Witnessing the Boundless Chao Du of Practitioner Su

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Master Xu Yun, who now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. He reflects upon the extraordinary Dharma Body Chao Du performed by Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. This account captures his observations of the vast, transformative power of these spiritual Chao Du. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Haize, on February 2, 2021.

Master Xu Yun speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Xu Yun. Having lived in the modern era as a monastic, I am humbled to be counted among the patriarchs and venerable masters by those who came after me. My life in the world was marked by actions and words that often differed from the norm, yet they were validated and affirmed by many. This was a result of Dharma affinity and the conditions that brought us together.

Today, I reside in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am deeply fortunate that Practitioner Su of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia included me among the patriarchs and venerable masters during the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies. As the ceremony progressed, I was called forth, and I set out alongside the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su to participate in this Dharma Body Chao Du. While Practitioner Su’s physical body remained at the temple leading the assembly, the spiritual Dharma Body emerged from the crown of the head—this is the manifestation of the countless manifestations of the Buddha.

The Evolution of Chao Du

Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body Chao Du has existed since the moment she became an awakened being. As her compassion and mind-capacity expanded infinitely, the scope of this Chao Du and the reach of the salvation team grew deeper and wider, extending across mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Recently, this process has undergone a significant transformation; the speed of Chao Du has become faster and more potent. When the countless manifestations are sent out simultaneously, they permeate every corner of these nations, provinces, and districts. In a single instant, they sweep across the land, leading connected beings to liberation. These countless manifestations then return to the temple, bringing with them an immeasurable number of sentient beings who are then placed into the twenty memorial tablets within the space manifested by Namo Amituofo.

A Speed That Defies Imagination

The manifestations go out and return in a continuous, rhythmic cycle, placing beings into the tablets without a moment’s hesitation. The scene is truly breathtaking and monumental. There is no time for pause or reflection; it is a race against time itself. In this limited duration, not a single second is wasted. The speed is so incredible that we—the so-called patriarchs, venerable masters, and members of the salvation team—can only watch with our mouths agape, completely dumbfounded and struggling to believe what we are seeing. We do not even have time to offer praise; we must quickly regain our focus and return to our positions to keep pace with the speed of Practitioner Su’s Chao Du. Under the guidance of Venerable Chang Ren, the salvation team has become so familiar and proficient with these rapid changes that they follow Practitioner Su’s lead with the utmost efficiency, ensuring that as many beings as possible are saved.

This rapid speed is perfectly synchronised with the mental notes of Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body. The moment a thought arises, the manifestations act in immediate accordance with the intent of the Dharma Body. There is virtually no time lag; the manifestation is the Dharma Body, and the Dharma Body is the manifestation—they are one. The flexibility and adaptability of these manifestations are identical to the Dharma Body, allowing them to act in perfect alignment with Practitioner Su’s will. She has mastered this ability to its fullest extent, which is why the speed of this Dharma Body Chao Du has surpassed all previous efforts.

Compassion as the Foundation

The boundless compassion and mind-capacity of Practitioner Su are the true reasons for the success of this Chao Du. Even when Practitioner Su’s physical body suffered due to her taking on the suffering of beings during the recent Australian drought, she used this opportunity—under the blessings of Namo Amituofo and the invitation of Dharma protectors like Skanda Bodhisattva—to also deliver the countless beings that had been hiding within her own body for over twenty years, having been invited during the Chao Du of the fourfold assembly. Throughout this process, Practitioner Su endured immense physical pain without a single complaint or regret. It was precisely this experience that ignited an even deeper, more compassionate, and broader capacity for Chao Du within her. Her heart and actions are in complete harmony with the vows of Namo Amituofo.

Practitioner Su’s work to save beings is ceaseless. She knows that every grain of sand, every drop of rain, is a spirit—a Buddha in the making—and none can be overlooked. She understands that if this opportunity is missed, these spirits, grains of sand, and raindrops might have to endure their current state for countless kalpas and lifetimes before they have another chance to be saved and recover their original nature. This is truly the heart and action of a Buddha.

The True Meaning of Selflessness

In this age of the Dharma’s decline, witnessing such genuine selflessness and lack of ego in Practitioner Su is something that truly moves me to praise! She understands the methods of Chao Du and the teachings provided by Namo Amituofo with remarkable speed, immediately learning and applying them in practice. This unspoken rapport and her willingness to listen to Namo Amituofo are key reasons for her rapid achievements. If the fourfold assembly of disciples could truly see and hear the various manifestations of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, and if they would focus on listening to Practitioner Su’s lectures and follow her lead, it would be of immense help to everyone’s practice.

