This interview was recorded on September 13, 2023, at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre. Venerable Yongning, a dedicated practitioner who has sought deliverance through the teachings of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, shares profound insights into the nature of the human heart and the obstacles that hinder our spiritual liberation.
Venerable Yongning speaks:
". When I observe people, I see that everyone’s heart is bound. Not a single person is able to truly open their heart completely. Why is this heart so tightly bound? Who is it that has tied these knots? And furthermore, who is the one capable of finally opening this heart?
From observing the fourfold assembly of disciples, I have seen that even when Buddha or Bodhisattvas are present in the Buddha-land, they cannot force a person’s heart open. The only one who can truly open this heart is oneself; there is no second person who can do it for you.
The Root of Our Entrapment
Why does this heart become so constrained? I have observed that the primary key to everyone’s bondage lies in their attachment to this physical body. All of our thoughts, desires, emotions, , and are inextricably linked to this body. When you are attached to this body, you become deeply mired in its thoughts, desires, emotions, and feelings, unable to find a way out.
However, are these reactions of truly the reactions of your authentic self? I often see many people feeling regret after an emotional outburst. They do not want such emotions to arise, yet in the very moment an event occurs, those emotions manifest regardless. If you look back at yourself during such a moment, is this body really being mastered by you? It is only then that you realise: it was not you who was in control at all.
The Hidden Influence of Spirits
You can see that at those moments, the sentient beings residing within the body were controlling its emotions, desires, and sensations. The person’s head was completely covered and influenced by . All of their outward behaviours were not born from their own original intent. It is precisely because they usually listen to this body and care so deeply for it that when these karmic creditors exert control over the body from within, the person has no way of knowing. Even if they do realise it, they are powerless to resist because they have become so accustomed to this state.
How many people are like this? Almost everyone. This body is frequently utilised by sentient beings, causing the heart within to be completely influenced. This prevents one’s own inner spirit from functioning, leaving it trapped under the dominion of the body.
Practising Detachment
If you can let go of your attachment to the body, then in every moment that a desire surges forth, you can use your own inner spirit to perceive the changes in the body. At that very moment, ask yourself: is this desire truly what I want, or is it once again the result of control by these spirits? If you do not satisfy this desire in the moment, what reaction will the body have? Does what the body demands really need to be satisfied?
In every moment when an emotion or desire manifests, give yourself the opportunity to pause. Take a moment to feel the state of your body and mind. Through practice, time and time again, you will discover that this body holds hidden mysteries. It is not necessarily true that because the body wants to eat something, you truly want to eat it; nor is it necessarily true that because the body wants to do something, you truly want to do it. It is certainly not the case that just because the body craves something, you truly need it. The body is capable of deceiving people. But if you cannot let go of your attachment to the body, you will believe all the messages it sends as absolute truth and satisfy them one hundred per cent. In doing so, you will be forever bound by the body, controlled by the hands of the spirits within, and unable to break free from them. Naturally, you will be unable to escape from this state of bondage.
Try to let go of your attachment to the body, and try to perceive your own inner spirit. You will discover that this body is not exactly the same as what you once knew. This heart can be liberated from it; it does not necessarily have to be controlled.
