Master addresses his long-time disciple, Venerable Wuxing, the abbot of Jile Temple in Tainan, Taiwan, regarding the urgency of true practice and the path to rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Venerable Master Chin Kung speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Chin Kung. Today, I wish to speak with one of my disciples, Venerable Wuxing. He is an exceptionally capable practitioner who has held key positions within our associations and institutes, and currently serves as the abbot of Jile Temple in Tainan, Taiwan.

Venerable Wuxing has been by my side since his youth. He has always been a diligent student with excellent Dharma affinity. On the path of spreading the Dharma, having good Dharma affinity is essential. When your affinity is strong, noble people will naturally appear to assist you whenever you are in need. In my sixty years of lecturing on the sutras, I have encountered such occurrences many times. You never know when or where these helpers will appear, but they always do.

The Power of a Genuine Smile

Wuxing is always smiling wherever he goes, which is a crucial aspect of building broad Dharma affinity. You must be able to smile, and it must be a sincere smile; naturally, you will be filled with Dharma joy. Is that not wonderful? Many issues are resolved invisibly, and the work of spreading the Dharma becomes much smoother. Therefore, being able to keep a smiling face is a form of attainment—a skill essential for practice. However, not everyone can do it. Some monastics or lay practitioners are not used to smiling, or they find it awkward, so they suppress their smiles. In truth, a gentle smile is beneficial. People say that a smile can dissolve a thousand sorrows. For a monastic, a boisterous laugh might seem less dignified, but if one can laugh heartily, it is also a method to treat heart-sickness. It is worth a try. As long as you can smile, many things will begin to transform.

Now, I would like to address Venerable Wuxing directly.

Life in the Western Dharma-Nature Land

Namo Amituofo, Wuxing. I am your teacher, Chin Kung. It has been over three months since I left the human world. Time passes quickly, yet it also feels slow. Why do I say that? My spirit now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Here, there is only daylight—it is incredibly bright. There is no night, so I do not know how much time has passed; time here seems to have frozen. This is an excellent environment for practice, one that cannot be found in the human world; only this place has it. It is very convenient to observe the human world from here. Watching the sky over the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, seeing the alternation of day and night, I know that the days are passing one by one. I only know how much time has elapsed because I see them recording the dates. Otherwise, from the perspective of the Western Dharma-Nature Land, without the darkness of night, there are no limitations of time. It is no wonder it is called Infinite Life. The Western Dharma-Nature Land is like the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; it is a part of the spiritual space of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, meaning it belongs to a different dimension than the temple and the human world.

The Responsibility of Carrying the Torch

Wuxing, your teacher is no longer in the human world. Many matters must now be decided by you, and the responsibilities must be borne by you. I believe you have the capability to lead everyone forward on the path to rebirth in the Western Pure Land. When I was still present, you felt you had an elder to consult and rely upon, which gave you peace of mind. Now that I am gone, you must carry the burden yourself. This day was bound to come. You are sixty years old now, are you not? You have been managing temple affairs for many years! I have seen that because I was busy spreading the Dharma and expanding the learning of the Pure Land teachings, I entrusted the management of the temple, the associations, and the institutes to all of you. Wuxing, you have rich experience, and the work of spreading the Dharma requires such talent. I do not need to worry about that aspect. I only feel that you are all too busy. You must reflect upon the great matter of your own rebirth in the Western Pure Land! No matter how busy you are, those tasks are external—dealing with people and managing affairs is inevitable in spreading the Dharma. However, from another perspective, you must not neglect your inner cultivation and whether you have the true attainment required to be reborn in the Western Pure Land.

The Crucial Matter of Rebirth

When you were learning by my side in the early days, you were honest and obedient, learning step by step, including how to lecture on the sutras. That period was spent balancing external and internal work. The business of Jile Temple and the institutes took up much of your time and energy. I must remind you: whether you can be reborn in the Western Pure Land is a matter of utmost importance; it is the focal point. Of course, your daily actions are meant to accumulate the provisions for rebirth, and you will not lack the supporting conditions. However, this great matter of rebirth must be achieved by yourself; you cannot rely on external conditions. You must prepare yourself. This is the most important thing in this lifetime, having encountered the Pure Land Dharma Gate and become a monastic. Do you have the ability to be reborn in the Western Pure Land on your own? This is vital; you cannot rely on others.

