Purifying the Personality for Spiritual Success

Venerable Chang Ren is a monastic who has navigated the profound challenges of the Demon Realm and sought deliverance through the guidance of Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. In this interview, he reflects on the critical necessity of purifying one's personality and character as the essential foundation for true Buddhist practice. This testimony was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on September 13, 2017.

Venerable Chang Ren speaks:

"'Dedicated to the propagation of the Buddha’s teachings'—this is the grand aspiration held in the hearts of so many young monastics. It is a sentiment that is deeply moving and inspiring. Whether one enters the monastic life in youth, middle age, or later years, it is never too late to cultivate a sincere heart. Under the guidance of such sincerity, one often receives the full blessings of the Buddha’s power. These radiant, newly ordained monastics act as a powerful force, adding great strength to the lineage of the Buddha’s teachings.

The Foundation of a Complete Bodhimanda

For a complete bodhimanda to exert a true power of deliverance, the forces it encompasses must be balanced and comprehensive. Beyond the monastics, there are countless other forces that must be harmonised. The dedication of lay practitioners is an essential power within the temple. Because the propagation of the Buddha’s teachings requires capable leaders at the forefront, it also requires the support of true Dharma protectors behind the scenes. Only then can the transmission of the Dharma be authentic and powerful.

The concept of 'oneness' and the 'Six Harmonies' are the fundamental requirements for a temple to achieve success. Yet, within the complex character of human beings, this seems incredibly difficult to attain. As long as you harbour a sense of inequality, or still possess a heart that plans for its own benefit, there will always be a distance between you and others. You will always stand at the very front, unable to see the needs of the collective, seeing only your own. How, then, can you lead beings to deliverance? Regardless of the circumstances, one must learn to let go. Only such practice leads to true achievement.

The Danger of Ego and Emotional Outbursts

To create a chaotic atmosphere for the sake of one’s own ego is a grave transgression within the temple. Everyone knows the saying: 'One may move the waters of a thousand rivers, but one must not disturb the heart of a practitioner.' Why, then, would one amplify their own ego and cause those around them to suffer? Perhaps it is not fully understood, but one must remember: you are a practitioner of the Buddha’s path. Whether you are a lay practitioner, a monastic, or a general devotee, you should no longer use your emotions as a tool for venting. This is especially true of anger—a fire that burns from within the heart and is difficult to extinguish. 'When a single thought of anger arises, ten thousand doors of obstruction are opened.' You still possess unknown karma, and despite having the courage to face it, when your personality manifests, it is difficult to guard against, difficult to transform, and difficult to stop. Often, you lose autonomy. Even if you have some awareness, it is hard to find the perseverance to transform that thought in the moment. In truth, the personalities of those in the Demon Realm and the Asura Realm are largely the same; they face these exact problems. The damage that one’s personality inflicts upon one’s practice is truly immense.

The Challenge of Changing One’s Nature

However, changing one’s personality is truly not easy. It is difficult because everyone possesses a heart that is hard to polish—a heart harder than any material, unwilling to accept discipline. Some agree that this is an inherent habit, while others believe it is directly related to one’s upbringing and education. In truth, both are correct, but there is no excuse for one’s personality. Secular education teaches one to be a person of 'value,' but the guidance extended from this often incorrectly pushes the 'self' to its maximum. Unknowingly, many inferior habits are cultivated to highlight oneself. From childhood, training is focused on striving for this 'self.' Few see the failures in such education, which grips the 'self' too tightly—sometimes so tightly that one cannot breathe. Because children are burdened with many values and concepts from a young age, many students mistakenly believe that these efforts or this assertiveness, which highlights the self, constitute the best achievement. When compared to Buddhist education, the discrepancies in secular education become clear. Buddhist education is better at leading one toward the benefits of 'at birth, human nature is good,' fostering a more gentle character and a heart of compassion. Does social education need to change? This requires our collective effort. Even if it is difficult to achieve in the world, it must be changed. I do not wish for young students to develop such an intractable 'self-nature,' because I know clearly that this is how the children of the Demon Realm enter that state.

The Need for Timely Guidance

Sometimes, without timely guidance, it is difficult to see one’s own personality or understand one’s own conduct. Often, one appears flawless in daily life, but when stimulated and triggered, one’s true colours are completely revealed. If one can encounter a wise teacher for careful guidance, these manifestations are not necessarily bad things. But when no one tells you, there is truly too much you do not understand. The lack of timely guidance is a great pity. I understand the nature of children in the world; they are originally pure, but certain latent factors slowly develop, forming habits and personality. If all pure children could maintain that state, I believe society would grow quite well.

