The Blind Spot of Practice: A Message from Beyond

This is a record of an interview with Liu Yixiong, the former head of Shanguolin, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his transition after passing away and his insights into the practice of chanting. This interview was recorded by Practitioner Su on December 4, 2024.

Practitioner Su speaks:

"Liu Yixiong, as the head of Shanguolin, I am interviewing you and your wife today for the sake of saving the people of Taiwan. You have entrusted the leadership of Shanguolin to Zhou Shuxian, who is a monastic. Would you like to speak to him directly?"

Liu Yixiong speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Liu Yixiong. I am profoundly grateful to Practitioner Su for saving me. Because I came to know you, my wife and I were granted the opportunity to enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss after our lives ended. This is truly an extraordinary occurrence. After initially arriving in the first layer of the heavenly realms, I was guided by the Buddha-light to a place of brilliant radiance. I later realised that I had been brought to the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Here, if one makes the vow to reach the West, the opportunity is granted. There are also instances where family members perform Chao Du for the deceased, and Practitioner Su is able to deliver those spirits to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. It sounds like a fairy tale, but it is the absolute truth. I have seen it with my own eyes, and I have witnessed Namo Amituofo receiving beings during the Thrice Yearning Ceremony."

A Plea to My Successor

"Shuxian, please do not mind how I address you. One must let go of names and titles to attain purity; otherwise, one will lose the great benefit of rebirth in the Western Pure Land. What I have experienced is difficult to believe, as my wife and I had already passed away, and our spirits were saved and brought here. If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would have found it hard to believe as well. It is no wonder that the Venerable Master Chin Kung acted as he did, which led many to distance themselves from Practitioner Su. Now that we have seen the truth, we must speak it. Is there any fault in speaking the truth? We have truly witnessed Namo Amituofo at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, with the Buddha-light shining everywhere to receive and deliver sentient beings. We have seen that we can also achieve our wish to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. These are such rare and precious events—if I have the opportunity to be interviewed and share this, yet choose to remain silent, that would not be the Liu Yixiong you knew."

The Blind Spot of Practice

"I am sharing these words in the hope that those with karmic affinity will hear or see them and come to visit for themselves; then, they will know that what I say is true. If the Pure Land school is to truly save people, to enable them to enter the Western Pure Land and escape the cycle of rebirth, we must follow the words of the Venerable Master Chin Kung from one of his earlier books: 'If the Buddha Dharma is to flourish, the monastics must praise one another.' We should put aside our own views and accept kind words. Only then will the great matter of rebirth in the West be possible. The ability possessed by the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre after purification—including the ability to interview me now—is certainly not about performing supernatural feats. It is a natural ability that arises after the purification of one's practice. It is not a power gained through spiritual attachment by demons or spirits. These are two completely different things, and one must never confuse them. I am now stating the reality of what I have seen. If, after knowing this, people still choose to slander this place, they are truly creating heavy negative karma!"

A Sanctuary of Deliverance

"This is the bodhimanda of Namo Amituofo. Under the blessings of the Buddha, every single event that occurs here is for the purpose of saving sentient beings, helping them, and even achieving what every practitioner longs for—the ability to enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I was a practitioner myself, yet after passing away, I only reached the first layer of the heavenly realms and did not enter the Western Pure Land. This indicates that there must have been blind spots in my practice that I had not discovered or addressed. This is why I ended up where I did. These blind spots must be broken through. Otherwise, no matter how many Buddha-names you chant, how diligent you are, how well the chanting for the deceased is performed, or how grand the Dharma assembly is, you may reach the good realms or the heavenly realms, but to enter the West, there are definitely still blind spots. If we can identify these blind spots, the Shanguolin Pure Land Temple will surely be able to help many more practitioners or those with karmic affinity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

Gratitude and Final Words

"I am deeply grateful to the monastics, lay practitioners, and volunteers of Shanguolin for everything they did after I passed away; it was because of their efforts that I was able to reach the heavenly realms. Here, I offer my deepest gratitude to everyone! In this regard, through everyone's sincere vows and efforts, Shanguolin has done a wonderful job. Shuxian, I hope you can understand every word I have said. Everything is for the sake of sentient beings reaching the West. Do not let past hearsay cause you or others to lose the opportunity for rebirth in the West. I hope you will come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia to verify this for yourself. The Shanguolin Pure Land Temple is doing very well under the joint efforts of the monastics, practitioners, and volunteers, which brings my wife and me great comfort. Please continue to serve the public at Shanguolin Pure Land Temple; every bit of effort you make will not be in vain! Please believe the words I am saying at this moment! If you can come here, it will surely be of great help to your own great matter of rebirth in the West! Namo Amituofo."

Liu Yixiong, speaking from the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, Australia. December 4, 2024.