A New Year of Transformation

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Changren, who resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon the significance of the New Year and the power of personal transformation. It was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on January 2, 2023.

Venerable Changren speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. As we step into a new year, everything feels fresh and renewed. For those living in the world, each year truly represents a brand-new beginning, a chance to start over. It is a time when the world feels as though it has been wiped clean, and that is indeed the case.

At the end of every year, people in the world begin to calculate their fortunes for the year ahead. Some are filled with joy, while others are weighed down by worry. But from the perspective of the spiritual realms, it is the 'human heart' that remains the most critical factor of all. It is the heart that dictates the direction of one's life.

Fate and the Power of the Heart

Is fate truly unchangeable? Not at all. As long as the human heart shifts, fate will follow suit and transform. In the path of practice, there is no such thing as a fixed destiny. Fate should be firmly held in the hands of the practitioner—which is to say, it is mastered through one's own 'heart'.

Within the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, Practitioner Su constantly reminds everyone to refine their hearts and change their personality traits. Your heart and your character drive the turning wheel of your destiny. If your personality remains exactly as it was a hundred or even a thousand years ago, your karma cannot be eliminated. Consequently, your fate will naturally continue to follow the path dictated by that old, heavy karma.

A Commitment to Compassion

At the start of every year, everyone should set a clear intention for themselves. You must strive to guide your heart toward change. Shift your thoughts, turn toward Goodness, and cultivate a heart of compassion for all beings. Step by step, move forward, gradually letting go of attachments to this physical body and dedicating yourself to the service of others.

In this new year, the spiritual realms are also undergoing a profound transformation. Many spirits are beginning to manifest, and these beings are all waiting for deliverance. While Practitioner Su is here in the world and has the ability to perform Chao Du for these spirits, giving them a chance at salvation, the impact would be even greater if the fourfold assembly of disciples also cultivated this same resolve. If you all step up, these spirits will have far more opportunities to be saved. As these beings attain liberation, the very space around us will shift and purify.

Regardless of what happened in the year that has passed, this year is a completely fresh start. I hope that every member of the fourfold assembly can experience a genuine, profound change. Save yourself, and in doing so, save all beings. Let us walk together, side by side, toward the path of liberation.

Namo Amituofo."