Reflections from the Western Dharma-Nature Land

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Venerable Master Chin Kung, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his spiritual journey and the lessons learned after his passing. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on August 29, 2022.

Venerable Master Chin Kung speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Today, I, Chin Kung, will continue the topic we left unfinished last time. We previously touched upon the aspect of 'greed' within the Five Poisons—Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt—specifically focusing on the 'five roots' of hell: wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep. These are concepts everyone is familiar with, and I have often reviewed them with you. The key is that after learning these teachings, one must practise them in one's own life. Today, I am conducting an internal reflection. In the past, there were no examples of this kind of practice, nor was there any tracking to see if these teachings were truly being implemented, because how one performs in these areas depends entirely on one's own heart. That is the nature of the Buddha's teachings: the master brings you through the door, but the practice is up to the individual.

The Weight of Unspoken Regrets

Now that I have no physical body and have experienced the hells after my passing, Namo Amituofo has instructed me to speak on this internal reflection. I do so using a framework that everyone can understand, hoping that it serves as a warning to all of you. During my life, I did not pay enough attention to the details or the practical application of these teachings in daily life, which led me to commit errors. Reflecting on this after receiving the karmic consequences is a bit late, but I hope it can still provide some benefit, however small. I only ask that you believe these words come from me.

Time is precious, so let us set aside any digressions and go straight to the heart of the matter.

The Subtle Trap of Greed

Regarding 'greed,' let us look at 'greed for lust.' 'Lust' can be interpreted as desire for material objects or the desires between men and women. Beyond the material things we see, the physical body itself is also a part of this. Many people think 'lust' only refers to the physical body, but that scope is far too narrow. In the Buddha's teachings, a single word often encompasses a vast range of meanings.

If you are attached to a certain aspect, you easily become fixated on appearances. Once you are fixated on appearances, it becomes very difficult to realise your true nature. Therefore, one must let go of attachments to material things, the physical body, and sexual desire. I had few requirements for material possessions; this is the most basic self-requirement for monastics. We rely entirely on the offerings of the faithful—how could we be greedy? Materially, this includes everything used in daily life and on the body. I did have a preference for high-quality video recordings so that everyone could see clearly and not be hindered in their learning. I did make requirements in that area, and everyone performed very well, so I had no need to worry. As for clothing and travel, I did not need to expend any effort; as long as there was something to use, it was enough.

The Importance of Awareness

Regarding this body, I believed that remaining free from aging and illness was a form of self-reflection and self-requirement for a practitioner. In the past, I had confidence in this, believing I had not deviated from the righteous path of the Buddha. However, in my later years, when I began to fear the cold, walk more slowly, and speak more slowly, I should have been alerted. For a practitioner, awareness is extremely important. Once you have awareness, you must immediately reflect, immediately change your ways, and avoid continuing to commit errors. This is vital.

I once wondered where I had gone wrong, but this question involves whether one can truly be the master of oneself. Can you control yourself? The reason I bring this up is that I have learned a very painful lesson. This aspect is the most critical part of why I fell into the hells, and it is something we must discuss thoroughly.

The Reality of Spiritual Attachment

In truth, when I needed to wear extra layers of clothing because I feared the cold, when my speech slowed down, and when I lacked strength and energy, my body was already experiencing 'situations.' But I felt it was fine; I had no major illnesses. I thought these were just the typical signs of an elderly person with poor circulation—adding a layer of clothing or speaking slowly was harmless. So, I let it pass.

But now, I must admit that at that time, many beings had already entered my body. This is what is called 'spiritual attachment.' For example, when my legs felt heavy and I could not walk well, sometimes pausing, it was because many beings had entered my legs. Why did they enter? You must understand that these beings—what you call ghosts—fill the space around us. We cannot see them with our physical eyes. When your thoughts resonate with them, it is as if they have been electrocuted; they may then enter your body. This includes beings around you, your karmic creditors, or even beings you encounter when you go to a new place. If you have light on your body, or if your words, actions, and expressions resonate with them, they enter your body. This involves a very important issue: whether your own thoughts contain evil intent. If your thoughts are good, then it is easier, because the beings attracted by good thoughts are relatively kind, or at least lack malice, and they are less likely to harm your body or enter it. But if your thoughts are evil, you must be careful! Demons are also everywhere, filling the vastness of the Dharma Realm, watching at every moment to see who will be their next target. This refers to external demons; of course, there are also internal demons within one's own heart. In fact, external demons are also a part of these beings.

