Insights from the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Shi Yage, a representative of the 398,465,135,658 beings residing in the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven who seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his practice during the Tang Dynasty and his subsequent residence in the Tushita Heaven. Recorded by Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia on May 6, 2014.

Practitioner Su speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. We invite the beings from the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven. How many are there?"

Practitioner Cai: "There are 398,465,135,658 beings, represented by Venerable Shi Yage."

Practitioner Su: "We invite Venerable Shi Yage. That is a very elegant name. You are a monastic."

Venerable Shi Yage: "Namo Amituofo."

A Life of Ancient Devotion

Practitioner Su: "How long have you been in the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Approximately 1,400 to 1,500 years."

Practitioner Su: "May I ask where you are from?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "I am from Chang'an."

Practitioner Su: "Wow! How long did you practice as a monastic? Your attainment is remarkable! To listen to the Dharma from Maitreya Bodhisattva in the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven is no simple feat. That is a tremendous blessing!"

Venerable Shi Yage: "I became a monastic when I was very young."

Practitioner Su: "At what age did you leave the home life?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Around the age of ten."

Practitioner Su: "Incredible! You have great blessings to have reached the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven. How did you practice to achieve such purification?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "The teacher I followed observed the precepts with extreme strictness."

The Lineage of the Precepts

Practitioner Su: "Who was your teacher? May you share that with us?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "It is not appropriate to say."

Practitioner Su: "Why not? He cultivated you so well; we should know his name to honour the gratitude you owe your teacher!"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Oh! Everyone here knows him."

Practitioner Su: "Is it my monastic teacher?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Hahaha!"

Practitioner Su: "Is it my monastic teacher?"

Venerable Shi Yage: (Nods)

Practitioner Su: "I see! My monastic teacher was your teacher in the past."

Venerable Shi Yage: "He is my gracious teacher."

Practitioner Su: "That is extraordinary! What school did you study under him?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "The Vinaya School, under Venerable Daoxuan."

Practitioner Su: "Oh! You were with Venerable Daoxuan. Namo Amituofo, that is magnificent! To reach the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven, your meditative concentration must be very deep!"

Venerable Shi Yage: "The style of meditation was very prevalent during the Tang Dynasty, and I followed that path. My teacher’s meditative concentration was extremely profound."

The Nature of Tushita Heaven

Practitioner Su: "Are most of his students like you, residing in the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven? Are there many?"

Venerable Shi Yage: (Nods) "He was quite famous at the time. Many officials and lay practitioners came to hear him as well."

Practitioner Su: "Lay practitioners also reached the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Oh, I meant that at the time, I was a monastic."

Practitioner Su: "Incredible! Which level is the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven? We only know it is the Tushita Heaven, but not which layer."

Venerable Shi Yage: "Actually, the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven is the fourth layer of the Desire Realm."

Practitioner Su: "The fourth layer of the Desire Realm! And what about the Outer Court?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "The fourth layer of the Desire Realm is the Tushita Heaven, which is divided into an Inner Court and an Outer Court."

Practitioner Su: "I have heard that there are men and women in the Outer Court, but not in the Inner Court."

Venerable Shi Yage: "Yes. The hearts of men and women in the Desire Realm still exist there."

Listening to the Dharma

Practitioner Su: "Do you listen to Maitreya Bodhisattva teach the sutras every day in the Inner Court, or do you practice on your own?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Maitreya Bodhisattva is always there, never moving. It is just as Shakyamuni Buddha descended from the Tushita Heaven in the past."

Practitioner Su: "So you listen to the Dharma every day."

Venerable Shi Yage: "Yes. For example, in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the sound of the Buddha is also constant."

Practitioner Su: "Since the sound of the Buddha is constant, why haven't you thought of going to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss sooner?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "In the Inner Court of Tushita, we focus more on actual practice, and many descend to the human world in sequence."

