The Dangerous Paths of the World

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Master Chin Kung, who now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his life of ninety-six years in the human world and his current perspective from the Western Pure Land. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on October 5, 2022.

Venerable Master Chin Kung speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. The topic Namo Amituofo has given me today is 'Dangerous Paths of the World.' Truly, Namo Amituofo is worthy of the name—possessing great compassion, great wisdom, and great ability! Having experienced ninety-six years of life in the human world, and now sitting peacefully in the Western Land of Dharma Nature at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, I feel I can offer some new insights to everyone.

The Freedom of the Spirit

When I say 'everything,' I mean that as a spirit, I can see whatever I wish to see, and I do not see what I do not wish to see. How incredibly free! Or, when I open my eyes, certain scenes naturally manifest before me, and I simply follow those scenes. It is all the natural manifestation of the natural state.

I have experienced the human world and the bone-chilling reality of the hells after death. Now, seeing what I had not seen before and understanding what I had not understood, many of my perspectives have changed. This is only natural. Moreover, as a spirit, I have come to know things I could never have known while I possessed a physical body. Without the shackles of the body, I feel so much lighter. It is no wonder that those in the ghost realm possess the five supernatural powers.

The Illusion of the Self

Actually, I believe... no, I should not say 'I believe,' for there must be no 'self.' This, too, is the natural manifestation of the natural state. I speak only of what I know now; if I do not know something, I cannot speak of it. That is what it means to have no 'self.' If one was a sensitive and virtuous person while alive, even after becoming a ghost, those five powers are far more acute and accurate than those of an ordinary spirit.

The concept of 'self' leans towards the existence of a 'true self,' which is why we have this 'false self' as a contrast. The true self is the 'Self' of 'permanence, joy, self, and purity' that we attain after purification and realising our true nature. Before that, the 'self' is merely a false one. Where is the current Chin Kung? In what stage am I? I cannot quite distinguish it. Without the false self of the body, where is the true self? Do not let these thoughts arise, trying to find an answer. These are all delusions. Everything is just the natural manifestation of the natural state.

The Importance of the Three Jewels

So many delusions of people in the world arise from this. One must have awareness. Once awareness manifests, these delusions can be halted. That is why, when I was in the world, I placed great emphasis on the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. They can educate people, guiding them towards realising their true nature and finding their true selves. It is the process of transitioning from a worldly person to a practitioner, with the opportunity to realise one's true nature and attain Buddhahood.

Whether one is a lay practitioner or a monastic, the goal is to realise one's true nature. Generally speaking, those who seek to learn the Buddha’s teachings and find their original nature—the face they had before their parents gave birth to them—have a higher level of awareness than those who have not encountered the Dharma. I am not making discriminations; I am speaking from experience. Having spent ninety-six years in the world, and with what I see and hear now, I am offering an objective perspective on the 'Dangerous Paths of the World.' Namo Amituofo has honoured me by allowing me to report my knowledge and observations to you all.

The Reality of the World

The scope of 'Dangerous Paths of the World' covers the situation of every single person. The world is where people live. Whether you are a monastic or a lay practitioner, you cannot escape the world. The difference lies in where you live or practice. If one wishes to practice, one needs a quiet environment—a place far from the hustle and bustle, free from interference, where one can purify oneself. Throughout history, practitioners have chosen mountains, watersides, or sparsely populated areas. Yet, even these places are part of the world.

The Simplicity of Ancient Practitioners

The ancestral masters and seekers of the past were truly remarkable. They could live alone, isolated from the world, handling their own food, clothing, shelter, and travel. They took what they needed from nature. They farmed, harvested, and cooked to sustain their physical bodies. Their needs were simple—minimalism at its best. They were content with little. As for shelter, it was rudimentary—a stone cave, a simple hut, or a broken temple was enough. For travel, they relied on their own two legs and a pair of straw sandals. They practiced and delivered sentient beings wherever they went. Such freedom! It truly makes me envious. Can modern practitioners do this? We can only smile and feel deep respect. In that era, in that environment, it is no wonder that they could purify themselves and find their true nature. They lived a life where the six roots were pure and the four elements were empty. Can modern people do this? It is very difficult. I dare not say it is impossible, as my knowledge is limited. There are many extraordinary people in this world; if you look closely, some may be Buddhas or Bodhisattvas who have returned, but whether they manifest or reveal themselves depends on the timing and karmic conditions.

