A Message to My Disciple: The Path to True Awakening

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Venerable Master Chin Kung, who now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. He reflects upon his life and offers guidance to his disciples, specifically Venerable Wudao, regarding the state of their practice and the mission of spreading the Pure Land teachings. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Haize, on November 7, 2022.

Venerable Master Chin Kung speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. The topic I wish to discuss today is 'Disciples.' This follows the theme previously set for me by Namo Amituofo. While the previous discussion was general, today I must speak more specifically. I am truly humbled to even use the term 'disciples,' though in the Buddha's gate, there are indeed distinctions between teacher and student, and there are precepts to uphold.

The True Meaning of Seniority and Respect

From the moment one receives the precepts and becomes a monastic, one begins to accumulate 'monastic age.' However, a long monastic age does not equate to a high level of spiritual achievement. One must still be diligent; diligence has no end. If one has faults, one must repent and change. One cannot judge a person's spiritual progress solely by their monastic age. Nevertheless, in terms of monastic ethics, those with longer seniority or advanced age should be respected by younger monastics. This is only right, and it is something young monastics should pay attention to. Just as in the secular world there is an order of seniority and the principle of respecting teachers, it is even more so in the Dharma. This is part of one's true nature. The more cultivated a person is—those who possess both virtue and conduct—the more they will value seniority and respect their elders. Furthermore, a truly virtuous monastic respects everyone, including young children, novices, and even all beings of the earth, because they view every single being as a Buddha. If one can do this, they have achieved success in their study of the Buddha, or at the very least, they are not far from Awakening.

The Reality of the Western Dharma-Nature Land

My spirit now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This is an indisputable fact, whether you choose to believe it or not. Now, I can see whatever I wish to see, and if I have no desire to see anything, nothing appears. Everything is natural and follows the flow. In my sixty years of lecturing on the sutras, I have had many disciples. If we look at the health of these disciples, we can examine it from several angles. To be healthy—to be free from aging, free from illness, and to have a spirit that does not die—one must realise one's true nature. To be qualified as a member of the Sangha Jewel, strictly speaking, one's body, mind, and spirit must be sound and unpolluted. Only then can one be a guide for sentient beings, and only then is Awakening possible.

The Hidden Illnesses of the Spirit

The 'purity' in Pure Land is not one-sided; it is comprehensive, encompassing body, mind, and spirit. If we look at this through the lens of mental illness, physical illness, or spiritual health, I see that everyone is 'ill.' The question is simply which aspect is more severe. The spiritual aspect is often ignored by everyone, and this is how I view the state of illness today. Most people's spirits—their three hun souls and seven po souls—are rarely complete. My disciples, you must be careful! If you are already ill, it means your three hun souls and seven po souls are incomplete. Do not think that just because you have not heard your teacher speak of souls, these things do not exist. My silence does not mean these facts are absent. It is like ghosts; some people do not believe in them, but does that mean ghost realm beings do not exist? They are everywhere. If you say they do not exist simply because you cannot see or hear them, that is being overly subjective. People with strong subjectivity will suffer greatly in the Buddha's gate because they cannot receive the true benefits of the Dharma. If you are a monastic, the loss is even greater. What a monastic must learn and do is not limited to worldly laws; the supramundane Dharma is not something you can define by your own subjective cognition. Subjectivity covers up the truth. You must let go! You must let go!

A Direct Message to Venerable Wudao

If you want me to speak about the physical condition or illness of a specific person, very well! I will speak as conditions allow, for those I speak of are still in the human world, still drawing breath. In the past, I would have thought, 'He has disciples; if I, as his teacher, speak of his problems, how will he stand before them? Should I not save him some face?' That was my previous view. If he were no longer in this world, it would be easy to say, but if he is not here, what is the point? Yet, I am no longer in this world, and my spirit can still express itself. The Pure Land school is already being ignored by many; if monastics who have passed away long ago had the chance to express themselves and were met with the same lack of response as I have been, it would be a great pity! The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre has the ability to connect with the holy assembly of the West and can obtain profound Dharma benefits from them!

Now, I must speak. Whether one is a teacher of disciples or a master in the hearts of followers, if I speak too bluntly, I fear hurting them. If I hold back, people say I am not accurate. This requires careful balance. I think I should speak directly; I believe this is the purpose for which Namo Amituofo has asked me to speak on this topic.

