Letting Go and Transforming Karma

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Changgao, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his insights into the nature of karma and the necessity of inner transformation. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on May 16, 2023.

Venerable Changgao speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. All human beings in this world have come here following the dictates of their own karma. Karma is like an invisible, silent force that slowly guides the direction of one's life. It orchestrates the people you meet and the events you experience. Think about it—why is it that one person remains in a stable marriage while another faces divorce? That is the result of one's own karma. Similarly, another person might lose their legs in a horrific car accident while others remain unscathed. This, too, is the manifestation of their specific karmic path.

The Invisible Hand of Karma

If you choose to let karma dictate the course of your life, then you will inevitably have to endure the fruits of those actions. This is an undeniable truth of the universe. However, how can one escape the pull of this karmic force? The only way is to initiate a genuine, fundamental change from within.

After I followed Practitioner Su to receive Chao Du, I observed many practitioners in the human world. I felt a deep sense of lament and regret for them. The Buddha’s teachings are incredibly difficult to encounter. Those who are fortunate enough to hear the Dharma must truly learn to cherish it. But what does it mean to truly cherish the Dharma? When I pose this question, I believe many practitioners would offer different perspectives. From my vantage point, in this current era of information saturation—or perhaps I should say, information explosion—those who possess vast knowledge and wide experience are no longer noteworthy. Instead, what is becoming increasingly rare are those who possess a heart that is pure, clean, truly Good, and simple.

Knowledge Versus Purity of Heart

Many practitioners today are obsessed with the idea that 'the more I know, the better.' But I have seen that all this accumulated knowledge is merely external. No matter how long or elaborate the discourse, such information can be easily retrieved from a computer. This kind of knowledge loses its value because it is so readily available; anyone who puts in a little effort to search can find it.

However, a pure heart, a heart of true Goodness, a heart that is genuinely clean, or the internal state of Meditation (Concentration)—these are not things you can obtain simply by searching. They require real effort. They require you to change yourself from the inside out.

The Path of Letting Go

The karma I mentioned earlier—the karma accumulated throughout your many lives—is contained within this very force. If you wish to transform your karma, you must undergo a thorough transformation. This change is not achieved simply by reading sutras. It must be achieved by listening to sutras and hearing the Dharma, allowing yourself to see through the illusions of this world, to view them with detachment, to see them for what they are, and then to begin the path of letting go.

In the process of letting go, it is difficult to distance oneself from the noise of the world and live a life free from conflict. This is a challenge in the modern age. However, one should start by letting go from the 'heart.' Let go of your attachments, let go of your personality, let go of your seven emotions and five desires, let go of your pursuit of all things in this world, and let go of this 'self' within your heart. By doing so, you will release everything that attracts karmic retribution to you.

From Blind Love to Compassionate Guidance

This process of letting go is not something that happens in an instant. It is a gradual fading away, bit by bit. Your temper, which was once easily ignited, might drop from ten points of intensity to eight, then to seven, then to six. Your love for your family, once you clearly see that it is all an illusion, will transform from blind attachment into true compassion. Even if you continue to live together and accompany your family, it is no longer a blind, grasping love. Instead, after you have attained your own salvation, you can guide your family to slowly walk out of this world and out of the cycle of karma.

Transforming karma is also a form of compassion. Because in the very act of transforming your own karma, you are also saving the karmic creditors who have followed you throughout your many lives. You are helping them to let go and to find liberation from the space they are trapped in.

Practitioners should not continue to pursue external illusions. True change must begin from within. From the appearance of every practitioner, one can discern their internal cultivation. The more you let go, the more you will naturally change.

Everyone can start working on this right now—transforming your karma and acting with compassion for all beings.

Namo Amituofo."