Visiting Skanda Bodhisattva: Travelling Back and Forth to the West

The Unseen Magnificence of the Dharma Assembly

The Thrice Yearning Ceremony held at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is a profound event. While the physical eyes of the human participants may only perceive a few dozen Venerable monastics and lay practitioners in attendance, the reality within the spiritual realms is vast and magnificent beyond measure. Because Namo Amituofo is truly residing here at the temple and leading the ceremony, the scene is filled with beings that are usually only encountered within the pages of sutras, commentaries, and Pure Land treatises. At this moment, they are truly present at the site of the ceremony: the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the great ancestral masters, and the Pure Ocean of Bodhisattvas.

In the spiritual world, these beings live a life of the highest spiritual order, as Practitioner Su has described. If one has not opened their inner eyes to witness this for themselves, it is truly difficult to believe that such a scene could manifest in this turbulent age of the Dharma-ending period. This is even more remarkable when one considers the presence of the one thousand one hundred and sixty-two Western Venerable Ones who are currently healing the foot injury of Practitioner Su, as well as the immeasurable and boundless number of beings who have been saved by Practitioner Su and sent to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss through Chao Du.

The Living Presence of Namo Amituofo

In the past, when devotees asked the great ancestral masters of the Pure Land school whether they had ever seen Namo Amituofo or the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, any confirmation—whether it was once, twice, or three times—would serve to greatly increase the faith of the followers in the existence of the West and their confidence in achieving rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Today, for Practitioner Su, the daily morning Dharma Body Chao Du and the Chao Du performed during the Thrice Yearning Ceremony are acts of freely travelling back and forth to the West. Every single day, he sends beings back to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

For the monastics and volunteers at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, hearing of these events and recording them in writing has become a natural part of their daily lives. However, for those in the outside world, learning of such things is difficult to accept. Some may even wonder how anyone could speak so boldly, or they might mistakenly believe that such claims are a sign of disrespect toward Namo Amituofo.

The Inconceivable Nature of the Pure Land Path

To the average person, the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is located ten trillion Buddha-lands away, making it seem impossibly distant. They believe that Namo Amituofo, as the Universal Buddha, could not possibly appear before one's eyes so easily. This is the perspective of the ordinary mind. Such individuals do not realise that Practitioner Su and Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre itself are truly inconceivable. The fact that Namo Amituofo is residing here is something that has never been heard of before. Through this unique combination of circumstances, one could say that the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is right here at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, right before the eyes of Practitioner Su.

When this is combined with the Ultimate Vow and the vast power of Namo Amituofo, these events that are difficult to think about or discuss naturally occur. If those who hear of these things are doubtful, they are welcome to come and verify the truth for themselves. However, one must be careful not to slander, destroy, or sow discord. Throughout history, whenever great ancestral masters or those who have returned to the world to teach have appeared, their lives from birth to the attainment of their practice, and their subsequent active work in saving beings, have often been marked by extraordinary deeds. They have saved countless lives. Since the Pure Land path is the most important work of saving lives and souls, how could one mistake the false for the true, or claim that something exists when it does not?

A Beacon in the Age of Confusion

For the spirits in the underworld, the appearance of Practitioner Su is their only hope for leaving suffering behind and achieving rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Even beings from the vastness of the Dharma Realm, various planets, the heavenly realms, and the Four Sacred Realms come to seek Chao Du. This is a constant occurrence at every Thrice Yearning Ceremony held at the temple. The spirits, the heavenly beings, and those in the underworld are very clear about the ability of Practitioner Su to save beings and travel back and forth to the West. Yet, among the general public—aside from the monastics, lay practitioners, and those who have listened to the Dharma talks of Practitioner Su—few are aware of or believe in this. They lose the precious opportunity to be taught and saved by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, which is truly a great pity.

The suffering of beings never ceases, and the cycle of birth and death never pauses. The reality of the laws of karma and cause and effect, as well as the six realms of rebirth, exists everywhere throughout the vastness of the Dharma Realm. In this age of the Dharma-ending period, misleading teachers are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges River, and countless beings have therefore walked onto deviant paths. Given these circumstances, there is an urgent need for the True Teachings of Namo Amituofo and the education of the Pure Land school. Only when the water of the Dharma is spread widely can we provide emergency relief to save beings, help them understand the Truth, and enable them to stop their negative karma in time. This allows them to live a new life and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, avoiding the suffering of the cycle of rebirth.

The Vigilance of Skanda Bodhisattva

Many people who study Buddhism have the affinity to encounter the Pure Land path, recognise Namo Amituofo and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and subsequently make the vow to be reborn there. They chant the name of Namo Amituofo diligently, hoping to achieve their wish. However, Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre has received countless such practitioners and spirits. While they were alive, they were devoted, yet after death, they did not enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Instead, they fell into the ghost realm or the underworld, drifting without support, only to come to the temple to participate in the ceremony and seek Chao Du from Practitioner Su.

Practitioner Su is compassionate and turns no one away. He often says, "I will save as many as I can." Such a person, who possesses the Buddha-heart, the Buddha-vow, and the Buddha-actions, is someone whom the world is rarely fortunate enough to meet. On the path of chanting Namo Amituofo, many feel disappointed, helpless, and lost. Practitioner Su often remarks, "It is difficult to save those in the human world, but it is easier to save those in the ghost realm." This statement reflects the deep sighs he has uttered after encountering so many obstacles, disbelief, or a refusal to change. If one encounters a Buddha, and is able to believe and practise, they are truly a person of great fortune and genuine practice.

All of this, I, Skanda, have witnessed from the side. Beyond feeling a deep sense of regret for the lack of fortune among the people of this world, I am also deeply grateful to be able to protect this temple and Practitioner Su, and to participate in this work. I, Skanda, will continue to protect them.

Namo Amituofo.

Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.