The Urgent Mission of Practitioner Su to Build the Temple

Venerable Hang Zhou (Lucas) is a dedicated practitioner who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This interview, recorded on May 18, 2020, details his observations during the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies and his profound understanding of the compassionate mission undertaken by Practitioner Su to establish the temple.

Venerable Hang Zhou (Lucas) speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Hang Zhou, known as Lucas. Today marks the third day of the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies. We are currently working in unison with the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su across the globe, actively spreading the message: 'Give rise to all roots of goodness and achieve the fruit of Bodhi.' When our Chao Du team appears together, we fill the entire sky. Wherever we pass, we imprint the essence of 'Goodness' into the hearts of the people below, filling the earth with a warm and virtuous atmosphere.

A Spectacle of Unprecedented Chao Du

The scene at the Dharma Assembly is truly magnificent—an extraordinary, large-scale event of spiritual Chao Du! We have witnessed many grand Chao Du ceremonies performed by humans for the underworld, but in those cases, the number of spirits being saved usually far exceeds the number of participants and practitioners. However, here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, under the guidance of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, the assembly is different. The participants—including Bodhisattvas from the Milky Way and beyond the cosmos, us new Buddhas, and the dedicated members of the temple—are just as numerous as the spirits from the ten Dharma realms and the ghost realm awaiting Chao Du. This is a sight I have never seen before in the human world.

The Power of Universal Equality

The Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, as conducted by Practitioner Su at this temple, exert such immense power! During the visualization of Chao Du, Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body can leave his physical form to lead us across the world, sowing the seeds of 'Goodness.' We do not distinguish between people based on skin colour, nationality, or race. Whether or not someone has a prior connection to us, we treat everyone with absolute equality, planting goodness directly into their hearts. This is the Buddhist perspective of equality, and it is a level of mind-capacity that I am striving to learn. Seeing the venue filled with us, alongside the countless spirits waiting for salvation, creates a spectacle that is truly moving. No matter where these spirits come from or what their circumstances are, they are all able to participate. This is the true, all-encompassing heart of the Buddha’s teachings!

The Urgency of Building the Temple

Such a magnificent ceremony and such profound Buddha’s teachings should be known by more people, giving everyone the opportunity to participate. Life shortens with every passing second; human existence slips away bit by bit. Every time one attends a Dharma Assembly, there is a harvest of wisdom—it is an incredibly precious experience. I, Hang Zhou (Lucas), am increasingly able to understand why Practitioner Su’s desire to build this temple is so earnest. Every single spiritual life is so precious, and every one of them has the potential to become a Buddha. The sooner the temple is completed, the sooner immeasurable and boundless spirits can be saved and achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

The Weight of Responsibility

After every Chao Du session, I feel the weight of my responsibility, which keeps me from ever becoming complacent. Regarding the situation of the lay practitioners, the recent pandemic has slowed down the progress of various projects, causing them much concern. Each morning, when looking at the daily schedule, many planned activities have to be deleted to avoid the risk of infection. We have adopted the stance that it is better to cancel than to risk the health of those attending gatherings. Consequently, many planned visits and activities have been postponed, and dates need to be rescheduled. Without realising it, the lay practitioners often find themselves furrowing their brows in worry. Seeing this, my fellow disciples and I exchange glances, and together, we project our energy of 'Goodness' to place it directly upon their hearts.

The Visible Energy of Goodness

Gathering the collective good thoughts of everyone creates a powerful, positive energy. My eyes can see this positive energy radiating from the chest of the lay practitioner, spreading outward to the rest of the body—surging upward to the throat, face, and head; flowing out to both arms; spreading backward to the spine; and rushing downward to the lower abdomen and legs. This is a distribution of gaseous energy that is invisible to the physical eyes, but to me, in my spiritual state, it is clearly visible. This ability has been with me since before, and it has not been lost since I became a new Buddha; on the contrary, because my spirit has been purified, I can see it even more clearly. Therefore, everyone must have faith in the effectiveness of 'Give rise to all roots of goodness and achieve the fruit of Bodhi.'

The Buddha’s teachings are teachings of the heart. The reason 'Give rise to all roots of goodness and achieve the fruit of Bodhi' can exert such great efficacy is that everyone’s heart is in agreement. By gathering the strength of the masses, the power of this phrase is unleashed and maximized. This is the principle that there is strength in unity, and it is the shared wish of us countless new Buddhas. We, too, are beneficiaries of 'Give rise to all roots of goodness and achieve the fruit of Bodhi.' A beautiful world begins with our own actions.

This interview message was recorded by the disciple Venerable HaiZe."