The Path of True Transformation

Venerable Chang Ren, a monastic who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, currently resides at the Centre, where she dedicates herself to the path of liberation. This interview, recorded on February 25, 2021, by the chief writer, Shi Faxi, captures her profound teachings on the necessity of spiritual metamorphosis and the urgency of self-awakening.

Venerable Chang Ren speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Every individual will encounter moments of learning and growth throughout their life. When the time for such learning arrives, or when the moment of true transformation—a metamorphosis of the spirit—is upon you, how should you respond? How can you secure a final victory over your own karmic obstacles? This is a question that weighs heavily on the hearts of many.

In the process of growing, everyone must undergo a transformation, much like a caterpillar shedding its skin. Within this journey, you are bound to experience profound shifts. You may encounter setbacks, or perhaps trials of varying intensity. These are inevitable, for without them, you would never truly grow. It is through these very challenges that you learn to identify your problems, refine your practice, and ultimately achieve a successful metamorphosis. In this process of transformation, every person must face unique tests and challenges, even breaking through the barriers of their own making. These are the critical keys to spiritual practice. Think about it—since you have been wandering through the cycle of rebirth for countless lifetimes, you are covered in the stains of karmic habits and bound by various karmic conditions. If you do not wake up, if you do not know how to change, and if you continue to drift along with the currents of your karma, you will never find liberation. You will remain trapped in a state of immense suffering. This is something you must clearly understand; you must have the determination to peel back the layers of your own ego and reveal your true self.

The Rare Opportunity for Liberation

My Buddha is compassionate, granting everyone the opportunity to engage in diligent practice here, to break through your limitations, and to rediscover your true self. These are vital moments. When you are able to break through, the liberation from birth and death can be realised. To overcome the difficulties accumulated over countless lifetimes requires such a tremendous power of awakening! Right now, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, this is possible. This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. You must grasp it firmly; do not let it slip through your fingers, for such chances are incredibly rare.

Life is so precious, yet you must know how to manage it. Everyone’s life takes different turns. Those who know how to manage themselves understand that every day must be cultivated with care. They are clear about their life’s direction, they see their life’s goals with clarity, and they understand the true meaning of their existence. Some people, however, live blindly, drifting through every day in a state of confusion. They cling to their own attachments, believing this or that to be important, chasing after what they perceive as significant while ignoring the very areas where they need to break through and change. Their life slips away invisibly, day by day, until they can no longer wake up. When life is replaced by external, invisible forces, and you can no longer regain your clarity, your body becomes nothing more than a puppet. You step-by-step march toward old age, sickness, and death. In the end, you fail to break through, and there is only an endless sea of karma waiting for you.

The Reality of Samsara

Do you truly wish for such a fate? Even the most foolish person knows they do not want to choose suffering. If you want your life to change, you must put in real, genuine effort. Otherwise, your life will truly be replaced, day by day. This is the reality of the cycle of rebirth. You must understand that you are the one who decides where your cycle of rebirth will stop. Do not let this opportunity to take charge of your own life slip away again. In the cycle of rebirth, I have seen many suffering spirits. They rotate through the cycle of rebirth, enduring tortures that are almost impossible to bear. Some beings do not even care about the physical pain; they are so deeply immersed in the love, hatred, and grudges within their hearts that the mental torment is far more unbearable for them. This is the reality of the cycle of rebirth. Ask yourself: where are you currently standing?

Throughout accumulated lifetimes, there have been many practitioners and many monastics, yet they have all remained stuck in various parts of the cycle of rebirth. This result can be attributed to their practice lacking the necessary strength or failing to achieve success. So, can you examine yourself now? Will you be successful in the future, or will you remain unaccomplished? If you can succeed, what will that look like? If you fail, what will that situation be? These are things you must be able to see clearly. You must be sensitive and alert, correcting your course in time.

Distinguishing True Practice from Delusion

Now, let us return to the matter of 'transformation.' Why is it so important? The reason is quite obvious: it is a process you must undergo. If you transform well—growing and breaking through—you will eventually achieve success. Your transformation will be complete, representing a state of growth and elevation. However, if your transformation is not guided correctly, or if it is flawed, then even if you go through changes, you will not grow. You might even go astray, falling into the demon path or sinking deeper into the six realms of existence to suffer the consequences. Therefore, even if you know you need to change, the methods and the ways you choose are crucial. Even a slight deviation can lead to vastly different results. We do not wish to continue in this cycle of rebirth, nor do we wish to endure the suffering of birth and death again. Therefore, in this very life, you must transform completely and achieve success!

