The Power of Thought and the Architecture of Space

This interview was conducted on December 6, 2022, with Venerable Chang Ren at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. In this discussion, Venerable Chang Ren elucidates the profound relationship between human thought and the creation of spiritual dimensions, explaining how these self-constructed spaces trap the soul in cycles of suffering and how the practice of chanting Namo Amituofo serves as the ultimate path to liberation.

Venerable Chang Ren speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. After Practitioner Su realised her Dharma Body and opened the various dimensions of space, she came to a profound realisation: the entire universe is saturated with spirits. There is nowhere that is not a space, and even human beings exist within these vast, overlapping dimensions. In reality, the space occupied by humanity is one large, collective realm, yet within it, every individual is trapped in their own private, smaller space. For most people, only an empty shell remains to go through the motions of daily life, while their true spirit has long since wandered off, lost in the void. Why do so many of these spaces exist? It all comes down to a single 'thought'."

The Architecture of a Single Thought

"A single thought creates a single space. A spirit enters that space, following the trajectory of that thought. When the human heart harbours deep attachments, the spirit is inevitably dragged into the corresponding space. Because there are endless varieties of thoughts, there are endless varieties of spaces. Each space is born in response to what is being thought, and the spirit is pulled into it to suffer and undergo karmic retribution. It is a cycle that repeats endlessly, hidden in plain sight."

The Path to Liberation: Practising 'No-Thought'

"For those of us still living, how can we prevent our spirits from suffering in these traps? The answer lies in 'no-thought'. The Buddha’s teachings instruct us to chant the name of the Buddha—to maintain a continuous, unbroken stream of chanting. We must chant until we reach the state of 'chanting without chanting'. When every thought is focused solely on the Buddha, where could there possibly be room for the messy thoughts that generate these dark spaces? How could you be pulled into a realm of delusion if your mind is entirely occupied by the Buddha?

In a pure, focused chant, there is no mixing of other intentions. You must chant until there is no 'self' left, no personality, no discriminations, and no attachments. You must chant until the practice continues even in your dreams. When you chant with such single-minded purity, how could you ever be captured by the spaces created by delusions and messy thoughts?"

The Mercy of Deliverance

"Practitioner Su is filled with boundless compassion; she works tirelessly to perform Chao Du for these spaces. Countless spirits from these realms come to seek her help. Even the thoughts of living humans can find their way to Practitioner Su. This is because human thoughts are so numerous, and each of these thoughts is, in essence, a spirit. Each one carries its own space, and without a chance for liberation, they are trapped. Only by finding Practitioner Su do they have the opportunity to be saved.

Trapped souls are everywhere. You must understand that you cannot afford to have reckless thoughts. Within your mind, Goodness and evil are often tangled together. A single evil thought, a single malicious intention—the space you enter as a result will inevitably cause your spirit to be trapped. If you wish to save yourself, you must strive to be in a state of 'no-thought' at all times. Let every thought be the Buddha, and let every thought be for the sake of all sentient beings."

Namo Amituofo."