The Illusion of Diligent Practice

This is a record of an interview with Weng Xiaolin, 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 life and his subsequent experiences in the spirit realm, recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Xi, on December 12, 2021.

Weng Xiaolin speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful to Practitioner Su for his compassionate and skillful teaching of the Dharma. Every word Practitioner Su speaks pierces straight to the heart; these are vital revelations for any life. I am profoundly thankful for his guidance, for it is only through his help that we were given the chance to awaken. Today, having attained rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I cherish this magnificent causal condition beyond measure. On behalf of all the spirits in the spirit realm who have been delivered today, I bow in gratitude to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo.

Greetings to all Bodhisattvas. My name is Weng Xiaolin. In my past life, I was a practitioner of the Pure Land school. My journey of practice was not a success story, and I share it today in the hope that it will serve as a warning to those still living in the world. I do not want you to follow the same misguided path that I did.

The Darkness of the Underworld

After I passed away, I spent a long time in a state of utter despair. Those days were the darkest period of my existence. I felt as though I were trapped in a void of absolute darkness, unable to see any light—not even the light within my own heart, which had become cold and grey. I knew clearly that I had died, but I also knew that I had not reached the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I was trapped in a damp, cold, and gloomy space—the underworld. I was miserable, unable to lift my spirits, and tormented by the question of why a lifetime of diligent practice had led me to this dark place instead of the Western Pure Land.

I remained in this state of despondency for about five years. It was not until one day, amidst a resonant sound of the Dharma, that I began to wake up. I heard the voice of Practitioner Su giving a Dharma talk. Every day, his words were like a cool, refreshing nectar poured over my head. It was through the 'lion’s roar' of Practitioner Su that I finally snapped out of my stupor. I realised with a jolt: how could I have wasted so much time wallowing in despair?

Reclaiming a Lost Heart

From that day on, I began to reclaim the heart I had lost. I started to piece myself back together. This was the first time I had ever truly looked back to examine my own life. It was only in that moment of reflection that I finally saw my mistakes and the true nature of my failure.

I am so grateful for the appearance of Practitioner Su; he saved me. If he had not appeared, I would still be lost in that darkness today. After I regained my clarity, I began to help others wherever I could, sharing my story with anyone who would listen. Eventually, the King of Hell granted me an official position, allowing me to assist others in the spirit realm to learn the Buddha’s teachings. I am deeply thankful for the King of Hell’s support, and I am even more grateful that I have finally been given the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

A Life Defined by Illness and Faith

I am Weng Xiaolin, and I lived in Shanxi Province, China. I passed away about ten years ago due to cancer. When I was born, doctors diagnosed me with a congenital heart defect—a malformation of the heart valves—which meant my heartbeat was never stable. My family was incredibly devoted to caring for me. When I was four years old, an accident led to a severe illness. I suffered from a persistent high fever, which then developed into myocarditis. I was on the brink of death, and my family was frantic, exhausting every possible method to keep me alive.

It was during this time that my mother heard a Dharma talk by Venerable Master Chin Kung, which touched upon the laws of karma and cause and effect. The content struck a chord deep within her heart. She brought this knowledge home, and my family was overjoyed. Everyone began to chant the Buddha’s name diligently, praying for the Buddha to help me eliminate my spiritual obstacles. We accumulated three hundred thousand recitations of the Buddha’s name, and miraculously, I survived. The crisis passed, and my family became unshakable in their faith in the Buddha’s teachings, beginning their own journey of Pure Land practice.

From the age of four, after I recovered, I began to learn the Buddha’s teachings. I was too young to understand many of the profound principles, but I learned to chant. Because my life had been saved by the Buddha’s intervention in my karma, my family mandated that I chant at least one thousand times a day. As I grew older, I continued this daily practice, sometimes reaching ten thousand recitations. Chanting the Buddha’s name became the most important thing in my life.

The Hidden Truth of Aging

I grew up practicing, listening to countless volumes of the Venerable Master Chin Kung’s Dharma talks. I followed his teachings strictly; whatever he said to do, I did, and whatever he said to avoid, I avoided. I believed everything the Venerable Master said was correct, and I never once harboured a doubt that following his instructions was the only right way to practice.

My grandparents passed away when I was about eight years old. Both were ill, suffering from organ failure. Everyone assumed this was simply the natural result of old age, but no one realised that these illnesses were caused by spiritual obstacles and the arrival of karmic creditors. Looking back now, I see that my grandparents were constantly bickering. Sometimes their tempers would flare, and they would even live apart, refusing to speak to each other. At the time, we thought this was just normal life, but now I see that their consciousness was no longer under their own control. Much of what they said to each other was not what they truly intended to say.