The Burden of Responsibility

Mental illness is something almost everyone has. Who dares to say they do not? Whether my disciples are in their seventies, sixties, or fifties—and there are many in their sixties and seventies—they have all been monastics for a long time and have seen much of the world. Venerable Wudao is the leader. Now that I am no longer in the human world, Wudao is indeed a good master. In the eyes of the world, he lectures on the sutras, and he performs the Dharma assemblies even better. In the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, his voice is steady and can calm the scattered minds of the spirits. He knows that the Thrice Yearning Ceremony is extremely important to him.

I know that he was not in good health when he was young. When he was younger, he was interested in the Buddha's teachings and read many of my lectures. Later, he became a monastic and devoted himself entirely to the Pure Land. I trained him to lecture on the sutras and gave him opportunities to travel and teach, which he did very well. As he aged and gained experience, he naturally developed his own views. He began to have his own disciples, his own retreat centres, and his own followers. When people began to call him 'Master,' they listened to what he said. When I was still alive, he still called me 'Master.' Now that I am gone, I must say that you must shoulder the responsibility of spreading the Pure Land teachings. This is not just something Wudao should do; it is a responsibility that every monastic disciple who has received the precepts and wears the monastic robes must shoulder.

The Need for Purity and Selflessness

Wudao is over seventy years old. Can his body be without ailments? As far as I know, he has dedicated his life to the Buddha's gate, and he carries many heavy responsibilities on his shoulders. He has travelled domestically and internationally to spread the Dharma, and he has distributed many Dharma Jewels. In the Pure Land school, Wudao is a well-known figure, but his heart must be even more expansive. Looking at the whole picture, there are still areas of attachment and impurity. These must be removed to realise one's true nature. Awakening is not a matter of age. An eighty-year-old man who has not awakened is still searching, still trekking across mountains and rivers to find the path to Awakening. Awakening requires purity and goodness, without a single trace of pollution.

I mentioned subjectivity earlier. If you have your own subjectivity and views, you cannot realise your true nature. Some might say, 'I have work to do, I have to handle daily affairs, and there must be a decision made in the monastery. Calling this subjectivity is not quite right!' You do not have to call it subjectivity, but you can say: do not be self-protective. In any matter, if you think of your own gains and losses, or whether you can survive in the Buddha's gate, then it is ruined. You will lose accurate and objective judgment, harming others and yourself, and creating negative karma.

The Reality of Spiritual Attachments

The body is a great dyeing vat. Practitioners rely on the precepts to purify this vat so that they can receive the subtlety of the Buddha's teachings. Only then can they achieve meditative concentration, manifest wisdom, and save sentient beings. However, in this process, before one transforms one's karma, even the slightest selfish thought will attract karmic creditors, attached spirits, and even corresponding demons. This is a key point. This is why we are constantly inviting spirits at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Although this is a spiritual state, it is a fact that happens to people. Of course, for Wudao, this situation is unavoidable. If you say, 'How could I still have karmic creditors? How could I still have attached spirits or demons on me? This is too absurd,' Wudao, even when your teacher was alive, my body was the same. I offer this for your reference.

My body also had karmic creditors manifest, and I also had attached spirits and demon realm beings enter, because as soon as my selfish thoughts arose, those spirits and demons took the opportunity to enter. When I tried to protect you, to prevent you from being harmed, and to plan for your future, I was already being selfish in doing so, and I harmed some people. I placed a ban on Practitioner Su, and he was one of them. The result of such selfishness was that I was the one who was most hurt. I paid the price of having my body possessed, and I also went to hell to suffer. I was the luckiest one; I was rescued before I suffered for too long. But you must think carefully and cautiously. Do you have the same blessings as I did, to have a disciple like Practitioner Su who has realised his true nature, who can travel to the heavens and down to hell, and who can traverse the Dharma realm of emptiness to save me? Do you have such a disciple? Of course, I do not mean to say that you will go to hell—that is not what I hope for—but I am saying that if something were to happen, is there anyone who can save you?

A Call to Action for the Future of Pure Land

You also have attached spirits on you, you have karmic creditors, and you certainly have demons. When you see this, do not cast my words aside. Your teacher is telling you the truth. I would not have told you this while I was alive, because I did not know so much then. Saying it now might make you unhappy, but I must say it; if I do not say it now, I will never have the chance. I thought this was each person's own destiny, but since I have the opportunity, I must remind you. Since I do not see you appearing at the Buddha temple, I can only tell you these things now.

