The Illusion of the Physical Body

This is a record of an interview with Master Chang Gao, who reflects on his early years of monastic practice and the profound lessons learned regarding the nature of the physical body. Recorded by the disciple Shi Faxin on August 12, 2019.

Master Chang Gao speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Master Chang Gao. In our human nature, there is always a hidden streak of rebellion. When we exist in this human world, we may appear calm and composed on the surface, as if the water is perfectly still. Yet, deep within our hearts, there are massive, crashing waves—a turbulence so powerful that it vibrates through our very internal organs. During the early stages of my practice, I experienced these violent vibrations many times.

My mother had once instructed me that when I went to the temple to practise, I must listen to everything the Master said. I took those words to heart. However, there was one particular occasion that I will never forget. I was helping my fellow practitioners chop firewood. A quarter of an hour later, the cloud board was struck to summon everyone for the midday meal. Because I was caught up in the work, I ended up delaying everyone. When the Master saw me, he immediately scolded me: 'You went off to sleep and worked up a sweat, and now you have delayed everyone’s meal. Each person has lost fifteen minutes; how can you ever repay that debt?'"

The Weight of Suppressed Emotion

"I did not offer an explanation at that moment. I stood there, feeling a deep sense of grievance and injustice. A rebellious fire ignited within me, and I desperately wanted to blurt out a retort. The effort of suppressing those words caused my entire body to vibrate with tension. For many days afterward, I could not even look the Master in the eye. It was not just this one incident; a second and a third followed in quick succession, and I felt as though I were on the verge of being crushed by the weight of my own emotions.

Every time this happened, I had to resort to sitting in meditation, entering samadhi to soothe my restless heart. This emotional rollercoaster was unbearable. I tried many methods to escape this cycle, but these internal conflicts were so profound that it would take me many times longer than usual to calm my mind, to focus on my breathing, and to smooth out the turbulent thoughts that plagued me."

The Revelation of the Spirit

"One day, when I finally managed to settle my mind and my spirit left my body, I was shocked by what I saw. I could clearly perceive that my physical body was blocked in many places. My eyes, my chest, and my head were all completely congested by the events of the past few days. I could also see the state of my fellow practitioners' bodies with absolute clarity. Within these physical vessels, there were many karmic creditors, waiting for the slightest opportunity to act.

It was at that moment that I truly understood the falseness of the physical body and its inability to act independently. One could say that it was the Buddha's blessings that allowed me to reach this realization. After I emerged from my meditation, I felt a sense of absolute clarity. I realized that all the tests and grievances I had been experiencing were merely manifestations of the physical body. The body is nothing more than a tool for expressing the Dharma."

Transcending the False Self

"From that day forward, the whispers, the mockery, and the various sounds from my fellow practitioners that reached my ears were like a gentle breeze. Whether the wind blew or not, it made no difference to me. This test of the physical body is not easy, and it is not something that can be overcome with just a few words. The heart of rebellion exists in everyone. In many ways, it manifests as thoughts like, 'I am not that kind of person,' or 'That is not what you said,' or the feeling of resentment when someone points out our faults, or the belief that others are not qualified to judge us.

These voices naturally arise from within, and the heart is squeezed and tossed about by them. In truth, most of the time, we simply place ourselves too far at the forefront. If we can learn to bow our heads and accept things, we will find that many situations are actually harmless and would not leave us covered in wounds. This is the process of practice. If each time the intensity of these reactions becomes smaller, it means we are making progress. When the day comes that the heart is truly at peace, then the heart is truly walking upon the path of the Dharma."

A Final Counsel

"I urge everyone: do not use your 'false body' as if it were the 'true self.' The body is just a body; it is a product of the six realms of existence. You must not become attached to it; you can only utilize it. Whether it is the false body, the true body, or the absence of a body, the spirit is inherently free. You must experience this truth, this falsehood, and this reality in the present moment.

Namo Amituofo."