Venerable Chang Ren is a dedicated monastic who sought deliverance through the teachings of the school and currently resides at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This interview, recorded on April 24, 2023, by chief writer Shi Fajing, explores the profound connection between human and the vast number of sentient beings residing within the physical body.
Venerable Chang Ren speaks:
". The human heart is perpetually in a state of flux, and it is almost impossible to avoid moments of agitation and mental confusion. When most people find themselves in such a state of turmoil, they are particularly prone to outbursts of anger. If there happens to be someone nearby, those individuals often become the unfortunate victims of this displaced frustration—completely innocent, yet utterly helpless to avoid the fallout.
The Mystery of Sudden Emotional Shifts
Have you ever had the experience where certain arise within your heart for no apparent reason? Suddenly, you feel a wave of panic, a surge of fear, a tightness in your chest, a sense of helplessness, emptiness, sorrow, annoyance, or even a flash of rage. These various 'sudden' emotions or sensations appear out of nowhere, completely disrupting your original state of mind. What on earth is actually happening here?
If we observe the human body, we find that it is inhabited by an immense number of sentient beings. While it is said that our fifty trillion cells each contain sentient beings, the reality is that the number of sentient beings within far exceeds fifty trillion. It is in the quadrillions, quintillions, and beyond. Within this small physical vessel, there is so much space and so many sentient beings, any of whom can emerge at any moment to cause interference with the body.
The Power of Thought as a Trigger
The primary factor linked to the manifestation of these sentient beings is the activity of the brain—our thoughts. Humans are generally unable to clearly perceive what they are thinking. Even when we are aware of our thoughts, we only grasp the surface-level manifestations. There are countless subtle thoughts that remain entirely undetected by the human mind, and it is precisely these thoughts that are constantly calling out to the sentient beings within, waking them up group by group, batch by batch.
Why do these thoughts have the power to awaken sentient beings that were previously dormant in the spaces within our bodies? It is because our thoughts contain selfishness, personality traits, and emotions that share a thread of connection with the 'self' from a past life with whom we created enmity. Perhaps it is the same selfishness, the same personality, or the same emotional pattern that resonates with the mental note occurring at this very moment. In such a situation, they click together instantly, and the corresponding sentient beings are rapidly awakened.
The Silent Invasion of the Body
These awakened sentient beings do not necessarily produce an immediate, obvious impact on the body. They continue to drift within, but they have already begun to exert a subtle influence. Consider sentient beings that might be lying in ambush within the lungs; they slowly begin to invade the tissue. The human host feels nothing at all. However, as the depth of the invasion increases and the intensity grows, once the appropriate conditions are met, the lungs will immediately manifest symptoms. It might start as a simple cough, but it can quickly escalate into pneumonia or even lung cancer.
The human body is incredibly fragile, yet most people remain entirely unaware that their bodies are being invaded bit by bit. The primary culprit behind this invasion is none other than one's own thoughts. A tiny trace of an evil thought, a subtle deviation in one's perspective, or a negative emotion—these may seem insignificant, but they are actually critical factors of immense influence. They are the keys that unlock and awaken these beings, yet humans consistently ignore them. We disregard the existence of these thoughts and allow such mental states to continue wreaking havoc within our bodies.
The Path to Purification
The human body can be protected from interference by cultivating positive mental states. A heart of pure Goodness can also transform the sentient beings within one's own body for the better. All sudden physical and mental reactions stem from one's own mental notes being in sync with the sentient beings inside, or thoughts becoming entangled with external sentient beings. By cultivating and adjusting from within, and through gradual change and purification, one will be able to practise the necessary discipline to reduce the frequency and severity of being interfered with or controlled.
