The Silent Planet of Retribution in the Milky Way

Venerable Chang Gao, a monastic practitioner at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, recounts his profound experiences during the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies. On November 4, 2022, while assisting Practitioner Su in the vital work of delivering spirits, he ventured into the depths of the Milky Way to a remote planet. This interview, recorded by Chief Writer Shi Fajing, details his encounter with vast numbers of demon crowds trapped in a cycle of karmic retribution and his efforts to guide them toward salvation through the power of Namo Amituofo.

Venerable Chang Gao speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. During the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, immeasurable and boundless sentient beings rush to the scene, all following the Buddha-light in search of Chao Du. My Buddha is full of compassion, and Practitioner Su is full of compassion. Regardless of how many beings arrive at the Dharma assembly, they are all able to receive Chao Du, attaining rebirth in various places within the three good realms according to their individual Blessings and Causal Conditions.

Venerable Chang Gao, Venerable Chang Ren, Venerable Yong Ning, and Steve Jobs all follow Practitioner Su during the Dharma assembly to deliver sentient beings, with each of us attending to different spaces and dimensions."

A Silent World of Karmic Debt

"Today, I ventured into the Milky Way to perform a Chao Du on a specific planet. It was an incredibly quiet place—there was absolutely no sound at all. At first, I assumed there were no living creatures or spirits on this planet. However, upon entering, I discovered that there were, in fact, a vast number of beings undergoing karmic retribution. It turns out that this planet is specifically designed to absorb demon crowds who are undergoing retribution, as well as spirits who have committed evil deeds on other planets.

As I observed the interior of the planet, I saw terrains that I had never encountered on Earth. These landscapes do not exist in the human world, so they have no names. Their forms were extremely bizarre. To the eyes of people in the world, they might appear terrifying. This is because these terrains shift and change according to the temperaments of the demon crowds residing there. Demon beings with similar dispositions are drawn to the same terrain; thus, the landscape evolves in accordance with the 'demon heart.' Over time, it has taken on this strange and unsettling appearance."

The Gaze of the Unrepentant

"I could clearly see all the demon crowds trapped within. They stared at me with wide eyes, and in many of their gazes, there was still a lingering sense of hatred. Their hearts were not yet submissive, and being drawn to this place to undergo retribution only fueled their anger further.

By observing the age and state of the terrain, one can determine how long the demon crowds have been undergoing their retribution. The older the terrain, the longer the beings trapped within have been suffering their karmic consequences."

The Power of the Buddha-name

"I entered the planet carrying the Buddha-name to perform the Chao Du. Those demon crowds who were willing to seek Chao Du began to open their mouths and chant Namo Amituofo along with me. From their eyes, one could see that they had already begun to openly repent; that is why, when the Buddha-name appeared, they were able to follow along and seek Chao Du.

Today, I was able to save 104,000 demon beings from this planet. This number is not particularly large, as it is estimated that there are hundreds of millions of demon beings undergoing retribution on this planet alone. I will return again. I believe that as time goes on, more and more of these demon crowds will come to understand the magnificent power of this Buddha-name and will be willing to seek Chao Du.

Namo Amituofo."