This is a record of an interview with Venerable Yongning, who sought at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land. This account reflects upon the collective experience of sentient beings and the nature of deliverance. Recorded by the disciple Shi Faxin on July 31, 2019.
Venerable Yongning speaks:
". I was once a single drop of water, drifting aimlessly. Now, I am scattered across the vast earth, and I can no longer see my own reflection. I feel my body sliding down from the surface of a leaf, and as I descend, I enter the soil, tasting the very essence of the earth. When an insect is thirsty, it drinks me; when a butterfly lands, its antennae carry my molecules to the pollen, nourishing the flower. The grass feels comfortable simply because we exist. We water droplets may seem like insignificant molecules, but without us, the earth could never be renewed. The air itself is moistened and refreshed by our presence. We are everywhere, yet we are nowhere. We can be incredibly important, or we can be completely overlooked.
The Pain of the Unheard
On nights when the wind and rain collide, we droplets are struck down, beaten against the ground, and we emit a great, resounding cry—a sound born of our shared pain. No one understands us. There are countless billions of molecules, countless billions of lives, constantly cycling through this vast earth. I wish to express this now because, finally, someone understands us. Someone has truly heard our voice. For so long, we have been ignored, and no matter how loudly we called out, there was nowhere to turn. In the human world, we were the vulnerable, the weak, the ones who wept until we could no longer breathe, yet no one paid us any mind. Even the insects in the drainage ditches share our plight; as we flow past them, we whisper our grievances to one another, yet we are powerless to help. We can only offer each other , hoping and believing that one day, we shall meet again in .
The Golden Light of Deliverance
Many sentient beings share this same sentiment, waiting for the day they might finally be saved. The laws of and cause and effect within the six realms of existence are not easily altered. Only the true, sincere heart of those in the human world can offer them genuine assistance. When Practitioner Su waves his sleeve, a golden light radiates in every direction. This boundless scope of Chao Du reaches into the deepest corners of suffering, bringing hope to all sentient beings. It is as if the Buddha himself has reached out a hand to lead us. Whether it be birds, raindrops, insects, or those in the ghost realm, all are bathed in this golden light, revealing smiles that have been absent for eons.
A Boundless Mind-Capacity
Those who listen to the also take this opportunity to follow the path to liberation. Every single recitation of the Buddha-name and every grand visualisation serves to assist these sentient beings. The scope of salvation provided by this Buddha-name is as boundless as the mind-capacity of the Buddha himself. If more people could join in this practice and be in sync with this intent, then even more sentient beings throughout the universe could be saved. This is the collective voice of all sentient beings.
Sentient beings are as I am, and I am as they are. We practise diligently for the sake of all, setting aside the notions of 'you' and 'me.' There are no discriminations; we are one. By achieving this great vessel, we seek to recover our true self-nature. Following Practitioner Su, we move forward into the future, walking the same path as the Buddha, staying in sync with the Buddha-heart, and vowing to fulfil the Buddha-vow.
