The Universal Reach of Deliverance

This interview was recorded on April 29, 2019, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Venerable Yongning shares profound insights regarding the nature of Chao Du and the boundless compassion of Practitioner Su, who leads sentient beings to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This record was transcribed by the chief writer, Shi Faxin.

Venerable Yongning speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Where does the power of Chao Du come from? It is vast, covering the heavens and the earth. It reaches the surface of the ground, the creatures deep within the earth, the tangible and the intangible, those that fly in the sky, and those that crawl upon the land. It extends into the infinite, unseen spaces between the heavens and the earth. If you were to ask these beings where they come from, they would no longer be able to answer. At the very beginning of life, we were all the same. Yet, amidst endless transformations, where has our original spirit gone?

In truth, it remains within the goodness of our spirits. Even after being covered layer by layer by the cycle of rebirth, and stained by the various habits of the six realms of existence—perhaps becoming violent, fierce, wild, or displaying a distinct or obscured personality—our Buddha-nature remains. You can see it in the way the grass sways in the wind with such natural ease, in the inherent temperament of the mountains and forests, and in the way flowing water follows its course. Even when one has taken the form of the myriad creatures, if one adopts their virtues, one can still be good and kind. Practitioner Su understands this principle. Through the Buddha-light, she unravels these layers. Under the equality of all things, she illuminates them with golden light, allowing beings from the boundless reaches of the universe to be reborn in the Western Pure Land simultaneously. Practitioner Su leads and delivers sentient beings with a heart of perfect equality.

The Tragedy of the Learned Monk

Today, I was most moved by the deliverance of a monkey. He has been a monkey for ten lifetimes. He possesses the body of a monkey, but the mind of a human. In a past life, he was an eminent monk who was deeply respected by many. When he reached a dead end in his practice, he received help from lay practitioners who built him a dwelling so he could settle down and focus on his cultivation. Because of this support, he worked incredibly hard and, living up to expectations, achieved a state of purity. He delved deeply into the sutras and became a master of Dharma talks. He was a great teacher, followed by many disciples who came to him with questions, and he was well-versed in every school of the Buddha’s teachings.

One day, a disciple asked him which school they should focus on. In his answer, he made the mistake of creating discriminations between the various schools. When he gave his Dharma talks, he would speak on every sutra and treatise, subtly trying to show off that he understood everything, yet he failed to counsel his disciples to focus on one school to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. How many of his disciples, having finally obtained a human body and the rare opportunity to encounter the Buddha’s teachings, ended up drifting away into the cycle of rebirth once more?

Ten Lifetimes of Karmic Retribution

This great teacher eventually received his karmic retribution and was reborn as a monkey. The most painful part was that while he had the body of a monkey, he retained his human brain. It was as if his memories were frozen in that life when he was a monastic. Even as a monkey, he retained the blessings of his past life as a monk, which led him to become the 'monkey king.' His actions were entirely those of a monastic, and he was surrounded by a few monkeys who had been his disciples in that past life.

For several lifetimes in the body of a monkey, he would sometimes look at a temple from afar and hear the sound of chanting Namo Amituofo. He would try to follow along, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not make the sound of the Buddha-name; he could only make the sounds of a monkey. He was anxious, he was furious, yet he could not escape his monkey form. Just as he was about to fall into despair, the Buddha-light of Practitioner Su reached the forest. Hearing the familiar sound of the Buddha-name, he used his last ounce of strength to chant. A wave of warm light enveloped him, and he finally heard his own voice chanting the Buddha-name.

The Final Call to Deliverance

After ten lifetimes in the body of a monkey, he finally saw the Buddha. He let go of the past, scene by scene, and all his various identities within the cycle of rebirth. He felt endless gratitude. I share this with all practitioners: subtle discriminations and subtle arrogance are things we must not have. At the very moment we indulge in them, we slip into the six realms of existence to receive our retribution. This monastic was grateful that there was still the Buddha in his heart, and finally, he was able to see the Buddha. How many spirits suffering in the cycle of rebirth are saved through this Chao Du? The opportunity is magnificent; we must seize it while we can. Namo Amituofo."