The Hidden Spirits of the Forbidden City

Venerable Yongning, a monastic practitioner, sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This interview, recorded on April 5, 2023, by Chief Writer Shi Fajing, details the profound spiritual work conducted by Practitioner Su within the historical confines of Beijing’s Forbidden City.

Venerable Yongning speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Yongning. It is a profound truth that wherever the Buddha-light shines, all spaces illuminated by it allow the spirits within to be saved and to finally depart from those confines.

The deliverance performed by the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su is constant. Every single day, countless sentient beings are saved. Practitioner Su does not perform this just once a day; as he often says, he treats one day as if it were two. This unwavering conviction drives him to seize every single second. Even outside of his scheduled Dharma talks, he continues to perform Chao Du to rescue sentient beings. He knows that if he can save even one more being, that is one more soul who can leave suffering behind."

The Mystery of Captured Time

"Think about this—when a camera shutter clicks, the image captured contains a space of its own. If you store that photograph for ten or twenty years, the space within that image never disappears; it remains trapped inside. If a spirit with clear awareness were to look at it, they would be able to feel the existence of that space. Within these spaces, there are always sentient beings.

Space is truly mysterious. Our human lives are surrounded by these spaces. Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body opens up these hidden mysteries, discovering that many of the spirits suffering within these spaces do not even realise they are trapped. They only understand what has happened to them once they are finally rescued."

The Vast Reach of Deliverance

"Today, I wish to share my observations regarding the spaces Practitioner Su delivers. He performs Chao Du across China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Australia, and many other nations. His Su Fo's countless billions of manifestations enter these countries to save the spirits residing there. Whether it is the physical world—wishing to be as free as the wind, mountains & rivers, the modern architecture, or ancient historical sites—all of them contain these hidden spaces.

When Su Fo's countless billions of manifestations enter China, they cover the vast expanse of its territory. He enters every single province to perform deliverance. Every landscape and every scene within those provinces is filled with sentient beings. When Practitioner Su brings the Buddha-light to shine upon them, all the spaces touched by this light allow the spirits to follow the chanting of Namo Amituofo and depart. They are moved to tears. Before they leave, they often turn back to perform prostrations, expressing their deepest gratitude to Practitioner Su for his compassion in rescuing them from their suffering."

Echoes Within the Forbidden City

"Today, I will share one specific space that Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body has delivered: the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. As the Buddha-light shines upon all the spaces in Beijing, this historically significant architectural marvel, the Forbidden City, has also been bathed in that light and is one of the spaces that has received deliverance.

The spaces within the entire Forbidden City are incredibly complex. Having survived through both the Ming and Qing dynasties, it has witnessed countless events, and every one of those spaces still exists. Looking at it from our current perspective, all the artifacts preserved inside—the ancient treasures, paintings, utensils, clothing, daily items, and books—all contain the spaces of the past within them. Beyond these artifacts, the entire Forbidden City is still re-enacting the lives of the emperors who once reigned there. Whether it is the various palaces, halls, or the Imperial Garden, the living spaces of successive emperors are all layered on top of one another, yet they do not interfere with each other. Under the deliverance of Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body, all of these are illuminated by the Buddha-light, allowing him to enter the specific space of each emperor’s reign."

Darkness and Attachment

"Within these imperial spaces, many spirits have not yet awakened. They are far too attached to the grandeur of that era. When the Buddha-light arrives, many are still drowning in the luxury and wealth of their royal lives, not knowing that they should seek to leave.

Within these royal spaces, there are also many dark, gloomy areas. These dark spaces appear particularly eerie, filled with piercing cries and deep-seated hatred. Many lives are still suffering in these spaces, unable to escape the events of the past in which they were harmed. They remain fixated on the trauma of their final moments. However, the golden light brought by Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body purifies these spaces, ensuring that the darkness is no longer so oppressive. Many other spirits in those same spaces have already followed the Buddha-light and departed."

The Golden Hairpin’s Secret

"Returning to the Forbidden City as it exists today as a museum, one can enter the spaces of the past through something as simple as a golden hairpin once worn by a consort. This hairpin contains a space filled with jealousy and competition. Because of this single item, how many consorts fought and schemed against one another? Today, the hairpin has become an ancient artifact, and the space remains trapped within it. When the Buddha-light shines down, it purifies the space within the hairpin, and spirits are released. It is a sight to behold, seeing many palace maids walking out from that tiny space.

The existence of space cannot be explained by logic alone; the spiritual realms are truly that mysterious. Regardless, every time Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body performs deliverance, countless beings are saved. All those who are rescued are filled with immense gratitude.

Namo Amituofo."