Overcoming the Barrier of Personality

Venerable Changren is a dedicated monastic who has sought deliverance through the teachings of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This interview, which explores the profound challenges of spiritual cultivation and the internal barriers one must overcome, was recorded on October 29, 2019.

Venerable Changren speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. In the process of spiritual practice, every individual possesses their own unique characteristics, and in particular, everyone carries their own distinct temperament. As we journey along this path of purification, the space, time, and environment around us are filled with an endless variety of Causal Conditions. These conditions possess a remarkable ability to mutate and shift. Often, just as you are nearing a breakthrough in your purification, these various conditions are prone to sudden, unexpected changes, catching you completely off guard. This is the very essence of the tests we face in our practice.

The Nature of Spiritual Tests

Spiritual practice is undertaken to seek inner peace. However, on this path, one cannot always expect to find that stillness immediately. It is a process that requires us to undergo varying degrees of examination. We must endure all sorts of trials, and it is only by breaking through these tests that we can truly grow. This is a hurdle that every person in this world must eventually cross. In truth, the most difficult barrier to overcome is not an external force, but one's own deeply ingrained habits and personality.

When we find ourselves unable to endure or fail to pass these tests, it is almost always because our temperaments are so difficult to change. We struggle to settle our own restless, chaotic hearts. We remain constantly hindered and obstructed by our own internal issues. Time and again, we lose our sense of inner peace, or we find ourselves falling back into states of mind where we lash out in anger. Such situations are not uncommon even within environments dedicated to spiritual practice. Many people cling tightly to their own personalities, and when these clashes erupt, they create a great deal of turbulence. This is the difficulty of the tests we face in this world: to pass the gate, one must first conquer oneself.

The Self-Imposed Obstacles

If we fail to pass these tests, the obstacles are entirely of our own making. In reality, spiritual practice is very simple and pure. It is we who insist on finding difficulties where there are none, binding ourselves layer by layer in our own confusion. We take situations that are essentially empty and amplify our own personal stance, blurring the focus. This is what causes our entire state of being to shift, preventing us from ever truly settling into a state of purity. When we operate this way, we naturally cannot pass the test of practice. Even after years and years of effort, all that hard work can be destroyed in a single moment of ego.

Cultivating True Awareness

To succeed in our practice, we must develop the power of meditative concentration and the ability to exercise self-restraint. We cannot simply follow our own whims and desires at every turn; that is not true spiritual practice. We must learn to reflect deeply, maintaining a constant state of awareness, and be willing to adjust and change our ways. Only then can we attain true Awakening through our practice. Each of us should strive much harder in this regard.

I am deeply grateful for the compassion of the Buddha, and I am grateful to Grandmother. Namo Amituofo."

This interview was recorded by the disciple Shi Faxi.