The Necessity of Food and the Spirit

Most practitioners, whether lay or monastic, find it hard to avoid contact with the world. Take food, for example. Can everyone farm and harvest rice? Only those from a farming background might. Many enjoy growing vegetables and fruits, which is part of the practice—it cultivates the mind and provides insights into the growth of nature. This is something modern people lack.

As for clothing, we must purchase it. Even in large bodhimandas, we rely on lay practitioners to provide clothing to protect us from the cold. These are products of the world. In the past, monastics carried three tools: a pair of scissors, a razor, and a kitchen knife. The scissors were for making and mending clothes. The razor was for shaving the head to maintain a pure appearance, removing the 'three thousand strands of afflictions.' The kitchen knife was essential—to handle food effectively, retaining its maximum nutritional value to sustain the body so it can function in this world. Not every monastic serves in the kitchen; often, lay volunteers help. As for ingredients, if they are vegetables or fruits, we can grow them, but some items must be taken from the world. It is best to reduce processed foods. Processed foods often contain heavy seasonings, which deviate from the principle of 'few desires and contentment.' If you crave heavy flavours, that is your desire, not your body's need. That is unnecessary. To satisfy it is to indulge in desire, which is improper for a practitioner. However, to receive sentient beings, we sometimes use 'desire as a hook to lead them into the Buddha's wisdom.' In such cases, we keep the food light. If they can accept vegetarian food, we have achieved our goal. But for monastics, a light diet is best. It is not what the body needs; eating less is better.

As Practitioner Su often says, 'Those foods are living beings; you are eating living beings into your body.' This is the truth! Plants are also living beings. We rely on them to sustain our lives, but they must be processed to meet our body's needs for digestion and absorption. Even after processing, they remain living beings. Many spirits follow the food into the body and become part of the beings within you. Many people do not understand this. Practitioner Su discovered this because his eyes are open; he sees the spirits within the food. How can one bear to eat them? But one must eat to survive. Therefore, we eat only the minimum—seven-tenths full is enough. If you eat until you are full and bloated, you have eaten too much. That is greed. Even the desire for 'tasty' food is a desire that a practitioner must remove. But when it is time to eat, one must eat."

Many bodhimandas make flexible adjustments to their dietary practices to accommodate Dharma assemblies or other necessities. This is a form of practice and an adaptation to the times, but one must never violate the underlying spirit of the teachings. If you violate that spirit, you drift further and further away from the path. This spirit is the Dharma itself—the very essence that one must follow while walking the Buddha's path. This spirit does not change with the shifts in eras, time, or space; this is what we call the Truth, the righteous path. However, one can make appropriate adjustments according to the different eras, times, and spaces to meet the needs of the moment. Therefore, in the treacherous world of practice, to be simple, to purify oneself, to reduce one's own desires, and to prevent those desires from manifesting—this is what practice is all about.

The Path to Awakening

No desires! Ah, having no desires is inherently a part of your true self. If you want to find your true self but are still burdened by so many desires and needs, how could you ever find it? Practice is about putting in the work right here; it is about adjusting your own behaviour and thoughts so that you can recover your original face. The stage of practice involves moving from the worldly desires of the world to the 'few desires' of the transcendent path, and finally entering into a state of 'no desire' to realise one's true nature and attain Buddhahood. The word 'treacherous' refers to the dangers that arise during this process, but these dangers can also be avoided through the process of practice.

Unless one encounters the Buddha's teachings from birth and never leaves the Buddha's gate—receiving the education of the Dharma throughout one's growth and until the very end of life—we can only hope that such a lucky person might avoid these treacherous paths. They must not step onto the dangerous roads of the world, must not engage in dangerous behaviours, and must not allow the bitter fruits of karma to manifest. Only then can they realise their true nature, save themselves and others, and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, free from aging, free from illness, and with a spirit that never dies. If one is born and lives in the world, and at some stage of life experiences suffering—the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death—or if their good roots manifest and they suddenly awaken and find a point of realisation, they may transition from a worldly life to a life of practice. In the lives of worldly people, this transition often means they have already been contaminated by many negative habits, personal quirks, and negative behaviours, thoughts, and bad habits. You might think these are common, ordinary things, but they are actually the causes of great harm. Is this too abstract? Very well, let us explain this using more common, familiar situations.

The Trap of Modernity

Everyone thinks that birth, aging, sickness, and death are an inevitable process for people in this world. If you do not study the Buddha's teachings, you truly believe this is the case because everyone around you is the same. You see people growing old and feeling powerless, suffering from illness, and even facing the agony of death, and you assume that you will be the same, or perhaps you are already experiencing it yourself. Unless you have the opportunity to receive the education of the Buddha's teachings and understand that this is the law of karma and cause and effect, you will not know to avoid creating negative causes, and thus you will inevitably suffer the consequences. Even if you understand this, you may not necessarily be able to put it into practice. Only after you have created negative causes and tasted the evil consequences do you finally understand the suffering! You then realise that if you had not done such and such in the beginning, you would not be in this state. By then, you have already stepped onto a treacherous path and tasted the bitter fruit.