I always thought that I could be reborn in the Western Pure Land myself. After all, I had chanted the Buddha-name for fifty or sixty years; I felt confident in my heart. Yet, I never expected that at the moment of death, my mind would go blank, and I would fall into the hells. Whether you believe this or not, or whether you acknowledge it—well, there is no issue of acknowledging it, because you were unaware. I should say, regardless of whether you believe it after hearing this, it is the truth. Therefore, my attainment was still insufficient. In fact, there is another very important reason: my karma was too heavy. Even if one's chanting skill is excellent, it cannot overcome such karma. I failed to tell everyone about Namo Amituofo at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, and I excluded Practitioner Su from the Pure Land school. This was something I should have faced in this lifetime, but I did not. Naturally, at the moment of death, the power of my Buddha-name weakened, and it was even interrupted, preventing me from reaching the Western Pure Land. This is the natural law; the laws of karma and cause and effect are at work.

A Call to the Disciples

Before I passed away, I never imagined I would face this situation, or that I would be speaking to you, Wuxing, in this manner. In fact, I have not only sent this message to you; I have also sent messages to Venerable Dao, Venerable Zhuang, and Lay Practitioner Hu Nini. I also wrote to Venerable Chengde. None of them have replied; it has been a week or two, and there has been no response. Recently, I also wrote to Lay Practitioner Qi of Tianmu Mountain.

What I want to tell you all is this: Namo Amituofo is now at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This is a precious land for everyone to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, because Namo Amituofo is here, making it incredibly convenient to lead beings into the Western Pure Land. During the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, as long as everyone chants the Buddha-name sincerely and performs the practice well, you can all enter the Western Pure Land. At the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the temple, I attend the three-day Dharma assembly every week. Every day, I see many beings coming to seek Spiritual Deliverance, and through this, they enter the Western Pure Land. It is truly praiseworthy; the scene is magnificent.

The Inconceivable Reality

Such a scene cannot be seen in the human world. I believe it is absolutely impossible to see, because Namo Amituofo is leading the Thrice Yearning Ceremony—such a thing has never been heard of before. Furthermore, the one leading the ceremony is Lay Practitioner Su Yue-e. Now, in the spiritual realms, including the Buddha-words of Namo Amituofo and the teachings of Teacher Xia Lianju, Practitioner Su is respectfully addressed as Buddha Su. He is an awakened being, and he is qualified to be called as such. I, too, was saved by him! It should be said that Chin Kung was saved from the hells by the Dharma Body of Namo Amituofo and Buddha Su, and sent here to the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This is an inconceivable matter—something you would never even imagine. Yes! Such an inconceivable thing happened to me. Therefore, your teacher hopes that you can also come here to visit and draw close to Namo Amituofo. This place is very close to the Pure Land Learning College in Australia—only a thirty-minute drive. As long as you are in Australia, you can come over at any time. Buddha Su will be very happy to welcome you back.

Here, Namo Amituofo can also help everyone heal their illnesses. The Buddha is, by nature, the Great Physician, so do not be surprised that I say this. The reason the Buddha is the Great Physician is that the Buddha knows where the problems of every being lie. He can clearly point them out, know which part of the body has a problem, and invite the spirits to resolve the conflicts and provide Spiritual Deliverance. Therefore, whether you can come here to give these beings the opportunity to be saved and reborn in the Western Pure Land depends on whether they have the karmic fortune.

