Energy Replenishment for a Darkened Planet

This interview was recorded on May 31, 2018, at 8:30 AM, featuring a dialogue between Disciple Haize, the chief writer at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, and Venerable Ke Jihan, a protector of Practitioner Su. The discussion details a recent cosmic journey of spiritual deliverance, or Chao Du, conducted by Practitioner Su to save suffering beings on a desolate, darkened planet.

Disciple Haize: "May I ask the Venerable Ones from the Western Pure Land who protect Practitioner Su’s left leg—is there any Venerable who could share with us the details of the deliverance performed this morning alongside Practitioner Su? I am deeply grateful for the compassion of the Buddha and the compassion of the Venerable Ones."

Venerable Ke Jihan speaks: "Namo Amituofo. The Buddha is compassionate. I am Venerable Ke Jihan, assigned to the 416th position. I am from India and passed away in 176 BC, which is 2,194 years ago. During my life, I lived alone in a room surrounded by green mountains and clear waters. I spent my life studying medicine and chanting Namo Amituofo. Whenever I went into the city to treat people, I did not charge any fees; instead, I encouraged everyone to chant Namo Amituofo to ease their minds and heal their illnesses. Some listened, some let the words pass by their ears, and some truly believed and practised. Everything was done according to Causal Conditions. The most important thing was to chant Namo Amituofo 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, which often provided a ray of light, and it was even better if they could chant the Holy Name and be reborn there."

The Truth of the Universe

"There is a saying in the human world: 'To encounter the Great Dharma of Amitabha is an extraordinary event that is incredibly difficult to find.' Today, one could say that to encounter the Chao Du performed by Practitioner Su is an opportunity that is difficult to encounter even in millions of years. Why do I say this? Because today’s deliverance opened up the mysteries of the universe. The human world has its hells, but such realms also exist in the spaces outside our world. Hell is the fruit of the negative karma created by beings in the six realms of existence, and such places exist in other dimensions as well. Why would the so-called outer planets and extraterrestrials not have such spaces? This means that on the same planet, different dimensions coexist; the six realms of existence exist simultaneously on the same planet. It turns out that Goodness and evil, light and darkness, are the Truth of the universe. Regardless of when or where, this applies to every space in this world and beyond."

The Power of Pure Light

"The power that can save beings from darkness is always the Great Compassionate, pure and virtuous true light. This fact is truly verified in the person of Practitioner Su. Practitioner Su and we 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 beings—a development none of us could have foreseen. Initially, we descended to protect Practitioner Su’s left leg. We never expected that because of her compassion and her ingenious methods, we would be brought into the ranks of those performing Chao Du, allowing us to personally describe what we have seen and heard."

A Planet in Despair

"Today, Practitioner Su led our group straight into the dark regions of the cosmos. We arrived at a grey, dim planet in the universe. We heard a chorus of wailing; it turned out that when the extraterrestrial beings there exhausted their energy and reached the end of their lives, they also underwent judgment to determine their next rebirth. Those who had committed evil were taken into the dark world to suffer retribution, while others entered the ghost realm. Because this planet lacked energy, there was insufficient energy for beings to be reborn into the human realm, which led to an increase in the number of beings in the ghost realm.

We had passed by this place unintentionally, but to our surprise, the Buddha-light radiating from Practitioner Su and all of us illuminated the sky and the darkness. Suddenly, the light shone everywhere, and the original sounds of wailing and helplessness ceased. Then, Practitioner Su transmitted waves of energy, which acted like a shot of adrenaline. Cheers erupted, and the Holy Name 'Namo Amituofo' echoed through the air. Some Venerable Ones taught the beings to chant together, and some beings began to chant aloud. We told everyone to enter the light, and many followed. That vast expanse of light and energy brought brightness to that dark planet."

The Need for Energy

"I saw an old woman with a desolate face and dishevelled hair sitting on the ground. I stepped forward and asked, 'What is wrong with you?' The old woman replied, 'I have not consumed any energy for a long time. My family members are all on the verge of death inside the house; my energy level is the best among us.' She pointed to her home, and I saw the roof sagging and collapsing. There was no light inside the house. As I watched this scene, waves of light were suddenly transmitted in. Before my eyes, the old woman’s face gradually recovered, her hunched body straightened, and the roof seemed to inflate and rise as if it had been filled with air. Everything in this place is sustained by energy; without it, things gradually wither. This planet also has the life of the six realms of existence. We were interacting with their spirits, which still require an energy source."

The Grace of Namo Amituofo

"Suddenly, infinite gratitude arose in my heart. It turns out that the Greatly Compassionate Namo Amituofo had long known the needs of all beings. He travelled through all the Buddha-lands, taking the good and discarding the evil, practising diligently, and creating the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss for the sake of all beings in the universe and the suffering beings in the Saha world. He satisfied everyone’s wishes and needs, ensuring that the most basic and important energy could be accessed at will. 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 where all wishes are fulfilled and we are free from worry.

Returning to the story, the old woman saw this dramatic change, and in an instant, she vanished. After I was momentarily stunned, I saw the same old woman reappear, accompanied by two other women and two men, along with many other extraterrestrials who looked very similar to them. Their appearance was different from humans, but the females had hair, while the males had smooth, shiny heads. The four of them and the spirits behind them suddenly knelt down. I quickly jumped aside and told them, 'It is Namo Amituofo who saved you!' I asked 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, and as Practitioner Su waved her sleeves, she sent them into the Western Pure Land.

Practitioner Su’s actions and the thoughts radiating from her heart contain the continuous Holy Name and the energy of the Buddha’s blessings. Therefore, this energy is inexhaustible, and the light continues to radiate without end. The Buddha-heart and the Buddha-thought are Practitioner Su herself. It turns out that Namo Amituofo is right by our side, through Practitioner Su. Because of her own true nature’s light and energy, combined with the Buddha-light and energy from the Buddha’s blessings, this inconceivable event allowed these immeasurable and boundless suffering spirits to be saved! At that moment, the dark planet emitted a bright light, and Practitioner Su led us Venerable Ones forward to continue our flight to save beings and guide them to the Western Pure Land."

Disciple Haize: "May I ask Venerable Ke Jihan, when Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body and the Venerable Ones go out to perform Chao Du, your bodies become very hot and radiate heat. Do you know the reason for this?"

Venerable Ke Jihan: "Because we have been performing Chao Du alongside Practitioner Su recently, our bodies have also gained a significant amount of energy. Therefore, when we are within her body, Practitioner Su should feel a significant increase in thermal energy. When we exit her body, the thermal energy is released simultaneously, which is why Practitioner Su feels the heat radiating out."

Disciple Haize: "I understand. Thank you, Venerable One." Namo Amituofo.