The Ancient Soul Within
An Interview with Venerable Yongning
Recorded on December 28, 2019
This is a record of an interview with Venerable Yongning, who now resides in the of Ultimate Bliss. This account explores the profound nature of the ancient soul and the journey of the spirit through the cycles of rebirth. This interview was recorded on December 28, 2019, and transcribed by the disciple Shi Faxin.
Venerable Yongning speaks:
"Namo Amituofo. I am Venerable Yongning. The Buddha-name travels through the void with such incredible speed. Every single day, I witness different acts of unfolding right before my eyes. The most essential element in all of this is a heart of great . With that as the foundation, the scenes of deliverance glide past me, one after another, in an unbroken stream.
I can see that every being in the void possesses an ancient soul. This soul is capable of penetrating the entire universe; it is unburdened, free, and soaring. It can clearly perceive every space and dimension, and it has a perfect understanding of events that are about to unfold. Within this soul lies a tremendously powerful energy—a clarity that is truly profound. That kind of powerful spirituality is currently residing within every single human body."
The Hidden Power Within
"Yet, look at the external appearance of . Sometimes it manifests as exhaustion or a state of being drowsy. Where has that immense energy gone? From my perspective, that energy has never been lost. It has simply been compressed and covered over by the physical body. That energy is constantly trying to awaken from within the body. It manifests as a call during a dream, as the righteous thoughts that arise when one is feeling depressed, or as the courage to stand up again after falling. When viewed through the lens of its ancient face, the soul is fearless and without dread. Because it is unstained, it is impartial.
However, the soul must always face tests. We must observe whether the soul is truly pure and genuinely fearless. After being swept into the vortex of samsara, the soul forms Causal Conditions with various other spirits. A single lifetime of Causal Conditions is manageable, for one lifetime of conditions can be resolved within that same lifetime. But after five, eight, nine, a hundred, or even a thousand lifetimes, the accumulated Causal Conditions become the memories of the soul."
The Accumulation of Samsara
"When encountering different Causal Conditions, the soul naturally reacts—, anger, sorrow, happiness, unhappiness, or even desires and attachments. These intuitive reactions cause the energy of the physical body to decline. Because of the process of making discriminations, judgments, and thoughts, the heart develops spots. Gradually, one begins to see the desires of this world and starts to have every thought and intention. One thought after another transforms this ancient soul into a worldly soul. The halo that was once incomparably bright shrinks and changes its hue.
Seeing a cloud as a cloud, a mountain as a mountain, and the earth as the earth—everyone possesses this ancient soul. Yet, today, they carry a stained soul and use it to manifest ten thousand different changes. The Buddha’s teachings have long told us the truth about this ancient soul; it is called the true self. The radiance of the true self can be attained through purification."
Returning to the Original Nature
"The Buddha serves as the representation of the ancient soul. This representation signifies that which is neither born nor destroyed, that which has no cessation. Furthermore, it represents the ability to traverse the three thousand great thousand worlds, spanning ten thousand types of existence. To have all ten thousand types within one's palm—that is the true self. It is the boundless mind-capacity and the lack of obstacles within the heart.
The original heart is something we have always possessed. In the infinitely layered spaces, it waits for the true self to manifest so that it can wave its sleeves. It is boundless and endless; the true self is inherently present. Right now, Practitioner Su is developing the true self of this ancient soul. Everyone must believe that their own true self will manifest. Cherish every moment of realisation, for these are the provisions for saving sentient beings in the future.
Namo Amituofo."
More from Master Yongning
The Path to a Pure Heart
Venerable Yongning discusses the profound necessity of purifying the heart, explaining how the depth of one's practice is determined by the degree to which one can relinquish the self and worldly attachments.
The Transformation from Demon to Practitioner
Venerable Yongning shares his profound journey from a powerful demon to a dedicated practitioner, reflecting on the transformative power of the Dharma and the moment he was subdued by Practitioner Su.
The Prison of a Stubborn Heart
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Transcending the Cycle of Suffering
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library