Recently, many people have come forward with a profound and troubling question: If Venerable Ding Hong's father displayed auspicious signs during the chanting for the deceased, and if merit was dedicated to him, why did he still fall into the hells to suffer retribution? Today, Practitioner Su has graciously invited Lay Practitioner Zhong Canzeng to appear and clarify this matter for the benefit of all.
During the course of this interview, two distinct groups of spirits appeared, seeking Spiritual Deliverance. The first group consisted of beings who had been chanted for and had displayed auspicious signs, yet they had not entered the Celestial Realm as expected; instead, they had fallen into the ghost realm. The second group comprised lonely wandering spirits who had received no chanting or deliverance, as well as beings who had listened to the sutras and were willing to accept deliverance. With boundless , Practitioner Su turned no one away, and she has already guided them all to the -Nature Land.
The Illusion of Auspicious Signs
We have invited Lay Practitioner Zhong Canzeng, who now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, to accept this interview. He speaks to us today to clear the confusion surrounding his journey.
Zhong Canzeng says: I am Zhong Canzeng. When I heard Practitioner Su call my name, I immediately came to see what was required. It is because of my son, Venerable Ding Hong, that this question has been raised. People ask why I showed auspicious signs during the chanting for the deceased, yet still fell into the hells. The truth is, it was not just the hells that I entered. It was only through the compassionate rescue of and Practitioner Su that I was able to leave suffering behind. Only after being delivered and sent to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss did I gain the opportunity to be interviewed today.
The Weight of Karmic Debt
Regardless of your relationship with Venerable Ding Hong, or your connection to the name Zhong Maosen, I will speak plainly. Most people have a very limited understanding of where the spirit goes after death. While the Buddha’s teachings provide some insight, a deeper understanding is rare. It is only here, at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre, under the guidance of Practitioner Su, that one can truly provide substantive help to the deceased.
Regarding the chanting performed after my passing, I am deeply grateful to the fellow practitioners and my family for everything they did and for the merit they dedicated. Although I displayed auspicious signs, those signs merely indicated that the chanting and my own state of mind at that moment were open and receptive. I had received the illumination of auspicious light, which is why those signs manifested. However, because I did not follow Namo Amituofo, and because the beings I had harmed in the past came to claim their karmic debts, the merit that had been created was insufficient to repay those debts. Therefore, I still had to face the retribution of falling into the hells.
The Reality of Merit and Gratitude
In truth, when merit is dedicated to the deceased, the spirit only receives a small portion of it. The majority of the merit remains with the person who performed the good deed. Everyone assumed that the merit created was significant, but it was not enough to overcome the heavy karmic debt I had accumulated in the past. This is why I still fell into the hells to suffer retribution.
I hope this answer reaches Venerable Ding Hong. I feel a deep sense of shame that I cannot repay the grace of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for saving my life, and that my situation has caused others to doubt. Having this opportunity to clarify the truth helps to alleviate some of the guilt I carry in my heart.
Practitioner Su is the same person known to Venerable Ding Hong as Lay Practitioner Su. Because she has delivered so many spirit realm beings, helping them leave suffering behind and attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land, she is revered by the spirits and by us, the beings of the Western Land, as Practitioner Su. I take this opportunity to express my deepest, most profound gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for bringing me into the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, where I now live a life free from all suffering and filled with all happiness.
