The Magnificent Temple and the Path to Awakening

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Changren, who shares profound insights regarding the significance of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This discussion was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on September 1, 2018.

Venerable Changren speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. A temple of such magnificent dignity and solemnity serves, in the eyes of the world, as the most profound and effective bodhimanda for propagating the Dharma. It is my sincere hope that this site can help purify the worldly hearts of humanity, which have long been clouded by the dust of existence. In this current era of rapid technological advancement, we must utilise modern methods of presentation. Novelty and visual impact are essential tools to capture the attention of a distracted world. The construction of a grand, magnificent temple is not merely for show; it signifies our commitment to lead all beings throughout the entire universe toward liberation. Namo Amituofo has descended into this world, and we have all prepared ourselves to manifest this Great Buddha Temple within the human realm, providing a beacon of light for all who seek the truth.

A Beacon for the Universe

Step by step, all the Causal Conditions are beginning to sprout and flourish. The future scale of this centre is truly beyond what the human mind can imagine. What you see today is merely the beginning, the initial stage of a much greater manifestation. In the future, the Causal Conditions will be exceptionally magnificent. Every connection to the Western Pure Land will be linked through this site, and the purity of this place will become even more apparent to all. The world outside does not possess the cooling, refreshing peace found here. The true purification of body and heart must be gradually unravelled between the cycles of life and death. It is a process of working through one's own temperament and nature.

The Path of Letting Go

The more you learn to let go of the 'self,' the more you will experience the most joyful and liberated state of existence. This is fundamentally different from the constant competition and grasping that defines the worldly life. To truly find oneself—to return to one's original nature—is the most important task one can undertake while in this world. To help everyone achieve this, the Buddha has descended into the world with great compassion. He wishes to help everyone attain liberation from the cycle of birth and death and to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. This is an incredibly rare and magnificent opportunity. I truly hope that everyone can see this clearly.

Awakening from the Illusory Game

The ability to awaken one's heart and realise one's true nature is something that only you can master for yourself. If you come into this world and fail to find your true self, then everything else you do is largely empty talk. All the affairs of this world are merely a deceptive, illusory play. Only through genuine purification can one truly understand this principle—a principle that is, in truth, quite simple. The cycle of rebirth is nothing more than an illusory game. I hope that everyone can understand the need to wake up and clearly seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. I am deeply grateful for the compassionate heart of the grandmother, and I am grateful for the compassionate blessings of the Buddha. Namo Amituofo."