The Essence of Patience
An Interview with Venerable Changren
Recorded on July 26, 2022
This is a record of an interview with Venerable Changren regarding the practice of Patience. It was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on July 26, 2022, at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia.
Venerable Changren speaks:
"Namo Amituofo. The 'Patience' we speak of is a state where the heart remains completely undisturbed, without a single ripple of agitation. If, when you are practising Patience, you are merely forcing your internal emotions or negative deep down into the bottom of your heart, that is not true Patience. In fact, such suppression prevents you from dealing with the situation in a positive, constructive, and clear-headed manner.
The Question of Why We Must Endure
Why must we endure? Perhaps some of you harbour this doubt in your hearts: 'Why should I endure this? It is clearly their fault.' Or perhaps you have heard others say: 'Why should I endure? I must make them realise their mistake.' These are common reactions for those who have not yet looked deeply into the nature of the mind.
If you wish to learn the practice of Patience, you must engage in genuine practice. Why is it necessary to endure? It is because only through Patience can you expand the capacity of your heart. Only through Patience can you nourish your . Only through Patience can you see the truth of a situation clearly, without the distortion of ego. And only through Patience can you increase your Wisdom. However, the prerequisite is that this Patience must be calm and peaceful, devoid of any mental note or emotional fluctuation.
The Test of Unreasonable Treatment
When you are subjected to unreasonable, barbaric, or irrational treatment—imagine someone dumping a bucket of filth over your head for no reason—ask yourself: can you endure it? For those who have not yet stepped onto the path of practice, this is incredibly difficult to bear. When is affected or harmed without cause, and the body sends out an alarm signal that it has been violated, one finds it impossible to endure. One feels compelled to fight until there is a winner and a loser, only then feeling satisfied enough to stop.
Now that you have all chosen to walk the path of practice, 'Patience' is an essential skill. You must maintain a sincere heart, an honest heart, a calm heart, and a pure heart. Do not let your inner state fluctuate because of the words or actions of others. Allow your vast mind-capacity to encompass everything. Endure what others cannot endure, and perform the deeds that others cannot perform; in doing so, you will naturally achieve the Way.
Letting Go of
Let go of the powerful 'self' within your heart. Learn to let go, and you will naturally be able to endure. What we endure are merely the affairs of this world. What we are truly and actively pursuing is the great matter of life and death—to be free from being reincarnated forever.
Namo Amituofo."
More from Master Chang Ren
Letting Go of Past Pain
Venerable Changren shares his journey from a life of deep-seated resentment and demonic existence to his current path of deliverance, offering profound insights on how to release the burdens of the past.
Purifying the Thoughts of the Head
Venerable Chang Ren discusses the habitual nature of human thought, the spiritual consequences of a cluttered mind, and practical methods for achieving mental purity through the practice of Namo Amituofo.
The Labyrinth Within: Understanding the Space of Thoughts
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library