The smarter the child, the more easily these variant factors remain hidden. Sometimes they are intense and obvious; other times they are difficult to discern. Some may accompany a person for a lifetime, and others may lead one astray. From the perspective of social stability, this is truly a great tragedy.

Saving the Lost Youth

I once heard during a Dharma talk by Practitioner Su that she hoped to have the opportunity to go into prisons to guide incarcerated youth. This is truly an excellent strategy, because these children are no different from what Chang Ren once was. It is a great pity that because of their personality, their intelligence and talent have nowhere to be applied, so they use them to do evil, create karma, and commit crimes. If they were turned toward doing good, they would certainly be a powerful force. Moreover, such children are generally very loyal. If they can be guided, they will be excellent talents. I have seen many who are severely polluted; because of excessive emptiness and boredom, they seek stimulation and a sense of existence. Many, because they are overly intelligent but have nowhere to apply it, do not know what to do while living in this world, and thus they create karma. With insufficient moral foundations and a lack of understanding of right and wrong, education can truly play a very significant role. The loss of these wisdom-lives is truly a pity.

The Mirror of the Campus

If campus education is like this, it is not difficult to see these amplified habits in society. The campus is like a small society; the habits and personality cultivated on campus will determine one’s attitude upon entering society. The worst is the competitive nature, which causes many adverse side effects. On campus, unhealthy competition and the comparison of grades—some teachers even distinguish between high and low—indirectly foster a sense of inequality in the hearts of children. How important is the example set by a teacher? So many children are watching you and learning from you. Do you know that in the hells, there is a crime called 'misleading the youth'? If these future pillars of society are crooked, how can the future of society be stable? Too many children have already gone astray or developed intense personalities during their student years due to the deficiencies in education.

The Power of Compassion and Inclusion

Many countries propose various policies for the seedlings of society and promote the importance of education, but they have not truly seen the effectiveness of that education. These children, deemed by society as educational failures, are directly eliminated by society. It is truly a pity. In fact, in this society that does not look favourably upon them, if one could have more patience to listen to the voices of these children, perhaps one could truly save these helpless souls. If these marginalised people in society could also be guided, that would be a remarkable achievement, because most of these people are very capable. It is just like how I use people in the Demon Realm: I only use your strengths, and I will tolerate all your weaknesses. When the time is right, I will change your deficiencies. It is about leading the other person with heart; naturally, they will be able to submit to you, letting them know that you are sincere, not fake.

In truth, it requires total purity and goodness, without any evil views, because evil views easily mutate. I have come through this path, and I understand these deep psychological feelings very well. If I had not met Practitioner Su, I would not have understood that there is such an equal heart, a heart of 'no-mind,' in this world. I believe that if many people met Practitioner Su, they would certainly be moved by this sincere heart, because there is no one else who can be so 'no-mind' and sincere. Because so many have never seen it, they cannot understand what such a heart looks like. Everyone would rather believe that such a person does not exist. People today mostly protect themselves first, fearing that their hearts will be hurt. In fact, if you can achieve 'no-mind,' not only will you not be hurt, but you can truly contribute more. However, such a person must be one of great compassion, great wisdom, and great capacity; otherwise, it is truly difficult to achieve. It is very easy to fail to overcome one’s own personality, so how can one achieve 'no-mind'?

The Essence of Practice: Tempering the Heart

It is not that such 'no-mind' is so difficult; in fact, everyone can do it. It is because you do not want to do it that you cannot change your so-called personality. Even if a personality is truly difficult to temper and subdue, there is still a soft, good heart within it. Even the worst person has a good side. It depends on how the leader develops their good. When good and kindness prevail over bad and evil, over time, everyone can be guided toward goodness and gentleness. What is practice? It is absolutely not about being full of grand sutras and theories; it is simply about tempering the heart and character. Practice is about correcting one’s own behaviour. If it is not, and you do not change your personality, you have not entered the Buddha’s gate at all. No matter how good your skills or achievements in practice are, without the tempering of your personality, if there is a trace of evil intent mixed in, these are merely increasing your evil knowledge and views. These skills are only demonic power, never Buddha power. Demons and Buddhas are two sides of the same coin; if it is not Buddha, it is demon. If you are a demon, do not be afraid. After you change, turn your orientation, and you are still a Buddha.

