The Perspective of Compassion

This interview was recorded on July 3, 2018. It features the spirit of the late Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, who now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. In this testimony, he reflects on his past life, the nature of compassion, and his observations of the diligent work performed by Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

Lee Kuan Yew speaks:

"I believe that many of you, based on your past social experiences, have likely shared a common feeling: when you stand at different heights and look at the same situation, the conclusions you reach are often vastly different. When you are a junior employee, you often find the demands your boss places on your work to be harsh and unreasonable. Yet, when you work hard, earn a promotion, and become a manager yourself, you suddenly find those same requirements for work quality and speed to be entirely reasonable. When you eventually rise to the level of a senior executive, you view the achievement of company performance targets as a matter of course. From beginning to end, the situation is actually the same; it is only because you are standing at different angles and heights that the discrepancy in your perception is so vast. This is what we call 'thinking from another's position.'"

The Absence of Compassion in Governance

"In learning the Buddha's teachings, we are asked to learn compassion. In the past, when I was managing the nation, the word 'compassion' never once appeared in my heart. Regarding the policies and requirements imposed upon the civilians, I only felt that these were for the greater good of the public. I never felt there was anything wrong or incorrect about them. I always viewed everything through my own eyes and from my own position. Now that I am in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, besides listening to Practitioner Su's lectures every day, I observe how the fourfold assembly of disciples at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre interact with one another, and I witness the methods of Practitioner Su's teachings. If it were not for Practitioner Su's boundless compassion—his refusal to abandon even a single spirit to fall back into the six realms of rebirth—how could he endure the sometimes unreasonable treatment and responses from the children under his care?"

The Truth Behind the Veil

"Practitioner Su possesses the five eyes of wisdom, seeing through the truth of all things. He understands that the children are often under spiritual attachment or are unable to act autonomously. He patiently waits for them to awaken, or he exhausts every possible method to teach these children to turn back. His only goal is the fear that a child might accidentally slip away, for the price of such a mistake would be ten thousand kalpas of suffering in the cycle of rebirth."

A Call to Cherish the Opportunity

"People often become so accustomed to the environment they live in, and so entrenched in their habits and behavioral patterns, that they take many things for granted. They view and interpret matters through their own erroneous perceptions, and in the end, it is they themselves who suffer the most harm. I, Lee Kuan Yew, hereby declare once again to the children participating in group cultivation at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre: you are the most blessed and fortunate group of Buddha's children. You must cherish the fact that Namo Amituofo is residing at this temple—an opportunity that has not existed for countless eons. Seize the present moment, practise diligently, and allow more children with great aspirations to participate in group cultivation. Let us walk the Buddha's path together, work hard for the great cause of saving the world, and one day, hand in hand, return together to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am here, waiting for you to come home. Namo Amituofo!"

This message was recorded by the disciple Haipin.