Reflections from the Western Pure Land: A Message from Venerable Wu Fan
An Interview with Venerable Wu Fan by Shi Faxi
Recorded at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, June 1, 2017
A Humble Request for Guidance
Shi Faxi performs ten prostrations to the Buddha, offering sincere respect. With a heart full of reverence, I invite Venerable Wu Fan to share her experiences regarding her journey of practice and her eventual rebirth in the of Ultimate Bliss. It is my deepest hope that by sharing these insights, we may repay the kindness of the Buddha and provide essential guidance to all monastics and practitioners currently in this world. Namo Amituofo.
A Heartfelt Confession
Venerable Wu Fan speaks: To our respected Master, to all fellow monastics, lay practitioners, and protectors, I offer my most sincere gratitude. I am deeply moved by the love and you all showed me during those days. I feel profound shame, for I did not fulfil the role of a true monastic. Today, thanks to the immense compassion of Practitioner Su—our beloved Sister Su—I have been personally guided to the Western Pure Land. If one were to judge by my own level of practice, I had achieved nothing. I could never have reached the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss on my own. Although I have now arrived in the Western Pure Land, I must still face the mistakes I made with complete honesty. The Buddha is so compassionate that He allowed me to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss while still carrying the weight of my past .
The Mercy of Namo Amituofo
In the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, everything is truly as pure and blissful as our Master has described in his Dharma talks. That I have been able to reach this place is entirely due to the grace of our Master. The Master leads us through the door, but the actual practice remains the responsibility of the individual. Because I did not cultivate myself well, I fell into the hells; this was entirely my own fault. To all the monastics of the Wu generation, I pray that when you hear these words, you will believe that I am truly here. People have reacted strongly to the reports of supernatural phenomena, but if it were not for the fact that Practitioner Su is a lay practitioner, perhaps there would not be such a backlash. I, too, was in the wrong. Only now do I understand how truly miserable I was. I did not understand the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, I did not understand the reality of practice, and I did not know how to change my ways or purify my heart.
The Perils of a Misguided Path
My heart did not change. At times, I felt dissatisfied with the Master’s teachings, and in my heart, I even resisted his guidance. Although I did not always show this outwardly, the resistance was there. I did not treat my fellow monastics of the Wu generation with complete sincerity. There was constant infighting and competition among us, and my own heart was far from pure. The fact that the Pure Land school did not flourish as it should have was truly our own doing. I feel deep shame for this. If I do not take this opportunity to repent for these mistakes, I would be unworthy of the magnificent causal conditions that allowed me to be reborn in the West. If you are willing to listen to the truth, know that I am in the West and can transmit my voice to you at any time. Although these lay practitioners are not monastics, their practice is truly superior to ours.
A Warning from the Depths of Suffering
I feel deep shame for having had a heart of discriminations. I should never have been that way. My death was a miserable one; as a monastic, I suffered from such severe illness. I, Wu Fan, brought disgrace to the Buddha’s gate. I am full of shame and repentance. If there is anything I can do to help, I will not hesitate. Whether you are a fellow monastic of the Wu generation or anyone else, if you are willing to seek me out, I will surely manifest my voice. While you are still in this world, do not end up like me, suffering from such grave illness. If it were not for the causal conditions and the compassion of the Buddha, I would still be suffering in the hells right now. There are several hells I still need to face, and they are truly terrifying:
- The hell of digging out the heartThe hell of throat-slittingThe hell of the copper pillar
I was already suffering retribution in the hells before I even passed away. By the time I was around thirty-two years old, I had already been occupied by karmic forces. When a monastic does not follow the Dharma and fails to truly practice, will gradually find them. This is truly terrifying. If this can happen to a monastic, one can only imagine the situation for lay practitioners. The ocean of karma is deep, and the suffering is real.
A Final Plea for
In the three years before my death, my three hun souls and seven po souls were no longer with me; they were all suffering retribution. In reality and in my dreams, driven by my own desires and attachments, I entered other spaces and never returned to my body. That is why I became increasingly devoid of vitality, and I caused everyone so much trouble. I am truly sorry for the burden I placed upon you all. I hope that through this connection, you will believe me just this once. The causal conditions are magnificent; if it were not for the ability to transmit my voice through this medium, I would never have been able to reach any of you. Therefore, I urge you to listen to my counsel: seek out Practitioner Su and the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre immediately. Regardless of what benefits you think you might gain, just believe once. It will help your practice, and it will help you be reborn in the Western Pure Land. I hope my painful experience can help you wake up. I may not have spoken well, but I am always here. I hope the Western Pure Land can be introduced to more people. I wish to save these monastics. We are all the same, and I long for us to return to the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Namo Amituofo.
Wu Fan, with folded palms, recorded this message from the Western Pure Land via transmission at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia.
Interviewed by the chief writer, Shi Faxi, on June 1, 2017.
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library