Practitioner Su: "There are so many of you in the Inner Court who are so capable! I see hundreds of billions of beings there. You are all very eager. After going to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, will you return in 5.67 billion years to help Maitreya Bodhisattva?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Yes! The Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is the shortcut to becoming a Buddha."

The Importance of Vows

Practitioner Su: "Has anyone gone to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and come back to report the news?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Oh! Why would there be a need to report? Listening to your teachings, combined with the sound of the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, we see many fellow practitioners there. This scene does not require a report. Most of us are practitioners, and even the lay Dharma protectors who see it understand immediately."

Practitioner Su: "You are also very active in the Thrice Yearning Ceremony!"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Very active."

Practitioner Su: "Maitreya Bodhisattva often comes to our Hsiang Kuang Centre. He is happy that you are becoming Buddhas early, following Namo Amituofo, listening to the Dharma, and preparing to help suffering beings in 5.67 billion years. Have you made vows?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "It would be difficult for those in this court to arrive here without a vow, though the vows we make differ."

Practitioner Su: "The issue is that you have made great vows! After you go to the Western Pure Land, do some return to the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Yes, some do."

Practitioner Su: "Are there many?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Yes, that is why the vow is so important."

Practitioner Su: "As I said, listening to the sutras is important, and the vow is also very important. It is not just about how much you chant the Buddha-name—though the Buddha-name is the most important—but the Forty-Eight Vows are profound!"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Indeed! It was only after listening to your teachings that I realised what was lacking."

Reflections on Practice

Practitioner Su: "Are your vows great?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Those with greater vows should ascend to higher levels. I feel ashamed; upon hearing this, my vow feels truly insignificant."

Practitioner Su: "Don't say that! How long have you been in the Tushita Heaven?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Since the flourishing Tang Dynasty, about 1,300 or 1,400 years."

Practitioner Su: "That is a long time. Are others there as long as you? Are there those who have been there longer? Unlike the twenty-eight heavens, you do not easily descend because you are practicing with Maitreya Bodhisattva, aiming for the Western Pure Land, right?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "We are future Buddhas."

Practitioner Su: "Your advantage is being future Buddhas?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "With Maitreya Bodhisattva here, just as there is Namo Amituofo in the Western Pure Land, there is no such thing as retreating from the path."

Practitioner Su: "No retreating. Are there those who progress and upgrade to the Western Pure Land? Are there many?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Quite a few have gone to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss this time."

Practitioner Su: "Your meditative concentration must be very deep!"

Venerable Shi Yage: "I dare not claim that! I dare not!"

The Study of Consciousness

Practitioner Su: "Your appearance is excellent and very dignified! You are also a Buddha who has returned."

Venerable Shi Yage: "I dare not claim that!"

Practitioner Su: "Would you tell us about the lifestyle in the Inner Court of Tushita Heaven? You study Yogacara, right? Is that research into the consciousness of every cell?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Yogacara studies were promoted by Master Kuiji at the time. Although I followed Venerable Daoxuan, I did study Yogacara a little."

Practitioner Su: "So, after studying Yogacara, you had the ability to go to Maitreya Bodhisattva upon rebirth."

Venerable Shi Yage: "Of course, while studying Yogacara, one must also observe the precepts of the Vinaya School; otherwise, it would be difficult to reach this place."

Practitioner Su: "Do you still have to listen to the sutras and attend classes every day with Maitreya Bodhisattva?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Listening to the Dharma can be done at will; we do not all sit cross-legged before the Buddha. That is not the case."

Practitioner Su: "How do you listen to the Dharma then?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "This place is vast beyond measure. One can listen under a tree, by a river, or enter a lecture hall if one prefers. One can hear the sound of the Dharma at any time."

