Witnessing the Emperor's Dharma Assembly and the Dark Realm

This is a record of an interview with Liu Gengqin, who sought Spiritual Deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his life approximately 2,000 years ago during the Western Han Dynasty. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on June 3, 2018.

Venerable HaiZe speaks:

"Please, Venerable, who resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and protects Practitioner Su's left leg, could you share with us the details of this morning's mission to save spirits in the Milky Way alongside Practitioner Su? We are grateful for the compassion of the Buddha and the compassion of the Venerable."

Venerable Liu Gengqin speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am the 388th Venerable, Liu Gengqin. I was born during the Western Han Dynasty in China, roughly between 2,000 and 2,200 years ago. Life in that era was defined by constant warfare and national instability. For the common people, simply finding enough to eat and wear was a daily struggle; the luxury of practicing the Dharma and seeking enlightenment was far beyond our reach. Fortunately, I inherited a small plot of land from my ancestors. I worked it with all my might. While the harvest was barely enough to keep my family fed—hardly a life of comfort—I was deeply grateful for what we had. My contented and optimistic nature helped me weather many storms. Even in my poverty, I found that helping others was the greatest joy of my life. A few days before I passed away, I felt unwell, and in my sleep, I followed a celestial being and simply never woke up. I was only thirty years old—a life cut short. I had witnessed so much suffering during those wars, including the birth, aging, sickness, and death that plague the human world. I recall a neighbor who, due to extreme poverty, saw his family torn apart and eventually died of illness with no one to care for him. That memory haunted me, so I never felt any regret about my own early departure. After I passed, I followed that celestial being directly into the second level of the Celestial Realm. It turned out I still had a karmic connection to the human world that remained unresolved, so I descended from the heavens for thirty years before returning to the celestial realms."

The Pure Land Dharma Assembly of Emperor Wu of Liang

"Later, during the time when Emperor Wu of Liang was flourishing in his support for Buddhist temples, he fostered many monastics and Dharma assemblies. The Buddha’s teachings were the primary faith of the people at that time. Among these, the Pure Land path was one of the methods that grew under the patronage of the imperial family. The sound of the Buddha-name could be heard throughout the heavens, and I followed along, chanting Namo Amituofo with immense joy. When Emperor Wu of Liang initiated the Pure Land Dharma Assembly, he sent many monastics into the palace to purify the court and bring stability to the nation. They chanted the Infinite Life Sutra, and the sound of the Buddha-name and the recitation of the sutras echoed without ceasing for days. I was assigned the role of a celestial Dharma protector to guard the assembly. I descended to the human world to participate in this grand event. On the final day of the assembly, I witnessed Namo Amituofo, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva manifest before us, accompanied by a vast, pure ocean of beings. Everyone present—the monastics, the officials, the palace staff, and the spirits of the Dharma Realm—was filled with boundless joy. Emperor Wu of Liang was among them, of course. Everyone who witnessed this sight gave rise to a sincere vow to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Namo Amituofo, in His great compassion, extended His hands to lead those who wished to go. Countless spirits were guided by the Buddha to the Western Pure Land at that moment. I was one of the fortunate ones. That is why, when the Venerable of the Western Pure Land sought to descend to protect Practitioner Su's left leg, I immediately joined in, hoping to repay the debt of gratitude I owe to Emperor Wu of Liang for saving my wisdom-life. And let me tell you: that Emperor Wu of Liang is, in fact, one of the past lives of Practitioner Su!"

