The Twenty-Sixth Letter of Venerable Master Wei Chueh
The Burden of a Legacy: A Reflection on Chung Tai Chan Monastery
A Final Plea from Venerable Master Wei Chueh
A Call to the Chung Tai Sangha: The Path to the Pure Land
The Heart-Gouging Truth: A Master's Confession from the Pure Land
The Truth of Practice and the Path to Liberation
Do Not Cling to Bodily Sensations
Interview with Gu Fangzhou (Chinese Virologist)
Interview with Zhao Ning (Co-founder of WuXi AppTec)
No Longer Distinguishing Right from Wrong
Interview with Li Yining (The Theoretical Founder of China's Shareholding System Reform)
This article features the twenty-sixth letter from Venerable Master Wei Chueh, recorded on July 12, 2017. In this discourse, the Master offers profound guidance on the nature of true , warning practitioners against the subtle traps of the ego and the false sense of accomplishment that hinder the path to seeing one's true nature. The message was transcribed by the chief writer, disciple Shi Fa Xi.
Venerable Master Wei Chueh speaks:
"To exert oneself fully in the work of the Buddha is to experience a state of being completely filled with Dharma joy. This kind of happiness is difficult to describe in words, yet we all refer to it as being filled with Dharma joy. Have you ever experienced this feeling? In such moments, when you are truly benefiting the masses and standing in close proximity to the Buddha, your heart feels brimming with warmth. You feel at peace, calm, grounded, and genuinely happy. You do not feel tired in the slightest, nor do you think of yourself at all. You have no attachment to the concept of existence or having. It is only when you act while letting go of that you truly experience this joy. Only then can you see the true Buddha and the Truth itself.
There are many that mimic this Dharma joy, but they are false. They are still deeply rooted in the mundane world and lack any true longevity. Very quickly, you will find yourself swayed by the next external condition that arises. This is not Dharma joy; it is merely your own personal gratification. I encourage you to examine this carefully. If you feel pressure while performing a task, you are not a true practitioner of the Buddha's path. You are merely going through the motions to fulfil an obligation. You are only seeking to do something to validate your own sense of existence, or perhaps to highlight your own importance. In reality, you are completely mistaken. Such behaviour only causes you to live within your own imagination and attachments. Furthermore, there is a term that the public rarely hears: you have become controlled, because you are acting out of selfishness.
You may work yourself to the bone, exhausting every ounce of your heart and energy, only to receive a response that leaves you feeling unappreciated. You must feel incredibly resentful. But you need to be clear: you were only working for yourself. You might argue, 'But I am doing this for the sake of everyone! I could have chosen to do otherwise; I did not have to work this hard.' Look at that—even in your defence, it all comes back to your own feelings, and you are holding onto them very tightly. Can you honestly say that there was no self in the work you performed? There certainly was. Therefore, it is selfish. The happiness or Dharma joy you claim to feel is merely a simulation; it is false. The happiness is real in the sense that you are satisfied with your own actions and proud of your involvement, but this happiness is fragile. It will be quickly defeated by frustration or disappointment. This world is quite miraculous; as soon as you go against the Truth, or hold onto your own thoughts and views, you will be brought down. You will fall into a state of deep depression because the void does not respect you; it will come to control you—or rather, it will influence you. You can test whether what I say is true. In fact, these are not just my words; this is the Truth. I am merely stating it as it is, hoping that everyone can grow and stop deceiving themselves.
True Dharma joy is not difficult to attain. It simply requires you to let go of your own agenda, to seek no reward, and to focus entirely on the needs of others. Do not look inward for your own feelings. In this way, you will be able to see the true traces of Dharma joy. You are also very likely to see your own true nature from this perspective—to see their true nature—because this is all on the same path. If your momentum is strong enough, you may be able to open the path quite far in a single effort, allowing you to realise your true nature quickly. In that moment, your heart will be in sync with the Buddha, and you will receive the infinite of the Buddha. The Buddha's is the hope that every single person can see their true nature and attain liberation. As soon as your Causal Conditions are sufficient, the Buddha is so anxious to save you from the sea of that He cannot wait. Because it is not easy, saving even a few is of the utmost importance. If you are now going against the current, as I described earlier, you are engaging in things that are false—mere fluctuations of your own heart. You are opening a path that leads away from seeing their true nature, and the further you go, the more lost you become. You will not realise that you are wrong; you will think you have been correct all along. Therefore, when someone points out your errors, you should be grateful and turn back immediately. You can still see their true nature very quickly. But if you do not believe this, then only you can save yourself, because you only believe in what you say. I was like this in the past, and I share this with you now. This is what I see today; many people have this problem. I hope you understand what I am trying to tell you. This is the Truth of the universe, and it is very fair, because the choices you make are almost always of your own making.
Grand Master Wei Chueh, the founder of the renowned Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Taiwan, reflects on his life's work, the immense challenges of establishing a global Buddhist institution, and his ultimate realisation regarding the true path to rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Having sought spiritual deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia after his passing, he now resides in the Dharma-Nature Land.
Venerable Master Wei Chueh shares a profound, urgent warning regarding the necessity of the Pure Land practice and the dangers of neglecting the path to rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Grand Master Wei Chueh, the late founder of the Chung Tai Chan Monastery, speaks from the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss to urge his followers to embrace the Pure Land practice, reflecting on his own journey from the hells to salvation.
After a lifetime of building a vast Zen legacy, Venerable Master Wei Chueh reveals the harrowing truth of his passing: despite his fame, he found himself in the heart-gouging hell. Through the compassionate deliverance of Practitioner Su at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, he finally reached the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and now issues a heartfelt plea to his followers to embrace the Pure Land path.
A candid reflection from the spirit of Elizabeth Taylor, who shares her journey from the blinding lights of Hollywood to the serene, transformative teachings of the Buddha in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Michael Jackson shares his journey from the pressures of global fame to the peace of the Western Pure Land, revealing the truth behind his life and his ultimate deliverance.
Helen Keller, the renowned deaf-blind philanthropist, shares her journey from the darkness of the ghost realm to the light of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, guided by the compassion of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su.
Albert Einstein, once considered the most brilliant mind in human history, reflects on his life, the nature of 'science' versus the Truth of the Dharma, and his existence in the Western Pure Land.
Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, reflects on his life, his political career, and his profound journey from the depths of hell to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss through the compassion of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su.
This is a record of an interview with Kim Il Sung, the founder and former leader of North Korea, who sought deliverance 32 years ago. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library