The Illusion of Power and the Cage of Desire

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 now reflects upon his life and the profound truth of his transformation. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa-ci, on August 9, 2019.

Koo Chen-fu speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I have never experienced, never imagined, and never witnessed such a magnificent sight. The sky was filled with golden light and radiant clouds, accompanied by the resounding, melodic chanting of the Buddha-name that echoed in my ears. Countless sentient beings were present—the elderly, the middle-aged, the youth, children, infant spirits, and all manner of creatures: chickens, ducks, geese, fish, cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, and snakes. Every creature I could imagine, every being I had ever heard of or seen, was there.

Even more astonishing were the many deities I had never truly seen before—the Third Prince, Mazu, Guan Gong, Ji Gong, the Earth God and Earth Goddess, the Great Emperor of the Dark Heaven, Taishang Laojun, and Wenchang Dijun. They were all dressed in ancient robes, continuously stepping through the air toward the source of that golden light. And this was merely a small corner of what I witnessed. There were many others in the higher reaches of the sky, moving forward with even greater speed."

The Awakening of Dormant Spirits

"Suddenly, the scene shifted to the depths of a mountain range. I saw the golden light piercing through the clouds, illuminating every corner of the mountains, even lighting up the spaces beneath the stones. It awakened countless sentient beings who had been sleeping there for ages. Hearing the sound of the Buddha-name, their long-numbed senses were stirred back to life, much like how I was awakened by the voice of Practitioner Su. It was as if the scene were a photograph, permanently frozen in time, until the majestic power of the Buddha-name caused the frozen image to move once again.

Perhaps every sentient being enters this space for a different reason, but our situations are remarkably similar; our circumstances are identical. Looking back now, when the space I was trapped in was finally opened, it was like a paused video suddenly beginning to play again. My long-stagnant thoughts began to churn once more. In the moment before I was trapped, I had been in my mind, simulating business negotiations with others, searching for details or loopholes to exploit. I did not know that, while holding such thoughts, a single moment of distraction would cause me to enter that frozen, static state. That scene—of me sitting in a chair discussing matters with a blurred figure—remained fixed there for an eternity."

The Beast of Ambition

"If I think about it carefully, I must have been forty-seven years old at that time. My career was developing rapidly; there were too many opportunities, too many affairs, and too many people to meet. I never stopped to rest for a single moment! My mind was filled with thoughts of constantly expanding my territory, and I was obsessed with increasing my influence over local affairs, the government, society, and the economy. In that era, which belonged to me, I could be said to 'summon the wind and call for the rain.' With every decision and every judgment I made, countless people would endlessly speculate. There was no one who did not know my name.

Because of this, my ambition grew ever larger. The beast in my mind, named 'desire,' had long since lost control. It roared incessantly within my heart, devouring the little bit of reason I had left. Many of my decisions and judgments gradually lost their original precision and objectivity, becoming increasingly tainted with selfishness and greed. If I had not been able to carefully observe my own emotions, thoughts, and mental note now, I would never have known how far I had fallen. By that time, I had already lost control, and I was gradually being hunted down by my karmic creditors. I lost a portion of my spirit without even realising it. From then on, in various dreams, in reality, and within my own physical body, the positions and parts of me occupied by these karmic creditors grew more numerous, and the retribution I suffered increased day by day."

The Truth Buried in the Void

"If I had not been given the opportunity here to review all of this, I would have simply assumed that these things were 'fated' or 'destined.' Who could have known the secrets hidden within? Karmic creditors always use what you love most, what you desire most, and what you crave most to trap you, leaving you unable to extricate yourself. Without the Buddha’s teachings to open the way, I believe the truth of all this would remain buried in the void forever.

It is only by making all of this public that people can understand how intense attachment, intense self-love, and intense 'I want' will cause one's own spirit to fall into an inescapable cage of space, with no opportunity for reincarnations. Any intelligent person should know how to choose! I only hope that those fortunate enough to see this message will be vigilant and tell more people about the importance of truly learning the Buddha’s teachings. Namo Amituofo."