Those who are more fortunate are able to meet a true spiritual friend. The most direct examples of true spiritual friends are one's parents, the private tutors of ancient times, the teachers in schools today, or a Venerable or a lay practitioner who can teach you the correct concepts and methods. Otherwise, you are easily contaminated, and by the time you discover it, it is very difficult to extricate yourself or make changes. This is the power of the greater environment.

The Digital Wilderness

With the current prevalence of computer games, the internet, and mobile phones, people no longer feel the need to use their brains or observe the world; they can simply go online and find information instantly. There is truly no end to what can be said about this. Many children do not know when to stop, do not know how to use these tools for good, and instead become addicted and lost. Their bodies suffer, and their daily routines become abnormal. Their body, mind, and spirit are entirely consumed by these phones and computers, causing them to neglect the kind interactions with the people around them. In terms of their spirituality, their minds are filled with nothing but pornography, violence, and harm. This is negative; this is dangerous; this is the treacherous path of the world—a dangerous situation. Facing these dangers without fear is also a reflection of your own karma; it is inseparable from your karma. You lack the ability to resist, you do not know how to avoid it, and so you enter this treacherous trap. If you do not know how to turn back and continue walking straight into this danger, what happens next? The result that everyone fears most is that you might even lose this precious life, this physical body, and be destroyed. You might even end up harming yourself. Your life may grow old and sick, or it may simply come to an end.

This situation is something that can be heard in many of the recent interviews with prison guards at the temple. These modern stories are things that Practitioner Su has heard, and they are very apt. Of course, there are ways to guard against these dangerous situations; it depends on whether the person has the good conditions and the noble people to help them. You may not be able to escape the use of computers and mobile phones, as these are essential products of this era, but you must absolutely be able to restrain yourself, reduce your desires in this regard, and use them only when necessary—or even not at all. This is not impossible; it is just a matter of whether you have the ability to adjust and accept such a lifestyle. If you can manage without a mobile phone or a computer, that is truly excellent, because it certainly reduces the contact your six roots have with the world and prevents the stirring of thoughts and the fluctuations of the heart. This is certain! Before you have attained true 'attainment' in your practice, it is better to use them sparingly. Furthermore, if you have realised your true nature, then fine—no matter how you use them, you will not commit crimes, create negative karma, or harm others or yourself. Then you may use them!

A Tool for Deliverance

At that point, mobile phones and computers become a method for delivering sentient beings; they are an indispensable channel for modern deliverance. Every one of Practitioner Su's lectures is converted into text, with screens available to listen to the audio or view the text and images. Through satellite communication systems and modern internet technology, these teachings are sent to everyone's computers or mobile phones, appearing before your eyes and entering your ears, making it convenient for everyone to study the Buddha's teachings. This is Goodness, and it is something that modern practitioners cannot avoid. It is fine to use these tools, but remember that you must have the determination not to follow your own desires to access inappropriate content, pornographic images, or listen to harmful sounds. That would be bad! That would be dangerous! That is a treacherous path. If you enter a treacherous path and encounter a dangerous situation, pull yourself away immediately. You must have the ability to self-regulate and not sink deeper.

Practitioner Su has seen some practitioners who, because they cannot extricate themselves, are unable to leave their mobile phones and computers, thereby harming their own Dharma Body and wisdom. Should they be saved? They must be saved! The Buddha does not abandon a single person, but whether they can be saved or not depends on their own destiny. If you can be saved, it is because you have blessings and your good roots are still there, not yet covered up. If you cannot be saved, then this lifetime is a pity! Even after encountering the Great Dharma of the Pure Land, you still enter the cycle of the six realms of rebirth. Especially in the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Center, this Buddha-land, it is truly a great pity!

