The Vastness of Mount Sumeru and the Infinite Spirit

This interview was recorded on August 21, 2019, featuring Venerable Chang Gao, who sought deliverance through the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Having traversed the vastness of the void and witnessed the suffering of countless sentient beings, Venerable Chang Gao now resides within the Dharma Realm, offering insights into the interconnectedness of space and the urgency of spiritual cultivation.

Venerable Chang Gao speaks:

"I have existed within the void, observed the entirety of the void, and felt the weight of the void. I have tasted every bitterness imaginable. In my delusion, I remained deluded; in my ignorance, I remained ignorant. Peace felt like a deep slumber, while dimness was merely the loss of vital energy. The cries that echoed everywhere were the remnants of my time in the animal realm. Every word uttered—whether it manifests as sound, vibration, thought power, or a primal cry—is a reflection of the karmic encounters I have accumulated over countless eons. When temptation appears before your eyes, do you have the strength to hit the brakes, or do you plunge headlong into it, foolishly mistaking the immediate sweetness for true joy? You think the momentary pleasure is sweet, but it inevitably leads to bitter fruits and suffer greatly later on."

The Intertwined Nature of Space and Spirit

"Now, I have transformed into mist, water droplets, air, clouds, or simply exist within the vastness of space. Even if I knew beings in the past, we now pass each other by in different dimensions. The shape of the heart changes, rotating through the four seasons, vibrating together deep beneath the earth. The agitation of these sentient beings aligns with the human heart, shifting in a state of constant impermanence, changing at every moment. When these sentient beings gather into an evil force, preparing to strike back, all things feel it, all things receive it, and all things are shaken by it. This influx of negative energy comes primarily from the thoughts of those in the human world. Think about it—the speed of human thought is staggering. How many thoughts arise in a single second? Once a thought is released, it scatters into the void, combining in various corresponding corners or resonating in sync with the sentient beings residing within one's own body. Whether it is Goodness or evil, the results are at two extreme ends, and the consequences they drive are clearly visible."

The Density of the Unseen Realms

"The human body is illusory, yet everything it does is preserved. One thought, one moment, one lifetime—it all remains. The spaces are densely packed, the corners are densely packed, and all of them are waiting to be unraveled. Today, these spaces are only visible to me because Practitioner Su has led me through the process of Chao Du. In the past, even those at high levels in the Dharma Realm could not see these spaces with such clarity. In particular, the degree to which these dimensions are densely packed between one another is beyond imagination. How many sentient beings are yearning, waiting for the arrival of the Buddha-light? A single recitation of the Buddha-name reaches trillions of spaces. We perform deliverance every day, yet new spaces are formed every day. If the human world is willing to help, please cease your wandering thoughts and turn toward Goodness. If I had not seen the void myself, I would never have understood that there are countless sentient beings still waiting. Everyone must practise diligently—not for your own sake, but for the sake of these trillions of sentient beings. When you let go of the smallness of the individual self, you can become as vast as Mount Sumeru."

Namo Amituofo.

This interview was recorded by the chief writer, disciple Shi Faxin.