I noticed their consciousness beginning to change—they would suddenly fall asleep, their eyes would become dull, their energy levels dropped, and their bodies felt heavy. Seeing their condition now with the clarity of hindsight, I am shocked. What we all mistook for natural aging was actually a space filled with things we did not understand. My grandparents' consciousnesses were essentially 'captured' by the time they were fifty. My grandfather was lured away in his dreams by a woman, while my grandmother, driven by her strong temper and jealousy, had her consciousness locked within her own heart by karmic creditors when she saw a vision of another woman in my grandfather’s bed. They were suffering, yet we thought they were just growing old. Even after they started chanting, their faces appeared serene and dignified at death, leading everyone to believe their practice had been successful, when in reality, they had not reached the Western Pure Land at all, but had instead entered the cycle of rebirth to face their karmic retribution."

"I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. By the time it was discovered, it was already too late. The doctor declared that I had less than five years to live, but warned that if my condition deteriorated, I could pass away at any moment, so I needed to prepare myself mentally. My mother prayed to the Buddha day and night, and she practised diligent chanting, hoping that the Buddha's blessings I had received at the age of four would manifest once more. Watching my mother suffer so much for my sake, my heart truly ached. I sincerely asked the Buddha why I had to endure such calamities, one after another, yet I never heard any response from the Buddha."

The Finality of Death

"Ever since I discovered I had cancer, my life returned to a state of tension and anxiety, for I did not know when my life would vanish. To save me, my mother chanted and prayed to the Buddha with great diligence. I also chanted, but my heart was no longer pure. One year later, I still departed from this world, leaving my mother all alone. On the day I passed away, my mother wept bitterly. Although I could hear her voice, my body could no longer respond. At that moment, my heart was filled with panic. I was terrified of death and terrified of being separated from my mother. Yet, even with these overwhelming feelings, I could not change the fact that death had arrived."

"At the very moment of death, I was so afraid. I forgot the Buddha-name I had chanted every single day, and I forgot the principles I had learned through my practice. I only knew that I was not ready to die; I wanted to live properly. But all of this had become a dream—a dream that could never be realised again."

Awakening in the Ghost Realm

"After I died, I entered the ghost realm. For five years, my heart was filled with sadness and suffering. It was not until I encountered Practitioner Su that I was able to pull myself together. The Sutras explained by Practitioner Su allowed me to finally wake up and see clearly."

"In this life, from birth to death, I only experienced twenty-five years. That major illness I suffered at the age of four had already taken away one of my souls, which was carried off by my karmic creditors and never returned to my body. Although I survived that illness at four, the karma within me remained; it was merely waiting for the right conditions to mature so it could continue to seek revenge. From the age of four, I practised diligent chanting and grew up learning the Sutras taught by the Venerable Master. I may not have been a perfect practitioner, but I chanted the Buddha-name a thousand times every day, and I never missed a single one of my daily lessons. Yet, in the end, my karma still found me."

Reflections on Cause and Effect

"Looking back now, examining everything from that time and looking at my former self, I realise that although my body knew to practise and my heart was sincere in learning Buddhism, my inner nature had not truly changed. My karma had not been resolved."

"The laws of karma and cause and effect are complex; karmic retribution can arrive at any time. One cannot judge the final result based on the circumstances of the moment, because the amount of karma one carries is brought over from past lives—it is all debt one has accumulated. Now that I look at it clearly, I understand the answers to many things. I have no resentment and no negative feelings, because I know these are simply the laws of karma and cause and effect, the nature of samsara."

A Warning to the Living

"I am deeply grateful for Practitioner Su's explanations, which helped me wake up from my confusion. Originally, I did indeed harbour resentment and many negative emotions in my heart. Even though I chanted the Buddha-name a thousand times, I had failed to change my own mental state. I hope my story can serve as a reminder to those who are still chanting in the world today: pay attention to your karma and to the parts of your character that have yet to be transformed. Do not end up like me, having lived a whole life only to end up in the darkness of the underworld. I truly hope that everyone can successfully reach the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

"I am very grateful for this opportunity today. On behalf of all the prison guards and all beings connected by karmic affinity, I bow in gratitude for the Buddha's grace and for the grace of Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."

"Weng Xiaolin, with palms joined in respect."