Regarding the reach of Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body Chao Du, one could list countless places: in mainland China, provinces such as Jiangsu, Guangdong, Sichuan, Shandong, and Liaoning; the Four Sacred Mountains, as well as Mount Tai, Mount Huang, and Changbai Mountain; the Yangtze River, the Three Gorges, the Yellow River, the Pearl River, the Heilongjiang River, and the Yalu River, along with their tributaries and lakes; and major cities like Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing, including the Forbidden City and areas affected by sandstorms. Furthermore, the places traversed by Great Master Xuanzang on his journey to the Western Regions to seek scriptures—the deserts, the cacti, and the spirits encountered there—as well as Chang’an City and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda upon his return, are all essential sites for Chao Du. The spirits of the mountains, land, water, fire, wind, stones, flowers, grass, trees, rain, and thunder, along with their families and subjects, have all dressed in their finest and are waiting in line with the utmost respect along the routes of Chao Du, filling the local space and sky, awaiting the arrival of Practitioner Su’s salvation team.

A Global Resonance

These spirits already know that Practitioner Su’s speed of Chao Du is extraordinary. They know that if they do not keep up, they will miss this great day of rebirth in the Western Pure Land. They also know that they must chant the Buddha’s name together to enter the Western Pure Land. They have already begun chanting, so when Practitioner Su arrives, the sound of the Buddha’s name is already echoing from the local spirits, joining the chanting brought by the salvation team. Thus, wherever Practitioner Su goes, the holy name of Namo Amituofo is spread. Wherever her Dharma Body arrives, the space is opened, allowing the local beings to hear the lectures Practitioner Su gives at the temple. They are not unfamiliar with her various manifestations; they know to cooperate immediately to ensure they can be saved and reborn in the West as soon as possible.

In Hong Kong and Macau, her reach extends beyond the places she has visited before, covering Kowloon, major ports, Tai Po, and other cities, as well as areas along the MTR lines like Yau Ma Tei, crowded places, rivers, parks, shopping malls, airports, and Lantau Island—all are reached by her manifestations.

Taiwan, being the place where Practitioner Su grew up, is very familiar to her. The Dharma Body Chao Du there is both rapid and extensive. It is not limited to places she has personally visited; it covers the entire island—north, central, south, east, and west—including cities like Keelung, Taipei, and Hualien, as well as the Keelung River, the Zengwun River, the Central Mountain Range, and scenic spots like Lishan and the Suhua Highway. Especially during the recent drought in Taiwan, Practitioner Su visualised the replenishment of water, delivering beings from the north to the south of the island. Even in the local markets, the spirits of chickens, ducks, fish, pigs, and even vegetables and fruits are given the opportunity to leave their current state because Practitioner Su opens up their space.

Into the Depths of the Ocean

Japan, an island nation, with its many hot springs, as well as the oceans surrounding Japan, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, the coastal waters of mainland China, and even the oceans around Australia, are all places where Practitioner Su delivers the beings of the deep. You have likely never seen a Dharma Body enter the ocean to deliver marine life, have you? Wherever Practitioner Su passes, the Buddha-light and the sound of the Buddha’s name she carries exist within the sea, attracting schools of fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish, who are then delivered. Deep-sea fish, underwater plants, and corals are also included, and the immeasurable molecules of seawater are also objects of Chao Du when she works in the ocean.

The Kuching Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Malaysia and the surrounding primeval forests, the beings dwelling within the clouds, Singapore, and in Australia—Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Toowoomba, and Goombungee, where the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is located—are all key areas of focus. Throughout this entire process, every place she reaches, whether it be the mountains, rivers, the earth, animals, insects, or ghosts, all are objects of her Chao Du.

Practitioner Su’s manifestations go out to these various places simultaneously and then return together to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia to enter the twenty memorial tablets. Afterward, they set out again with Practitioner Su’s manifestations to begin the next round of Chao Du. After many such cycles, when the time comes, everyone returns to the temple to participate in the Dharma assembly, only to set out again during the next round of circumambulation. Seeing these beings enter the memorial tablets is the most gratifying moment for Practitioner Su and for us. These beings have wandered in the six realms of rebirth for so long, changing into different forms, and finally, at this moment, they can enter the Western Pure Land and attain liberation. Even those who have not chanted the Buddha’s name but have entered the human or heavenly realms due to their karmic affinities are in a much better situation than before.

Such a spirit of Chao Du—one of oneness, compassion, and equality, where no being is considered higher or lower, stronger or weaker, and every creature has an equal opportunity to be saved—is in perfect alignment with the Truth and the righteous path. I, Xu Yun, rejoice and praise this, walking alongside the Buddha!"

Namo Amituofo.