Seeing the World Within Spaces

This is a record of an interview with Xiao Chengran, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately 1,559 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on September 6, 2018.

Venerable Xiao Chengran speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Xiao Chengran. The wind outside today is particularly fierce. I am walking against the gale, watching the vast expanse of yellow sand swirling violently in the air. These grains of sand have no autonomy; they are helplessly dragged along by the wind, which dictates their every movement. I look closely and notice that this wind has a primary leader—let us call him the 'Wind Tyrant.' This Wind Tyrant was once a ruler in this very region. Anyone who entered his territory had to obey his commands, or they were forced to leave immediately. After his death, he became this wind, and his domain is centred on this specific field. Any sand that enters this area is naturally swept up by his force. When the Wind Tyrant commands them to move east, all the sand must move east; when he commands them west, they must follow. As I walk against the wind, watching this performance of wind and sand, and seeing how the Wind Tyrant plays with the sand in his grasp, I realise that it is not only in the human world that one finds bullies; the spiritual realms are exactly the same."

A Thousand-Year Grudge

"As I watch, a single grain of sand flies into my eye. The pain is so intense that I cannot open it; tears stream down my face. Even though I blink forcefully, the grain remains stubbornly lodged. I am forced to stop my journey to tend to my eye. Suddenly, the grain of sand emits a fierce, aggressive sound. It turns out that this is a grain of sand with a deep karmic connection to me. Out of the countless grains of sand, it is no coincidence that this specific one entered my eye—it is a grain with whom I share a bitter karmic debt. The sand tells me her name is Luo Shen. She is a woman. A thousand years ago, I was also a grain of sand. Luo Shen and I were lovers; our bond was deep, and we were inseparable. Eventually, we both created negative karma and became sand. In the world of sand, a century passes in the blink of an eye.

"One day, humans arrived to excavate our sand pile to build houses. They dug and dug until they had enough. I was among the last batch of sand to be taken away, while Luo Shen remained behind. She called out to me, begging me not to leave, but I was buried deep beneath layers of other grains and could not escape. In that instant, we were cruelly torn apart. Luo Shen’s love for me turned into deep-seated hatred. She remained alone in that sand pile for a thousand years, unable to escape her form. As for me, after being taken away, I became material for a building—a temple, as luck would have it. After the temple was completed, I heard the masters chanting Namo Amituofo, reciting the Sutras, and giving Dharma talks every single day. Day after day, I was nurtured by the Buddha’s teachings. Finally, a century later, on a clear morning, a master and his disciples were chanting while circumambulating the temple. I was awakened by the sound of the Buddha-name. In that moment, I realised I had become a grain of sand, and that my relationship with Luo Shen was a matter from my time in the human realm. I had been so attached to that emotion! I felt as if I had awakened from a great dream. I immediately followed the chanting group, reciting 'Namo Amituofo' along with them, and thus escaped the space of the sand. I was then reborn into the human realm. That was a thousand years ago."

The Power of Forgiveness

"Luo Shen, the grain of sand in my eye, finished telling our story. I am deeply moved that she has remained a grain of sand for all this time, carrying her longing and hatred for me, only to meet me again today. She had struggled to break free from the Wind Tyrant’s control just to fly into my eye. She wanted me to stop and listen to her. This was the opportunity she had waited a millennium for. I had long forgotten the events of a thousand years ago, but now, seeing this grain of sand—my former lover—I began to chant Namo Amituofo for her. I chanted from the depths of my heart, hoping she would let go of everything and follow the Buddha-name to escape the space of the sand. Luo Shen told me she only wanted an apology. I sincerely apologised to her and invited her to chant along with me. Seeing that I was no longer the person I once was, she regretted her foolishness and laughed at her own ignorance. Amidst my chanting, she joined in, and finally, she was liberated from the fate of being sand. The grain of sand in my eye flowed out with my tears, and the wind before me suddenly ceased. It was as if I had just woken from a dream—truly inconceivable.

"At that moment, I understood more profoundly than ever that everything in this world is illusory. If one clings to the love, hatred, and grievances of this world, one will only continue to reincarnate within the six realms, suffering the endless agony of samsara. Seeing all beings suffering like this, I became even more determined in my vow to become a monastic. I vowed that in this life, I would spread the Dharma and save the world. For the rest of my life, I would do everything in my power to help the spirits I encountered to leave their suffering behind."