The Hidden Obstacle of Attached Spirits

In the fifty-plus interviews I have accepted since my passing, especially in the recent ones, I have often mentioned whether one's physical form or appearance has changed, whether there is spiritual attachment, or whether there is aging and illness. Regardless of whether it is the physical form, appearance, spiritual attachment, aging, or illness, all are related to the karmic creditors from past lives manifesting and the attached spirits—especially the attached spirits, which are often overlooked by everyone. Chin Kung, here in the Dharma-Nature Land, looks at our Wu generation monastics and the many Dharma protectors who are now in middle or old age. Although everyone has laid a foundation in the Buddha's teachings, if we look back and ask if you have certainty in your rebirth in the Western Pure Land, honestly, I do not have that much confidence, because there are attached spirits within all of you. I see this in Wuxing as well.

You often reflect, make plans, and arrange many schedules and progress. This is unavoidable in spreading the Dharma and saving beings; however, at the same time, it is inevitable that you will consider your own position and perspective. These things will attract karmic creditors and attached spirits to manifest. I did not mention this in the past because I did not understand it so well, but here, I see it every day. Having seen so much, I want to mention it to you all. I hope you will be cautious and not overlook this part. This is the reason why, when one is chanting the Buddha-name at the moment of death to be reborn in the Western Pure Land, karmic creditors manifest, creating obstacles that cause one to fall back into the cycle of rebirth.

The Urgency of Seeking Deliverance

Many of the great Pure Land masters whom we thought had been reborn in the Western Pure Land have been found here, seeking rebirth and Spiritual Deliverance. They are in the heavenly realms—even the twenty-something levels of heaven—which is very high, but ultimately, it is not the final destination. Therefore, they come here to ask Namo Amituofo for help, seeking Buddha Su to provide Spiritual Deliverance so they can go to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. There are many such cases here. Everyone must prevent such things from happening; rebirth is your own business. If you leave the human world before Buddha Su, and you have not been reborn in the Western Pure Land, he can still save you and send your spirit to the Western Pure Land. However, if you leave the human world after Buddha Su, and you have not been reborn, there is currently no other awakened being with such attainment to send beings to the Western Pure Land. I think everyone should come here early and see what guidance Namo Amituofo will give you regarding rebirth, so that you can have certainty.

Wuxing is a responsible person in spreading the Dharma. At this age, for a monastic, it should be a time when you are very capable, but if you compare yourself to when you were younger, you should be able to feel that your physical strength is not as good as before. Of course, you have accumulated much experience and are good at handling affairs, always taking the needs of beings as the primary premise—this is correct. But with the increase of attached spirits or the manifestation of karmic creditors, I can see that your movements are not as agile as before. Everyone thinks that when one reaches a certain age, these problems are inevitable. In fact, I now know that everyone only knows the first part but not the second: because you are older, you have accumulated too many attached spirits, karmic creditors, and even demon crowds within your body. The increase in these beings makes your movements slower, especially in your legs.

When you do your daily practice, if you perform it well, these beings within your body sometimes will not interfere with you. But regardless, many that remain in the body without leaving always add a heavy burden to the body, which inevitably makes your movements slower. Of course, to others, it may look like you are steady, but you should know yourself that you are slower than before. The purpose of my saying this is to remind you that if this continues to accumulate, it will clearly cause physical inconvenience. You may think I am overthinking, but I see far ahead. I am not talking about the Wuxing of today, but the Wuxing of five or ten years from now. It is not too late to start preventing it now.

A Plea for Reconciliation

The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia is in Goombungee, not far from the college. If you can come here once, you will know that this is a good place. Regarding the ban I previously placed on Buddha Su, I hope Wuxing can lift it. That was my mistake; I misunderstood him. Buddha Su is not engaging in supernatural powers; his ability is from his true nature—it is an instinct possessed by an awakened being, manifesting naturally. At the time, I did not observe clearly, so I misunderstood him. I hope that now that I am no longer in the human world, Wuxing will have the boldness to act. You do not even need to announce it; just come here quietly, contact Buddha Su, and make this trip. Come and see your teacher as well. You may not be able to see my spirit in the Dharma-Nature Land, but you can feel that I am here. I can also speak, just as I am converting these words into text for you to see now. Moreover, Namo Amituofo is truly here. I can see Namo Amituofo emitting magnificent golden light at any time—very tall—along with Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, the Western Trio guarding this Pure Land in the human world. Now, even I address Practitioner Su as Buddha Su. What he does is Buddha-heart, Buddha-vow, and Buddha-actions; it is all for the sake of beings, and he is an awakened being. He is qualified to be called Buddha Su. I hope everyone can draw close to this place and even exchange ideas. There is much to learn here. If you want to realise your true nature, you can also come here to seek the Dharma.

