The Missing Truth of Dharma Drum Mountain

This is the tenth letter from the late Venerable Master Sheng Yen, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This message was recorded on June 19, 2017, by the Buddhist disciple Shi Faxi.

Venerable Master Sheng Yen speaks:

"The profound nature of the Buddha's teachings—only now have I truly begun to learn it. It turns out that the great void within Dharma Drum Mountain was so vast. Only by coming here to verify the Truth and the Dharma can one finally distinguish between what is real and what is false."

The Crisis of Faith

"The crisis at Dharma Drum Mountain has never been resolved, and the reason is simple: no one is truly willing to believe in the Buddha! Although people claim to be students of Buddhism, how many possess genuine, unwavering faith? Most are still far too attached to their own personalities and egos. My heart is heavy with grief as I observe these changes and phenomena. What method could possibly shatter the deep-seated doubts within everyone's hearts? You should not place such immense faith in me, your teacher. Instead, you must direct that faith toward your own ability to achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land. That is the most important thing of all!

All the Venerables, the volunteer Bodhisattvas, and the lay practitioners—I know you have all given of yourselves with sincere emotion. This is undeniable. But why is it that you still cannot achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land? This is a question that I fear you still cannot grasp, simply because the moment of truth has not yet arrived for you. How can you be so certain that you will not be reborn there? If you do not chant Namo Amituofo with a single, focused heart, if you believe in the 'Pure Land on Earth' that I once created, and if you cling to your own subjective beliefs, you will not be able to achieve rebirth. Your heart of renunciation is insufficient. No matter how much piety you show, no matter how much passionate effort you exert, or how much Dharma joy you feel, these are merely blessings and merits. Even if they are considered merits, they are not the ultimate goal. The Western Pure Land remains very far away—in fact, many of you have never truly pursued it. This is absolutely terrifying! If you cannot go to the Western Pure Land, where will you go? The Dharma realm of emptiness is so vast, my children—where are you going to go?"

The Illusion of Practice

"The Dharma realm of emptiness is boundless and infinite. I am now in the Western Pure Land, but because our spaces are different, I cannot save you from there. Even if the Buddha were to come, it would be difficult to save those who do not listen. Moreover, I am not a Buddha; I did not transmit the true method for reaching the Western Pure Land. I mistakenly believed that a Pure Land on Earth could be propagated. Everyone kept performing repentance ceremonies, begging for forgiveness, yet this did not enable beings to achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land. What are we to do about this?

I only understand now that if your practice does not change your very cells, it is not the correct path. That is why I was at the mercy of my own fate, dying from a severe illness. The Emperor Liang Repentance Ceremony is a form of repenting, but it was misapplied. After you finish the ceremony, do you change your personality? If you do not change, it is useless. If you finish the ceremony and still get angry just as you did before, how can that be a heart of true repenting? Repenting is a vow that must never be abandoned for one's entire life. It must continue until you become a Buddha. You must repent for the inability to be a human, and you must seek to escape the six realms of existence. That is true repenting. The Emperor Liang Repentance has caused everyone to misunderstand; momentary repenting is not ultimate. It is like committing an error and then repeating it—you cannot keep making the same mistakes over and over again!

Is there a method to seek rebirth in the Pure Land? Yes! The Thrice Yearning Ceremonies passed down by Zen Master Zhongfeng are truly capable of leading one to the Western Pure Land. Here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, one can truly reach the West. I, Sheng Yen, am now participating here—chanting Namo Amituofo, repenting, and performing Chao Du to seek rebirth in the Pure Land. It is not just about repenting. There are many aspects of the Buddha's teachings that cannot be merely glossed over on the surface. This is a very terrifying reality!"

A Call to My Disciples

"Repenting must come from the depths of your heart, and it must be accompanied by the vow to send all beings to the Western Pure Land. I led Dharma Drum Mountain into a mistaken faith, and the entire lineage is unable to achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land. It is also difficult for the young ones to learn the true Dharma because it has all become mere 'Buddhist studies.' To the Venerables of the 'Guo' generation, the 'Chang' generation, and the 'Yan' generation—some of you should come here to study and observe. I am here, and I want to say a few words to you all. The profound nature of the Buddha's teachings—only now have I truly begun to learn it. It turns out that the great void within Dharma Drum Mountain was so vast. Only by coming here to verify the Truth and the Dharma can one finally distinguish between what is real and what is false.

Venerable Guo Dong, I see that you have already seen these messages. I am your teacher, Sheng Yen. Read these words of the Buddha here, and you will know whether this is true practice. I want you to come and learn; I do not want you to do anything else. Between people, we should be as one body. Without this, one cannot become a Buddha; it should not be this way."

"Namo Amituofo. Sheng Yen."