The Illumination of Buddha's Light

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Steve Jobs, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his observations during a Thrice Yearning Ceremony, recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on September 10, 2017.

Steve Jobs speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Steve Jobs. Today, the Thrice Yearning Ceremony is being held here, and the space—which is already densely packed with countless spirits—has become even more crowded. There is not a single gap left. Some spirits are even stacked on top of one another, layer upon layer. I have never witnessed such a scene before, and my heart aches to see it. Before arriving here, I had no idea that the sentient beings of this world suffer so intensely after death! It is truly unbearable! No one is there to perform Chao Du for them, or perhaps there is no one with the immense power of Practitioner Su to deliver them. Because of this, they are forced to struggle, fighting with all their might just to squeeze into this space, desperate to reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Unseen Suffering of the Departed

Even though it is incredibly crowded, there is still a sense of order. Can you imagine it? In a land that seems to have no end, there are countless, densely packed, overlapping spirits, all constantly moving forward, waiting to be delivered and to enter the Western Pure Land! It is a sea of souls that stretches beyond the horizon. I can only perceive this because Practitioner Su saved me from the agony of the hells, allowing me to break free. Only then could I truly understand the suffering of these beings. Otherwise, in my past life, I was so consumed by my work, so fixated on achieving my goals, that I never had the time to feel or reflect on my own inner state.

Even when I was in the hells, I knew the pain was intense! I knew the suffering was profound! But there was never a moment to stop and think about what to do. I was simply subjected to endless torture and interrogation. But now, looking at this scene, I understand exactly what is happening. Indeed, without a physical body, one truly sees things more clearly. As Practitioner Su mentioned yesterday, without a body, there is no longer a vessel for spiritual attachment to take hold.

The Cruelty of Human Greed

Just a moment ago, I saw a massive black bear, taller than any human. It is said that such bears are only found deep within the forests. Beside it was a small grey cub, much like a mother bear with her baby. But to my horror, I saw that both of their paws were missing! They were walking upright, and as they moved, they would occasionally drop down to all fours. It was clear they were in immense pain. As they walked, their stumps were bleeding, and their bodies were covered in blood. They looked as though they had struggled for a long time. They moved very slowly, and the cub beside the mother seemed unable to go on. The mother bear lowered her body, pressing herself against the ground, and looked at her cub, as if trying to tell it something. Then, the cub slowly crawled onto the mother's back. The mother bear’s face was twisted in agony, yet she braced herself and stood up, carrying her child. Perhaps because of the added weight, she moved even slower, her leg stumps continuing to bleed.

I suddenly understood! Their paws must have been severed. There is a dish known as bear paw, which some claim gives men great vitality. Although it is incredibly cruel, there are still people willing to spend vast sums of money, leading hunters to risk their lives to obtain these paws. The result is this heart-wrenching, tragic scene! I felt a sudden, deep shame for having once been human, that we could treat innocent lives with such cruelty. They must have died from massive blood loss. I found hot tears streaming down my cheeks. What could I possibly do to help them? I was helpless, forced to watch them suffer in silence.

The Miraculous Power of Buddha's Light

Suddenly, a brilliant light illuminated the earth, shining directly upon the two bears. Namo Amituofo! I witnessed a miracle! The bleeding from their stumps gradually stopped. The mother bear noticed this and stopped in her tracks, looking at this scene in bewilderment. Then, before my eyes, their paws began to grow back! The mother bear watched this transformation, then lowered herself to let the cub climb down. She checked the cub’s paws, and they had grown back as well. Both bears stood up, paused for a moment, and then suddenly, they began to run. It was not the slow, crawling gait from before, but a run. I could feel their desire to move quickly, even if they lacked the full strength. At the very least, they had feet to run with!

Suddenly, the mother bear stopped, stood tall, and let out a long, loud roar. That roar was long and powerful, as if she were exhaling all the pain, injustice, and anger of these past days. Then, she roared again, but this sound was much softer, as if she were expressing gratitude for the miraculous power that had restored their bodies! I remembered that when Practitioner Su invites the spirits, if any are sick, injured, missing limbs, or disabled, she always tells them: 'Restore your body!' Yes, it was that very power that allowed them to return to their original form. So, the compassion and selflessness of wishing for all beings to leave suffering behind truly possess such immense power! I, Steve Jobs, saw it with my own eyes. Without anesthesia, surgery, stitches, medicine, or injections, their bleeding stopped and their bodies were restored. It is truly an inconceivable, miraculous power!

A Lesson in Compassion and Repentance

What happened next was even more magical. As the two bears ran, their bodies began to transform into human forms. It turned out that the mother bear was actually a father bear! He was tall but very thin, draped in two pieces of cloth that looked like leather, covering his shoulders and lower abdomen, much like an indigenous person from the mountains. They must have been starving, unable to find food, which is why the father and son fell into the hunter's trap, were captured, and lost their lives after their paws were severed. The cub beside him transformed into a little boy with dark brown skin, wearing no clothes, following closely behind his father. The father turned back, looked at himself, and seemed stunned by the change. But he quickly took his child's hand, and they continued to run forward. Suddenly, they were both dressed in white robes, which looked quite remarkable.

I saw them running with all their might. Suddenly, I thought of something of vital importance, and I could not help but sing out loud, 'Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo,' just like the Buddha-name I heard during the walking meditation. I used my heart to tell them, 'Everyone, you must chant the Buddha's name! Follow the Buddha-name!' How I hoped that this father and son could be led by the Buddha into the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss! I watched as they ran and disappeared into the Buddha's light! My heart was filled with infinite emotion. Oh, you humans who call yourselves the most intelligent of all beings! To satisfy your own appetites, how many creatures have you killed and harmed? They possess the same spirit as humans; it is only because of the laws of karma and cause and effect that they were born as animals in this lifetime, only to be so cruelly hunted and have their lives ended. I, Steve Jobs, was once a human, and I, too, ate the meat of many animals. I am sorry! I feel deep shame and am truly repenting. Fortunately, there is Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to save them, allowing them to escape the sorrow of this lifetime. Infinite gratitude rises in my heart. I hope that all the spirits here today can successfully enter the Western Pure Land as they wish. Namo Amituofo."

Written by Steve Jobs