Subduing Demonic Enemies

Regarding the demon crowds, I have learned quite a bit from Practitioner Su. Practitioner Su has a very thorough experience and perspective on 'subduing demonic enemies and obtaining the subtle Dharma.' This part is worth learning for everyone. Why learn it? Only after learning it will you know how to prevent, how to avoid, and how not to create negative karma. Most importantly, do not be controlled, otherwise, falling into the hells is unavoidable. You must be clear about whether you have evil thoughts; many evil thoughts arise involuntarily. Practitioners or monastics with self-control can prevent these thoughts from developing further, and certainly prevent evil actions from occurring. Those without self-control will find things spiralling out of control. How then can one avoid the bitter retribution of the hells?

The mere arising of a thought is the creation of karma; this is the requirement of Mahayana Buddhism for monastics. To have an evil thought is to create karma. You may feel this is very strict because thoughts are so common. If having a thought means creating karma, am I not constantly creating karma? This is the brilliance of the Buddha's teachings, and in fact, this is not exclusive to Buddhism; it is a universal principle. Once a thought arises, the heart moves, and there is a fluctuation. Everyone knows this—perhaps you are the only one who does not. This fluctuation creates karma because it may attract related beings or karmic creditors to manifest, and the karma will continue to develop. This is why one must cut off afflictions; it is not without reason. Once afflictions are cut off, and you do not think or dwell on thoughts, you will not create negative karma. This is the most fundamental and ultimate method.

The Danger of Internal and External Demons

Returning to the point, sometimes you think wrongly or evilly without even knowing it. By the time you realise it, if you do not stop, then it is disastrous. At that moment, you become the exact target the demons are looking for; that is to say, they have sufficient reason to enter your body because your thoughts resonate with them. Once demons enter your body, your internal 'heart-demons' have already taken effect. At this point, internal and external demons work in harmony, and your demon nature and demonic power are strengthened. You must rely on your awareness and self-control to overcome them.

At this time, the most important thing that can resist them is your compassion—the heart of saving beings, the heart of being selfless and without thought. At this point, they can do nothing to you. This is the secret method of Practitioner Su—Buddha Su—for subduing demonic enemies. When you are 'without heart,' they cannot grasp your heart; they do not know your thoughts because your thoughts are all for the sake of beings. They have no reason to hinder you because you are not acting for yourself. The people demons want to grasp and interfere with are those who act for themselves—those who think of their own benefits first, who worry about whether they have time, whether their finances are sufficient, whether they can go out now, or whether something will harm them. Such people are the ones demons love the most.

If you think of all beings, if you are without heart, without selfishness, and without thought—especially if you are an awakened being—then the demons truly have no way to act. No matter how many demons enter your body, they can only be transformed; they cannot take effect. This is what monastics must learn; otherwise, you will be left to their mercy because they know your weaknesses and will apply heavy medicine to those weak points, allowing them to exert even more influence. The most terrifying thing is that sometimes it is the power within your own heart that is growing—the power of evil, the power of bad intentions. When this manifests in your actions, the force is immense.

The Great Mistake

In the beginning, it is slight. If it is not stopped in time, and if there is no true spiritual friend to break it, it may grow larger and larger, and you may make more and more mistakes until it is too late to save you. The most fearful thing is to commit a major transgression and still not know to stop; that is truly tragic. In my sixty years of giving Dharma talks, I asked myself if I had a clear conscience, and I was cautious with the sutras I taught. But in dealing with Practitioner Su—Buddha Su—I was wrong, terribly wrong! As Practitioner Su said, by doing what I did, I excluded Practitioner Su—Buddha Su—from the Pure Land system. I was excluding Namo Amituofo, not Practitioner Su, because Practitioner Su—Buddha Su—is a volunteer for Namo Amituofo, acting according to the Buddha's instructions. Blocking Practitioner Su—Buddha Su—was equivalent to blocking Namo Amituofo from entering the Pure Land system.

When I first heard this, I thought it was too absurd; it was a grand boast! In truth, at that time, I was no longer the master of myself; the demons were in control. A true monastic is humble and modest; how could I have such arrogant behaviour and words? Even if I did not say it out loud, I had held that thought in my heart.

However, by the time I heard this, I was already in my later years, and the demons were in control. Do not be afraid—how could an old master be controlled by demons? Is the old master still the old master? The things the demons did through me were 99.9% still on the path of the Buddha. It was that 0.1%—the most important part—that harmed everyone and prevented them from being reborn in the Western Pure Land: blocking Practitioner Su—Buddha Su—from the Pure Land system. I have mentioned this before, and I am clarifying it here.

