The Whereabouts of the Spirit

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Yongning, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon the nature of the spirit and the process of spiritual deliverance. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on May 9, 2023.

Venerable Yongning speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Everyone has experienced the white-haired person sending off the black-haired person and the profound agony of separation. Yet, very few people truly understand where the child before them has come from, or what kind of relationship they shared with their parents in past lives. Similarly, when a loved one lies in a coffin, no one truly knows where that spirit has gone. Once the physical body is gone, the connection is severed. In the vast, boundless ocean of existence, people are left lost, not knowing where to search for their departed kin.

The Eternal Nature of the Spirit

Within the heavens, the earth, and the myriad things of this world—across the various dimensions, the six realms of existence, and the ten Dharma realms—it is an absolute certainty that each of us has family members from our past or present lives residing there. Their spirits have never vanished; they are indestructible. It is simply that we do not know where they have gone, and we have no way to find them.

Today, Practitioner Su possesses the Dharma Body and has unlocked the mysteries of these dimensions. He has saved a vast number of sentient beings trapped within these spaces and has delivered countless deceased souls. He provides a magnificent service, helping families find the destination of their departed loved ones long after they have left the human world. This is truly extraordinary.

The Obstruction of Karmic Creditors

I, Yongning, have seen it clearly: whenever a family member wishes to perform Chao Du for a deceased loved one, the mere arising of that thought—the intention to seek help from Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre—is enough to trigger a response. The karmic creditors of the deceased perceive this intention instantly. They move with incredible speed. Once they locate the family of the deceased, they immediately attempt to block them from seeking Practitioner Su’s assistance. These karmic creditors know full well the power of Practitioner Su; they do not want the deceased to have any opportunity for liberation, so they do everything in their power to obstruct the process.

When the dimension where the deceased spirit resides is finally located, Practitioner Su calls out the name of the departed. In that instant, all the sentient beings connected to the deceased, including their karmic creditors, are awakened. They rush frantically toward the source of the sound, desperate to prevent the deceased from attaining liberation. However, they are never fast enough to outpace the power of the Buddha. In a very short time, the Buddha’s power transports these spirits to the Western Dharma-Nature Land, and the deceased is soon seated upon a lotus seat in that pure realm.

The Crucial Moment of Transition

From the dimensions we pull these spirits from, we can see where a spirit goes after death. No one can decide this, and no one can truly know it beforehand. The most important moment in one's entire life is that final instant before death. Once the breath ceases, the spirit follows its own thoughts and enters a specific dimension, or it follows the weight of its karma to the place where it must receive retribution. Others, depending on the merits and blessings accumulated during their lifetime, may enter the Celestial Realm.

Every person currently in a human body must learn how to secure their future destination, and this effort must begin right now, through diligent practice. You must diligently adjust your personality, guard your thoughts, and single-mindedly chant the holy name of Namo Amituofo. Allow your Six Roots to come into contact with the Six Dusts while ensuring that everything is purified, so that your Body, Speech, and Mind are not easily contaminated.

A Call to Diligence

Regardless of where you came from at birth, you must ensure that at death, you head toward the Western Land. Practitioner Su performs Chao Du for immeasurable and boundless sentient beings every single day. There are countless dimensions filled with these spirits. All of these beings once possessed a human body and had families, but they lacked the opportunity to encounter the Buddha, leaving them to wander aimlessly within these spaces. Every person who still possesses a human body must cherish this life. Do not let your spirit drift into other realms. You must seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land to attain eternal liberation.

Namo Amituofo."