The Method of No-Mind

Practitioner Su: "Your place is wonderful! Namo Amituofo! This is why practice is so important. How did you practice to reach this state? Can you tell us about the heart? For those who want to be reborn, they don't understand what 'no-mind' means. Can you teach us?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Consciousness is extremely subtle, so subtle that it is hard to grasp. Therefore, without meditative concentration, one will be turned by external circumstances. In the dusty, mundane world, it is difficult to attain concentration. It is often better in quiet places, like temples in the mountains, where external affairs are reduced, to attain concentration. In a state of concentration, one can clearly distinguish where one's thoughts are. Once a thought arises, it must be eliminated; do not let it follow the thought. When thoughts are not unified, meditative concentration vanishes."

Practitioner Su: "How do you eliminate them? You don't use the method of chanting the Buddha-name. What method do you use? Since you went to Maitreya Bodhisattva, what method did you use?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "I used the method of regulating the heart and regulating the breath."

Practitioner Su: "Regulating the heart and breath—a good method."

Venerable Shi Yage: "The body is a vast universe. When your heart and breath are harmonised, a power of concentration naturally arises. This concentration can also take you into a space, but you must hold onto it. It relies on the skills cultivated in daily life; otherwise, it is easy to enter the so-called Demon Realm."

Practitioner Su: "So, you should not be attached to the environment, but you can enjoy it. Is that what you mean? Is it what the sutras call 'dwelling nowhere while giving rise to the heart'?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Knowing the environment, yet having no environment."

Practitioner Su: "You can enjoy it, but you cannot be attached to it. At what age did you start being able to leave your body to listen to the Dharma in the Tushita Inner Court?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "I entered the Buddha’s gate with my teacher from a young age, around thirty or forty."

Practitioner Su: "Thirty or forty years old."

Venerable Shi Yage: "Yes, that was already late!"

Practitioner Su: "Meditative concentration is not easy to practice."

Venerable Shi Yage: "Meditative concentration is difficult because regulating the heart is difficult. Even if one can listen to the sutras, if one does not understand their meaning, it is a pity to let time slip through one's fingers."

The Path of the Monastic

Practitioner Su: "Did you practice in your temple or in a forest? When you were with Venerable Daoxuan, did he practice in the deep mountains?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "We practiced in the Zhongnan Mountains. My teacher had a very large mind-capacity. There were also Yogacara-related texts in the temple, so I enjoyed reading them in my spare time."

Practitioner Su: "You are very smart! You had to study from the age of ten to be able to read those texts. When you and Venerable Daoxuan were practicing, did many people go? How many monastics were in the Zhongnan Mountains at that time?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "My teacher’s attainment was quite elegant, so many came to pay their respects."

Practitioner Su: "How many actually lived there?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "No more than a hundred."

Practitioner Su: "Incredible! Our teacher is truly capable; he observed the precepts very well! You knew following him was right because he observed the precepts well. How did you enter the Tushita Inner Court? At what age?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "The environment of the Zhongnan Mountains was good."

Practitioner Su: "Did you know the time of your passing in advance?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "I did not know the time in advance."

Practitioner Su: "Were you ill?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "I was not ill either."

Practitioner Su: "A true practitioner! Incredible! How did you go to the Tushita Inner Court?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "One night, while sleeping according to my daily routine, in a vision, I saw Maitreya Bodhisattva before me. Because I had a causal condition with Maitreya Bodhisattva in a previous life, when the time came, Maitreya Bodhisattva appeared, and I naturally went forward to pay my respects."

Practitioner Su: "Your spirit came out to pay respects, and then you went with him to the Tushita Inner Court?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "Yes, I followed him, and I have been in the Tushita Inner Court ever since."

Practitioner Su: "How old were you then?"

Venerable Shi Yage: "In my forties."

Practitioner Su: "Very smart! It is better to go to the Tushita Inner Court early than to suffer in the world."

Venerable Shi Yage: "It was also the compassion of Maitreya Bodhisattva."