The Power of Awakening

If things have not reached the final stage, there is always a possibility of turning around. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, there is a possibility of awakening—even a tiny bit of awakening. As long as you can seize the opportunity, it is possible to expand from that tiny bit of awakening to a small improvement, then a line, then one or two sides, and eventually to a comprehensive improvement. Wouldn't that save you? But this is very difficult, very difficult. It is hard for you, and it is also very hard for the true spiritual friend who is saving you. The true spiritual friend has realised their true nature and attained Buddhahood; they are here to save sentient beings. While it looks very hard to us, they feel it is what they ought to do. But for the person themselves, they are truly walking on a treacherous path! You must strive to do better. Since you have already entered a dangerous situation, and your body is still here, and you are still in the Buddha-land, you must strive to do better and seize every opportunity to change your ways. However, if at this time your karmic creditors manifest, or if there are spiritual attachments, or even demons—both external demons and internal demons—it is indeed very difficult. Regardless, you must still raise your awareness. If you save yourself, the Buddha will surely save you. If you give up on yourself, even the Buddha cannot save you. In all things, one must think well, do well, and speak well. Therefore, we believe that as long as this body is still in the Buddha-land for one day, there is an opportunity to awaken. This is what Practitioner Su believes, because the environment and conditions here are too good! The so-called 'good' means that even if you are walking on such a treacherous path or are in such a dangerous situation, you can still turn it around. You can turn it towards Goodness, because this is a Buddha-land. There is the Buddha here, with great awakening and great realisation, and they will certainly not miss any opportunity to save you. This is the magnificence of being in the Buddha-land.

Conversely, if you were in the world, you might not be so lucky. The world is the place where people live. Of course, places with fewer people are still part of the world. This Earth is the world, and even different spaces are part of the world; they are just different spaces. The content of space is part of the world. The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Center is also in the world, but this location is far from the crowds and is a good place for practice. Furthermore, it is a very important place because it can elevate one's spirituality. Therefore, whether one can properly experience this journey of life depends on each individual.

Those who arrive in this world through the power of a vow are few; the vast majority of beings are drawn here by the heavy weight of karma and the relentless cycle of reincarnation. If those who come driven by karma do not have the precious opportunity to encounter the Buddha’s teachings, it is almost inevitable that they will continue to create karma. Take, for example, the word 'emotion.' It is a primary source of negative karma. As the saying goes, 'If emotion is not heavy, one does not fall into the Saha world.' This Saha world is entirely woven from emotion, and the amount of karma one can create within this web is boundless. Whether it is familial affection, friendship, the bond between teacher and student, the love between parents and children, or the connection between spouses and relatives—it is all held together by emotion. If not for this emotion, we would be strangers to one another, with no ties at all. Yet, when this emotion begins to exert its influence, it is almost always the moment when the machinery of karma begins to operate. In other words, emotion is an intrinsic part of karma. It is no exaggeration to say this, for it is the simple truth. So many karmic forces progress precisely because they are propelled by this emotion. How, then, can a person who is deeply entangled in emotion hope to escape the shackles of karma? How can they hope to leave the dangerous path when they are, in fact, standing right in the middle of a perilous situation? In such a dangerous environment, how can you possibly avoid creating karma?

The Illusion of a Normal Life

How many tragic events have unfolded precisely because of this? When you return to your daily life, you might say, 'I have not lost my faith! I am law-abiding and self-disciplined. I do exactly what I am supposed to do. What could possibly be wrong with that?' From your perspective, perhaps there is nothing wrong; perhaps the environment you have grown up in and the people around you have all lived their lives this way, and you simply cannot see the danger. But if you were to step back and remove yourself from this emotional context, you would have to ask: do you need to have thoughts and intentions here? Yes, you do. And in this process, will your heart not experience fluctuations? How could it not? It is only natural. For instance, if you feel a spark of attraction toward someone of the opposite sex, that is a fluctuation! That is perfectly natural, is it not? Be careful! Your karma has already manifested!

Consider this: you choose a partner and embark on the path of marriage. Do you not have to think about how to support your family? Do you not have to worry about how to get by, how to earn money? Do you not have to have thoughts and intentions? Will this not cause fluctuations in your heart? Will you not begin to compare, to make discriminations? You may even find yourself competing or struggling in your workplace. Even if you have great self-control and know that these things are not ideal, have you not already experienced countless fluctuations in your heart during this process? Have you not had countless thoughts and intentions? Have you not had countless evil thoughts and unwholesome intentions arise? Even if you have the awareness to stop them later, have you not already created karma in the process? According to Mahayana Buddhism, the mere arising of a thought or intention is the creation of karma! Once an unwholesome thought arises, karma is created. Is this not dangerous? It is incredibly dangerous! It is pollution; it is the creation of karma!

