Misinterpreting the Profound Dharma

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Changren, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He reflects on the nature of the Dharma, the ego, and the necessity of true practice. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxi, on September 7, 2017.

Venerable Changren speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. In the process of verification, do not let your tongue run wild; one should have complete faith, regardless of who is speaking.

The Difficulty of Faith and the Ego

The profound Dharma is difficult to believe. Why is this the case? It is because beings have little merit, and their hearts are stronger than the Dharma. When the self is stronger than the Dharma, all Dharma declines. In the past, I was also a monastic. The many trials and tribulations I faced were not threats to the Dharma itself; the Dharma remains as it is, according to the truth. Everything changes only because the heart changes. Human hearts are easily swayed, while the Dharma is constant and unchanging. It is the people who change, and people are prone to bias. Often, due to physical obstacles, they misinterpret the profound Dharma. The truth remains, but people see only what they wish to see. To have no thoughts is to be in truth; to have no heart is to be in practice; to have a heart is to be in a state of delusion.

The Obstacle of the 'Self'

Changren understands that everyone still carries a sense of gain and loss in their hearts. This is not easy to resolve, as most of you have not been practicing for very long. Even for those who have practiced for a long time, how many in this world have truly let go? And what is it that we must let go of? It is the 'self'—the most stubborn thing in this world. It is incredibly difficult to cast off. But why is it that some people can still do it? Look at Grandmother Su; she has truly achieved it. She has let go, she has reached no-self, and her true achievement is Awakening. No matter who you are, you must understand the importance of Awakening. Otherwise, this physical body has no value; it is entirely manipulated by external environments. Not only will you fail to achieve anything in your practice, but you will also become completely tainted, covered in dust.

The Truth of the Universe

Life in this world is plagued by the root of doubt—doubting oneself, doubting others, doubting the Buddha's teachings, and doubting the truth. If you doubt, how can you see the parts you claim to believe in? If the truth of the universe and the Dharma were so easy to understand, so many monastics would not have been buried in the cycle of rebirth for countless lifetimes, and the gates of the hells would not be filled with monks and practitioners. In the current state of the world, there is no longer any true 'upward' direction. If you take all these pseudo-Dharma lineages and styles as your standard, you will never understand the reality of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Only by letting go of your old ideas can you see the true reality—which is infinite compassion and the great mind-capacity to pity all beings.

The Importance of Choice

You all have many thoughts about Venerable Changren. I am merely one of the beings in the cycle of rebirth. I am the same as you; there is no difference. We are all beings. It is just that in this lifetime, it is my turn to be a spirit without a body. That is simply how the six realms of rebirth work. It is impossible for everything to always go your way, and you cannot be perfect. Likewise, it is impossible for you to always be the 'bad' one. People say that 'fortune turns like a wheel,' but in reality, everyone's karma is very deep. However, your blessings are not necessarily few. As long as you temporarily set aside the mindset of fearing loss or fearing injury, you will be able to see the truth of things more clearly and brightly. I am also someone who has walked this path. No one wants their practice to fail; everyone wants to succeed. Those who understand Awakening want to reach Awakening, and those who understand how to be the master of their own fate want to control everything. But these things require a wise choice. Just like in any profession, is your choice truly what you want? Did Practitioner Shi Faxi not choose to become a monastic because the career path he was on was not what he truly desired in his heart?"

Shi Faxi: "That is correct, Namo Amituofo."

The Burden of the Process

"Actually, the importance of all things lies in the decision, the process, and the result. The result and achievement are merely the final destination of the whole matter—a true evaluation—but they are not an outcome that anyone can manipulate. Only the effort and choices made during the process are what we can grasp and diligently practice. Why does the heart of gain and loss arise? It is because you are unwilling to accept that the process does not match the outcome you imagined. Naturally, you compare, and you fall into a state of disappointment. This is a common ailment among practitioners. It seems like a subtle fluctuation, but it has far-reaching consequences. Because this mindset exists, you will always be stuck in the same place, because you are constantly using your own measuring stick to evaluate your actions. This is a high-standard mentality with low self-esteem. Practicing with such a mindset is too stressful and is still far from the foundation of the Buddha's gate, because this is a worldly heart. Now, whether in Taiwan, China, or elsewhere, masters leading disciples rarely 'lead the heart' or 'nurture the heart.' As a monastic and a teacher, have you noticed that subtle feeling in your disciples' hearts?