The True Path to Awakening

Whether it is the college or the association, the work being done belongs more to the category of spreading the Dharma in the world. But at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, the work being done truly belongs to the transcendental. Buddha Su can lecture on the sutras and teach the Dharma, and he hopes that everyone can realise their true nature. He is an awakened being himself, and having studied Buddhism for thirty years, he only listened to the sutras I lectured on, listened and followed instructions, and thus realised his true nature. He has sufficiently rich experience to lead everyone to realise their true nature as well. The more people there are who realise their true nature, the faster and better the Pure Land teachings will be spread, and beings will benefit more directly. Most importantly, the spirits that come here have hope of being reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is something you could not find even if you searched with a lantern, because Namo Amituofo is here.

These few matters have always been on my mind. When I was alive, I did not bring you to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to find Namo Amituofo, and I did not tell everyone about this. Now that I am no longer in the world, fortunately, I can use this method to notify everyone, but so far, not one person has come! Wuxing, I hope you will be the one to respond to your teacher, so that my efforts in talking until my throat was dry to tell you all these things will not have been in vain. I see that the reaction from the human world is cold, but the reaction from the spiritual realms is very enthusiastic! Many in the spiritual realms know that Chin Kung's spirit is here and will speak some words every day. Therefore, many beings from the spiritual realms come to the temple at night to listen to the sutras, all hoping to hear Buddha Su read the content of the interviews with Venerable Master Chin Kung. They are also here seeking Spiritual Deliverance and rebirth in the Western Pure Land, yet you have not responded. Honestly, at first, I felt a bit disappointed—not exactly disappointed, but rather, my expectations were not met. Now, I view this matter more naturally, but if I could get a response, it would certainly be better than no response.

A Warning Against Demonic Interference

Wuxing, I hope you can give the temple a reply, which is equivalent to giving your teacher a reply. It would be even better if you could come here for a visit. Furthermore, regarding the college, there are some resources that can be shared with the temple. The temple can help everyone cultivate awakened talent, receive Buddha-words, and receive messages from Teacher Xia Lianju. This is real; it is not supernatural powers. Do the ghost deities have the ability to receive messages from Namo Amituofo? This is a real ability. You must believe it, because it has been verified by your teacher—verified by the spiritual realm; this is a real existence. Of course, you have not heard of it before, so there is no precedent, which is why everyone will be suspicious; this is understandable. But the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have already manifested in the human world, especially in this age of the Dharma’s decline. If everyone still has firm attachments, you will lose great benefits. Alas! The human world is difficult to save. If one does not have extraordinary abilities and use extraordinary methods, how can one subdue demonic enemies and obtain the subtle Dharma?

Honestly, many bodhimandas, because of selfish human hearts and self-protection, have already been infiltrated by demon crowds, manipulating human hearts and leaving everyone in a situation where they are being controlled without knowing it. Many have already been controlled. This sounds unbelievable, but from where I am now, it is truly the case. Under such circumstances, even if the things done can benefit beings, they are not done wholeheartedly. Of course, if those who are controlled not only have no chance to find their true nature but also cannot be reborn in the Western Pure Land, this matter must be handled with great care. This is real; it is not just empty talk. This is also a point of concern I have for you all. Many times, you are not even aware of what kind of crisis you are in, thinking that things are going quite smoothly and that there should be no problems. But often, it is at that critical moment that problems arise. The so-called critical moment is when you cannot reach the Western Pure Land at the time of rebirth. You cannot be careless; you must have one hundred percent certainty in this matter!

Alright, your teacher has said quite a lot. I hope you can take it to heart and believe that these are the words of your teacher. Namo Amituofo.

With palms joined, Shi Chin Kung

From the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, Australia"