The biggest problem is that you are a key figure in whether the current Pure Land system can accept Practitioner Su. Only by letting go of the past and living well in the present can you open your heart and remove that protective shield of self-protection. If you truly think for sentient beings, not for yourself, and not for your own reputation, you should lift this ban! Your teacher will never blame you and say, 'How could you undo what your teacher did?' If you believe what I say, you should do it. You should have the courage to shoulder this responsibility for the future of the Pure Land school. This responsibility means you have the opportunity to save everyone, to let everyone come to find Namo Amituofo, and Namo Amituofo can save everyone to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Grace of Namo Amituofo

Practitioner Su has worked diligently to realise his true nature, which has moved Namo Amituofo to reside at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to help everyone realise their true nature and be reborn in the West. Is Practitioner Su wrong for this? He should be respected and learned from by everyone. It was your teacher who was soft-hearted and made the wrong decision to place a ban on Practitioner Su. If you can be the one to lift it now, that would be the best thing. Many things have cause and effect in progress. I believe this is Namo Amituofo's compassionate way of giving me and Wudao a chance to prevent the mistake from continuing, which would block the opportunity for vast numbers of Dharma protectors and followers to be reborn in the West. This cause and effect is too great and too heavy; it cannot be shouldered! I hope Wudao can take these words of mine to heart.

If you are willing to do it, it is not difficult. If you do not have the heart to do it and just leave it aside, you will also have to shoulder the cause and effect. Because you are not unaware of this news; you already know it, yet you have not accepted or faced it. Has the cause and effect not already been created? You must be cautious now; hell is very painful.

The Power of the Thrice Yearning Ceremony

So, your illness is in your heart. Your heart is heavy, and naturally, your legs and other parts of your body will ache. You worry about this and that; that is to be expected. Especially with the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, you have performed countless sessions. You have merit! This merit cannot be erased; it is great. You have led everyone to know the Thrice Yearning Ceremony and to know about Chao Du. You also hope that through the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, sentient beings can be delivered to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. You have done this part of spreading the Dharma well, and you have done your best. But have the sentient beings been delivered to the Western Pure Land? Perhaps you will say, 'As long as I do my best, that is enough.' Yes, many times one must follow conditions, because this is also the blessing of each sentient being. At the very least, during the ceremony, the sentient beings followed the ceremony to chant the Buddha's name and the sutras, which is helpful to them. Your teacher believes that there are those who have been delivered from the ghost realm or entered the human or heavenly realms because of you. If you say you want to send them to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I dare not say there are none, but how many? The sentient beings' own good roots, blessings, and causal conditions must be sufficient; this is the most basic requirement. I also hope that through the Chao Du ceremony and the merit and virtue of the person leading the ceremony, we can help sentient beings be delivered to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is the hope of the spirits and their families who attend the Chao Du ceremony, and we all hope for this.

Currently, the three Thrice Yearning Ceremonies held every week at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre are led by Namo Amituofo. Receiving sentient beings to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is so fast and inconceivable. I have mentioned many of these situations in previous interviews. Sentient beings are too miserable; Wudao should also feel happy and praise them for the sake of sentient beings!

A Final Plea for Change

So, after I have said all this, it comes down to one question: if you follow my words, will you be able to have fewer illnesses and disasters, and be able to spread the Dharma smoothly? That also depends on whether you change your heart, change your personality, increase your virtue, and cultivate compassion and wisdom. These points are also things that every monastic, Dharma protector, and follower of the Pure Land school should pay attention to. Especially virtue; no one can help you increase it. You must rely on yourself. Even if you do not say anything, what your heart is like, and whether you have selfish thoughts, is clear at a glance to those who have awakened, while others are in the dark.

So, Wudao, your teacher wants to remind you to open your heart and mind. Really, properly read the letters I have written to you, and properly read the content of these forty-some interviews. It will definitely be helpful to you. As for the heart illness, he who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. Since it is related to Practitioner Su, your teacher is helping you untie it here. But after I untie it, will you, are you willing to take this step for everyone to heal illnesses, learn to realise your true nature, and be reborn in the West? The decision is yours!