Journey Through the Milky Way

"Since that time, I have been able to accompany Practitioner Su into the Milky Way every single day. I have witnessed inconceivable events time and time again. If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would find it hard to believe that a human being could attain the Dharma Body and save so many suffering spirits, leading them to rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Today, our group set off as usual, shooting straight into the sky. We first passed through the space closer to Earth, the Celestial Realm, and the Four Sacred Realms. The celestial beings and the sages of the Four Sacred Realms—the Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and those of the Buddha-realm—were already kneeling, begging for deliverance. Practitioner Su did not hesitate; as soon as he saw them, he waved his sleeves. He waved his sleeves as he flew. Some of us stayed by his side, others followed behind, helping the celestial beings enter the Buddha-light so they could be sent to the Western Pure Land. You can imagine the scene—it is so rare to witness! Celestial beings and the Four Sacred sages already possess a pure light radiating from their bodies, and as the layers of the heavens increase, that light becomes even brighter. Yet, the Buddha-light radiating from Practitioner Su was even more brilliant than theirs. Because we were moving at such high speed, we didn't even have time to glance back at the heavens; we just kept moving forward. After all, time is limited. We spent nearly an hour during our morning walk traversing the Milky Way, and every second counted. In those fleeting moments, we saved boundless sentient beings."

The Dark Realm and the Distorted World

"We pushed forward, breaking through a current of air, and entered another space—a realm of absolute darkness. Our arrival illuminated the void, and we saw pairs of black eyes staring at us. Because of the light we brought, those eyes were dazzled and blinked incessantly. When we looked closer at their forms, we realized they were covered in pitch-black clothing; even their faces, hands, and feet were a greyish-black. No wonder the entire space was so dark! If a timid person had arrived here, they would have been frightened out of their wits. This place turned out to be a space outside the universe—a world of darkness. The universe contains places of extreme Goodness and extreme evil, places of brightness and places of darkness. This was one of those dark corners. Suddenly, I heard what sounded like a baby crying. A figure in black was holding an infant, and even the swaddling cloth was black. If it hadn't made a sound, we wouldn't have even noticed it. It turns out that this planet also experiences birth, aging, sickness, and death, and they have family and marital relationships. But there is no affection between them; they exist and coexist only for mutual benefit, as they need to rub against each other to generate the energy required to survive. What a strange and cold place!"

The Power of Namo Amituofo

"Imprisoned by them were another group of beings who looked disheveled, wearing clothes with faint colors, their bodies emitting a weak light, and their expressions appearing much kinder. When they realized we had arrived, some let out sharp, piercing cries for help. We could see immediately that these were two different types of beings. Practitioner Su and we, without a word, moved to break the chains on their hands and feet. The most miraculous thing happened: as soon as Practitioner Su and we approached, those chains and shackles automatically melted away. Their hands and feet were instantly freed, and they could move again. Their faces were filled with astonishment. Could it be that the light radiating from Practitioner Su and us had melted those iron chains? We were shocked at first, but we didn't have time to dwell on it. Practitioner Su waved his sleeves, and the space was instantly filled with the sound of the Buddha-name, 'Namo Amituofo.' We urged them to chant along. For a moment, a cacophony of sharp, discordant voices emerged. You couldn't hear the melody of the Buddha-name, but you could sense their desperate effort to match the pitch of the chant. As long as there is a sincere heart, that is enough. Time was pressing. We could see many spirits being gathered into Practitioner Su's sleeves. We took a deep breath and sped away, leaving that place behind. The whole scene felt like a tense, terrifying thriller. It was a close call, but so many trapped spirits were saved! Was this the work of some hidden destiny or karmic condition that brought us here and allowed us to leave in an instant?"

The Truth of Light and Darkness

"In their world, these spirits were considered outcasts because their bodies and intentions carried a peaceful, bright light, which is why they were imprisoned. It turns out that Goodness and evil, light and darkness, right and wrong, are interpreted and defined differently in different realms and spaces. In that place, Goodness, light, and righteousness were viewed as evil, darkness, and wrong; while evil, darkness, and wrong were the very meaning of their existence. It was a distorted world. Our passing through saved those kind-hearted beings. The light radiated by the Truth and the true self is sufficient to melt the chains and shackles of darkness. Everything happened so naturally. Our group left that dark space and continued through the vast void, spreading the sacred name of Namo Amituofo, the Buddha-light, and the infinite compassionate energy of Namo Amituofo to save all those with karmic affinity."

"Namo Amituofo."