The Karmic Price of Arrogance

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Yongning, a monastic residing at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Venerable Yongning has dedicated his practice to the path of liberation and frequently assists in the spiritual deliverance of sentient beings under the guidance of Practitioner Su. This account reflects upon his observations during a Dharma Assembly recorded on June 13, 2023, by the chief writer, Shi Fajing.

Venerable Yongning speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Venerable Yongning. It is a heavy matter to discuss, yet it is one that must be spoken of for the sake of those still wandering in the cycle of rebirth. In the human world, it is all too easy for people to become blinded by what they possess or what they think they know. When someone has a little more wealth, a little more status, or a bit more intellectual knowledge than their neighbour, the heart often begins to swell with arrogance. This pride manifests in their posture, their expressions, and the sharp, condescending words that drip with an arrogant air. You see this behaviour everywhere—it is a sickness of the spirit that has become far too common in this modern age."

The Illusion of Control

"In truth, what any human being knows is not even one-thousandth of the actual reality of this universe. Think about it—people believe they are in control of their own bodies, but that level of mastery is effectively zero. They have no idea who is truly pulling the strings behind the scenes, or which karmic forces are actually acting as the master of their physical form at any given moment. When you are being driven by your own past karma, like a passenger in a car with no steering wheel, how can you possibly justify such an arrogant attitude? It is truly a tragedy of the highest order.

Human beings are trapped by their own desires, and because of this, they cannot break free from the binding chains of karma. If you cannot change the nature of your own personality, you will find it nearly impossible to escape from the controlled space of this world. Every person living in this world carries the weight of their own karma, yet most people cannot see it. They find it hard to believe when we speak of these things, dismissing it as mere superstition or the fanciful talk of Buddha’s teachings. Because they cannot see the invisible threads of cause and effect, they choose to ignore the truth entirely."

The Cries from Beneath Our Feet

"Today, while I was following the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su to perform the work of deliverance, I heard something that chilled me to the bone: the sound of wailing coming from the floor tiles. Think about it—we lay these tiles down to make our floors beautiful and convenient for walking. We admire their patterns and their polished surfaces, never once considering that they might be a prison. But today, I heard the most miserable, heart-wrenching cries of agony emanating from them. I looked closer, and to my absolute horror, I realised there were spirits trapped inside, screaming for help.

As Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body began the deliverance, the Buddha-light shone down, and the suffering spirits within the tiles scrambled to follow, chanting 'Namo Amituofo' with all their might. They were desperate, hoping to escape that cramped, suffocating space. Once they were rescued, I could see them clearly. Many of them still carried the same arrogant nature they had possessed while they were alive. Even in the spirit realm, their posture remained stiff and haughty, a lingering shadow of the pride that had defined their lives on earth. It was clear as day—you could see the arrogance written all over their souls."

The Weight of Vanity

"However, their pride had finally met its match in the form of karmic retribution. After they passed away, they did not just suffer in the hells; they were drawn into the very floor tiles by the specific karma they had created. I know that not every arrogant person ends up trapped in a floor tile after death, but this particular group of spirits had created the exact conditions for this specific retribution. Among them were also demon crowds who shared the same arrogant heart, and they, too, were suffering in that same confined space.

They confessed to me that they were truly ignorant. When they were alive, they thought they were better than everyone else because they had read a few more books, possessed a bit more knowledge, or had a slightly larger bank account. They walked around with their noses in the air, never realising that every arrogant gesture was just another layer of karma they were piling onto their own backs. And the words they spoke—the cutting, hurtful things they said to others—those were the heaviest sins of all. They had no idea how small they truly were. They did not understand that the human body is a tiny, fragile vessel, and the knowledge held in the human brain is even smaller than that. How could they have been so foolish as to let a little bit of material wealth or fleeting status turn them into such arrogant beings? Now, looking back from the perspective of the spirit realm, they realise that none of those things matter at all. They see their past selves as utterly ridiculous."

A Lesson for the Living

"These spirits, having endured such profound suffering, poured out their feelings to me. They are filled with deep, burning regret. They feel so foolish for having wasted their lives on such hollow vanity. They look at the world today and see so many people acting exactly as they once did—so quick to show off, so eager to display their pride before others, especially towards those they look down upon. They see the same cycle repeating itself, and it breaks their hearts.

Only after being trampled under the feet of others, day after day, did they finally understand that their arrogance was nothing but a lie. To suffer such intense, prolonged agony just for the sake of a fleeting moment of feeling superior—how could that ever be worth it? It is a terrible bargain, and one that so many are making right now without even realising it.

This physical body is, for the most part, not under your own control. Please, do not take this body too seriously. Do not become obsessed with it, and do not spend your life trying to elevate it above others. The only way to make this life meaningful is to properly teach and discipline this body, using this limited time to elevate your own spirit. Do not let your body drag your soul down into a space of karmic retribution. Namo Amituofo."