The Stone at the Bottom of the Sea
An Interview with a Spirit Attached to an Elderly Practitioner
Recorded on October 17, 2019
This is a record of an interview with a spirit who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. The spirit, who once lived as a Buddhist practitioner, reflects on the dangers of worldly attachment and the necessity of sincere chanting. This testimony was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on October 17, 2019.
The Spirit Attached to the Elderly Practitioner speaks:
"Namo Amituofo. Is there any chance for a stone that has sunk to the bottom of the sea to ever surface again? Only if the ocean itself were to dry up. Why do I say this? Because I am exactly like that stone, submerged in the depths, unable to find a way out for the longest time. What does this mean? I compare the desires of this world to a vast ocean—an ocean of desire that is immeasurable and boundless, infinite and endless. If you cannot let go of this world, the only way to escape this ocean of desire is for the world itself to vanish, but that is an impossibility.
The Trap of Worldly Affection
When I was still a human being, I was also a person who studied the Buddha’s teachings. Although I studied the , I could not sever my worldly desires, especially the deep-seated attachment to emotional bonds. I loved my husband, and I loved my children even more. Although I held prayer beads in my hands and chanted Namo Amituofo with my mouth, my eyes were constantly fixed on the clock. My heart was always racing with thoughts: 'Why hasn't my son returned yet? My husband is late today, too. Could something have happened to them?' With such thoughts, even if I chanted the Buddha-name a thousand or ten thousand times, there was no meritorious power of the Buddha's name in my practice, because my heart was already cluttered with distractions.
The reason I entered of this elderly woman is that we are very much alike. She is also someone who has come into contact with the Buddha’s teachings, yet she is just like me—deeply attached to her family. Even at her advanced age, her heart is still preoccupied with her son, her daughter, her grandchildren, and her old husband. She has dedicated her entire life to this family. Even when she has no strength left in her body, her mind is still consumed with thoughts of her loved ones. Look around this space; how many spirits are there who are just like her? I am one of them.
The Illusion of Attachment
Having studied the Buddha’s teachings, yet still unable to let go of the family or this world—tell me, where in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss would there be a place for me? I thought I would be trapped in this cycle of rebirth forever. Fortunately, in that past life where I studied the Dharma, I still performed some good deeds, which is the only reason I was able to enter the body of this woman who possesses such . Today, I have the Causal Conditions to encounter this great Buddha before me.
If I had entered the body of an elderly woman who prayed to other deities, I truly would be that stone sunk to the bottom of the sea, forever trapped in the ocean, with no hope of ever surfacing. I want to tell this elderly woman: look at my fate, and you will realise that when you chant Namo Amituofo, you are saving yourself, not your relatives. I spent my life thinking of my children, but at the moment I breathed my last, which of my children accompanied me? Now that I am wandering in this space, which filial child is following me? Not a single one.
A Final Warning
I want to tell this woman, now that I am inside your body, I finally understand how foolish you are. In truth, a woman’s life can be lived very well, as long as you do not have so many emotional entanglements. Now that you have encountered the true Buddha—the real Namo Amituofo who has come to this world—you should focus on chanting Namo Amituofo and seek to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am grateful to you for bringing me here. Today, I finally have the opportunity to see the light. To show my gratitude, I have come forward to speak these words, hoping that you will wake up.
Namo Amituofo."
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library