Venerable Chang Ren, a dedicated practitioner at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre, shares profound insights into the spiritual nature of illness. This interview, recorded by Shi Fajing on November 1, 2022, explores the karmic origins of cancer and the vital importance of heart cultivation in the journey toward liberation.
Venerable Chang Ren speaks:
". In this world, every single day, countless people lose their lives to cancer. It has become the most lethal killer of humanity. Even when it does not immediately claim a life, it wreaks havoc on a person's existence, turning their world upside down.
What kind of person develops cancer? Who does it target? It seems that no one can say for certain. A person known for their kindness is diagnosed, leaving all their friends and family in shock. Another person, who eats healthily and exercises daily, is also struck by the disease. It makes one wonder: why does cancer strike both the healthy and the unhealthy alike?"
The Illusion of Medical Solutions
"Regardless of the type of cancer, it brings immense suffering to humanity. Most people, in their desperate hope to survive and return to a normal life, will choose to undergo medical treatment. They cling to the hope that medicine will provide them with a chance to live.
However, now that Practitioner Su has opened the dimensions of the human body, we can see clearly: within the cancer cells themselves, there are only sentient beings. These beings are, for the most part, one's own . They have come to seek retribution from the person who owes them a debt."
The Heart as the Catalyst
"In truth, cancer cells exist within everyone's body. The question is whether or not you have awakened them, allowing them to proliferate, spread, and eventually endanger your health and your life. The method for these beings within the cancer cells is none other than this 'heart' of ours. People do not know how to observe their own hearts. They allow their minds to dwell on evil and negative thoughts. They let their bodies indulge in their own temperaments, and they let their lives follow their habitual tendencies. As long as one lives entirely for this 'self,' the probability of awakening these cancer cells is inevitably very high."
The Cycle of Retribution
"Consider a tumour growing on a uterus. It is not just the beings from one lifetime residing within it; karmic creditors from throughout your many lives are all waiting for an opportunity to come and seek their due. As long as the person's lifespan has not yet ended, these creditors can seek their retribution within that remaining time. They make the debtor suffer and endure agony, achieving their goal of revenge. The reason this particular uterus awakened all these beings is that the person's temperament is the same as it was in past lives. They have summoned all the sins they committed in the past, one by one. The beings stand in a row, pointing at the person with hatred. The deeper the hatred, the more vicious the retribution, causing the tumour to grow rapidly and the debtor to suffer inevitably."
The Futility of Cutting Away the Symptoms
"As long as a tumour can be surgically removed, most people will choose to have it cut out. But what is being removed is merely the flesh of the karmic creditors. Those creditors who are seeking retribution are not removed at all. They stand to the side, watching as the debtor's flesh is sliced away. That tumour has nothing to do with them; they can easily depart from the space of the tumour. After the surgery, if the person's temperament remains unchanged, they will once again provoke these creditors and awaken their memories. Very soon, they will be able to generate the next tumour. No matter how much you cut, it will never end, because the fundamental karmic cause has not been eliminated. You are constantly awakening your karmic creditors to seek their revenge."
A Call to Awakening
"Now that Practitioner Su has opened these dimensions for us, people should become even more clear-headed. You cannot afford to indulge your temperament. Your heart must always think of goodness; never think of evil, and never be selfish. Otherwise, with the sins of many lifetimes upon you, how can you protect yourself from being targeted by your karmic creditors? When that time comes, the suffering will be beyond description, and your regrets will come too late.
