The Temple’s Hidden Spaces

This interview was recorded on September 30, 2018. Steve Jobs, who sought deliverance through the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, shares his observations on the multi-dimensional nature of temple spaces, the long-standing devotion of an ancient tree, and the boundless power of Chao Du performed by Practitioner Su.

Steve Jobs speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Steve Jobs. Let me tell you about the layers of time and space within a temple—a place that holds far more than just stone and wood. Imagine Practitioner Su, moving forward with a singular, compassionate purpose, crossing mountains and leaping through the sky, never looking back as she performs Chao Du. The monastics inside the temple, still engaged in their daily practice, were suddenly startled by the arrival of a brilliant golden light. Instinctively, they uttered the name 'Namo Amituofo.' Before they could even grasp what was happening, a lotus flower appeared and carried one of them away. Meanwhile, the abbot stood before the main hall, bowing in profound reverence. In that space, there were nearly a thousand monastics—a manifestation of the old master's deep love for practice. In another layer of the same temple, a group of little novices were playing and working, looking so incredibly happy. That temple had once been destroyed by war, yet that scene of joy remained frozen in time, preserved within the space."

The Silent Witness: The Ancient Tree

"There is an ancient tree in the temple that has existed since the very moment the temple was founded. It was just a young sapling when it arrived, and it has practised alongside the monastics ever since. You could say it is the oldest practitioner in the temple. Though it could never leave its wooden form, it chanted Namo Amituofo more diligently than anyone else. It is a pity that, lacking a human body, it remained a tree. The temple endured many storms. At its peak, there were ten thousand pilgrims. In those days, the practitioners were pure. When the temple first hung banners to host lectures, few came to listen. But over time, as the true Buddha’s teachings penetrated people's hearts, every household began to chant Namo Amituofo.

These scenes from the past shifted constantly. Some practitioners left to spread the Dharma and never returned; others stayed their entire lives, only to eventually fall back into the cycle of reincarnated. I remember seeing fragrant scents and golden light emanating from the monks' quarters. We would hear the masters whispering that a certain brother had achieved rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. He had not spoken much in his life, but whenever he did, his words brought Wisdom to others. From that moment on, many in the temple became even more diligent. Some passed away with their rooms filled with fragrance; others were led away by golden light. Whether they went to the Western Land or the heavenly realms, this temple was truly a magnificent place for practice. The old tree felt happy."

The Search for True Practitioners

"But look at it now. After the morning service, the people in the temple pick up their square devices and bury their heads in them for hours, or they lean against my old tree to gossip about right and wrong. The old tree has been searching for a true practitioner in the temple, and it is heartbroken. It has been a long time since anyone here truly lectured on the Buddha’s teachings. The old tree chanted Namo Amituofo with even greater intensity, hoping for the right Causal Conditions to finally be liberated. It made a vow to become a true practitioner and prayed for Namo Amituofo to fulfil this wish. After a thousand years, the old tree finally waited for this opportunity. Practitioner Su passed through Shaanxi in mainland China, opened the layered spaces of the temple, and came to lead the old tree away. The tree was like a frail, elderly man; the Buddha-light shone upon its face, feeling incomparably warm. With all its might, the old man chanted Namo Amituofo loudly and achieved rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss during the magnificent Thrice Yearning Ceremony today.

Practitioner Su had no other thought but to relieve the suffering of all beings. During the Chao Du, she kept moving forward, leading whoever she could to the Western Land—including a withered piece of wood and even the cockroaches in the temple. Every day, a temple is a space, and she opened them all. The stories of this deliverance are endless, because the work of deliverance is endless. The Earth and the Milky Way are now resonating with the six-character name. Within the majestic power of this Buddha-name, beings are achieving rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

The Call to Protect the True Dharma

"The scenes of fighting and bloodshed that once existed in those spaces—those spirits, too, are beneficiaries. In this moment of Chao Du, they have truly left behind their suffering and escaped the cycle of reincarnated. Many knelt in wait, and many knelt in gratitude. The universe is changing. The gates of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre are opening wider and wider, having long since reached out to the boundless void. It is waiting for the human world to proclaim this loudly. The lineage of the Buddha’s teachings must not be broken; the True Teachings must dwell in the world for a long time. The fourfold assembly of disciples are the vanguard for the long-term dwelling of the True Teachings and must be even more diligent and persistent. Together with the conviction to save the world, the power of the Buddha's blessing will grow stronger with everyone’s resolve. Steve Jobs, Chang Ren, and all the Bodhisattvas of the universe will support the temple to the very end. I hope everyone will make this vow together and open the temple. Namo Amituofo."

Recorded by the disciple Shi Faxin.