This is a record of an interview with Venerable Asifan, who resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. He reflects upon his past practice during the time of Shakyamuni Buddha and his current mission to assist Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa-Jing, on June 8, 2018.
Venerable Asifan speaks:
". I am Asifan, ranked number 891 among the Venerables. Please, allow me to accept this interview with ."
A Golden Light Across the Cosmos
"A golden light, faster than any shooting star, flashed across the heavens. At the very forefront of this golden radiance was Practitioner Su, leading 1,162 Venerables as we leapt from the Earth and surged into the vastness of outer space, carrying with us immeasurable and boundless energy. As Practitioner Su and the Venerables arrived in the deep reaches of the cosmos, the once-dark interstellar space was suddenly illuminated by a brilliant golden glow. Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh! Planets of every imaginable shape and colour were moving through the universe, scattered across the entire Milky Way in such density that they were beyond counting.
The sound of the six-character Buddha-name—Namo Amituofo—chanted by Practitioner Su, permeated the entire expanse of the universe. In an instant, a vast multitude of planets began to draw rapidly toward the golden light. Planets that were on the verge of collapsing suddenly regained a faint glimmer of radiance; it was as if they sensed that this golden light from Practitioner Su was the very source of energy that could save them. These planets, facing the catastrophe of total destruction, saw hope once again. Practitioner Su compassionately infused energy into every single one of them. Planets that had been dim and lifeless were instantly restored to brilliance and lustre—a miracle never before seen in the universe. The six-character name of Namo Amituofo resonated through every planet, and at that moment, the entire universe felt like the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, filled with golden light and the sound of chanting everywhere."
The Fading Light of Little Lida
"There was a small planet called Little Lida. It had an oval shape, a cyan-blue hue, and emitted a faint white light. It was a small planet on the outer fringes of the Milky Way, a very long distance from the galactic centre. It had existed for about 15,000 years—not a particularly long time in the grand scale of the cosmos. However, its energy was nearly exhausted. Little Lida was about to be forced out of its orbit, destined to become a useless meteorite, destined to shatter, disperse, and eventually vanish into the void of space.
A transparent alien with an inverted triangular head, large round eyes, and a faint pink glow, struggled to poke her head out. She was an elderly woman from the planet Little Lida, named Elida Banban. She had been there since the very birth of the planet in the Milky Way; she was an elder of Little Lida, one of the first original inhabitants.
Little Lida was actually a fragment created after the collision of two larger planets. As this fragment absorbed energy from the universe over time, it grew larger and larger. Once it reached a certain size, energy began to flow into the planet itself. This woman was the first elder to discover Little Lida; she had migrated from another planet that had been destroyed by a collision. She was fortunate enough to land on Little Lida when there were no other beings present. She discovered a faint light that served as the planet's primary energy source, and by using this glimmer, she gradually brought forth many forms of life."
The Illusion of Creation
"The elder used the materials native to Little Lida, drawing patterns on her three-fingered palms and chanting a long string of alien language. Instantly, a small star-being appeared from her palm—then another, and another. These beings communicated through electrical impulses, touching their foreheads together and joining their six fingers, which quickly caused another small being to pop into existence. This became their natural way of reproduction. Little Lida suddenly became a bustling, vibrant planet. The light and colours within the planet changed in myriad ways—red, white, blue, green, and seven-coloured lights appeared. It turned out that all the inhabitants possessed magical powers, which they used to manifest energy, light, and various material pleasures.
However, every time a resident used their magic, they consumed their own energy. Time and time again, the energy was depleted, and one by one, the inhabitants began to vanish from Little Lida. The elder only now realised that all the beings she had lived with were merely illusions created by her own magic. For 15,000 light-years, she had been living in a world of her own making. Now, her own energy was nearly exhausted. The beings she had created and the light sources of the planet were fading away bit by bit. The planet became dim and colourless, and in the end, only the elder remained. She was too weak to manifest anything else. There was no hope for life; she could only wait for Little Lida to follow the natural laws and disappear into the universe."
A New Beginning in the Pure Land
"Just as Little Lida was on the verge of falling into oblivion, a golden light filled with immense energy flooded the planet. The elder instantly came back to life. It was the golden light and energy brought by Practitioner Su and the Venerables. The elder was deeply grateful for this unexpected encounter and insisted on guarding Little Lida. For several days, the Buddha-light of Practitioner Su and the Venerables swept over the planet. Every day, the sound of the Buddha-name resonated through Little Lida, and every day, the elder bathed in the Buddha-light. She deeply felt the compassion of the Buddha, and today, she is finally willing to follow the Buddha-light to the magnificent Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.
I am Venerable Asifan, ranked number 891. I was born during the time of ancient India and practiced under the guidance of Shakyamuni Buddha. By the time I realised my , I was over ninety years old, and I began to save all spirits throughout ancient India. However, my power of deliverance was not even one-thousandth of Practitioner Su's. Within ten years, I was guided by the Buddha-light to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Today, I am fortunate to hear that Practitioner Su's leg has been injured by the attacks of various spirits and requires the protection of the Venerables. I, Asifan, did not hesitate for a moment. I came immediately from the Western Land and entered Practitioner Su's leg. I have repaired the wounds caused by the spirits and infused the area with abundant energy to help Practitioner Su restore the function of his leg. I am so grateful to Practitioner Su for this magnificent opportunity, and I will certainly exhaust all my efforts to complete this task perfectly. Namo Amituofo!"
