Transforming the Mind: An Interview with Lay Practitioner Li Bingnan

The Heart as the Source of Healing

Seeking medical treatment for illness is a challenge that almost every person will encounter at some point in their life. Whether one turns to traditional herbal medicine or modern Western pharmaceuticals, the current societal emphasis on efficiency and rapid results has fundamentally altered how we approach healing. In the past, traditional methods often involved long, slow processes of decocting herbs. Today, unless one has a dedicated caregiver or the luxury of time to manage such a regimen, these gentle, constitution-balancing remedies are often abandoned. Modern individuals, lacking the patience or the time to continue a long-term course of treatment, frequently stop and start their medication. Consequently, the true efficacy of these healing methods remains unseen.

Western medicine often appears more capable of satisfying the modern human desire for speed, change, and immediate results. In truth, however, both Eastern and Western medical prescriptions are merely auxiliary tools. The most critical component of any recovery is the adjustment of one's own heart and mind. This is why a truly wise and compassionate physician is willing to spend extra time understanding the psychological burdens that contribute to a patient's physical illness. By addressing both the mind and the body, the physician can provide a more holistic path to wellness.

Patients often feel a deep psychological need to speak with their doctor, hoping that by sharing their inner struggles, they might receive a more tailored and effective prescription. This interaction itself can be a form of healing. I, Lay Practitioner Li Bingnan, have participated in this process throughout my own career. Having spent a lifetime as a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, I have witnessed the full spectrum of birth, aging, sickness, death. Because of this, my admiration for the Buddha—the Great Physician—is profound and heartfelt.

The Buddha as the Great Physician

Every process mentioned above requires time, patience, and the willing cooperation of the patient to see an improvement in their condition. For the Buddha, however, these complex processes are understood in a single, fleeting moment. In the realm of the Buddha’s teachings, there is no need for spoken language; everything is communicated heart-to-heart. With the power of divine sight and hearing, the Buddha observes the body, the mind, the past, and the present. He can perceive the laws of karma and cause and effect, the root causes of one's current personality and illness, and the necessary methods for treatment, all almost simultaneously.

Because we humans rely on our ears to hear, our eyes to see, and our minds to process information before we can accept treatment, the Buddha, when he was in this world, often used metaphors, explanations, and various skillful means to help people resolve their physical and mental suffering on the spot. This is why people would travel thousands of miles just to see the Buddha. They knew that once they were in his presence, any problem they faced could be resolved. To call the Buddha the Great Physician is truly a title that is well-deserved and accurate.

Resolving the Roots of Suffering

A significant portion of the illnesses, psychological distress, and life challenges we face today is caused by the manifestation of our past karma and the presence of karmic creditors. Most people simply drift through life, allowing these karmic debts to dictate their fate. However, if one encounters the Buddha and possesses the faith to follow his teachings and guidance, it is possible to resolve these karmic knots and avoid the ripening of negative consequences. This is especially true when illness manifests, as it is often the time when karmic creditors appear to seek revenge.

The Buddha understands the intricate laws of karma and cause and effect between the debtor and the karmic creditors with absolute clarity. Even when the Buddha instructs a person on how to resolve these grievances, the individual may not always be able to follow through. It is much like prescribing a medicine that could cure an illness instantly; if the patient finds the medicine too bitter to swallow and refuses to take it, even the best prescription cannot exert its effect. If one can truly follow the Buddha's words—overcoming one's own obstacles and persisting even when the path is difficult—one will see profound changes in a very short time.

The Practice of Transforming the Mind

At the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, if one falls ill, one can receive messages from the Buddha. The teachings and the invitation of spirits provided by the Buddha are equivalent to a medical prescription. The next step depends entirely on whether the fourfold assembly of disciples can faithfully follow this prescription. The remedies provided by the Buddha are not found in the mundane world. Whether this prescription can immediately manifest its effects after execution depends entirely on the mindset of the recipient.

Transforming the mind and one's mental notes is a skill that every practitioner must possess. When the direction of this transformation is correct, one can often gain the understanding of one's karmic creditors immediately. However, if one remains trapped in attachment and strong subjectivity, making it difficult to shift one's perspective, then the illness and the resulting problems must be left to the arrangements of karma. In such cases, one can only suffer greatly.

The Journey of the Three Souls

Regarding the Teacher, recent transformations have occurred because, over this period, a great deal of effort has been invested in adjusting the mental notes of the three souls. It is only through this transformation of the heart and mind that the karmic creditors have been moved to leave and accept Chao Du at the temple. Similarly, the departure of the demon crowds from the body was not because they wished to leave, but because they found it impossible to remain.

For the past few days, the Teacher has not been physically present at the site of the Dharma assembly, yet he has been able to hear and see the proceedings from within his body. The Teacher's three souls can hear and see, but the physical body itself cannot. This is because the three souls and the physical body exist in different layers of space. Practitioner Su has opened the space of the three souls, which is a result of the Buddha's blessings. Therefore, while the three souls are observing and listening to the Dharma assembly, they must manage the physical body while simultaneously trying to maintain contact with Practitioner Su. At present, there has been no significant progress in this connection, but we will continue to observe and provide assistance.

Lay Practitioner Li Bingnan