Chanting Namo Amituofo Knows No Borders: An Interview with Skanda Bodhisattva

The Gathering Clouds of Compassion

Recently, the skies above the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre have been frequently blanketed with dark, heavy clouds. While some might view such weather with concern, the members of our salvation team look upon these skies with immense joy. We understand clearly why these clouds have gathered. They are the direct response to the sincere and earnest chanting of Namo Amituofo by our salvation team, which includes external Bodhisattvas from the cosmos, Bodhisattvas from the Milky Way, and new disciples of the Buddha. Through their collective, heartfelt prayers for rain, they have successfully invoked the arrival of these clouds. Accompanied by the rain god, the thunder god, and the wind god—who brought a much-needed cooling breeze—this weather has finally swept away the severe drought that had left the earth cracked and parched for so long.

Spirits Awakening to the Light

Skanda Bodhisattva observed that as our salvation team chanted, many ghost beings from other dimensions joined in the practice. These spirits possess a clarity of consciousness that surpasses that of ordinary beings. Many of them are local spirits of Australia or Indigenous ancestors, including some who had previously participated in chanting sessions in Toowoomba or Goombungee. This is the power of the Pure Land's two-fold method: self-power combined with other-power. Our self-power is manifested through our unified, sincere chanting, while the other-power is the blessing and light of Namo Amituofo, which together brought about the successful result of rain.

The universe is immeasurable and boundless, containing infinite dimensions. The spirits we encountered were originally trapped within their own confined spaces. However, the powerful sound of Practitioner Su's chanting opened these dimensions, allowing many beings to finally emerge. Upon understanding their situation and realising that it was Practitioner Su who had opened their realms, most of these spirits were filled with profound gratitude. When they learned that chanting Namo Amituofo could bring rain to this land—a land that has suffered from drought since ancient times—many of them voluntarily joined our chanting. Although they may not fully grasp the deep significance of the Buddha-name, they understand that it brings life-giving water, and their hearts are filled with thankfulness.

A Unified Force for the Land

After these spirits emerged from their dimensions, they were bathed in the Buddha’s light and strengthened by the power of the Buddha-name. Many of them regained their past memories. When they saw the four large memorial tablets in the sky and were told by our salvation team that they could enter these tablets to reach a world of light, they witnessed many other beings, including animals and insects, entering the tablets. Yet, many of these spirits chose not to leave immediately. Instead, they remained by our side, joining the salvation team in chanting, "Namo Amituofo." This has been a continuous occurrence since we began our chanting. They are now contributing their own efforts to save the land they call home.

In the resonance of our chanting and the energy of our prayers, the spirits have added their own vows and voices. This has made our rain-making effort a truly unified force, one that knows no borders, no distinctions of "you" or "me," and operates as a single, harmonious entity. It is this positive, collective power that has manifested the dark clouds and the life-saving rain. The power of the Buddha’s teachings, combined with the wisdom and ingenuity of Practitioner Su, has produced the most rapid and effective results imaginable.

The Inconceivable Power of Pure Land Practice

Even when these spirits chant, their pronunciation may be unclear or off-key, but this does not in any way diminish the energy of the Buddha-name or weaken their sincere vows. Practitioner Su often speaks of his mission to save the people of Australia. Looking at these events, it is clear that by bringing rain, he has simultaneously saved both the living and the spirits of Australia. This is the most practical, powerful, and effective form of salvation, preserving both the physical lives and the wisdom-lives of countless Australian beings.

While there have been instances in history where patriarchs and venerable masters prayed for rain, such efforts were often limited to the capabilities of the masters themselves, the monastics, and the local people. This time, Practitioner Su's ingenious approach to rain-making has activated the compassionate vows, meditative concentration, and chanting power of external Bodhisattvas from the cosmos—who were themselves patriarchs and venerable masters in past lives. By combining this with the power of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the local spirits of Australia, the spirits from other dimensions, and the collective chanting of the fourfold assembly at our Dharma assembly, as well as the morning spiritual deliverance, we have witnessed something truly inconceivable. This is a testament to the compassion, mind-capacity, and wisdom of Practitioner Su, and it is truly worthy of our deepest admiration. Namo Amituofo. Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.