Healing the Mind and Body: The Wisdom of Venerable Morito

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Morito, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, having dedicated his existence to the deliverance of sentient beings. This account reflects upon his life and practice, recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing.

Venerable Morito speaks:

"To heal the body, one must first heal the heart. By maintaining a mind of pure Goodness, free from deluded thoughts, one naturally transcends the roots of illness. This is the fundamental truth I have come to realise through my long journey of practice. On September 26, 2018, I reflect upon the path that led me here.

A Legacy of Healing and Sacrifice

I was born in India, raised by my grandmother. In those days, she was known as a divine healer. She was a master of herbal medicine, but her true power lay in her innate supernatural powers. Her healing success rate was near one hundred percent. She inherited this gift from her own grandmother, and she used it with a heart of pure compassion. She never charged a single cent for her services. Whether it was a disaster area, a war-torn region, or a place ravaged by infectious disease, she would appear wherever she was needed. She possessed the healing capacity of ten physicians combined, and no distance was too great, no hardship too severe, to deter her from saving a life.

I, too, was born with supernatural powers. Many expected me to follow in her footsteps, but I chose a different path. I did not learn her medical techniques. I saw clearly that while she saved a physical life, there were countless sentient beings in the unseen space suffering as a result of those very interventions. I could see them all. Though I did not learn her medicine, I inherited her spirit—the willingness to sacrifice oneself entirely for the sake of others.

The Search for True Deliverance

At the age of thirteen, I bade farewell to my home to seek the true method of saving beings. Along the way, many sentient beings begged for my help, but I knew I lacked the necessary power. I had to remain steadfast, moving forward with the resolve to return only when I had truly mastered the art of deliverance.

I travelled far and wide, observing the diverse ways humanity seeks to heal. Some used guided imagery to transport patients into other spaces for treatment. Others chanted mantras to drive away sickness, or infused the body with divine energy to accelerate recovery. Some performed surgeries, cutting into the body to extract impurities, demanding the patient endure a moment of agony for a lifetime of health. Others used blood-sucking insects to draw out toxicity, allowing the body to regenerate fresh, clean blood. Some even used divination, identifying missing elements in one's life—like gold—and placing them in specific locations to slow the progression of disease. I observed it all, but none of these methods were what I sought.

Seven Days of Silence

Guided by a stranger, I arrived at a high mountain temple where a master was said to possess the ultimate healing technique. Upon reaching the gate, I was immediately driven away with a broom. I did not understand why, but I did not give up. I knocked again, and again. This time, there was no broom, but there was no sound either—not even the buzz of a mosquito. I waited. For three days and three nights, I received no response. My mind began to churn with doubt: 'What kind of temple is this? Why would they refuse to open their doors for three days?'

On the seventh day, the gate finally opened. A little novice invited me in. I was led to a pavilion where an elderly monk in a kasaya stood with his back to me. He turned and said, 'I knew you would come three days ago. To save beings, one must possess a heart of compassion. No matter how you are treated, you have no choice but to be compassionate. When I drove you away with a broom, I was testing your heart. When you knocked and the door remained shut, I was testing your patience. Not every being is ready to be saved; to force it is to go against the Law of Causal Conditions. And when you grew suspicious, you lost your purity of mind. To save beings, one must wait for the right conditions to ripen.' I bowed my head, finally understanding.

The Purity of the Dharma

The master showed me the temple. It was simple, devoid of ornamentation. 'Practice lies in gathering the mind,' he told me. 'If you pursue comfort or visual satisfaction, you will never cut through the dust of the world.' He showed me the other monastics, each working in silence. 'If you chatter, you cannot succeed. To keep the three karmas of body, speech, and mind pure, one must speak little and keep the six roots focused on the Buddha-name.'

During a meal, the monastics ate with such dignity. I tried the food, expecting it to be delicious, but it was tasteless. The master explained, 'We practice to keep the six roots pure. If you are moved by the six dusts, you are blinded. If you add too many seasonings, you cannot taste the natural sweetness of the vegetable. If you cannot taste the bitterness of the bitter melon, you cannot appreciate the sweetness that follows. The world is lost in delusions and attachments. To break through, one must remove all messy thoughts. We eat only to satisfy hunger, nothing more.'

Healing the Root: The Heart

I begged to stay. For thirty years, the master taught me only to chant Namo Amituofo. I chanted while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. I chanted until every pore of my body emitted golden light. I chanted until the six roots were forgotten, until the Buddha-name existed naturally within me, without the need for conscious effort.

This Buddha-name purified every structure of my body. My eyes could see through the flesh, through the meridians, bones, and blood vessels. I saw that the root of all illness lies in the heart. The heart dictates the cause of every disease. I finally understood: to heal the body, one must first heal the heart. By keeping the heart pure, Good, and free of thoughts, illness cannot arise.

A Mission Across the Universe

I began to use the name Namo Amituofo to heal. I would guide the Buddha-name into the body, letting it flow through the blood and wrap around every organ. It would emerge from every pore, carrying away black, toxic substances. I also taught the sutras, guiding people to correct their negative causes and cultivate right knowledge. I realised that all illness arises from the heart; by chanting Namo Amituofo and removing delusions, the body naturally heals.

Now, I follow Practitioner Su across the universe to perform Chao Du. Every day is a fresh, beautiful day, witnessing countless beings find liberation. True happiness lies in helping others attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. That is the ultimate deliverance.

I recently visited a planet plagued by suffering. Its inhabitants were filled with evil thoughts, and every one of them was sick. I brought the light of Namo Amituofo to them, teaching them to chant. Slowly, they began to change. They abandoned their evil thoughts, and one by one, they were reborn in the Western Pure Land. I am filled with gratitude to Namo Amituofo for His great compassion, and to Practitioner Su for her mercy. Namo Amituofo."