The Healing Power of the Buddha-Name: A Testimony from Venerable Morita

This article records an interview with Venerable Morita, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately 1,635 years ago. It was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on September 26, 2018.

Venerable Morita speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Morita. If you wish to heal illnesses, you must first heal the heart. By maintaining a heart that is purely good and free from wandering thoughts, no illness can naturally arise. My journey began long ago, in a land far from here, in India."

The Grandmother's Legacy of Compassion

"I was raised by my grandmother, a woman of profound skill. In those days, she was known as a divine healer. She was a master of herbal medicine, but what truly set her apart was her innate supernatural power. She could heal almost any ailment with a success rate that seemed miraculous. This gift was passed down through generations, and she used it selflessly. She never charged a single cent; her only motivation was a heart filled with genuine compassion for those suffering.

"She travelled everywhere—to disaster zones, war-torn regions, and places ravaged by epidemics. Whenever there was a need, she would appear. She possessed the healing capacity of ten physicians combined, and no matter how far or arduous the journey, she would go. I, too, was born with supernatural powers. Many expected me to follow in her footsteps and learn her medical arts, but I chose a different path. While she saved lives in the physical realm, I could see the unseen spaces—I saw how many spirits were harmed in the process of these physical cures. I did not learn her medicine, but I inherited her spirit: the willingness to sacrifice oneself for the sake of saving others."

The Search for the Ultimate Cure

"At the age of thirteen, I bid farewell to my grandmother and left my hometown to seek the true method of saving beings. Along the way, countless spirits begged me for help. It broke my heart, but I knew I lacked the necessary power to truly deliver them. I had to remain steadfast, continuing my journey until I possessed the ability to return and save them all.

"I travelled to many lands, observing diverse cultures and their unique ways of healing. Some used guided imagery to enter different dimensions to treat the root of the disease. Others chanted mantras to drive away pain. Some used energy infusion, filling the body with a divine force to accelerate recovery. There were even methods involving surgery to extract impurities, or the use of blood-sucking insects to purify the body's blood. Some cultures used divination, identifying missing elements in one's life—like a missing metal element—and placing objects in specific locations to restore balance. I observed them all, but none of these were the path I sought."

The Seven-Day Test of Patience

"Guided by a stranger, I arrived at a high mountain where a master was said to possess the ultimate healing art. When I reached the temple gate, I was immediately driven away with a broom. I did not understand why, but I did not give up. I knocked again, hoping for a response, but there was only silence—not even the sound of a mosquito. I waited patiently for three days and three nights. My mind began to churn with questions: 'What kind of temple is this? Why would they remain closed for three days?'

"On the seventh day, the gate finally opened. A young novice invited me in. I was led to a pavilion where an elderly monk stood with his back to me. He turned and said, 'I knew you would come three days ago. To save beings, one must have a heart of compassion. No matter how you are treated, you have no choice but to be compassionate. I drove you away with a broom to test if you would develop resentment. You did not. When you knocked again and the door remained closed, it was to teach you that not every being is ready to be saved; one must follow Causal Conditions. Finally, your doubt and questioning showed that your heart was not yet pure. To save beings, you must be one with them, free from unnecessary thoughts. Only now, as your heart has calmed, are you ready to learn.'"

The Practice of Pure Living

"The master showed me the temple. It was simple, devoid of elaborate decorations. He told me, 'Practice lies in gathering the heart. If you pursue external comfort or visual satisfaction, you will never be able to cleanse the dust from your mind.' I watched the other monks; they worked in silence, never engaging in idle chatter. The master explained that idle talk creates negative karma. To keep the body, speech, and mind pure, one must speak little and focus the six roots on the Buddha-name.

"During meals, the monks were dignified and ate only what was necessary. I expected the food to be delicious, but it was tasteless. The master explained, 'A practitioner must keep the six roots pure. If you are swayed by the six dusts, you cannot see the world as it truly is. By not indulging in flavours, we fill our stomachs without attachment, maintaining a pure heart and body.' I begged to stay, and for thirty years, the master taught me only one thing: to chant Namo Amituofo."

Healing Through the Buddha-Name

"I chanted Namo Amituofo in every posture—walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. I chanted until the Buddha-name permeated every pore, until my pores emitted golden light, until my six roots were pure and eventually forgotten. The Buddha-name existed naturally within me. It purified every structure of my body. I could see the human body clearly—every meridian, every bone, every blood vessel. I saw that the root of all illness lies in the heart. If the heart is pure and free from thoughts, no illness can exist.

"I began to heal others by guiding the Buddha-name into their hearts. It flowed through their blood, purified their organs, and expelled black, toxic substances. I also taught the sutras, guiding people to correct their negative causes and cultivate right knowledge. I spent my life using this Buddha-name to heal and deliver beings, eventually attaining rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

A Life of Cosmic Deliverance

"Now, I follow Practitioner Su into the universe every day to perform Chao Du for sentient beings. It is a joy to see the vast number of beings liberated. Helping others is the source of true happiness, and the ultimate help is to guide them to the Western Pure Land. Practitioner Su has allowed me to visit the realms I once knew, including a planet filled with suffering and disease. The beings there were full of evil thoughts, which manifested as physical illness. I brought the light of Namo Amituofo to them, teaching them to chant. Gradually, they transformed their thoughts, and many have now been reborn in the Western Pure Land.

"I am filled with gratitude for the great compassion of Namo Amituofo and the kindness of Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."