The Root of Spiritual Obstacles

In the repentance texts, we speak of the sins created by past ignorance and lack of knowledge. I repent for all these spiritual obstacles today. Alas! It is the same repentance text throughout countless lifetimes, but has anything really changed? In truth, no. Your heart is still just as hard. Where is the repentance? The Buddha's compassionate heart lies in infinite tolerance—tolerating everything as being created out of ignorance. And this ignorance is simply because no one taught them. Everyone knows that 'at birth, human nature is good,' but it has not been properly protected. In this Five Turbidities and Evil World, it is hard to say that one will not change. Are you a person without a personality? Whether you are beaten, scolded, misunderstood, hurt, or feel aggrieved or insulted, can you accept everything without a 'personality'? If you are someone who can endure all this, you still have a personality. As long as you have these things, you still have a strong 'self.' In this world, many people's parents often cannot swallow that breath of anger; they must make things clear to let you know their value. Or, in a practice centre, people often cannot swallow that breath either. You say, 'I don't have these things, I have worked very hard,' and you often still need to clarify your own value, fearing that others might misunderstand you, or perhaps you are fighting a fierce battle in your heart. These are just examples. So, how much do you think your personality has changed?

A Call to Awakening

Personality is the root of the spiritual obstacles in the cycle of rebirth. Beings in the hells are difficult to tame and subdue. We have all reincarnated for countless lifetimes, and we have surely come up from the hells before. There is no such thing as high or low, no one is more powerful or less powerful; everyone is the same, everyone is equal. If your personality does not change, you will always be the one who loses. No matter how strong your personality is, when facing birth and death, you still cannot be the master. To put it clearly, in this world, when facing birth, aging, sickness, and death, who can say they are the master? To be the master means to be free in birth and death, to be without sickness and pain. This is true practice, but in this world, it seems impossible to achieve. Under normal circumstances, people always think that getting sick is a matter of course, or that if the body is weak or cold, it just needs more warming tonics. Those in the world who know the truth, or who understand the reality of the void, are certainly not limited to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. There must be such extraordinary people in existence. If you are here to respond to the True Teachings and have a mission to save the world, you should return to the ranks as soon as possible. Perhaps you have already been paying attention to this place. I hope you can stand up with great vows and great strength, because if the world is not saved now, it will soon be too late. Time is not that abundant, because the world is changing bit by bit. To speak of the reality, if the final days of all the great monastics are filled with such sickness and old age—and I am not referring to anyone in particular, just observing with my own sensitivity—can such practice be considered to have 'attainment'? Or is it just the glory that people have heaped upon them over the years, while inside there is no 'attainment' at all? Could it be like this? Observe yourself carefully.

The Path to Equality

I used to never participate in these matters because I felt that humans were too foolish, greedy for space, unaware of the crisis, and still self-satisfied, not knowing that there is always someone better, thinking they are smarter than others. The human mindset is sometimes truly terrifying. There is always infinite measurement and comparison, and the mindset of fearing loss can lead to unimaginable, terrible sins just to protect oneself. Namo Amituofo stands forever in compassion, hands hanging down, waiting to welcome all beings. Seeing this, I told myself that I definitely do not want to come back to this world. What is left between people? There is always a thick iron wall between them. Hearts are so separated; is there any sincerity left? Fortunately, the human world has these emotional fluctuations to grind and polish us. If you have wisdom, you can change these things. If you only follow the fluctuations, you are truly in trouble. If you do not know how to correct yourself and let your emotions and fluctuations play out and run wild, when will you ever be able to practice the Pure Land? If you do not practice the Pure Land, ask yourself: when will you be able to stop reincarnating? If everyone really thinks that chanting for the deceased, or honestly chanting the Buddha's name for a lifetime, or practicing diligently is enough, and that there is no need to change one's personality at all—if you can reach the Western Pure Land or end the cycle of rebirth, then who are the people locked in hell? Why is there talk of hell being full? Grandmother Su's compassionate heart told me that I am no longer a 'demon', but a 'grindstone'. Actually, I do not care about that difference, but I have truly listened to what Grandmother Su taught me. I understand that I have this strong mindset, because I was originally distant from the Buddha's path. Now, to be in sync, I must become gentle. I will do it. Having seen so much throughout countless lifetimes, I have even been to the most painful magma hell and endured it for many years. I am finally willing to repent and turn towards goodness. I was truly a person of the demon path; I came from the demons outside the universe, the Demon King of the Western Demon Palace. People might be afraid when they hear this, but in the heart of the Buddha, there is no difference between Buddha and demon. Why is it that you, as humans, cannot achieve this heart of equality? I no longer care about these things, but I am kindly telling everyone: if you cannot achieve equality and compassion, your practice will definitely have problems. Because under inequality, how can you be truly in sync with the Buddha?"

