The Space Within Space

Venerable Chang Gao, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and now resides in the Buddha-Dharma Realm, shares his profound insights into the nature of the void. This interview was recorded on August 11, 2019, and transcribed by the disciple Shi Faxin.

Venerable Chang Gao speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. We are all integral parts of the vast void. But what meaning does this void hold for us? In the context of the various Dharma Realms, every spirit exists as a tiny micro-particle. Each of us possesses the ability to emit our own light. The colours, the intensity, and the reach of this light vary—some are grey, some white, some a pale yellow, others a brilliant gold, or even the radiant, true golden hue of purple-gold. These manifestations all originate from our own thoughts. What we contemplate, what we desire, and what we perceive are all intricately connected to the universe through trillions of inseparable threads. These threads pull at one another, creating relationships—whether they be the settling of debts, the repayment of karmic obligations, or deep emotional entanglements.

The Web of Karmic Connections

For each individual micro-particle, the number of threads extending outward is immeasurable and boundless. In one moment, due to a specific condition, one might be connected to fifty thousand threads; in another moment, a different condition might link one to a million more. Once we possess a human body, every single one of these threads is closely related to the cells within us. As a thought arises, it awakens fifty thousand threads; another thought might stir up thirty thousand more. The body is like a living volcano, constantly erupting, spewing forth, and then settling, only to leap and traverse through space once again. When will it ever be calmed, and how should one go about calming it?

If our thoughts are already this volatile, one can only imagine the state of our emotions, our evil thoughts, or our intense anger. Beings are subject to such violent fluctuations that the body becomes a vessel they can no longer master. The three hun souls and seven po souls that reside within the body are often trapped in this very moment of fluctuation, leading to stagnation in space, suffering retribution in hell, or falling into the animal realm. In such a state of unawareness, one is left living merely as a shell. Inside this shell, one is filled with attached spirits that correspond to one's own thoughts, as well as karmic creditors who are actively utilising one's body. This is the true reality of the human world.

The Reality of the Human World

Beyond this, the void contains infinite dimensions, each with its own unique space—spaces defined by one's own ideas, spaces of personal preference, or the high-level spaces attained through diligent practice, such as the Buddha-Dharma Realm where I currently reside. Regardless of whether a space is considered high or low, once you enter it, leaving is an impossibility unless you undergo a transformation through the Truth, allowing you to enter yet another space. The void is like a great spinning wheel, and we are like spinning tops, stretched out and pulled by the Truth.

The Master's Path to Liberation

Only through the Master's aspiration and vows can these trillions of spaces within the void be unravelled, allowing beings to be led out of them and toward the path of Goodness or the Western Land. The void is endless, and the spaces within it are infinite; all of them are formed by our thoughts. The Master teaches us to stop our thoughts, which is also a way of teaching us not to enter these spaces in the first place. Whether you are sitting, standing, or travelling anywhere, you are surrounded by immeasurable and boundless spaces. To become a member of these spaces, or to become one who opens them, one must naturally engage in diligent practice. Realisation is the key. Namo Amituofo."