A Warning to the World

Practitioner Su: "Today, you are all very eager. Do you have any words of guidance for us? As a monastic, you should give a teaching to other monastics. Many monastics today do not know the focus of practice. Beings are in a sea of fire and cannot hear the True Teachings. Could you please give a few words to the monastics of today? Your rank can be elevated; you might even enter the Land of Real Reward! Coming from Maitreya Bodhisattva's Inner Court, one can reach the Land of Real Reward!"

Venerable Shi Yage: "I observe the current monastics, and there are different situations. Some monastics live in wealthy families and temples, without worrying about food or clothing, receiving offerings without needing to be self-reliant. Know that this wastes your life! A true monastic must think for the sake of all beings. Many monastics develop greed because of the many offerings, forgetting their original intention or not knowing the purpose of leaving the home life. They do not know how to propagate the Buddha’s teachings or save the wisdom-life of others, and they even distort the Buddha’s teachings."

Practitioner Su: "True, if you don't understand, you create heavy sins!"

Venerable Shi Yage: "They lead believers away from truly delving into the sutras. True delving into the sutras is not just about the literal meaning. Today, 'Buddhist studies' and 'learning to be a Buddha' are two different things. They think they are learning to be a Buddha, but in fact, they cling tightly to names and forms; they are only doing 'Buddhist studies'. A person who truly learns to be a Buddha delves into the hearts of all beings; the deeper Buddhist studies can lead beings to escape the sea of suffering. The precepts must be observed; do not look down on them. Do not think that your current words and actions are observing the precepts; often, you have already violated the precepts in your words and actions. This retribution will manifest at the end of one's life. If there is no Buddha-name of Namo Amituofo at that time, and if Namo Amituofo does not reach out to save you, you will cycle through the six realms of rebirth for ten thousand kalpas, difficult to escape, difficult to escape!"

"Secondly, some think that monastics begging for food along the road is appropriate for this time. In ancient times, those who begged for food had to provide the teachings to the donors. But now, those who beg for food are on the streets and roads, putting a bowl in front of them, and passersby throw things in. The sense of respect has been lost, and what is there to offer the donors? How can they know that this is already creating karma?"

Practitioner Su: "True, one must know that if greed, anger, ignorance, and arrogance are not cut off, one is creating sins."

Venerable Shi Yage: "If a donor gives you a coin and you cannot provide the teachings to them, oh! You will be paying back your debts in the future! Be careful! Be careful! Do not think that just by wearing a kasaya, you are helping the donor gain blessings; that is also wrong! You must know that a monastic must guard the heart and must be able to help the donor escape the six realms of rebirth, rather than just using the name of begging for food to survive. It is pathetic! This is the appearance of the monastics I see today."

Practitioner Su: "Wow! Namo Amituofo, Venerable Shi Yage, your guidance is excellent! Your words will shock monastics all over the world. Your contribution is immense. Today, your guidance is wonderful! I see that there are 398,465,135,658 of you. Venerable Shi Yage, congratulations! Your rank is rising, and this guidance will shock the world. Good! Please ascend the lotus seat. Namo Amituofo."

Venerable Shi Yage: "Namo Amituofo."

Note: If one does not study the sutras seriously and does not study and discuss them together, this matter will stop at the level of knowledge and cannot be transformed into wisdom. You will remain at the stage of intellectual understanding and cannot enter the realm. The preciousness of the Buddha’s teachings is that they teach you to enter the realm. Helping all beings achieve faith is truly the first merit. Whether doing the work of propagating the Dharma or protecting the Dharma, one must deeply understand the meaning and delve into the sutras so that the work is done according to the Dharma. If one does not understand the principles and practice of the Buddha’s teachings, the work of propagation and protection will deviate. Not only will one fail to accumulate merit, but one is also very likely to create sins. This is something one must be cautious about. Without the slightest reluctance or fabrication, this is truly a dignified manifestation in this world.

Namo Amituofo

The Immeasurable Honoured One smiles, manifesting a golden countenance.

Interviewed on May 6, 2014.