Do you see your latent personality? Do you know that these habits are intense personality traits? Being competitive, stubborn, jealous, attached to gain and loss, or being angry, emotional, etc.—which of these is not for the 'self'? It is not worth it, because you cannot achieve success in your practice. You have no 'no-self,' no great power; you are still full of 'self.' Where are the beings? Although I have not done well, my practice skills were good, but because I did not change my personality, I went to the Demon Realm. This is a definite law of karma, because you will not become a Buddha. I know these principles because I can see them very clearly. 'Rely on the Dharma, not on the person.' You can believe these principles, and you do not have to believe in me as a person. Practice must change oneself; otherwise, it is too great a pity.

A Ray of Hope for Rebirth

The reason practice is difficult is that you have not changed your personality; it is definitely hard to endure the inner torment. You want to change but cannot. You indulge your personality as it constantly manifests. What you cannot endure is your own personality and a strong sense of 'self.' If these can be cleared away, you can naturally live a life of ease and freedom, and practice can be relaxed and cool at all times. I am still learning this point. My manifestation is also to let everyone see: I went to the Demon Realm, and now that I have returned, I still have to change. My personality still needs to be tempered. If it were not for the causal conditions of today, working as a volunteer at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, I would certainly still be suffering now, and in pain without end.

Speaking these truths to everyone is also helping to save the world and protect the True Teachings. Without this opportunity for rebirth, I was also a prisoner sentenced to death, just like the youth in the world sentenced to prison. If the world cannot tolerate their mistakes and pushes them into the valley, then throws large stones at them, these youths will always need to wander because they lack this heart of inclusion, and it will be difficult for them to stand up again. If I did not have this opportunity for rebirth, after I finished my sentence, I would still be full of inequality. I might continue to create karma because no one could teach me these things, and I would not understand. I would only use my personality to solve everything. Just because of a ray of hope for rebirth, I can change myself, see my value again, and I can change to become a Buddha instead of giving up and becoming a demon again. I want to tell everyone that what we need most of the time is just an opportunity and a little bit of warmth. Achieving a Buddha is always better than achieving a demon.

The Path to True Achievement

A personality is comfortable because it always follows its own will, regardless of whether it hurts others. If you calm your heart and see this, you will find how ashamed you are. I am still learning, and of course, I hope everyone can make changes. After all, does the meaning of saving the world not mean hoping that not a single one is left behind, and that all can be reborn in the Western Pure Land? Learn compassion, learn mind-capacity, learn inclusion, and learn to suffer a loss. All good deeds should be done without seeking a price or reward. All criticism should be accepted in its entirety. This is the meditative concentration of 'no-mind.' This is practice, and it is also changing one’s personality. Only when you are completely 'no-self,' and completely let go of your own feelings—changing to zero seems very difficult, but it is something that must be done. Practice is entirely in your own heart. If you can stop the war inside and restore peace, you will slowly achieve success. If you cannot even save your own heart, who do you want to save? It is very shameful if you cannot handle your own heart in practice. To be blunt, it is actually very selfish. The words may be hard to hear, but they are the truth. For the sake of everyone’s well-being and achievement, one should honestly face these things. Your personality must be changed.

You can know nothing, be able to do nothing, and you do not even have to be literate; it does not matter. As long as you are willing to change your personality, you are more powerful than anyone else. Many people who think highly of themselves are actually full of hidden personality traits, and their hearts are often at war. Even subtle fluctuations are not in accordance with the Dharma. Such people actually have no achievement; they have only learned a lot of Buddhist studies. Is this how you practice?

Learning Buddhism does not require you to learn too much knowledge; on the contrary, the simpler, the better. Learning Buddhism requires you to learn the Buddha’s equality, selfless sincerity, the Buddha-heart, and Buddha-actions. Gradually, not only will you achieve success, but when you meet your true nature, you will naturally know everything and be able to do everything. Why worry about lacking Prajna wisdom? You must change your personality, because personality is the reason for cycling through the six realms. Practitioner Su’s words are often about asking everyone to change their personality. I can hear that she is a person of great wisdom. In practice, if you do not change, you are just spinning in place. When will you meet the Tathagata? Becoming a Buddha depends on your own effort in your heart. If you cannot overcome yourself, what can you use to save the world? I hope everyone understands these things. Your personality is not worth it. We are all disciples of the Buddha; let us learn together, change together, and move forward without pressure. Even if it is slow, there will be a time when we advance. In fact, having no personality is very comfortable. I hope that one day you will be able to experience this feeling. Practice is truly magnificent. These are true words. Namo Amituofo."