Venerable Chang Gao, a dedicated monastic, sought deliverance through the teachings at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre, where he currently resides. This interview, recorded on August 14, 2023, explores his profound understanding of the Buddhist principle of 'usage without possession' and how one may navigate the complexities of worldly life to achieve true liberation.
Venerable Chang Gao speaks:
". I am Chang Gao. It is a privilege to share these reflections on the nature of our existence and the attachments that bind us to this world.
The Illusion of Ownership
To use, yet not to possess. This is a core teaching often shared by Practitioner Su: 'Seek only the right of usage, never the right of ownership.' Think about it—everything in this world is available for us to use, but nothing can truly be possessed. Once you attempt to claim ownership over the things of this world, you are essentially chaining your own spirit to the cycle of being reincarnated. You become trapped, and liberation becomes an impossible dream.
Yet, most people in this world are driven by a desperate need to possess. Whether it is their loved ones, the wealth they have accumulated over a lifetime, or their hard-won fame and status—if it relates to them, they want to claim it as their own. This is the common state of humanity. But how does one actually achieve the state of using without possessing?
The Perspective on Wealth
Let us consider money. You may have wealth in this lifetime, and you are free to use it, but you must not cling to it. Do not become a miser, clutching your coins until your final breath. You must clearly realise that these resources are merely tools for this world. Once you depart from this life, they no longer belong to you. You can only use them; you can never own them forever. There is no need to exhaust yourself in a frantic pursuit of more. Once you have enough to sustain your life and cover your necessary expenses, there is no need to indulge in further greed.
A Mother's Wisdom
Let us look at another example: a mother of four children. She loves her children deeply, and she loves her husband. She is a woman who possesses a beautiful, happy family—the kind of life that many in this world yearn for. She has wealth, she has a healthy body; such a life could be described as complete and perfect.
However, this woman did not dedicate her entire life solely to the family. After giving birth to her four children, she happened to encounter the Buddha’s teachings. At that moment, her Wisdom allowed her to realise that everything she possessed was ultimately an illusion. She understood that at the very moment her life ended, everything would return to emptiness.
Transforming Love into Liberation
This did not mean she stopped loving her family. She still loved them deeply, but that love had slowly sublimated. It was no longer a foolish, blind attachment; it had transformed into a love guided by Wisdom. She clearly understood that her four children and her husband were all part of her life due to Causal Conditions from the past. Each spirit within them had gone through countless cycles of being reincarnated to arrive at this place today. If she truly loved her family, she should help them achieve liberation.
Before her family had the Causal Conditions to study the Buddha’s teachings, she used her own personal transformation to touch their hearts. She let her actions speak, allowing them to develop interest and confidence in the Buddha’s teachings through her own conduct.
The True Buddhist Family
Before she began her practice, she had placed all her focus on the family. But since she started studying the Buddha’s teachings, she learned to let go from within her heart. She dedicated her focus to the Buddha's path, continuing to practise diligently every single day. Yet, she never neglected her household chores or her time spent with her family. She simply became more adept at using her time to accompany them, and she would guide them toward the Buddha’s teachings at the appropriate moments.
In the end, she successfully saved her entire family. They all followed her in studying the Buddha’s teachings, and she even brought her family along to serve others and assist in spreading everywhere, becoming a true Buddhist family.
The Transient Nature of Life
Everything in life does not belong to you. These are merely accidental encounters born of Causal Conditions in this lifetime. You have only a short time to use them; you cannot possess them for long. Once you claim ownership, you are essentially sacrificing your own spirit, sinking deep into the mire of samsara, finding it difficult to ever be free.
Practitioner Su's words of Wisdom serve to awaken the people of this world. It is my sincere hope that everyone can learn to live their lives with Wisdom, no longer trapped in the confusion of worldly dust. Namo Amituofo."
