The Buddha-Land

On April 7, 2019, Venerable Yongning shared profound insights regarding the nature of the universe and the deliverance work performed at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. In this interview, the Venerable discusses the boundless compassion of Practitioner Su and the transformative power of the Thrice Yearning Ceremony in guiding sentient beings toward liberation.

Venerable Yongning speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. The universe is a place of infinite, kaleidoscopic change. These changes arise from the interactions between spirits and spirits, as well as between physical forms and physical forms. When one steps out into the vastness of the void, one realises that there is truly nothing that does not exist. There are countless types of living beings and various forms of existence across different planets and dimensional layers. Their lives are vastly different from ours, and their lifespans are far longer than those of beings on Earth. Of course, there are also planets of retribution, where the environments are either bitterly cold or scorching hot.

The Navigator of the Universe

Practitioner Su leads us to see these realms with absolute clarity, and the speed at which we travel is breathtaking. Practitioner Su is like a sun within the universe, navigating at the very front. The light radiating from his body disperses into the void. As he flies into the sky and spreads his robes, in an instant, countless manifestations appear everywhere. Behind him, a group of cosmic Bodhisattvas follows, all arriving at the same place to lift up the sentient beings and bring them to where Practitioner Su resides. Then, with a single wave of his great sleeve, Practitioner Su guides them toward the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, located beyond the black holes of the universe. Boundless numbers of beings are rushing toward the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Western Land of Ultimate Bliss represents the removal of everything that should not be there. Once all the dust of the worldly realm reaches the West, it is completely severed; it will never manifest before you again. This is the compassion of the Buddha, allowing the citizens of the West to practise diligently, or one could even say, to enjoy ultimate bliss. Beautiful scenery constantly glides past in the West; every place it passes is a magnificent sight, and every place is filled with the dazzling golden light of the treasure ponds. Such a magnificent realm can only be reached by those who are pure and good. The distance between the West and the worldly realm is recorded in the sutras as ten trillion Buddha-lands away. Yet, this distance is merely the distance of the heart. If the heart is covered by layer upon layer of dust and impurities, it blocks the path to the West. If one purifies it bit by bit, eventually, the West will be right before one's eyes—a place reachable with a single recitation of 'Namo Amituofo'.

The Long Wait for Deliverance

I, Yongning, can see that the yearning and hope of so many spirits for the West exist within both space and time. These spirits are being saved within the deliverance teams led by Practitioner Su. These beings have waited for this moment for a very long time, but the Buddha has waited even longer. Sentient beings constantly transform into different forms, suffering in the present moment, yet they quickly forget their pain. The people currently in the human world are no different. After learning the truth of Buddhism, you should awaken. If you truly practise and truly act, the discovery of your Dharma Body is within reach. The Dharma Body is a very profound compassion; it can only be realised when there is no 'self'. It sounds simple, but putting it into practice requires long-term, persistent effort.

The Magnificence of the Thrice Yearning Ceremony

The Thrice Yearning Ceremony is a magnificent Dharma assembly. Even before the ceremony officially begins, the venue is already packed to the point where not even a drop of water could pass through. There are spirits who have heard of this place from across the void, spirits from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Taiwan, as well as the karmic creditors of the fourfold assembly of disciples. Just speaking of the spirits attached to the fourfold assembly, they are already beyond count. Especially for those fellow practitioners who have come to Australia for group cultivation for the first time—although they have been listening to the sutras for nearly two weeks, there are still many spirits within them that have yet to be resolved.

The pervasive light of the Buddha causes many of them to soften. Some depart through the act of chanting the Buddha's name, some are willing to manifest to listen to the Dharma, and others are reborn in the Western Pure Land precisely because of the magnificence of the Dharma assembly. If they had not come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, these spirits, having followed them for countless lifetimes, would never have found an exit. Throughout countless eons, the number of such beings is incalculable. The fourfold assembly of disciples should, therefore, hold a heart of gratitude and truly dedicate themselves to serving in this Buddha-land, while sincerely practising to find and deliver the sentient beings they have accumulated, both those with emotions and those without. When the dedication of those in the human world aligns with the Buddha, this is what we call the 'Two-Power Method'. It truly saves one's own wisdom-life and that of the entire universe. It is truly rare and precious. Cherish this Buddha-land, which appears as fleetingly as the udumbara flower. Namo Amituofo."

Message recorded by the disciple of the Buddha, Shi Faxin.