The Illusion of Emotional Bonds

Venerable Yongning, a monastic who resides at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, sought deliverance and guidance through the compassionate teachings of the Buddha. This interview, recorded on July 26, 2023, by the chief writer Shi Fajing, captures the Venerable's profound insights into the nature of human attachment and the path to liberation.

Venerable Yongning speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Venerable Yongning. Today, I wish to speak about the nature of the emotional bonds that tie us to this world. Human beings are defined by their blood, their tears, and their deep-seated emotions. Families live together, bound by the same bloodline, and because of this, their feelings for one another are often uniquely intense. In some households, there is harmony, but in others, family members live like bitter enemies, trapped in a cycle of endless, daily conflict.

Regardless of the specific situations of a family, there is always a past Causal Condition that brought them together. It is only because of these past connections that, upon obtaining a human body in this life, they have met again to become a family. However, we must ask ourselves: is this relationship truly real?"

The Truth Behind the Cycle of Reincarnation

"If we look at this from the perspective of the cycle of reincarnation, which spans throughout your many lives, this relationship is undeniably an illusion. It is only because we possess this physical body that this relationship exists at all; once the body perishes, the relationship immediately ceases. Consider your father in this life—in a past life, he may have been your son. So, which relationship is the true one? Is he your father, or is he your son? The truth is, he is neither. The spirit residing within that body exists independently. These are two separate spirits who, due to these Causal Conditions, have been tethered together life after life, alternating roles as father and son. Yet, between spirit and spirit, there is no inherent, permanent relationship; they are individual and independent entities.

Once you realise the truth of these relationships, you must learn to slowly let go during your practice. You must release the emotional entanglements with your family and the mutual bonds that hold you back. This does not mean you should treat them like strangers. Rather, it means treating one another with true compassion. The family relationship remains, but the only thing that changes is your perspective. You clearly understand that once this life ends, the goal is to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Therefore, you no longer carry worries or attachments for one another. Such entanglements only serve to interfere with the spirits of those involved, preventing them from attaining the pure state required to be reborn in the Western Pure Land."

The Pig Spirits and the Weight of Attachment

"The reason I mention family relationships today is because, during the Chao Du ceremony earlier, I witnessed a group of spirits currently trapped in the bodies of animals. Every animal—whether it is a common creature like a chicken, duck, pig, cow, or sheep, or a more spiritually sensitive animal like an elephant, antelope, or lion—possesses deep emotions. These animals have feelings that are incredibly intense and filled with attachment; it is precisely because of these deep-seated emotional bonds that they have been reincarnated into the animal realm.

Today, I encountered a group of pig spirits. Pig spirits are quite common to those in the human world. When this group of pig spirits first saw the Buddha-light brought by Practitioner Su, they showed no reaction at all. They had fallen so deeply into their own space of delusion that even when the Buddha-light shone upon them, they did not know how to wake up; they were only concerned with the food before them."

Awakening from the Dream of Emotion

"The Buddha-light shone down once more, and some of them began to stir, lifting their heads to gaze toward the light, though they still lacked a significant reaction. When the Buddha-light shone a third time, a group of pig spirits finally awakened. It was as if their inner spirits had been ignited; they quickly turned to the Buddha, begging for help, pleading for the Buddha to save them.

One pig spirit spoke to me, saying, 'In my past life, I loved my family too much. They were my entire life, and I could not let them go. Even at the moment of my death, I was still thinking of my beloved family. Because of that, I have been trapped as a pig for nearly three hundred years.' In those three hundred years, of course, my own karma was also at play, and it was this karma that kept me from waking up.

Now, the Buddha-light has awakened me, and I have finally emerged from that state of delusion. I beg the Buddha to save us and help us escape from the realm of the pig.' As I looked at these spirits, I saw that they were still trapped in the space of emotional attachment. Now that they have finally awakened from that delusion, the Buddha, in His great compassion, is helping them to be liberated and to leave the animal realm as soon as possible. I hope that all people in this world can awaken to the truth: all emotional bonds are false, and only the pursuit of liberation is real."

"Namo Amituofo."