The True Body and the False Body

Venerable Yongning, a dedicated monastic who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, currently resides and practices within the centre's compassionate environment. This interview was recorded on April 5, 2019, to capture the Venerable's reflections on the nature of the physical body and the path to spiritual liberation.

Venerable Yongning speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. In the human world, beings are constantly besieged by a multitude of emotions. To detach oneself from these swirling currents of feeling is perhaps the most difficult process one can undertake. This physical shell—this 'false body'—is constantly interacting with the six dusts through the six roots. At any given moment, it is subject to fluctuations. When these waves of emotion arrive, the entire person becomes unstable. You might feel irritable, deeply depressed, or stifled and bloated. At such times, it is as if you have fallen into a swamp and are being slowly swallowed by it.

The Trap of the Ego

You are surrounded by the thoughts generated by what you see and hear, and you are also surrounded by the various beings that are tethered to you. When your body and heart are not at peace, there is always a reason for it. You must examine the root of these fluctuations. Do you feel that someone has encroached upon you? Whether it is an encroachment through words or through actions, it causes the physical body to feel uncomfortable and ill at ease the moment it makes contact with these external stimuli. The cells within your body are like this, and your habits are exactly the same.

Do you realise how much of your personality is hidden within these habits? When you say, 'I am used to doing it this way,' that is your personality. When you say, 'This is not what I wanted,' that is also your personality. And when you insist, 'I am not the person you say I am,' that is even more so your personality. In the process of refining and adjusting one's character, the greatest obstacle is the emergence of these very thoughts. Everything that goes against the body's original habits feels uncomfortable and unnatural. For the body to adapt to this discomfort, it requires many attempts or a great deal of self-persuasion before it is even possible to begin the process of transformation.

The Path of Humility

Refining one's personality must begin with every single word and every single action. The most effective way to overcome this is to lower the self. Clinging to the ego is the most worthless thing one can do for this physical body. Every single cell in this body can be utilised as a Dharma instrument for saving others, much like the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su. The Dharma Body is not easily attained. If one does not start by working on every single vibration of the body—purifying it, making it clear and bright—it is difficult to ever see the light.

I have witnessed the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su as it is applied to the work of Chao Du, spreading throughout the void and between the various star systems. In an instant, the dark universe is illuminated by a brilliant golden light, and a massive, highly energetic positive magnetic field envelops the void. Countless forms are scattered within this golden light, undergoing transformation. It is a scene of deliverance on a scale I have never seen before. The golden light of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre shines forth; the architecture itself may not be opulent, but it is filled with dignity.

The Magnificence of Hsiang Kuang

The Western Three Saints reside here, and it can be said that every sincere request is answered. The purer your heart, the more profound your connection with them. Speaking with the Buddha is not some strange or miraculous tale; it is something that can manifest once one has undergone the process of spiritual purification. The magnificence of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre exists because Practitioner Su leads us in making vows that are in sync with the Buddha, walking every step of the path of practice in a real and grounded way.

This is the path of great courage and great action. What is seen before the eyes and what is contemplated in the heart is nothing but the Western Pure Land. Namo Amituofo."