Letting Go of This Illusory Body

Venerable Chang Ren, a dedicated practitioner who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, currently resides at the centre, where this interview was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on June 21, 2023.

Venerable Chang Ren speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. This world is like a grand illusion, a mirage that is incredibly difficult to see through and even harder to let go of. We spend our days clutching tightly to our bodies and everything we believe we possess. We go through life thinking we are holding onto so much, but in reality, we are losing far more than we could ever imagine.

The Deception of the Physical Form

The illusions created by the physical body feel remarkably real—so real, in fact, that they become almost impossible to grasp or define. It is nearly impossible for the average person to determine what is true and what is false. Many of you must be wondering: 'Where is the falsehood? Everything here feels so tangible, so undeniably true.' But let me tell you: the distinction between truth and falsehood does not refer to whether this body exists in this very moment. It refers to the inevitable truth that, within a few short decades, this body will decay and vanish. Think about it—some bodies enter this world only to draw their final breath within minutes, quickly rotting and disappearing into nothingness.

The Weight of Karmic Debt

When we look at the long, winding road of samsara, we must realise that anything that is destined to disappear cannot be taken with us. Therefore, it is fundamentally false. However, the karma created by this false body is real. It follows your spirit with absolute precision. You are forced to suffer and repay the debts of the karma created by this body during this lifetime. The pleasures of the body are limited strictly to what the body possesses—whether it be wealth, status, fame, or emotional attachments. All the desires and sensations of the body are only accessible while you possess it. Once you lose the body, everything vanishes in an instant. This is why I say the body is illusory and unreal; everything connected to it is merely a transient, false existence.

The Tragic Cost of Attachment

Too many people are deceived by their own bodies. They pay an enormous price for the sake of the flesh. And this 'price' is not merely the spending of vast sums of money; it is the sacrifice of the only opportunity their spirit has for liberation. When the body suddenly ceases to exist and the spirit finally realises the opportunity has been missed, the regret that follows is not like the simple heartache people feel in the modern world. It is an endless, bottomless pit of sorrow and grief for the soul. That pain is incomparable to any sadness in this world, because it concerns the very essence of your spirit, which is about to be cast back into the cycle of rebirth, trapped in the same old destiny once again.

Breaking the Chains of Samsara

The body has tricked so many gullible people, pushing soul after soul—each of whom worked so hard to attain a human body—back into the fiery pit of suffering. To those of you listening to me right now, you still possess a human body. But have you truly grasped the opportunity it provides? If you wish to break free from the shackles and bindings of the body, you must learn to let go of its sensations, its personality, and its desires. Do not allow the body to keep even one thing that can tether your spirit to this world. Letting go may seem difficult, but you can learn it bit by bit, slowly training yourself not to be attached to anything you possess in this world.

Using Without Owning

Use the sights and sounds around you, along with the teachings of the Buddha, to help yourself gradually awaken. Naturally, you will no longer cling tightly to everything you possess. As Practitioner Su often says, 'Seek only the right to use, not the right of ownership.' That is the principle. You may use things, but you must never seek to possess them. Once you claim ownership, you will once again fall into the endless, swirling vortex of samsara. Namo Amituofo."