The Karmic Roots of Illness

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Changren, who discusses the nature of illness and the path to healing through the teachings of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. This account explores the karmic origins of physical suffering and the transformative power of the Dharma. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on February 12, 2023.

Venerable Changren speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. When a spirit enters the human world through rebirth, it immediately begins the inevitable journey of birth, aging, illness, and death. Among these, 'illness' is a universal experience. Even if one avoids major ailments, minor ones are unavoidable. It is a natural condition of the human body, a path that every single person has walked at some point in their life.

Recently, the mind-body healing practices at our temple have provided undeniable proof of the boundless power of the Buddha’s Dharma. Practitioner Su has followed the Buddha’s teachings diligently. She has cultivated the Dharma Body, not for her own benefit, but as a tool to save and deliver beings from the spiritual realms.

The Medical and Karmic Perspectives

From the perspective of worldly medicine, illness is seen as a physical malfunction—a breakdown, a lesion, or a mutation that causes the body to lose its natural function or efficiency. We feel the weight of these ailments acutely. When a serious illness strikes, the body struggles to bear the burden. We often rely on medical intervention and heavy doses of medication just to keep the symptoms under control.

However, if we look through the lens of the laws of karma and cause and effect, every single illness and every pang of pain is inextricably linked to karma. We are reaping the bitter fruit of negative causes sown in the past. Within this web of cause and effect, karmic creditors are always present, seeking revenge. They gather in massive numbers at the site of the pain. It is not just one group; the space within that specific part of the body is layered, like a stack of dimensions. In each of these dimensions, a multitude of beings exists, all simultaneously demanding repayment from the body that the spirit has inhabited. The suffering is immense—not only for the physical body but for the spirit residing within it.

The Heart as the Catalyst for Change

Practitioner Su uses her Dharma Body to help people resolve these deep-seated illnesses. Under the Buddha's blessings, the karmic creditors within the body are given the chance to be reconciled and to depart. The core of this mind-body healing lies in the 'heart.' Every illness has a root cause, and every patient must strive to understand what that is. What kind of mental note, what specific personality trait, or what negative mindset triggered this illness in the first place? When a person can truly identify the root cause, adjust their mindset, and thoroughly transform themselves, they remove the very seed of the illness, allowing for genuine recovery.

At this stage, Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body assists the patient in resolving the conflict with the karmic creditors residing within. As long as these beings are willing to let go of their past resentment, they cease their pursuit of revenge. With the karmic pressure removed, the body’s own natural healing mechanisms can finally begin to restore the damaged areas.

The Path to True Liberation

This entire process requires a fundamental shift in the 'heart.' Only when the heart is changed—when the very mind that triggered the illness is completely transformed—can the body stop being driven by the patterns of the past. When the heart changes, the karmic creditors gathered within are no longer pulled by the old mental notes of the patient. Under the compassionate influence of the Buddha’s power, they gradually awaken their own Buddha-nature. From within their own hearts, they become willing to abandon past hatred, leave behind their painful dimensions, and reconcile with the one they once sought to harm. This is how the root cause of an illness is eradicated. It is truly magnificent.

Namo Amituofo."