The Burden of a Fallen Abbot

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Chuanwen, the former abbot of Miaotong Temple in Liugui, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia and now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life, his profound repentance, and the lessons learned from his past mistakes. Recorded by Disciple Ruti on August 17, 2017.

Venerable Chuanwen speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Venerable Chuanwen. I have come today to offer my deepest repentance. Yesterday, I witnessed my own teacher, the Venerable Master Guangqin, speaking in an interview. Oh, Master! I must repent to you. We, the 'Chuan' generation of disciples, not only failed to keep your teachings in our hearts, but we also committed such grave errors. We failed the sentient beings who trusted us, falling into the laws of karma and cause and effect, and ultimately, falling into the hells.

It is incredibly difficult for me to speak of these things, but I must. After I passed away, the chaos that erupted within Miaotong Temple caused many of our lay practitioners and even fellow monastics to leave. They sought refuge elsewhere, as a true bodhimanda is so difficult to find. Even now, the situation there is far from ideal. I must take full responsibility for all of this. I wish to introduce everyone to a true bodhimanda, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. It is a genuine place of Pure Land practice, where Namo Amituofo personally leads the way to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

The Grace of Deliverance

"After I died, I descended directly into the hells to suffer the retribution for my actions. It was the compassion of my teacher, Master Guangqin—who resides permanently at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre—that moved him to invite the compassionate Practitioner Su, known as Su Fo, to save me from the agonies of hell. During a Thrice Yearning Ceremony, he guided me to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

When I served as the attendant to Master Guangqin, I followed him everywhere, tending to his daily needs. Every movement, every moment of his life—whether sitting, standing, walking, or sleeping—was a living teaching. He taught me through his conduct, and I absorbed those lessons into my heart. Later, I was entrusted with the heavy responsibility of inheriting Miaotong Temple and carrying on the torch of the Buddha's teachings. Master Guangqin’s initial vision was simple: to lead everyone in diligent prostrations, chanting Namo Amituofo, keeping the six roots pure, and seeking rebirth in the Pure Land. I accepted this responsibility with great trepidation, and at first, I worked hard to purify myself, hoping to elevate my capacity to help the sentient beings who came to us."

The Temptation of Wealth

"In the beginning, when we held Dharma assemblies for Chao Du, I was merely responding to the needs of the people, helping the deceased find their way to the Buddha’s realm. But who could have foreseen that as we held these assemblies more and more frequently, the temple's daily expenses grew, and the income from these ceremonies became a convenient way to cover our costs? I stopped questioning it. When the numbers in our bank accounts began to grow by several zeros, the tests of greed, anger, delusion, and arrogance began to manifest. That was where I failed my examination as a practitioner.

One afternoon, while I was sitting in my chair for a nap, I had a vision. I saw the temple courtyard filled with endless tables of offerings, and countless sentient beings were there, consuming the food from the ceremony. My immediate thought was, 'This Dharma assembly will bring in a significant amount of money for the temple, and several of our major benefactors are supporting us with their longevity offerings.' The moment that thought arose, my soul was captured. My intention was no longer pure."

The Illusion of Divinity

"Looking back now, I realise that the spirits at those assemblies were never truly saved. They either returned to their original states or remained trapped, hovering around the temple. This is why, from the time I became abbot until my passing, there was constant turmoil and unrest among the people. I failed to guide the masses to the Pure Land within their own hearts; I failed the Pure Land Dharma Gate. My soul was captured again in my dreams.

The burden of karma I carried became even heavier when I abandoned Namo Amituofo and began to claim that I was the reincarnation of Vairocana Buddha, living in the world. I encouraged my followers and the monastics to build a 'Vairocana Hall.' I know now that by that time, I was no longer myself; my body had been occupied and controlled by demons. I encouraged followers to participate in longevity ceremonies and become major donors, even allowing the fourfold assembly to engage in high-interest loans to cover their 'merit' contributions. For my most loyal benefactors, I even broke the universal principles by 'predicting' when they could avoid the karmic retribution of their creditors, just to make them trust and follow me more deeply. At that point, my true spirit was already suffering in hell, and the 'me' that remained was a false shell, accumulating karma for which I would have to pay.

One step led to another, and every step was a mistake. The numbers in the bank accounts grew, and the dark undercurrents became more violent. The moment I passed away, everything was laid bare. The struggle for power and profit destroyed the very essence of what it means to be a practitioner. It is both hateful and pitiful. Looking back now, I understand everything. It is hateful because the spirits at those assemblies still have no place of rest, and it is pitiful because of that one impure thought. When my soul was under attack, if not for the fact that I encountered Practitioner Su—who possesses such immense power due to his past accumulation of merit—I might still be suffering in the Avici Hell today. It is absolutely terrifying!"

A Final Warning and Invitation

"To be a monastic is to possess a tremendous blessing, but if one does not truly practise, if one does not understand the true meaning of the Buddha's teachings—which is to save the vast sentient beings of the Dharma realm and guide them to chant Namo Amituofo and seek rebirth in the Pure Land—one will instead sink into the Five Desires and the Six Dusts. I share this from the experience of one who has walked that path: the gates of hell are waiting for more than just one person.

To repay the Buddha's kindness, I am willing to speak with my former lay benefactors or the monastics who were my peers. Please, come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. I am willing to lay bare all the scandals of the past, and I hope to offer suggestions on how to adjust the direction of Miaotong Temple. Our teacher, Master Guangqin, is here too. He earnestly hopes that the 'Chuan' generation of disciples will come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to recognise the true, orthodox Buddha Dharma and understand how the lineage should be carried forward. Namo Amituofo personally resides here. If you do not come, the loss will be too great. My teacher and I are both here, waiting for you."

Namo Amituofo.