The Hidden Trial of a Renowned Master

This is a record of an interview with the late Venerable Master Miaolian, the founding abbot of Lingyan Mountain Temple in Taiwan. He sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia and now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life, his spiritual practice, and the hidden karmic trials he faced after his passing. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Hailiang, on June 2, 2017.

Venerable Master Miaolian speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I was born in Anhui, ordained at the age of nine, and received the complete precepts at twenty. After receiving the precepts, I studied at the Lingyan Mountain Temple in Suzhou, where I made the Pure Land Dharma Gate my ultimate destination. After settling in Taiwan, I was supported by many lay practitioners, true spiritual friends, and devotees, which allowed me to establish the Lingyan Mountain Temple to lead beings toward leaving suffering behind and gaining happiness.

For decades, I dedicated myself to promoting the practice of chanting the Buddha's name. We held monthly Buddha-sevens and numerous other activities. Every Lunar New Year, we held the Emperor Liang Repentance Ceremony. We also conducted Guanyin-sevens, Great Compassion Dharma Assemblies, and Water-Land Dharma Assemblies. We even hosted short-term monastic retreats. The temple was always bustling with activity. Beyond my daily chanting, I diligently practised the Pratyutpanna Samadhi ten times. This practice requires one to neither sit, lie down, nor sleep for ninety days, while eating only once a day at noon. It is an incredibly rigorous test of one's resolve."

A Life Dedicated to the Dharma

"Within the temple, I cultivated different talents among my disciples based on their individual capacities. Some were trained to give Dharma talks, while others managed ritual instruments, administrative affairs, or documentation. Everything was based on the forty-eight vows of Namo Amituofo. For young monks, the Infinite Life Sutra and the Amitabha Sutra were the foundational texts they had to master to begin giving teachings.

Given my lifelong dedication to practice and the propagation of the Buddha's teachings, I believed I had a firm grasp on achieving a peaceful rebirth. The world knows that I passed away at the age of eighty-six, but they could never imagine that I was actually suffering retribution and standing trial in the hells. I spent my life teaching the Pure Land Dharma Gate—the practice of holding the Buddha's name—so that one could be reborn in the Western Pure Land at the end of life. The Amitabha Sutra states that if one hears the name of Namo Amituofo and holds it for one to seven days with a focused heart, at the time of death, Namo Amituofo and the holy assembly will appear before them. They will not be confused, and they will be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

The Moment the Buddha-Name Vanished

"I always kept the Buddha's name in my heart, and I could always hear it in my ears. Yet, in a single, terrifying instant, the sound of the Buddha's name vanished. I did not even realise it had happened; my mind simply went blank. In that moment, my spirit was seized and dragged away to suffer the retribution of the hells. I endured the brain-gouging hell and the tongue-ripping hell. It was truly a nightmare beyond description.

I am deeply grateful that during a Dharma study session, the fourfold assembly of disciples mentioned my name. Through that karmic connection, the compassionate Practitioner Su rescued me from the hells and brought me to the Hsiang Kuang Buddha-land, to the Western Land of Dharma Nature, to listen to the teachings. During a Thrice Yearning Ceremony, Practitioner Su guided me into the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. To repay the Buddha's kindness, I have chosen to make the details of my past practice and my journey public."

The Hidden Reality of Karmic Retribution

"Those who establish a bodhimanda must have the ability to harmonise the habits of their disciples and guide them effectively. I urge my disciples to practise diligently, to change their habits, and to transform their personalities. You must have faith, vows, and practice. You must cultivate the heart to save all beings and vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. Otherwise, your karmic creditors will come to collect their debts, and you will lose the ability to be the master of your own destiny.

I, too, fell into this trap because of my attachment to the Pratyutpanna Samadhi. When my physical strength waned, I entered a space where my spirit was vulnerable and was seized. I advise all practitioners: do not be attached to any specific practice. Please be assured that I am now in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am grateful to the compassionate Practitioner Su for guiding me there. I welcome all my disciples and devotees to come to this Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to converse with me. Namo Amituofo."

Disciple Hailiang: "Namo Amituofo. I am grateful for your testimony, Venerable Master. May I ask, at what age were your three hun souls and seven po souls seized, and which lifetime did these karmic creditors come from? Namo Amituofo."

A Debt from Eight Lifetimes Ago

Venerable Master Miaolian: "I am ashamed. It is not that I wished to hide it, but I simply did not want to bring up the past. Eight lifetimes ago, I was a local official. There was a severe drought, and the crops and grain could not survive. Yet, the civilians were still required to pay their grain taxes to the local government. A large family named Liang was severely affected, but if I did not collect the taxes, I would have nothing to give to the noble person in the capital who had promoted me. I did this every year, and my career advanced smoothly. Eventually, I was persuaded to collude with others to harm thirty members of the Liang family. That is the origin of the karmic creditors in the brain-gouging hell.

Although I could sometimes see glimpses of that eighth lifetime while chanting, they would not be resolved because there was no way to invite them to be delivered to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, as is done here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Why did I not want to mention my soul being seized? Most people who study Buddhism believe that one must commit grave sins to end up in hell. They do not realise that the karmic creditors from past lives will come to collect their debts in this very life. Otherwise, how could someone who appears to be a great philanthropist in this life end up in hell after death? Sin is not just about external actions; it is primarily about the heart. Everything is mind-only. Good and evil are screened, discriminated, and judged by the heart. The creations of the heart are the most subtle."

A Final Warning on Attachment

"After I established the Lingyan Mountain Temple, devotees and lay practitioners came from everywhere to participate in ceremonies or join the ten-thousand-person pilgrimage. Managing the offerings was crucial. I was extremely careful to ensure that every cent donated by the faithful was used for its intended purpose, never daring to have a single improper thought. However, this very concern for the funds became a test in my dreams at night. Even the slightest fluctuation in my heart allowed the karmic creditors to appear. When I was seventy-five, I began to experience pain in my head, which I ignored. That was already the karmic creditors from my eighth lifetime coming to collect—one soul and two po souls were already missing. From then on, my physical strength gradually declined, and the dreams became tests as my soul began to drift away."

Disciple Hailiang: "Namo Amituofo. I am grateful for your compassionate sharing, Venerable Master Miaolian."

Namo Amituofo.