This interview was recorded on November 21, 2022, at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre. Venerable Yongning, a dedicated practitioner who sought deliverance through the guidance of the Centre, shares insights on the spiritual mechanics of health and the protection afforded by a selfless heart.
Venerable Yongning speaks:
". When one holds a single, sincere heart for the sake of all beings—thinking only of them and acting only for them—such a body becomes immune to all forms of illness. It is a state of total purity and protection.
The Anatomy of Selflessness
When I speak of being immune to all diseases, some may feel a sense of doubt. They might ask, 'How can such a thing be possible?' I have seen this clearly: a body that lives for the sake of others and a body that lives for the sake of are fundamentally different. The very space within these two bodies is vastly different in nature.
In a body that lives for the sake of all beings, the sentient beings residing within are, for the most part, still and quiet. This is because the practitioner’s heart is so intensely focused on the welfare of others that they have no room for thoughts of the self. When there is no thought of the self, does not awaken the dwelling within through selfish intentions. Even if these beings truly manifest before the practitioner, they do not harm the body. Because their state of mind is not in sync with the practitioner's, they quickly return to a state of deep slumber within the space of the body.
The Barrier Against Mara
When demons and evil spirits approach a human body, they can naturally perceive how much that person lives for themselves and how much they live for others. When a body is entirely dedicated to the sake of others—when there is truly no 'self' left—that body cannot be attacked by demon crowds. Why? Because when they enter such a body, they find absolutely no place to exert their influence. One is a thought of Goodness, the other a thought of evil. The energy of a body filled with thoughts of Goodness is immense; they simply cannot interfere.
Unless there remains even a tiny shred of greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, or doubt, one might be vulnerable to demonic interference. However, if one’s heart is completely pure, if one is purely good and acts entirely for the sake of saving beings, one will certainly never be disturbed by demons.
The of Practitioner Su
Practitioner Su’s body is truly one that is entirely dedicated to the sake of all beings. Every single cell within his body is like a lotus flower, blooming with the pure fragrance of the . Such a body is truly immune to all illness. Yet, Practitioner Su is so filled with compassion that he takes on the suffering of sentient beings. It is only because he is dedicated to saving them that he allows these beings to remain upon his own body. These beings may cause Practitioner Su’s physical body to feel pain, but his compassion is such that he intends to save every single one of them. He does this for one reason alone: to ensure that these beings no longer have to suffer in the cycle of rebirth.
The Path to True Strength
A body that lives for the sake of others is selfless and remains untouched by the suffering of illness. Conversely, a body that lives for the sake of the self is bound by fate to the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Every person is subject to the interference and entanglement of their own ; their karmic creditors are already present within their own bodies. Only by focusing one’s heart entirely on the sake of all beings can one prevent these karmic creditors from being awakened. Naturally, one will then be immune to illness, remaining strong in both body and spirit.
