The Spirits Within the Sandstorms

Venerable Chang Gao, a monastic who sought deliverance through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su, currently resides at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This interview, which explores the spiritual dimensions of the sandstorms affecting the Chinese mainland, was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on January 9, 2023.

Venerable Chang Gao speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Chang Gao. When you look up at the sky over Beijing, you often see it blanketed by immense, swirling clouds of dust and sand. At their worst, these storms are so thick that they completely obscure your vision. But let me tell you: that is not just sand. That thick, suffocating haze is absolutely packed with sentient beings—countless spirits trapped within the grit.

The Spiritual Reality of the Haze

Practitioner Su, in her boundless compassion, began the work of Chao Du for these dust-bound spirits several years ago. This is not limited to Beijing; the phenomenon spans the entire Chinese mainland. Nanjing, Xi'an, and so many other regions have been repeatedly struck by these sandstorms. The entire sky becomes a murky, grey fog, so dense that the sunlight struggles to pierce through. It feels as though the world is trapped in a perpetual, gloomy overcast day.

Within these clouds of sand, you will find nothing but spirits. Many of these spaces are still caught in the echoes of ancient wars, and there are also vast numbers of demon crowds hidden within. These demon crowds arrive in response to the human heart. It is because people pursue their own narrow interests that wars are ignited; it is because people focus only on themselves that they become selfish. These subtle, selfish thoughts are perfectly in sync with the demon crowds. When one person after another harbors such a character, it naturally generates a powerful force that attracts corresponding demon interference. This is also the collective karma of the people across the Chinese mainland, and because of this karma, they must endure this karmic retribution.

The Light of Deliverance

Practitioner Su, with great compassion, uses her Dharma Body to perform Chao Du over the skies of the Chinese mainland. She illuminates the grey, hazy gloom, rescuing the spirits from these dusty spaces one by one. When you look inside, you see that there are many victims from various disaster-stricken spaces trapped there as well. The layers of existence within these storms are incredibly complex.

China has five thousand years of history, and even before that, humans lived and died on this land. So many spirits remain trapped in these spaces. Only now, through the Chao Du performed by Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body—bringing the golden light and the six-character name of Namo Amituofo—can the spaces they inhabit be opened, allowing them to finally obtain deliverance.

A Call to Transformation

The human heart must turn toward Goodness. It must turn toward selflessness and compassion. Only then can we help transform the magnetic field and overturn this heavy karma. This is a task that every human being must strive for. Let us all study the Buddha’s teachings with one heart, change our hearts and characters, save ourselves while delivering others, and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land to find true liberation and leave suffering behind forever.

Namo Amituofo."