The Illusion of Transactional Deliverance

Venerable Chang Ren, a monastic who resides at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, offers profound insights into the nature of karma and the true essence of Chao Du. This interview was recorded on September 26, 2018, and transcribed by the chief writer, Shi Fa Xi.

Venerable Chang Ren speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Chang Ren. Today, I wish to share a story that I have witnessed clearly within the void—a story concerning the true nature of Chao Du. For a long time, many people have failed to truly understand what Chao Du entails. Some even mistakenly believe that it is something one can bargain for, as if it were a commercial transaction. But the truth is, most people do not grasp the reality of the situation. They do not realise that the question is not just whether the karmic creditors have been invited to leave, but whether they have truly stopped their pursuit and ceased their desire for retribution. The answer is simple: sincerity is the key. If your heart is not sincere, everything else is merely a facade. Because if you do not change yourself, true Chao Du is an impossibility."

The Misconception of Chao Du

"Think about it—people spend vast sums of money on ceremonies, or conversely, they are so stingy that they refuse to spend a single cent on the necessary offerings. How can such a heart truly achieve Chao Du? To achieve real results, one must exert genuine effort. This means truly thinking for the sake of all beings, truly changing oneself, and engaging in authentic practice. I once witnessed a specific case of this in the void.

There was a woman who had lived a life of reckless abandon in the past, accumulating a significant amount of heavy karma. In this lifetime, she returned to the human world, and she was suffering the consequences of those past actions in every fibre of her being. She was in agony, and her heart was filled with constant, gnawing anxiety. Although her desire to escape this suffering was real, the strength of her resolve to change was entirely false. She only wanted her own body to be healed; she never once considered that all beings, including those she had harmed, also deserved to be well. She found it incredibly difficult to change her own personality. Even when faced with her own deep-seated attachments, she would still argue endlessly with others. She was simply unwilling to let go of the habits she had carried with her since time immemorial, choosing instead to follow her own selfish impulses."

The Cycle of Karmic Retribution

"When the time came for her to seek Chao Du, she did not truly bring forth a sincere heart. I am not saying she did not want to be saved—she certainly wanted to save herself—but she lacked the genuine heart to save other beings. She was trapped in a cycle of constant relapse. The karma she had accumulated would flare up, and because of her difficult personality, she would constantly attract the very karmic creditors she was trying to escape. She did not understand that she needed to transform her own nature. She remained accustomed to her old temper and her old ways of acting.

It was only when her illness flared up and the pain became unbearable that she would realise the importance of Chao Du. Although she would then make a show of seeking help, her heart was still calculating, still focused entirely on her own benefit. Her attempts at Chao Du appeared more sincere than those of others—she even spent money to host feasts for the karmic creditors—but the beings refused to leave. Why? Because her heart was not truly genuine. I watched them moving in and out of her field, just as her heart was constantly fluctuating, up and down, never finding peace. They were unwilling to stop their pursuit. Seeing this, I felt a deep sense of sorrow. Her heart was not true, and although she believed she was being clever and thoughtful in the world, she did not realise that she had lost the ability to be the master of her own life. She could not stop the intrusion of these spirits from the unseen realms."

A Call to Sincere Practice

"I urge everyone: be real. Do not harbour a dishonest heart. I am here, guarding all of you as you practise, and I can see clearly whether your efforts are true or false. I hope that all of you can truly purify your practice. I know that these truths are not always easy to understand, but I must tell you: the spiritual realm is incredibly sensitive. You cannot escape the consequences of your own actions. The karmic body you possess already exists, so I hope you will seize this opportunity to practise with true sincerity. Only then can you find genuine Chao Du.

I am here to support this place, and I am aware of every detail, both large and small. I am deeply grateful for the hard work of the elder, and I am grateful to the Buddha for his compassionate presence in this centre. Namo Amituofo."