The Relationship Between the Spirit and the Brain

A Glimpse of Recovery

On the 27th of January, 2019, the cellular activity within Lay Practitioner Xu showed a slight improvement compared to the previous day. Because of this, she possessed enough strength to sit upright, open her eyes, and even open her mouth to consume some soft nourishment. She was also able to respond to a few questions. Despite this progress, the temperature of her hands and feet remained quite cold, necessitating the use of additional clothing and warm blankets. Even though the Great Master Li Bingnan has been continuously radiating energy to support and bless Lay Practitioner Xu’s physical condition, her body remains profoundly sensitive to the cold, which serves as a stark reminder of the severity of her previous physical state.

Regarding the affairs of the association, Master Li Bingnan initially intended to look around the desk or the cabinets to check on the current situation and gather news. However, for Lay Practitioner Xu’s body, such actions are an immense struggle. She requires assistance even to stand, let alone to walk or perform the physical motions of searching through documents. Consequently, Master Li Bingnan abandoned this intention. He attempted to express a desire to meet with Practitioner Su, yet despite his focused effort, he found himself unable to articulate the words. This inability to speak clearly indicates that Lay Practitioner Xu’s body currently lacks the capacity to carry out the actions that Master Li Bingnan wishes to perform. Therefore, he set this thought aside. What factors cause the body to be unable to follow the intentions of the spirit? What obstacles remain? Could it be that Lay Practitioner Xu’s nervous system has encountered some dysfunction, preventing it from executing instructions?

The Mechanics of the Mind and Body

To understand this, we must examine the head. In terms of human physiological function, when the head receives messages from various parts of the body via the nervous system, it is capable of making immediate judgements. It then sends commands from the brain back through the nervous system to the various parts of the body, allowing those parts to perform their specific functions. Therefore, the spirit’s reactions to the external world, the learning content of this lifetime, the memory of experiences, and the capacity for language and thought are all stored within the brain. In other words, the brain serves as both a storage centre and a command centre.

The reception of external information and the commands issued by the brain are all handled by the nerves, which transmit signals to the organs, the extremities, the muscles, and the internal organs, directing them to act according to the brain’s instructions. Thus, controlling the head is effectively equivalent to controlling a person’s thoughts, intentions, and actions. However, deep judgements of consciousness or experiences related to past lives must be governed by the spirit. Therefore, if spiritual attachments or karmic creditors enter the body and occupy the head, or if the head suffers from impact, external injury, or congenital abnormalities in the neural structure—all of which are related to the laws of karma and cause and effect—it will interfere with and alter the normal responses of the brain.

The Chaos of Spiritual Interference

When karmic creditors or attached spirits issue messages to control you, wanting you to act according to their will, and your own brain and spirit also react, the body becomes unable to be governed solely by yourself. It becomes controlled by these other beings, causing the nervous system to fall into chaos. You may not know which instruction to follow, leading to symptoms such as nervous disorders, confusion, incoherent speech, and erratic changes in facial expressions, language, and actions. It becomes difficult to maintain a state of stability. All of these situations are reactions to the interference of other spiritual beings within the head, or they may be the result of the head’s ageing and neural abnormalities.

After all, the brain is something that only exists because we possess a body in this lifetime; without a body, there is no brain. Therefore, the brain primarily stores the learning and memories of this current life, while the various circumstances, intuitions, and natural talents from past lives are related to the spirit.

The Path to Awakening

Therefore, what we call keen awareness, sensitivity, and Awakening require the possession of a body in this lifetime, a normally structured brain and nervous system, and a complete spirit—that is, the complete three hun souls and seven po souls. There must be no interference or obstruction from messages or thoughts sent by karmic creditors or attached spirits, allowing the spirit to communicate freely throughout the entire body without hindrance. Only when these three conditions are met can the goal of Awakening be achieved. Only then can the keen awareness originally inherent in every person’s spirit be expressed through a normal body and the Six Roots, allowing the state of Awakening to be manifested. This is what Practitioner Su often says: one must have a human body in order to save others. Because when you make a vow to save the world and rescue beings, you must rely on the body to put that vow into action and achieve the purpose of saving others. Furthermore, after finding your true self through the body, you attain the Dharma Body and can then save beings in the capacity of a spirit.

An Encouragement to the Students

Therefore, students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, you are being cared for by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su. Do not be afraid to make vows. As long as you are sincerely willing to serve the masses and are willing to put your vows into practice, even if there are areas where you are lacking, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Teacher, and Practitioner Su will guide you to improve and will assist and bless you from the sidelines. Therefore, we do not fear that you will make vows; we only fear that after making vows, you will become afraid, lose confidence in yourself, and dare not act. That would be an empty vow.

Thus, students of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre have a great advantage over others who are searching for the Truth and their true self. You have fewer opportunities to wander aimlessly or suffer injury, and you have a faster opportunity to find your true self. You must truly grasp this opportunity to reach Awakening and be reborn in the Western Pure Land in this lifetime; otherwise, it would be a great pity!

Regarding the situation of Lay Practitioner Xu, the neural system of her brain is indeed transmitting signals at a slow speed, which indicates a decline in her ability to respond. She does not easily absorb new information and tends to act according to old habits and thoughts. This is the reason why, as one ages, one becomes more stubborn and insists on one’s own views. It shows that Lay Practitioner Xu’s body is controlled by karma. Therefore, one cannot demand that Lay Practitioner Xu’s body immediately perform the tasks that Master Li Bingnan wishes to accomplish. However, these tasks must be performed through Lay Practitioner Xu’s body, so we must give her body some time to recover before she can continue to act.

This message was recorded by the Buddha’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.