The Silent Witness: Venerable Ma Chengdao on Karmic Retribution

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Ma Chengdao, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and spiritual journey, which began many years ago. It was recorded by the chief writer, Venerable Fajing, on July 5, 2018.

Venerable Fajing speaks: "I respectfully invite the Venerable—a title reserved for those of great Wisdom and moral foundations—to compassionately accept this interview."

Venerable Ma Chengdao (ranked 688th among the Venerables) speaks: "Namo Amituofo. My father was a simple, honest man who raised chickens to support our family. Many shopkeepers and restaurant owners in our town loved to buy the chickens my father raised, so his business was exceptionally prosperous. Because of this, he earned a great deal of wealth.

My parents had me three years after they were married. By the time I was three years old, I still could not speak. No matter how hard my parents tried to teach me, I remained unable to make a sound, which caused them immense worry. They invited several doctors to diagnose my condition, but none could find any cause. They tried various herbal medicines, but after finishing the treatments, I was still unable to speak."

The Silent Intervention

"One day, my father was working in the chicken farm. I watched as he chased a plump, tender turkey. The turkey was desperately trying to escape, so terrified that it was defecating as it ran. My father quickly grabbed the turkey and headed to the backyard, preparing to slaughter it. I ran as fast as I could and stood in front of my father, blocking him from killing the bird. My father was shocked by my actions, and only after my persistent, silent pleading did he finally spare the turkey.

This happened several times in succession. My father eventually understood that I was trying to stop him from committing the act of killing. He said to my mother, 'This child has deep good roots.' My mother thought for a moment and then asked, 'Could it be that the reason the child cannot speak is also because of this?' My parents began to discuss whether they should continue selling chickens. My mother said, 'If it is harming our child, it would be better to stop selling them.' Once my father made up his mind, he closed down the chicken farm.

The miraculous thing was that from the moment my father stopped selling chickens, a smile began to appear on my face. It was a smile I had never shown since birth, and it was incredibly radiant. Seeing this, my parents were overjoyed and became even more certain that their decision to stop the business was the right one."

The Path of Repentance

"However, I was still unable to speak by the age of seven. One day, an old monk came to our home to beg for alms. My mother offered the monk a large amount of freshly cooked food. The old monk took one look at me and clearly foreseen the root of my problem. He told my mother, 'Take this child to the temple.'

The next day, my mother immediately took me to the temple, hoping to find a way to heal me. The Master told my mother, 'This child is covered in the spirits of chickens that had their throats slit; they are all here to seek revenge. The only way now is for the whole family to learn the Buddha’s teachings, become vegetarian, and chant Namo Amituofo sincerely every day, dedicating the merit to these chickens that were killed.' My parents followed the Master’s guidance. From that day on, our whole family became vegetarian, and we chanted Namo Amituofo diligently every day, never daring to slacken, sincerely and earnestly repenting to the beings we had harmed."

The Miracle of Speech

"One night, my father suddenly had difficulty breathing. He saw many chicken spirits coming to seek revenge—all of them were chickens he had slaughtered in the past. My mother was beside herself with anxiety, jumping with rage and worry. I quickly told my father, 'Father, hurry! Sincerely chant Namo Amituofo and repent to the beings you have harmed.' My father quickly and sincerely repented to the beings, and only then did his breathing slowly return to normal.

When my parents finally calmed down, they suddenly realised that I had just spoken. I was startled myself, and only then did I understand that everything was caused by karma. Through these events, we gained a deeper understanding of the suffering of sentient beings and witnessed the inconceivable nature of the Buddha’s teachings. Only by sincerely learning the Buddha’s teachings and chanting Namo Amituofo to deliver sentient beings can one repay one’s own sins and help one’s karmic creditors and all beings leave suffering behind."

A Life Dedicated to the Dharma

"Afterward, my parents often served at the temple as volunteers. I also wholeheartedly dedicated myself to the Buddha’s teachings, practicing diligently at the temple. My parents watched me grow, and after several years, they decided to let me become a monastic to repay the Buddha’s grace. In this life, I worked to deliver many beings, and at the time of my passing, I was able to chant Namo Amituofo and be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Now, in the Western Land, I see Practitioner Su in the human world performing Chao Du, using her Dharma Body to save immeasurable and boundless spirits. The deliverance across the universe is truly spectacular; densely packed planets follow Practitioner Su’s Buddha-light and Buddha-name, flying rapidly through space. Her Dharma Body has opened up planetary spaces that have existed for hundreds of millions of years. The time this universe has existed can no longer be described by modern numbers. The spaces Practitioner Su opens span from hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, and millions of years, up to hundreds of millions of years. The spirits within these spaces have existed for just as long.

In the past, eminent monks have performed deliverance for beings in the universe, but the spaces they could open were limited. The spaces Practitioner Su opens now are countless times greater. The vastness of the universe is indescribable, and the duration of its existence is beyond words. It is only through practice in the human world that one can exert such great power. Therefore, we await more human beings to awaken their hearts, so that even wider and more boundless spaces can be opened, delivering even more suffering spirits that have never been discovered before. Namo Amituofo."