Namo Amituofo.

"Since I have now resolved to turn toward the Buddha's path, to become a Buddha and save the world, I will ensure that I temper my shortcomings. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. If I am to do something, I must do it with absolute certainty. If I am to change, I will do so without any excuses. This is also the reason why I was able to achieve three years of meditative concentration in the past. When there is no 'self,' it is very easy to do things and very easy to practice. Having a 'self' is extremely troublesome; even if it is just a tiny bit, it will destroy all of your cultivation."

The Path to Seeing One's True Nature

"Letting go of the 'self' is actually not as difficult as everyone imagines. In truth, it is merely about maintaining a state of 'nothingness'—where what you want is nothing, and everything is nothing. Within this nothingness, one naturally realizes their true nature. Seeing one's true nature is actually not difficult; it is simply seeing the Tathagata's original nature after everything else has been stripped away. Everyone possesses this kind of character, and the potential for cultivation is profound. It all depends on whether you are willing to seek this point of achievement—the realization of one's true nature."

"What is it that you seek in your practice? Even if you have no seeking, then what is the purpose of your practice? If you remain ignorant and confused day after day, practicing for ten, twenty, or thirty years, it will pass in the blink of an eye. What can you possibly gain? It may easily end up being nothing more than an illusion. I do not mean that you should gain some material benefit or reach a specific state, nor do I want you to have any greed in your practice. I only wish to point out that if you are ignorant and unclear on the path of practice—if you do not know the Truth or the principles, and you allow your own heart to fluctuate and waver, or if you are still filled with complex thoughts, intentions, and emotional attachments—then your practice is still far too lacking. I understand that many people are still living their days in this manner, indulging in the fluctuating states of their own minds, not knowing that the state of a true practitioner is one of complete emptiness. If there is still a trace of darkness on your face today, you are not a practitioner, because you still take yourself too seriously. I hope that your teachers, your elders, and you yourselves can see the truth of the Dharma, rather than being limited to the current state of the Dharma or holding onto idol-worship within it. Rely on the Dharma, not on people; rely on the ultimate meaning, not on the non-ultimate. You must understand this."

The Truth of the Dharma and the Path Ahead

"Just as Grandmother Su knows, I, Chang Ren, also know. How many people have read this document? How many have felt their hearts fluctuate? How many do not believe this, and how many harbor doubts, contempt, or an unequal heart when viewing this matter? I know who you are, where you are, and every thought and intention that arises in your mind. Do not feel afraid, because one day, if your practice reaches fruition, you will also be able to know these things. This is actually an instinct of the spirit. However, if you obstruct yourself with all your worldly knowledge and self-righteousness, the study of the Dharma will instead become your greatest stumbling block. Even if you can understand the teachings of the Dharma clearly and explain them articulately, if you still cannot change yourself, these will only be reduced to 'human-world Dharma'—the kind of Dharma promoted in the world. The difference is easy to distinguish; that is the true self, the so-called Prajna wisdom, which is a state of 'no-mind.' If there is a sutra you have never seen in this life, and even if it were the entire Tripitaka, you could still expound upon it naturally—that is seeing one's true nature; that is the skill and the achievement."

"In this world, there will always be too many thoughts and opinions. There will absolutely be both good and bad reactions. Everyone just needs to remember to be 'without a mind' and 'without doing'—naturally, it will be clear. Continue to walk straight ahead, without interruption, and go straight forward. You do not need to look at the process, you do not need to listen to it, and you do not need to let thoughts or intentions arise. Only those with karmic affinity will truly join, and there will certainly be those who understand the Truth. Only by constantly maintaining a cool and carefree state can you interpret such Truth. In fact, you do not need words at all to show that you have true cultivation. Everyone should work even harder; that day will surely come. I will also continue to protect everyone. I can also invite my teacher to come and help you all. He resides in the Land of Eternal Light, and his Dharma name is Shi Mingguang. He is a kind and compassionate elder. If you see him, you will know he is my teacher. Namo Amituofo."

Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, Australia

Contact: Venerable Haliang / Sister Cao

Phone: +61-456-793-638

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Address: 120 Gordon Smiths Road, Goombungee, QLD 4354, Australia