This interview was recorded on May 31, 2018, at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre. Venerable Ke Jihan, a practitioner from ancient India who lived over two thousand years ago, currently resides as a guardian on the left leg of Practitioner Su. In this session, he recounts a recent mission to a desolate, energy-depleted planet in the depths of the universe, where he and other Venerables assisted Practitioner Su in delivering suffering spirits to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Venerable HaiZe speaks:
"May I ask the Venerables of the Western Pure Land who reside as guardians on the left leg of Practitioner Su: could one of you share with us the details of the deliverance mission you performed alongside Practitioner Su this morning? We are deeply grateful for the of the Buddha and the compassion of the Venerables."
Venerable Ke Jihan speaks:
". May the Buddha's compassion be upon us all. I am Venerable Ke Jihan, assigned as the four hundred and sixteenth guardian. I am from India and passed away in 176 BC—two thousand one hundred and ninety-four years ago. In that life, I lived alone in a room surrounded by green mountains and clear waters. I spent my life studying medicine and chanting the Buddha's name. Whenever I went into the city to treat the sick, I did not charge any fees; instead, I encouraged everyone to chant the Buddha's name to ease their minds and heal their illnesses. Some listened, some let the words pass by their ears, and some truly believed and practised. I followed the Causal Conditions of each person, but the most important thing was always to chant the Buddha's name and make the vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Whenever I saw someone in extreme suffering, I would tell them of the beauty of the Western Pure Land. This often provided them with a ray of light, and if they could chant the Holy Name and be reborn in the West, that was even better."
The Rarity of This Encounter
"There is a saying in the human world that encountering the Great of Namo Amituofo is an extraordinary event that is incredibly difficult to find. Today, I would say that encountering the deliverance work of Practitioner Su is an opportunity that is difficult to encounter even in millions of years. Why do I say this? Today's deliverance opened up the mysteries of the universe. The human world has its hells, but such spaces also exist in the vastness of space outside our world. Hell is the fruit of the negative created by sentient beings in the six realms of existence, and similar places exist in other dimensions. Why wouldn't such spaces exist on other planets or among extraterrestrial beings? This means that on the same planet, different dimensions can coexist; the six realms of existence can exist simultaneously within the same world. It turns out that Goodness and evil, light and darkness, are the truths of the universe. No matter where or when you are, this holds true in every space, whether in this world or another."
The Power of Pure Light
"The power that can save beings from darkness is always the great compassion and the pure, virtuous true light. This fact has been truly verified through Practitioner Su. Practitioner Su and we ourselves are all beings who descended from the Western Pure Land. We have different missions and vows, but we have met through these Causal Conditions to work together to save sentient beings—a turn of events none of us could have anticipated. Initially, we descended simply to guard the left leg of Practitioner Su. We never expected that, due to her compassion and the ingenious methods she employs, we would be brought into the ranks of those performing deliverance, allowing me to personally describe what I have seen and heard."
Illuminating the Dark Planet
"Today, Practitioner Su led us directly into the dark reaches of the cosmos, to a grey and desolate planet. We heard a chorus of wailing. It turned out that when extraterrestrial beings exhaust their energy and reach the end of their lives, they too undergo a judgment to determine their next rebirth. Those who have committed evil are sent to suffer in dark worlds, while others generally enter the ghost realm. Because this planet lacked sufficient energy, there was not enough to support rebirth into the human realm, which led to a surge in the population of the ghost realm.
We were passing through by chance, but Practitioner Su and the Buddha-light radiating from everyone illuminated the sky and the darkness. Suddenly, the entire place was bathed in light, and the wailing and cries of helplessness ceased. Practitioner Su then channelled waves of energy, acting like a powerful stimulant. Cheers erupted, and the air was filled with the sound of the Holy Name 'Namo Amituofo' orbiting everywhere. Some Venerables taught the beings to chant in unison, and many of them began to chant aloud. We told them to enter the light, and many followed. That vast expanse of light and energy brought brightness to that dark planet."
A Moment of Profound Gratitude
"I saw an elderly woman sitting on the ground, her face desolate and her hair dishevelled. I went forward and asked, 'What is wrong?' The old woman replied, 'I have not consumed energy for a long time. My family members are all on the verge of death inside the house; my energy level is considered the best among us.' She pointed to her home, and I saw the roof sagging and collapsing, with no light inside. As we watched this scene, waves of light were suddenly sent in. Before my eyes, the old woman's face gradually recovered, her hunched body straightened, and the roof seemed to inflate and rise again. Everything in this place depends on energy; without it, things gradually wither. This planet also has a life cycle within the six realms. We were interacting with their spiritual beings, who still require an energy source.
Suddenly, infinite gratitude arose in my heart. It turns out that the Greatly Compassionate Namo Amituofo has long known the needs of all beings. He travelled through all the Buddha-lands, choosing the Good and discarding the evil, practising diligently to create the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss for the sake of all suffering beings in the universe and the Saha world. He satisfied everyone's wishes and needs, ensuring that the most basic and important energy can be accessed whenever desired. If I had not seen this scene today, I would never have realised how blessed we are to be protected by the grace of Namo Amituofo, living a life of ultimate bliss without worry or anxiety."
The Deliverance of Extraterrestrial Beings
"Returning to the story, the old woman saw this dramatic change, and in an instant, she vanished. After I recovered from my surprise, I saw the same old woman appear before me, accompanied by two other women and two men, followed by many other extraterrestrial beings who looked much like them. Their appearance was different from humans, but the females had hair, while the males had smooth, shiny, bald heads. The four of them and the spirits behind them suddenly knelt down. I quickly jumped back and told them that it was Namo Amituofo who saved them! I urged them to chant loudly, to keep chanting 'Namo Amituofo'. As they chanted the Holy Name with sincere and earnest gratitude, the Buddha-light shone upon them. As Practitioner Su waved her sleeves, she sent them into the Western Pure Land.
Practitioner Su's actions and the thoughts emanating from her heart contain the continuous chanting of the Buddha's name and the energy of the Buddha's . Therefore, this energy is inexhaustible, and the light continues to radiate without end. The Buddha-heart and the Buddha-thought are one with Practitioner Su. It turns out that Namo Amituofo is right by our side, through Practitioner Su. Because of her own true-nature light and energy, combined with the Buddha-light and energy of the Buddha's blessings, inconceivable things have occurred, allowing these immeasurable and boundless suffering spirits to be saved! At that moment, the dark planet emitted a brilliant light. Practitioner Su then led us, the Venerables, forward to continue our flight to save more beings and guide them to rebirth in the Western Pure Land!"
Venerable HaiZe speaks:
"May I ask Venerable Ke Jihan, when the of Practitioner Su and you Venerables go out to perform deliverance, your bodies become very hot and radiate heat. Do you know the reason for this?"
Venerable Ke Jihan speaks:
"Because we have been performing deliverance with Practitioner Su recently, we have also accumulated a significant amount of energy. Therefore, when we are within her body, Practitioner Su likely feels a great deal of added thermal energy. When we exit her body, that thermal energy is released simultaneously, which is why Practitioner Su feels the heat radiating out."
Venerable HaiZe speaks:
"Understood. Thank you, Venerable."
The content of this interview was recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe.
