Venerable Chang Ren, a dedicated monastic at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre, provides a detailed account of the ongoing efforts to protect and support the Teacher during a critical period of spiritual and physical vulnerability. This interview, recorded on November 8, 2021, by Venerable HaiZe, sheds light on the unseen battles occurring within the Teacher’s physical form and the vital role of high-quality energy in his recovery.
Venerable Chang Ren speaks:
". I am Venerable Chang Ren. Currently, Venerable Yong Ning, Venerable Chang Gao, Steve Jobs, and I are taking turns standing guard over the Teacher twenty-four hours a day. We have divided ourselves into two groups: one group remains outside to prevent the demon crowds from intruding, while the other stays inside to accompany the Teacher. The Teacher is, after all, a practitioner with profound meditative concentration; once he begins to chant Namo Amituofo, he can continue without interruption. From yesterday until now, whenever we receive the light or the energy transmitted by Practitioner Su, we can clearly feel waves of energy being sent into the Teacher's body. Both the Teacher and we ourselves can distinctly perceive this."
The Necessity of Spiritual Nourishment
"Spirits truly require nourishment from energy. In particular, the more purified and high-level the energy absorbed, the more effective it is in uplifting and improving one's state. The Teacher's soul is currently extremely weak, and we can clearly feel that these infusions of energy are absolutely essential for him. Given the level of the Teacher's spiritual practice, only energy of an equivalent level of purity—or even higher quality—can provide any substantial help. This is why the highest-quality energy of Namo Amituofo, which permeates all things and all spirits, can provide and assistance to everyone. Souls do not require sleep, but they do require energy; the spirit needs energy to maintain its sensitivity and responsiveness. It is my hope that the constant infusion of energy from Namo Amituofo, Practitioner Su, and the ancestral masters will allow the Teacher's three souls and seven spirits to quickly return to their original state, thereby regaining control over his physical body."
"The Teacher has been chanting Namo Amituofo continuously, without pause, with a peaceful heart. I can feel that the Teacher, at this moment, is chanting every single Buddha-name with his own aspirations and vows, as well as his expectations for Practitioner Su and his desire to save the Pure Land school. Since we discovered the Teacher's condition last night, apart from the initial fluctuations, he has occasionally closed his eyes, but otherwise, he remains silent, and we can receive the Buddha-name emanating from his heart at any time. This kind of state can only be achieved by someone with true meditative concentration. At this time, we can assist the Teacher by ensuring no external spirits interfere with him, allowing him to focus on chanting and helping him maintain the stability of his spirit."
Opening the Space for Deliverance
"After my shift, I inspected the Teacher's entire body to understand the dynamics within. I suggest that we open the space within the Teacher's body, allowing the demon crowds, , and attached spirits inside to hear Practitioner Su's lectures or the proceedings at the assembly site. After all, the Teacher has been giving Dharma talks for sixty years; the cells within his body and the beings residing within him have also been listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma. They have been nurtured by the Buddha's teachings and, in truth, still possess a good nature. Even those karmic creditors who hold deep grudges have had their hearts softened and loosened significantly."
"However, they have not had the same excellent opportunity as we, the fourfold assembly of the temple, to have the Buddha present and to have Practitioner Su available to resolve their conflicts and invite them out. They have not had the or the Dharma assemblies to provide them with the opportunity to go to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Consequently, many karmic creditors, spiritual followers, Dharma protectors, and even demon crowds have remained inside the Teacher's body for over sixty years. They are actually very clear and sensitive to the Teacher's thoughts and physical changes, just as the karmic creditors and demon crowds within the fourfold assembly are very aware of the moods, thoughts, and physical changes of the practitioners. Most of the beings within the Teacher, unless they entered by force later on, hold an attitude of recognition toward Practitioner Su and the Dharma assemblies and ceremonies held at the temple. Although some have already come to our temple to receive deliverance, many more remain within the Teacher's body. This is due to their attachment to and following of the Teacher, or perhaps they are taking the opportunity to join the demon crowds in acts of retaliation. Therefore, if we give everyone the opportunity to listen to Practitioner Su's lectures, it will have a purifying effect on the negative magnetic field currently generated by the demon crowds and karmic creditors."
The Rapid Aging of the Physical Form
"The reason the Teacher's body is aging so rapidly now is a result of the swift transformation of the magnetic field within him. Originally, he existed in a source of energy where positive elements outweighed the negative. In a very short period, transformed into a source of negative energy. The energy absorbed by his face, his entire skin, his head, his chest, the muscles in his limbs, his internal organs, and all his cells has become harmful and obstructive—evil and unwholesome. This has caused his cells to shrink rapidly, leading to an aged appearance, weakness in the limbs, and the degeneration of his internal organs. Today, the only way to alleviate this is through the pure and good energy of Namo Amituofo, Practitioner Su, and the ancestral masters, which is the only thing that can truly help the Teacher's body."
"From yesterday until now, every time Practitioner Su strikes the qing at the temple and mentions the Teacher's memorial tablet, or whenever Practitioner Su speaks, the Teacher's body experiences a vibration. The demon crowds and other beings within him, as well as we ourselves, can feel this vibrating force. Furthermore, the demon crowds and beings outside the Teacher's body can also perceive the fluctuations of the qing, which has attracted the attention of the Demon Realm. In fact, among the demon crowds, many still possess . I believe that hearing Practitioner Su's lectures and the sounding of the qing has an influence on them, effectively stimulating their roots of goodness and giving them the opportunity to leave the Teacher's body and come to the temple to surrender. Namo Amituofo."
