The Burden of Emotion and the Path to Liberation

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Misati, a practitioner from ancient India who sought deliverance through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Having attained liberation, he now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account, recorded on July 10, 2018, by the chief writer, Shi Fa, reflects upon his life and the profound insights he gained regarding the nature of suffering and the path to enlightenment.

Venerable Misati speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Misati. I lived in India over two thousand years ago. My childhood was defined by extreme scarcity and hardship, a life marked by the constant shadow of poverty. My parents were frequently locked in bitter conflict, and to shield my mother from the violence, I often bore the brunt of my father's anger and physical abuse. It was a life of constant fear and emotional turmoil, where the home was not a sanctuary, but a battlefield of human suffering.

The Weight of Filial Piety and the Shadows of Greed

When I was twelve, my mother fell gravely ill, confined to her bed with no hope of recovery. We were so destitute that we could not afford a physician, so I took it upon myself to study medicinal herbs in the hope of saving her. One day, deep in the mountains, I discovered a rare, miraculous herb. I knew such a treasure was not meant to be found by just anyone, and I approached it with deep reverence. I asked, 'May I harvest you to save my mother?' The herb replied, 'Your filial piety has moved me; you may take a portion of me.' I was overjoyed, yet I did not uproot the entire plant, taking only what was necessary so it could continue to grow. Upon returning home, I prepared a decoction for my mother. She regained her strength and vitality almost immediately. I was filled with immense gratitude for the herb's assistance.

However, my father had witnessed this entire scene and overheard our conversation. Greed took hold of him; he learned the location of the herb and set out into the mountains, intent on harvesting it for profit. My father walked with a light heart, his mind consumed by thoughts of wealth and how he might exploit this miracle. When he reached the spot, he searched frantically, but the herb was nowhere to be found. He refused to give up. Suddenly, the herb appeared before him, radiating a brilliant light. He ran toward it, but in his haste, he tripped over a large stone. Even as he lay on the ground, seeing the light of the herb ahead, he scrambled to his feet and rushed forward. When he reached the plant, he tried to pull it up by the roots, but it would not budge. Driven by obsession, he pulled with all his might, lost his footing, and fell into the deep valley below. After several days of his absence, I searched everywhere. It was only after half a month that I heard news of a body found in the valley. I rushed to the site and identified my father by his clothes. I saw a scar on his skull—the very mark he had sustained when he had struck his head while abusing my mother. I buried him and left that mountain forever.

The Illusion of Human Bonds

When I returned home and told my mother that my father had passed away, she showed no reaction at all. I was shocked. I wondered, is this all there is to human emotion? I wandered out of the house, heavy-hearted, and encountered a monk followed by two weeping children. I asked what had happened, and the monk explained that the children had been abandoned by their parents. I shook my head in disbelief. How could parents abandon their own flesh and blood? The monk saw my confusion and said, 'There is no permanent affection in this world. Even kin will betray and kill one another; this is the foolishness of the world. Those with deep emotional attachments must eventually face the agony of separation. Even those who live in discord remain entangled and torment one another because of these very bonds. As long as there is emotion, there is suffering. Yet, most people are unaware of this suffering and remain lost in the cycle of emotional pain.'

I began to see the world clearly. I realised that the human world is constructed entirely upon this fragile foundation of emotion. Without these attachments, the complex web of karmic conditions would not exist. I saw that one could be free from this exhaustion simply by letting go of the attachment to these feelings. I decided to renounce everything and embarked on the path of practice, joining a group of pure monastics in a mountain cave.

The Path of Renunciation and Pure Practice

We had nothing in that cave. During the day, we chanted Namo Amituofo diligently. We went out to beg for food only once a day, pooling whatever we received into a large vessel. We shared the food equally, regardless of whether it was good or spoiled, without discrimination, only with hearts full of gratitude. Even if it were only a bowl of sour soup, we were grateful for the donor's compassion. I practised meditative concentration while chanting Namo Amituofo. My spirit could leave my body, and I saw clearly how the souls of the departed wandered, lost in the cycle of rebirth. My heart ached for them, whether they were in the human realm or the three lower realms, all suffering endlessly. I left the cave to bring the Buddha’s teachings to the villages, helping people break through delusion and understand the suffering of the soul as it follows the laws of karmic retribution.

The Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is not just a goal for practitioners; all beings in the six realms of existence should seek rebirth there to attain liberation. I have brought many sincere followers back to the Western Land, guiding pure souls to the Pure Land so that the Buddha’s teachings may continue to transform hearts and awaken pure spirituality.

A Universal Mission of Compassion

I now follow the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su, performing Chao Du throughout the universe. There are many spirits in the universe who have never been tainted by worldly dust; they possess a pristine purity and practice in a pure space. Practitioner Su brings the Buddha-name into this space, and the compassionate power of the chanting immediately transforms these pure souls. They follow the chanting and are reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is the fastest group of high-level spirits I have ever seen guided to the West. Today, because the Causal Conditions are ripe, this space has been illuminated by Buddha-light.

Practitioner Su’s compassion has brought the six-character name into this space, and its gentle power has naturally moved all spirits. The magnificent, golden-grounded Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is now before them, and all spirits yearn to return. Through Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body, these densely packed layers of space are finally being purified. After waiting for hundreds of millions of years, these beings finally have the chance to be saved. I am grateful to Namo Amituofo, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."