Witnessing the Pandemic's Toll: An Interview with Bidato, Cliff, and Shubi

This is a record of an interview with Bidato (Motara), Cliff (Monia), and Shubi (Mosta), who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. They now reside in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon their experiences witnessing the pandemic in hospitals. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on August 8, 2021.

Bidato (Motara) speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. My heart is incredibly heavy today. There is no suffering in this world quite like what I have just witnessed. Although the Three Souls and I have already been delivered back to the temple by the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su, the scenes we witnessed during the Dharma assembly's circumambulation remain etched into my mind. Practitioner Su took us to a hospital in Japan to observe the pandemic and the condition of the patients. Every single scene is burned into my memory. Even now, I can still see the agonising expressions of those patients, and I can still hear their desperate cries for help."

The Cruelty of Karmic Retribution

"Today, I witnessed something truly harrowing. Patients who had just been admitted died before the medical staff could even begin emergency treatment, yet the doctors continued their efforts regardless. After the doctors declared them dead, I saw their souls—distorted and writhing in agony—struggling to break free from their physical bodies. But they were not alone. Their bodies were surrounded by numerous spirits, both male and female, their faces twisted with intense rage. As soon as the patient's soul emerged, these spirits swarmed them, beating them mercilessly. It is already traumatic enough for a soul to leave its body, but to be beaten like that? I watched as the soul rolled on the ground in pain. I felt the profound sorrow of that spirit so deeply.

In the world of spirits, it is just as filled with joy, anger, sorrow, and pain as the human world. Even without a physical body, spirits can still seek to settle debts—if they happen to cross paths with their karmic creditors. This deceased soul could not escape the clutches of the pandemic, nor could it hide from the retribution of its karmic creditors. It was truly suffering upon suffering!"

A Mother's Final Plea

"I also saw a pregnant woman who had contracted the virus. She was pleading with the doctors, begging them to save her unborn child. She offered her own life in exchange for her baby's. One minute she was speaking to the doctor, and the next, I heard the emergency alarms. Shortly after, they declared that both mother and child had passed away. The family members beside them were absolutely shattered, their grief beyond words. One body, two lives—just like that, they vanished from the human world. This is the reality of what I saw in that hospital. When we left, the expression on everyone's face was heavy with sorrow.

'Namo Amituofo! Bidato implores the Buddha for His blessing. No matter what it takes, please let Temo wake up soon. Let him find the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre as quickly as possible, so that Namo Amituofo can save the vast number of lives and souls suffering from this pandemic. I will do everything in my power to assist.' This is my deepest prayer to Namo Amituofo."

Cliff (Monia) speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Yesterday, Practitioner Su took us to see the pandemic situation in the United States, and today, we visited a hospital in Japan. This kind of spiritual education is no less intense than witnessing the punishments in the hells. For the people of this world, these pandemic hospitals are like living hells. Life is bound and restricted. To keep a patient breathing for just one more moment, doctors use every method available to prevent death, yet they cannot move faster than the toxicity of the virus, which snuffs out life in an instant."

The Futility of Worldly Attachments

"This is a scene that people simply cannot bear to witness. In normal times, people spend so much money, energy, and time trying to maintain and extend their lives. But in this moment, money, energy, and time are completely useless. They cannot save this body or this life. All that remains is the soul, weeping and mourning, unseen by the living.

In the hospital, I could see the souls of those who had died from the pandemic scattered throughout every corner of the space. They passed through the bodies of the busy medical staff, the patients, and the grieving families. Two worlds—the yin and the yang—existed simultaneously, and we could see it all. Truly, life and death are separated by only a single breath. Cliff never expected that I would feel such sorrow at these sights. Has the Buddha's teachings and the compassion of Practitioner Su finally transformed me? At that moment, I naturally began to chant, 'Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo...'"

The Urgent Need for Buddha-Light

"Practitioner Su's Buddha-light shone upon us all, but everyone was so busy and lost in their own sorrow that some could feel the light, while others could not. Those souls who were fortunate enough to notice the light arriving reacted quickly and entered it—they were saved! My heart felt such joy for them. It made me realise even more deeply that everyone is in desperate need of the Buddha's deliverance and the light of His Chao Du.

Namo Amituofo! Cliff deeply implores the Buddha, and I also beg the Three Souls to be compassionate and find the temple quickly. Only Namo Amituofo can save us from this pandemic. This is what I believe with all my heart!"

Shubi (Mosta) speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. For the people of this world, the separation of life and death is a deeply painful experience. The Buddha's teachings tell us that all of this is governed by cause and effect, and the pulling of karmic conditions. Today, Practitioner Su's Dharma Body led us to the pandemic hospital in Japan to see the situation firsthand. The damage caused by this pandemic and the helplessness of the people are visible everywhere in the hospital. The bodies are simply unable to withstand the invasion of the virus."

A Race Against Time

"The virus does not discriminate. Among the patients, there are children, the elderly, women, men—everyone is locked in a tug-of-war between life and death. To the 'demon of illness,' victory means claiming another life; to the doctors and patients, victory means preserving one. But in this pandemic, no matter which country you look at, people are both weak and defeated. The speed at which the illness claims lives is truly astonishing.

Practitioner Su bringing us to see this has greatly motivated us to find the temple as quickly as possible. Especially for the Three Souls—no matter who you are, seeing these scenes would make you hope for the pandemic to end immediately. Only through the awakening of the Three Souls can we successfully find the temple and invite the Buddha to save us from this pandemic. This is the most urgent task before us. Shubi even believes that even without waiting for a letter to arrive at the temple, the Three Souls should use their own strength to drive the body to find the temple. I hope the Three Souls can find the motivation to save the world from this pandemic."

Namo Amituofo.