What kind of 'transformation' is considered correct? Many people know about 'change,' but many others do not. Just as many people know about 'practice,' but many others do not. Using the right methods and learning correctly is vital! Many people know how to study the Buddha’s teachings or practice, and some can even imitate others so perfectly that it looks genuine. But is it correct? This is the point that requires your attention! Why does the Buddha save beings by adapting to their individual karmic conditions and teaching according to their capacity? The reason is that every being has different karmic bonds and different characteristics. Some beings have clear and sharp roots; they only need a simple method to see and awaken. Others have duller roots, but this does not mean their potential is inferior. Every being is the same; it is just that their karmic conditions and personal experiences differ. Therefore, when the Buddha saves beings, He uses many different methods. There is no fixed Dharma. Different beings require the selection of appropriate good methods, and the timely application of the right assistance to help them break through delusion, attain enlightenment, and achieve success.

The Importance of the Awakening Heart

Having said this, you might still be unsure how to choose the right way to practice. I would like to recommend that you look at the Buddha’s heart and nature. Learning the Buddha’s heart is a vital guiding direction. Follow the Buddha, learn how to change your habits, and learn how to break through your own personal problems. When you can learn a thing or two from this, and then gradually and systematically modify your own issues, your body and mind will change, and you will even reach a state akin to the Buddha’s. This is a method that requires diligent practice. Because your karmic habits from countless lifetimes have already formed your personal problems, when you begin to break through, you may encounter difficulties and setbacks. These are the very areas where you must work hard and diligently change your ways. The power of the Buddha combined with your own effort—this is what we call practice.

Practice is not about how much you study the sutras or how much you contribute to various Buddhist affairs. True practice lies within your inner nature, adjusting your own body and mind. Only then can you truly achieve success and complete your transformation. In the midst of this transformation, you will experience things that are hard to predict, but what you must know is that your 'awakening heart' must remain with you throughout the journey. You must never lose it. You must always have an awakening heart to remind yourself, to examine yourself, and to change yourself. This awakening heart is an essential ability for self-reflection in practice. You must have the clarity to discover problems and the sensitivity to perceive mistakes. In every minute detail, you must possess this sensitivity, being able to perceive and adjust yourself according to the guidance of the Truth, learning the Buddha’s heart, and transforming yourself.

Taking Responsibility for Your Own Liberation

Practice is a process of constant transformation. If you are unaware of this form, it would be a great pity, for you will never be able to identify your mistakes. Even if you study the Buddha’s teachings, you might not truly understand the Buddha’s Dharma, and within your inner nature, you may remain a worldly, ordinary person. You must avoid this major error. In every corner of your life, you must be able to see your own changes and correct them at any time. Face your mistakes; do not be afraid to change. Face your difficulties; do not be afraid to break through. Face every setback in life with the courage and strength to break through, to change the 'you' that has existed for countless lifetimes, and to allow yourself to transform and achieve success. This is how you 'transform' and return to your own perfect, original nature.

This requires your diligent practice, your breakthroughs, your constant effort, and your adherence to the Truth. There is no Buddha who can do this for you, because these problems originate within you. Only you can help yourself; you must save yourself. The cycle of rebirth is extremely painful. You must wake up and stop being deluded. You are the one who harms yourself the most, so to save yourself, you must first stop harming yourself again.

The Buddha’s compassion has always been waiting for the masses to wake up, waiting tirelessly for beings to turn back. Do not mistakenly believe that your cycle of rebirth is something the Buddha will come to save you from. In truth, the one who keeps you in the cycle of rebirth is you! Therefore, the Buddha’s compassionate waiting is merely to leave a clear path for beings, to let them know the direction to return. You must understand how to seek liberation. Just as it is now at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, do not mistakenly believe that Practitioner Su should save you. In reality, every obstacle is your own problem, including your inability to achieve success—that, too, is your own problem. Therefore, the compassion of Practitioner Su is to show everyone a clear path, to provide the methods and direction for practice. It is not for everyone to rely on her to save them. If you do that, not only will you fail to achieve success, but you will not even be able to solve your own problems, because the problems originate within you. You are the one who must know how to work hard to solve them!

Do not miss this opportunity. You must wake up and seek liberation. Start working hard from this moment on! Give your all, transform your life, and achieve success! My Buddha is compassionate, and Practitioner Su is compassionate; everyone should learn to be the same. You must wake up, transform yourself, and change yourself! Gratitude to my Buddha’s compassion, gratitude to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."

Namo Amituofo.