The Liberation of Mountain and Forest Spirits

This article records an interview with Venerable Yongning, who shares insights into the compassionate work of Practitioner Su in delivering sentient beings trapped within the mountain and forest spaces of our world. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on February 1, 2023.

Venerable Yongning speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Venerable Yongning. Every single day, high mountains and vast oceans are blessed by the Chao Du performed by Practitioner Su. Whether in China, Taiwan, or any other nation across the globe, the result is the same. Countless sentient beings residing within these mountains and oceans are granted the precious opportunity, through the compassionate Chao Du of Practitioner Su, to finally depart from the spaces where they have been confined for so long.

The Boundless Reach of Deliverance

At this very moment, Practitioner Su is compassionately performing Chao Du for the spaces of our entire planet. The Earth is covered in countless mountains—some reaching high into the clouds, others lower in elevation—yet every one of them holds the potential to be saved by Practitioner Su. The number of sentient beings dwelling within these mountains is truly beyond calculation. For years, even centuries, they have remained trapped within these mountain and forest spaces. Regardless of how the landscape changes over time, they remain bound to these locations, lost and unaware of how to find their way out.

Think of the forests in Australia, for instance. Several of these mountains have suffered through catastrophic bushfires. These infernos incinerated countless animals, plants, and even the smallest of insects. Human-built structures were reduced to ash, and the devastation was immense. The beings who were harmed by these fires remain trapped within those very spaces. Even though the fires have long since been extinguished and the scorched, barren landscape has fallen into a deathly silence, these spirits are still caught in that 'fire space.' They continue to endure the agony of the flames, trapped in a cycle of suffering that feels as intense as the moment the fire first consumed them.

The Golden Light of Salvation

When the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su arrives, a brilliant golden light descends, and the space is opened. The spaces once consumed by fire are similarly unlocked by this golden light. In that singular, fleeting moment, the fire ceases. It is as if everything has finally come to an end. All the spirits look up, gazing at the expanse of golden light. They hear the chanting of the Buddha-name, and they immediately follow the sound, fleeing the space with great speed.

The number of sentient beings who escape these spaces is staggering—they are as dense as a swarm, too many to count. They fly forward in great waves, entering the golden light, and following their own Causal Conditions, they are guided into the three good realms of rebirth.

Awakening from the Depths

Practitioner Su’s golden light reaches every mountain, and the spirits within each one are granted salvation. I have personally witnessed a mountain where, the moment Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body arrived and the golden light shone down, the most sensitive animals were the first to look up. They recognise this as the light that could save them, and they immediately cry out for help. There are also less sensitive beings dwelling deep underground, who have lived in darkness for so long that they did not feel the light at first. However, as Practitioner Su returns again and again, they gradually awaken. They realise that they have a chance to be saved, and they emerge from the depths of the mountain and forest spaces with incredible speed.

Throughout these mountains, there are also many ghosts wandering, unable to find a way out. When the golden light arrives, they too fly towards it without hesitation. From those in the soil, the stones, the insects, the flowers, the trees, the animals, to the spirits within the mountain spaces—all of them quickly depart. There are even mountain spirits present. Once the beings within the mountain have been saved, the mountain spirits themselves become willing to leave. This includes the mountain gods who guard these peaks. Many of these mountain gods are delighted to see the beings under their care being saved. When they see the spirits being delivered in such great numbers, they too seek Chao Du, departing from the mountains alongside the golden light and the sound of the Buddha-name.

The Persistence of Compassion

The spaces within high mountains cannot be fully cleared in a single visit. As time passes, different layers of space reveal themselves within these mountains. Furthermore, most of the spirits in these forests have been there for hundreds or even thousands of years. Many are unwilling to leave due to their deep-seated attachments. It is only through the repeated, compassionate Chao Du of Practitioner Su that they finally become willing to step out of the spaces they have occupied for so long and let go of their attachment to that mountain or forest.

Through observing the Chao Du performed by Practitioner Su, I am constantly learning. What I am learning is that great, compassionate heart that never abandons a single being. Even if Practitioner Su has visited a space before, if there are still beings who have not yet departed, Practitioner Su is willing to return. In every instance of Chao Du, the golden light is made to shine upon these spaces, ensuring that every spirit has the opportunity to follow the light and be liberated.

The scope of these Chao Du sessions is becoming wider and wider. In every location—whether it be the mountains, the oceans, or the vast earth—the depth of the deliverance increases, and the number of spirits saved from these spaces grows ever greater.

I am deeply grateful to Practitioner Su for compassionately saving all beings.

Namo Amituofo.

Yongning"