A Childhood of Unseen Worlds

"At that time, I was a fifteen-year-old boy, growing up in a nomadic family with no fixed home. My parents had passed away when I was ten, leaving me to survive in this world alone. Through the hardships of my environment, I had long since learned to live independently. From the moment I was born, I could see the worlds within spaces. When I first saw these spaces, I was astonished. A horse, which has no complex thoughts, contains countless spaces within it—let alone a human being, or an entire world.

"As I began to see these spaces more clearly, my heart grew heavier. I could see the spirits, but I could not help them. This frustration was unbearable. It was not until I was six years old that I encountered the name 'Namo Amituofo.' At the time, I did not know what it meant; I only saw these six characters carved into a large stone wall, emitting a faint golden light. It naturally radiated a powerful energy. I was incredibly curious about these six characters, but no one in my life could explain what they meant or why they possessed such inconceivable energy."

Finding the Path of Deliverance

"Three years later, the seeds of this Buddha-name finally bore fruit. During a great disaster, I took refuge in a temple. I had never been in contact with a temple before, but this disaster brought me there. The masters arranged for us to stay in temporary shelters on the outskirts of the temple. Every day, I could hear music circling the temple, attracting countless spirits and causing the temple to radiate a brilliant light. I curiously searched for the source of the music and discovered a group of monks chanting the six characters of 'Namo Amituofo'—the very same characters I had seen before. The monks walked and chanted daily, using the power of Namo Amituofo to deliver sentient beings. I had finally found the method to help them! My joy was beyond words. The following year, I set out on my own path to deliver beings, searching for a place to practice, determined to spend my entire life helping others.

"My life was defined by these feet, which never stopped walking. The thick calluses on my soles were the marks of my long journeys. I could see that even within these calluses, there were worlds. Each callus contained the spirits I had encountered on my travels, hidden deep within, waiting for me to deliver them. I was not in a hurry to drive them away, for they were the spirits I was meant to help; I had to ensure they understood the importance of chanting. With every step I took, I chanted 'Namo Amituofo,' helping all the beings connected to me. Whether I passed by them or stepped upon them, they could clearly hear the Buddha-name and chant along to escape their own spaces. Some of the spirits within the calluses would leave after chanting, and new ones would constantly enter. This body of mine was truly fascinating; I watched as spirits drifted in through the tiny gaps, entering my body without anyone noticing, only to be led away by the Buddha-name I chanted."

The Vessel of the Buddha-Heart

"These lonely spirits in the spaces left a deep impression on me. A person can become a useful vessel for Buddhahood, or they can become a useless spirit—it all depends on a single thought. The human body can be developed, tempered, and used to nourish a Buddha-heart, becoming a useful instrument to help sentient beings. The goal of a lifetime is to seek rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. When the body reaches the end of its life, it can be discarded, and the spirit can leave the body to become a Buddha in the West. However, if the body is limited to worldly emotions, desires, fame, and wealth, the end result is merely a lonely spirit drifting in space, like the wandering souls I saw everywhere. They drift without a goal, without direction, and without hope, not knowing when a noble person might appear to help them. Without the Buddha’s teachings, they would wander in their own spaces forever.

"I did not waste my life. I found a bodhimanda of Namo Amituofo deep in the mountains. There, I purified myself every day, developing the treasures within me to become more capable of delivering sentient beings. I saw that after I delivered one group, another would follow. The number of beings needing deliverance is endless. I used my entire life’s effort, never stopping, to deliver spirits. My seventy years of practice were seventy years of Chao Du. After I took my final breath, I was reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

Continuing the Mission

"I have returned to this worldly realm again, but now as a spirit. Every day, I reside within the legs of Practitioner Su. We, the spirits from the West, are currently helping Practitioner Su recover from his leg injury. Fortunately, I also accompany Practitioner Su to the universe every day to perform Chao Du. Practitioner Su sends us to our respective fields of deliverance; every Venerable has a different scope of work, all corresponding to the spaces where we have karmic affinities. I never expected that many of the people I once knew would, after their deaths, become spirits within planets. What are now called 'aliens' are, in reality, spirits manifesting in different forms. They all had karmic connections with me because they once lived on Earth. I lead these groups of spirits from the planets, guiding them to chant, so that they may follow the Buddha-light and the sound of the Buddha-name to leave the space of their planets and seek rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."