This interview with Venerable Yongning was recorded on August 19, 2019. Venerable Yongning, a monastic who has sought deliverance through the teachings at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre, shares profound insights into the nature of the human world and the necessity of transcending the cycle of reincarnation. This record was transcribed by the disciple Shi Faxin.
Venerable Yongning speaks:
". Every life possesses a certain intensity—even the fish deep in the ocean. In the human world, we struggle to survive, riding the waves of life, sometimes even sacrificing our lives in the process. There are always unexpected events lurking in the shadows. We exist between breaths; how many lives begin and end in the space of a single inhalation and exhalation? The Hall of Yama records this with absolute precision, governing the life and death of every realm without missing a single second.
The Hidden Worlds Within
What, then, is left for us to grasp in this lifetime? Spirits cycle through the six realms of rebirth endlessly, never finding a conclusion because they remain trapped in ignorance, unaware of the need for a breakthrough. With our physical eyes, we look at a mountain and see only a mountain. We fail to realise that the mountain is a vessel for countless spirits. Inside the trees, within the stones, there are distinct spaces. A single stone is not merely one space; it is a crowded intersection of thousands, perhaps millions, of overlapping spirits.
The Power of
When Practitioner Su performs Chao Du with his , and the Buddha-light descends, whether the sentient beings within a stone are willing or able to be saved depends entirely on their own good roots and Causal Conditions. Every realm has its own stubbornness and attachment. It takes an immense amount of time—or perhaps the cycle of being consumed and reborn into another body—before one can encounter the opportunity for liberation and clearly see the truth of their existence throughout their many lives.
The Threads of Attachment
The truth has many faces, much like human personality and emotion. It is like a dense web of fine threads. We are constantly connecting to these threads—sometimes through our own thoughts, sometimes through external objects. Because we do not understand, we complicate our own lives. If you peel back the layers of your thoughts, you will find that everything is done for the sake of , to protect this physical body. Humans are the most advanced of all beings, yet we often drag ourselves down through environmental pollution and the habits we cultivate.
Returning to Simplicity
When you finally step back into the cycle of rebirth, you will realise how worthless it all was. The Buddha’s teachings unravel the philosophy of the , and through this, we can unravel the nature of humanity. In truth, the simpler a person is, the better; the purer one is, the more Goodness they possess. Fighting for the sake of survival is only temporary, and this body is only temporary. Use it for its proper purpose, and focus your energy on things that you can take with you. Do not be greedy, do not overthink. The more tranquil your heart becomes, the more you will see the true self within your original nature. The more you realise this, the less you will cling to this world. Instead, you will feel a greater desire to help others escape alongside you. With the great Dharma before us and the Buddha appearing in this world, we must seize this opportunity and cherish it.
