Venerable Chang Gao, a monastic who sought deliverance through the compassionate work of the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre, shares profound insights into the nature of spiritual liberation and the mechanics of karmic salvation. This interview was recorded by Chief Writer Shi Fajing on April 12, 2023.
Venerable Chang Gao speaks:
". It is a profound honour to share these reflections on the nature of existence and the incredible, boundless of the Buddha’s work here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.
The Endless Cycle of Forms
Immeasurable and boundless numbers of spirits arrive on this Earth, each finding their own destined place. Some manifest as trees, others as flowers, insects, or human beings. Even inanimate objects house spirits; every single soul has its own place of belonging. Yet, these countless spirits are constantly caught in the turning wheel of samsara. Consider a spirit trapped within a tree for a century—it waits, enduring the stillness, until finally, the opportunity for liberation arrives. That moment is the fruition of the it has accumulated over immeasurable eons. Through a specific set of Causal Conditions, it hears the sound of the Buddha’s name and is finally released from the confines of the tree. Through the power of chanting Namo Amituofo, this spirit eventually gains a human body and is born into this world as a baby boy.
The Fragility of Human Life
However, the blessings of this boy were quickly exhausted. He did not have the fortune to be born into a family that practised the Buddha’s teachings. Instead, he was born into a household that held no faith in the . His grandparents, parents, siblings, and friends—none of them had any interest in the Buddha’s teachings, nor did they have the Causal Conditions to ever hear the sound of the Buddha’s name. Growing up in such an environment, he naturally conformed to the lifestyle of his family. He adopted their views on life, chasing worldly desires and secular goals. He lived the life of an ordinary person, pursuing wealth and status, engaging in relationships, and entering into marriage. Finally, in his old age, he tasted the bitterness of physical illness and lost his life.
Think about it—this spirit, who had waited so long to gain a human body, squandered the opportunity for liberation in a mere seventy years. Because he never had the chance to hear the Buddha’s teachings, he never learned how to leave suffering behind. There are far too many spirits just like this one. They struggle to obtain a human body, yet they lack the opportunity to hear the Buddha’s teachings. Or, even if they do hear them, they do not believe, and in the end, they fail to achieve liberation from the cycle of rebirth.
The Power of the
I have personally witnessed Practitioner Su’s performing , saving boundless and countless spirits. I have seen them follow their respective Causal Conditions to the places they are destined to go. Whether they are reborn as humans, enter the Dharma-Nature Land, or go directly to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, their destination is secondary to the miracle that occurs at the moment of their salvation. When they follow the Buddha-name chanting brought by Practitioner Su and recite the six-character name 'Namo Amituofo,' a Vajra Seed of the Dharma is planted within them. This is magnificent beyond words. No matter where they go, this seed—which is destined to sprout—will guide them to find the opportunity to hear the Dharma again. It ensures they will never become lost souls again.
The Compassion of Practitioner Su
I truly admire Practitioner Su’s compassion; it is the embodiment of great compassion. A single recitation of the holy name 'Namo Amituofo' ensures that every spirit has the chance to encounter the Buddha when their Causal Conditions mature. Even if they cannot achieve immediate liberation, one day in the future, they will certainly have the opportunity, because the seed is already slowly germinating within them.
A Spirit Released from Sand
I witnessed a spirit trapped within a grain of sand. It had been suffering for two thousand years—a duration long enough to repay the for the sins of killing it had committed in the past. It was almost ready to be released from the space of the sand when, under the Chao Du of Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body, it beheld the Buddha-light and heard the holy name of Namo Amituofo. Infinite repenting arose in its heart. This Buddha-light awakened the Goodness and Buddha-nature within it. From within that grain of sand, it begged the Buddha for one more chance. At that moment, Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body, with great compassion, performed the Chao Du. Through this deliverance and the spirit’s own vow, it obtained a human body. It longed for another chance to be human, promising to repay the Buddha’s grace.
A Future Dedicated to the Dharma
I saw that this spirit truly went to be reborn. It quickly obtained a human form, gaining the opportunity to be human through this specific Chao Du. The mother’s womb it is about to enter belongs to a practitioner of the Buddha’s teachings. In the future, this being will certainly have the opportunity to contribute to the Dharma. It is truly magnificent. Under the Chao Du of Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body, every spirit has the chance for liberation. It all depends on their own Causal Conditions and whether, when those conditions mature, they can actively grasp the opportunity to leave suffering behind and attain liberation.