The Truth of Spiritual Attachment

This is also something I saw more clearly after I no longer had a body. While I was alive, Practitioner Su tried to save my primary soul time and again. Because after the demons entered my body and controlled it, they locked my primary soul within my heart. This is inconceivable, isn't it? I knew what they were doing at the time, but I could not stop them. This is what I mentioned earlier: I had lost the ability to be the master of myself. If I had not seen this clearly now, I would not have believed that this was the truth. And it is not just me; many people are in this situation. This includes monastics, Dharma protectors, followers, volunteers, and of course, ordinary people. As long as you have had evil thoughts—thoughts of harming others for your own selfish gain—you may be a target for demons. This includes the prevalence of the internet today, where everyone is addicted, as well as video games; demons are at work in all of these!

Of course, after I did that, more demons entered my body, leading to my body becoming increasingly heavy. Furthermore, the ghost realm beings who sought my Chao Du to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss could also enter my body when my thoughts were biased. At that time, my body became heavier and heavier, and more and more 'yin.' That is why I feared the cold, could not walk, and had no strength in my speech. Whether it was demons or ghost realm beings, they could occupy my body's cells and absorb my energy, preventing my body from functioning normally, making me weaker and weaker, and even causing illness. Add to that the fact that your karmic creditors had even more reason to interfere. Under such circumstances, how could aging and illness be avoided? This is the reason why I eventually lost my strength, my speech slowed, and I could not walk! Once they occupy your body and become the master, it is extremely difficult to ask them to leave.

A House Overcrowded

During this time, I knew that Practitioner Su was helping to invite away many demons and karmic creditors from my body at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Many beings even came out of my body on their own, knowing that Practitioner Su could perform Chao Du to help them be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. There were quite a few such beings. But as long as my ban on Practitioner Su was not lifted, my body remained an opportunity for them to continue entering. At that time, my body was like a house; if it were filled with a large number of demons, attached spirits, and karmic creditors, it would be too crowded. When there is not even a place to stand, it is no longer a normal house; it will collapse. This is my own doing.

Everyone might ask, 'The old master has been giving Dharma talks for so long; did the Dharma protectors and Buddhas and Bodhisattvas not look after him?' Do not slander them; this was my own problem. If your thoughts are biased and your actions are biased, and you do not return to the right path, the Dharma protectors will leave one by one. How could the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas support your evil thoughts, or even actions that deviate from the righteous path? That makes no sense; it is not in accordance with the Dharma. But when I was giving Dharma talks, since my primary soul was locked away, where did those teachings come from? They still came from my brain; the demons can grasp your memories and speak eloquently. And the method they used, as I mentioned, was to exclude Practitioner Su from the Pure Land system. This was my great failure, and it is the reason I fell into the hells. Speaking it out makes me feel much more relieved. Is this not 'openly repenting'? The harm this caused to everyone was too great.

The Path Forward

Of course, what other thoughts of mine gave the demons an opportunity to enter? This brings us to the sensations of the body, which is to say, the true heart and self-protection. Whether it was regarding the Pure Land system, the monastics within it, or even seeing the ability of Practitioner Su—Buddha Su—and still insisting on blocking it, how much of this was the demons in control and how much was my own primary soul in control? It is impossible to distinguish; it was likely both.

For the Buddha's teachings to be passed on, the younger generation must surpass the older. Especially in today's changing society, where people are intelligent, react quickly, and make good use of technology, practitioners must make good use of Wisdom, compassion, mind-capacity, and tolerance to be able to influence others. My selfish heart was to protect the monastics within the Pure Land system. After all, Practitioner Su—Buddha Su—is a layperson. If his ability is higher than that of the monastics, how are the monastics to conduct themselves? That one thought of selfish protection ruined everything! And this ruin was to block Namo Amituofo from the Pure Land system. It was a grave mistake. No one expected that Namo Amituofo would truly manifest in the world and appear at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, but that is the fact.

This part was the error and transgression committed by the body, which created the cause for hell and led to the evil consequences of hell. All sensations and stirrings are illusory; you must raise your awareness at all times. Do not be deceived. Suffering in the hells is very, very bitter!

Alright, let us stop here for today.

Namo Amituofo.

Shi Chin Kung, with palms joined.

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

August 29, 2022, 6:06 AM."