The Illusion of Material Wealth and the Path to Peace

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Koo Chen-fu, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He reflects upon his life and the nature of existence. Recorded by the disciple Shi Facie on August 13, 2019.

Koo Chen-fu speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Koo Chen-fu. As I look back upon the trajectory of human existence, I see how an excessively affluent material life gradually renders people incapable of finding true satisfaction or inner peace. In the days of my youth, for the vast majority of people, having enough to eat was the greatest aspiration one could possibly hold. There were no other cravings, simply because the conditions and opportunities for such desires did not exist! Yet, as the eras have shifted, those same material conditions and circumstances are no longer sufficient to satisfy the needs of modern people.

More and more individuals are chasing after what they call spiritual comfort and stability. However, they have never stopped to consider that by constantly pursuing these empty, illusory goals, they are merely trading their time for deeper emptiness and loneliness. I have witnessed far too many people—those who have attained wealth, power, and fame—constantly seeking out so-called practitioners, eminent monks, Taoist masters, hermits, bishops, and teaching masters. They look for those who appear to possess profound and mysterious spiritual attainments, hoping to find a path that will grant them the same peace of mind they see in others. I have seen countless examples of this, and I can tell you: seeking peace through external forces is a path that can never lead to anything long-lasting or eternal."

The Futility of External Seeking

"Facing the dual trials of the physical body and the spirit, some people choose to squander their time, others choose to continue their endless search, some choose to leave the household life to practise, and others choose to wait for the right Causal Conditions. Every choice has its own path, and there is no right or wrong in the choice itself; it is simply that the final destination of each path differs. Now, I listen to the lectures of Practitioner Su every day. I listen carefully, I listen with my heart, and I use my own life experiences to review and reflect upon what is being taught. Many things have become so clear and understandable to me now. The more one desires to obtain, the more suffering one brings upon oneself. The less one thinks, the simpler life becomes, and naturally, the suffering diminishes.

It is a simple truth, yet it is one that countless people find themselves unable to let go of or release. They remain tortured by these material demands and mental pressures. It is exactly as Practitioner Su has described: they are trapped within a cage of space called 'survival,' unable to easily escape. Yet, the key to this prison is held firmly in their own hands; they are simply unwilling to take that first step of letting go."

The Key to Liberation

"One requires someone to lead and explain the way, so that one can gradually walk out of that cage. This is the magnificent aspect of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre—it reveals the truth of all things and explains it to the public in simple, easy-to-understand language. It teaches that all suffering originates from within oneself, and all pain stems from the act of grasping too tightly. As one gradually loosens those clenched fists, one can naturally begin to find relief and relaxation. This is true for both the spirit and the physical body. It is simple, yet incredibly difficult to achieve. The importance of this place lies in its ability to convey this method to the public. The pursuit of the path to liberation lies within yourself; there is no need to seek help from external forces. Everything depends on whether you are willing to move forward.

Namo Amituofo."