The Burden of Attachment and the Path to Deliverance

This is a record of an interview with Yang Zhong, an acupuncturist who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his life and his journey to the Western Pure Land. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on December 27, 2024.

Lay Practitioner Yang Zhong speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. My heart—the truth is, I never truly let go of this world. Every single person I had a connection with, I kept them all locked away in my heart. In truth, I did not even realise myself that I had stored so many things within me. How could I have known? It turns out the human heart is so incredibly complex; I simply never paid attention to my own heart, and yet, it was filled with so much clutter. In the end, it became the very obstacle that hindered my own rebirth in the Western Pure Land."

The Weight of a Cluttered Heart

"In this lifetime, the one thing I am most grateful for is that I was given the chance to know Namo Amituofo. Because I came to know Namo Amituofo, I finally understood the importance of learning the Buddha’s teachings. It was through this that I met Practitioner Su, and only because of that, I have the opportunity today to be brought by Practitioner Su to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss to see the Buddha and return to the world of Namo Amituofo. This place is truly the final destination for every single spirit.

Now, I hear many spirits referring to Practitioner Su as 'Su Fo' [Buddha Su]. At first, I did not even know who they were talking about. When I was first guided up by Practitioner Su, I was in a daze, completely confused and unable to grasp what was happening. Later, as I sat upon Practitioner Su’s Western Land of Dharma Nature, I was slowly purified by the Buddha-light, and only then did I begin to wake up a little. I looked around, and the Bodhisattva before me looked so familiar—I felt as though I had seen this person somewhere before. I thought about it for a long time, and finally, it dawned on me that it was Practitioner Su. I feel so incredibly sorry that I did not recognise Practitioner Su immediately. It was not that Practitioner Su had changed, but rather that I had become so old and muddled that I could not recognise him. After all these years, I have truly degenerated quite a bit. Shortly after I passed away, I still thought I looked the way I did when I was alive. I did not realise that I was now just a spirit, no longer possessing that aged, frail appearance from my living days, which is why I could not even recall Practitioner Su. It seems I have forgotten so many things; my memory is no longer clear at all."

The Radiance of a True Practitioner

"After I finally recognised Practitioner Su, I realised that the 'Su Fo' these spirits were calling out to was indeed Practitioner Su. At that moment, I was filled with such admiration. Practitioner Su still possesses a human body in the world, living a healthy, vibrant life, full of energy—he looks nothing like his actual age. I reflected on it and guessed that Practitioner Su must be around seventy or eighty years old. Later, while listening to the Dharma talks, I heard that he is eighty. Eighty years old! Time truly waits for no one; how quickly the years have flown by!

I looked at Practitioner Su and could not guess his age because, although he is eighty, he does not look like an eighty-year-old man at all. I truly sigh at my own inadequacy; compared to Practitioner Su, the difference is like heaven and earth. Moreover, Practitioner Su is called 'Su Fo' by these spirits. I looked at him again and marvelled at this title. It is absolutely correct—he has truly attained the skills of a Buddha! Sitting on the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I see a massive golden light radiating from Practitioner Su every single day, like the halo of a Buddha. If one were not a true practitioner, it would be impossible to possess such a magnificent halo. It is incredibly vast; if I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would have found it hard to believe. But I saw it, and I had to believe it. It is so real, so tangible. Only then did I realise that one can actually cultivate to this level in the human world—he is truly just like a Buddha. I am filled with such awe; Practitioner Su is truly remarkable!"

"However, I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have been rescued by Practitioner Su even after my death. So many years have passed, yet Practitioner Su still remembers me, Dr. Yang. This is truly my blessing. The fact that Practitioner Su thought of me and sought me out means he wanted to save me. He must have known that I had not reached the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss and wanted to help me, to guide me on my final journey back to the West.

The Illusion of Control

I truly lacked the ability to reach the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss on my own. Before I died, my body had already been occupied by my karmic creditors; my spirit was no longer able to master its own destiny. If I look back now, I realise that for a long time, I was not the one truly using my own body. I was a person who thought too much. Sometimes, when I thought too much, more spirits would interfere with me and control me, yet I was completely unaware of it.

Living in this world for several decades, I considered myself quite knowledgeable about the human body, after all, I was trained in medicine. I knew how to treat illnesses and how to maintain the various organs of the human body. But only now do I see that what I knew were merely worldly methods of treating symptoms. In reality, those beings—the karmic creditors—had never left.

The Limitations of Worldly Medicine

At that time, I did not have a deep understanding of spirits, so the treatments I performed often harmed them without me even knowing. That is simply the nature of medicine as it has been passed down through the ages. I just learned to use those same methods to help patients, never realising that doing so would cause them harm. Practitioner Su understood these things long ago; he would never do anything to harm a spirit. He is truly filled with compassion.

Now, I see that Practitioner Su’s abilities have evolved to the point where he can help people through 'Mind-Body Therapy.' I had never heard of this term before; it was only here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre that I heard it for the first time. To put it plainly, it is about helping people heal their illnesses. But we avoid using the sensitive term 'treating illness' because it conflicts with conventional medicine; 'Mind-Body Therapy' is a much more appropriate description. Indeed, if one truly wishes to improve their condition or eradicate their illness, one must start by changing the root cause, and that means changing one's own heart.

The Power of the Heart

The heart is truly important. I understood this, but I also know very clearly that this heart is often beyond our own control. If one could truly master what one thinks and what one does not think, and keep every mental note focused solely on the Buddha, that would be a truly remarkable level of practice. But as it happens, we just cannot do it. The heart is often filled with this thought and that thought, a chaotic mess that we cannot stop even if we try. I know that many people are like this, which is why illnesses arise—all kinds of illnesses. In reality, it is our own thoughts that awaken our karmic creditors, causing them to become active and move about within our bodies. Naturally, the body then becomes ill.

Practitioner Su uses Mind-Body Therapy to help those fellow practitioners who are in need, and his skills are truly extraordinary. I can see that for those who are helped by Practitioner Su, there are spirits within them who are terrified of him, and others who are deeply respectful. So, when they encounter Practitioner Su, they all become obedient and dare not act out. Of course, there are also disobedient spirits who want to cause trouble. They think they have the power to disturb Practitioner Su, but they never expected that his power is completely beyond their ability to interfere. In the end, they are simply taken away.

A Final Reflection

Living in this world for these past decades, I can say that I have seen all the various states of human life. There are all kinds of people, and regardless of whether they are rich or poor, everyone is suffering. My ability to treat illnesses could not help everyone leave suffering behind; it could only help their bodies feel a little better for a time. Looking back now, I didn't really help much at all. The karmic creditors were just running back and forth inside the body; once one place felt better, another would become ill. It was never a fundamental solution.

I feel a deep sense of regret that so many people still do not know how to practise the Buddha’s teachings. I know many Bodhisattvas who have been studying the Buddha’s teachings for many years and listening to the sutras for a long time, yet in the end, like me, they had no opportunity to reach the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I only reached it because I had the blessings to be rescued by Practitioner Su, but there are still many Bodhisattvas who lack such Causal Conditions. Therefore, I feel a deep sense of lament. If only everyone could know how to use the Buddha’s teachings to help themselves and help other beings, then more people would be able to leave suffering behind and return to the Western Land.

I kneel before the Buddha in shame, for in this life I had no opportunity to propagate the Buddha’s teachings and help more beings. I will cherish my days in the Western Land and engage in diligent practice every single day.

My life has now come to a complete and perfect end. My heart is filled with gratitude—gratitude for everyone who accompanied me throughout my life. Ultimately, I must express my deepest gratitude to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Yang Zhong bows in reverence."