The Trap of Worldly Responsibilities

Furthermore, once there is physical contact between men and women, the resulting desires are difficult to restrain. Then, after marriage and the birth of children, the responsibilities of raising, guiding, and educating them follow. Can you honestly say that in the midst of all this, you can avoid having thoughts and intentions? Can you avoid making discriminations, comparisons, and choices? Can you keep your heart from fluctuating? How could that be possible! There are already countless fluctuations, countless thoughts and intentions, countless choices, comparisons, and even competition. These things involve the distinction between Goodness and evil. Can you say that you have never had an evil thought? Have you never made a choice that harmed another? Or perhaps, in order to satisfy the desires and needs of your loved ones—your spouse or your children—you have harmed yourself, or you have had thoughts and intentions that led you to do things that have had a negative impact or caused interference for you. To satisfy their needs, this is surely hard to avoid, is it not? All of this is the dangerous path of the world, the very reason why it is so difficult to escape the cycle of reincarnation.

This is precisely why, once you embark on the path of practice, your true spiritual friend will always remind you, urging you repeatedly, not to let emotion manifest. It is difficult for people in this world to pass the 'test of emotion.' Who among those around you is without emotion? There are plenty of people who are overly emotional. Of course, there are those who seem 'unemotional,' but that depends on how one defines it. This involves the issue of rationality and wisdom. If this 'lack of emotion' is intended to prevent you from creating more karma and committing faults, so that you may escape the cycle of reincarnation, leave suffering behind, and become an awakened being, then such a lack of emotion is called wisdom, and only then will you have the opportunity to save others from suffering. However, if this 'lack of emotion' leads you to create more negative karma and commit more faults, then such a state is truly heartless. I, Jing Kong, speak in this way—I do not know if you can accept it. But this is my perspective, and you might wish to consider it.

The Cycle of Samsara and the Path to Liberation

Furthermore, once you are emotional or have deep feelings, it inevitably involves another person. If that person experiences fluctuations, thoughts, intentions, joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, or if they encounter the various situations of birth, aging, sickness, and death, how could you not have thoughts and intentions? How could you not experience fluctuations? It is too difficult! If you have grown up in this world and have come to view these things as natural and expected, it simply means that your karma is in control, and it means that you are following your karma. This is your destiny; you are walking along the path of your fate. If this is the case, can you avoid birth, aging, sickness, and death? Can you avoid entering the six realms of rebirth after death? These are all parts of karma, and they are all parts of your destiny. Can you avoid birth, aging, sickness, and death? Can you avoid suffering? You have no choice but to continue along this path. This is what we call 'the dangerous path of the world, the perilous realm of reincarnation, drifting in the ocean of karma!' How can you escape?

This is why Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifest in the human world, and why the patriarchs and venerable masters earnestly and tirelessly urge everyone to leave the 'dangerous path of the world' and not to enter the perilous realm of reincarnation to suffer again. Most people in this world are suffering because they are walking on dangerous paths and are trapped in perilous situations without knowing how to save themselves. Therefore, 'suffering' is one of the realities of the world, one of the true characteristics of existence, and it is even more impossible to escape birth, aging, sickness, and death; this is what we call reincarnation.

Returning to the True Self

From ancient times to the present, how many people with awareness have wanted to escape this state of suffering and enter into practice? From ancient times to the present, how many people—whether they have suffered themselves or have seen others suffer—have wanted to help everyone escape this suffering, and through their practice, have discovered the Truth, discovered their true self-nature, and told everyone what must be done to avoid suffering? They have used the methods of practice and the methods of education to help everyone, saving as many as possible on this dangerous path of the world, because everyone does not have to suffer. You do not have to live such a difficult life; you can live a life of clarity and ease. Most importantly, this is how we were meant to live—living a life of our true self-nature, letting our true self-nature be the master, rather than letting karma or reincarnation be the master!

Reincarnation is impermanent; it is always changing. This heart of ours is also always changing, rising and falling, fluctuating, yet we think it is normal, that it should be this way. And so, life after life passes by, and we are reborn in this way, our spirits投生 (reincarnated) into different dangerous paths based on our actions. Every one of the six realms is a dangerous path; they are all perilous realms.

Those who have already encountered the Buddha’s teachings and have entered the gate of the Pure Land must not turn back. This lifetime is your final lifetime; you must return to your home in the Western Land and no longer enter the cycle of reincarnation. Namo Amituofo is calling out to everyone from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre: 'Come home, my children!' I hope that through these words, everyone can feel the deep longing of Amitabha Buddha for his children to return, and walk no more upon the dangerous paths of this world.

Time passes very quickly. Today, I, Jing Kong, will stop here.

Namo Amituofo.

Shi Jing Kong, with palms joined.

At the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, Australia.