The Confession of Venerable Chuanwen and the Amitabha Village

The Weight of Responsibility

The most critical rule for any practitioner is to never speak falsehoods. To deceive followers into believing that one is a manifestation of a Buddha is a grave error, a transgression of the highest order. Because of this, after I passed away, I entered the hells to suffer the retribution for my actions. My name is Venerable Chuanwen. I once served as the abbot of Miaotong Temple in Liugui, Kaohsiung—a place that my teacher, the Venerable Guang Qin, instructed me to oversee. Many local residents in Kaohsiung and Liugui are familiar with this temple. It was a place of constant activity, hosting New Year blessings and various Dharma assemblies, keeping the devotees busy and joyful in their practice.

Serving as an abbot is a position that carries immense weight. Every decision made and every direction taken by the temple has a profound and lasting impact on the lives of all who seek refuge there. I always maintained a cordial relationship with the devotees and volunteers. However, as the temple affairs grew busier, the financial contributions increased, and with that growth, new problems inevitably surfaced. The responsibility of leading a Dharma assembly, particularly one focused on Chao Du, is immense. The lead practitioner has a duty to ensure that the deceased are truly saved and successfully reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This requires genuine skill and profound meditative concentration. Unfortunately, I did not possess these abilities. I failed to live up to the trust and participation of the devotees and my fellow monastics. Once a Dharma assembly has commenced, it is difficult to stop, yet I had strayed far from the truth.

The Path of Repentance

The most important lesson I learned, far too late, is that one must never engage in deception. I allowed followers to believe that I was a Buddha come again, a claim that was entirely false. This was a grave sin. Consequently, after my passing, I found myself in the hells, enduring the consequences of my arrogance and deceit. I am filled with deep shame for having failed the teachings of my late teacher, the Venerable Guang Qin. Yet, through his grace, he invited Practitioner Su from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to descend into the hells and rescue me. I was brought to the Buddha-land to listen to the sutras and openly repent for my past actions. Through the Thrice Yearning Ceremony and the constant chanting of Namo Amituofo, I was finally guided to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This experience is difficult for many to believe, yet it is the absolute truth. I must openly repent to rectify the karmic debts I created.

A Warning to All Practitioners

I wish to offer a sincere warning to all those who lead Dharma assemblies in temples. When you accept the offerings of devotees, you must possess the genuine skill to perform Chao Du. You must be able to guide the deceased to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Even if the good roots, Blessings, and Causal Conditions of the individuals differ, at the very least, you must ensure they are elevated to the human or heavenly realms. This is the minimum requirement to honour the trust placed in you by those who attend your assemblies. If the spirits of the deceased remain trapped, lingering in the space of the temple or at the site of their passing, then the Dharma assembly is merely a hollow ritual. Once the ceremony concludes, the lead practitioner moves on to the next, but they carry the heavy burden of the laws of karma and cause and effect. Not only does the physical body become increasingly heavy, but eventually, the practitioner will be pursued by the beings they failed to save, leading to severe illness and, ultimately, descent into the hells. It is often said that the gates of hell are crowded with monks and practitioners. I was one of them. I hope my personal experience serves as a stern warning to all, especially to fellow monastics and abbots. You must be extremely cautious.

The True Power of Deliverance

Practitioner Su possesses the genuine skill required to perform Chao Du and guide spirits to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is a fact that can be verified by the many souls who have been saved by Practitioner Su and have reached the Western Pure Land. I encourage everyone to visit the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia to witness for themselves what true spiritual deliverance looks like. The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre has the ability to receive messages from the Western Pure Land; this is a reality. Just as I am now transmitting this message from the Western Pure Land, the temple has the capacity to transcribe these messages into text for all to read.

The Vision of the Amitabha Village

Today, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, following the Buddha-vow of Namo Amituofo, has initiated a skillful means to save infinite beings and guide them to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. We hope to unite everyone’s vows to construct the Amitabha Village on the grounds of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Those who come to reside there will have the opportunity to engage in group cultivation and participate in Dharma assemblies. Most importantly, they will be under the guidance of Practitioner Su, who will lead them to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is a rare and precious opportunity that you must seize. I sincerely hope that everyone will join in this great endeavour, receive the benefits of the Dharma, and together achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

Namo Amituofo