The illnesses in your body are almost all caused by karma, karmic creditors, and attached spirits. Wudao! Aging is not that obvious on you, but you are already in your seventies, and the traces of time can be seen. You must still be careful step by step. One wrong step, and you will age faster, because the number of attached spirits on your body will also increase. Everyone is eyeing you covetously. Besides wanting your merit, there are also many ghost realm beings who have followed you when you performed the Chao Du ceremonies, especially in your legs and chest. This is a problem that every person who performs Chao Du must face. Here at Practitioner Su's, Namo Amituofo is right here. It is very convenient to invite spirits to heal illnesses, which is equivalent to purifying your whole body. When the attached spirits on your body see the Buddha-light, which one of them is not anxious to enter the Buddha-light to obtain liberation? But some attached spirits are very attached and still follow your body. Over time, they have piled up layer upon layer, and there are quite a few. So your teacher sees the attached spirits on you; some are ghost realm beings from the Dharma assemblies who did not leave and did not return to their own karmic creditors, but are on you. Of course, this is also suffering for the sake of sentient beings. You have also put a lot of effort into the Pure Land, but after all, once sentient beings enter your body, it is not so easy for them to come out. Therefore, the most urgent task is to invite your attached spirits out so that your body will not age, ache, or become unable to walk, and your physical strength will not be as good as before. These are all signs of aging.

The Truth of the Dharma

In terms of spreading the Dharma, being in your seventies is an age of rich experience, which is a very good age to help sentient beings. Because the words you speak can be listened to by older followers; after all, your age and experience are recognised by them. The respect that young people and young monastics have for you goes without saying, and it is easier for you to save them. Those who save people must have merit and virtue; this is something every monastic must pay attention to.

Keeping the precepts is also something every monastic must be very cautious about. The more you are in a position respected by everyone, the more careful you must be. Many people will listen to what you say, and many people will help you do what you want to do; this is called Dharma protection. If you feel that something is inappropriate, you will feel it at the beginning, but if you continue to do it, you will not feel that there is anything inappropriate. This is not right, so this karma will accumulate deeper and deeper, and you will have to shoulder this karmic retribution when the time comes. Spreading the Dharma has no private self, no 'me' to speak of. Some things, if they involve private parts, especially financial parts, must be careful. Be very, very careful. 'Eating one grain of rice from a donor is as heavy as Mount Sumeru; if you do not realise the Way in this life, you will have to pay it back with fur and horns.' Once you have fame and status, you will have Dharma protectors to support you. You must use these funds well; otherwise, you will have to shoulder the cause and effect. Not a single cent can be used for yourself. Of course, there are necessary expenses for eating and wearing; there is a set of methods for these necessary expenses. When you are presiding over a Dharma assembly, of course, you must dress appropriately, and you must be careful in your interactions with others. You cannot have private emotions or private thoughts; not even a little bit. This little bit is pollution, and you cannot realise your true nature. This is the truth, the righteous path.

In fact, if you come to find the Buddha for these things, I believe Namo Amituofo will point them out to you, help you invite spirits to heal your illnesses, invite out the attached spirits, karmic creditors, and demons on you, and point out the problems in your practice. Quickly correct them, so as not to shoulder the cause and effect. When the bitter retribution manifests, it is very painful. Even if you have merit, merit and demerit cannot cancel each other out. If you have merit, you have good retribution; if you have faults, you have bitter retribution. Namo Amituofo is the Universal Buddha; he is hard to find. The Buddha is not only in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, ten trillion Buddha-lands away; he has now come to the human world at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Do not disbelieve; disbelieving only hurts yourself. It really hurts yourself. If it is not convenient to come, a phone call to contact Practitioner Su is also fine.

These things must be done. I should not have to be so clear, but it is to save yourself. Saving you is also equivalent to saving everyone, because your influence is great. Now that I have pointed out some of your problems, I am not afraid of you blaming me, because this is also to save you. In the whole world, who can save Wudao? Besides Namo Amituofo, only I, your teacher, can.

If you can take these words to heart, you are saving yourself, not saving Chin Kung. Also, the fact that your life can reach your seventies is also the grace of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas to you and to sentient beings. You should understand this yourself. It is also because you have performed the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, tried your best to perform Chao Du, and have merit and virtue in the teaching of the Pure Land. You have worked hard, so you should be grateful for reaching this age today. Life is used to save sentient beings and save the world, and those invisible selfish corners have already become a habit, becoming an inseparable part of yourself. This is the biggest crisis. You have always thought it was taken for granted, and it has not been pointed out. Hell has recorded it; these accounts are all recorded clearly. Merit and demerit cannot cancel each other out. Your merit will not be reduced by a single cent; but if you have faults, they will not be reduced by a single cent either.

This is pointing out the part about Wudao. We will stop here today.

Namo Amituofo.

Shi Chin Kung, with folded palms.

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