The Urgent Truth of Rebirth from Venerable Master Sheng Yen

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Venerable Master Sheng Yen, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his insights regarding the responsibilities of the fourfold assembly of disciples. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxi, on June 14, 2017.

Venerable Master Sheng Yen speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. If I, Sheng Yen, had not attained rebirth in the Western Pure Land, I would already be a small child by now, born into a destitute and impoverished village, struggling daily just to find enough food to survive the pangs of hunger."

The Unity of the Fourfold Assembly

"Whether one is a monastic or a lay practitioner, we are all of the same essence. There is no distinction of high or low, superior or inferior; this is the true nature of practice. To see with a heart of pure goodness—this is Wisdom. Only by remaining untainted can one achieve true purification. The world that one can reach through such purification is what we call a 'realm'—it is a manifestation of spiritual power, but it is never ordinary. It is the fruit of practice under the most sacred conditions.

If the fourfold assembly has recently felt confused by the surging influx of information, I ask you: first, observe where your own realm of consciousness has reached before you pass judgment. True information never descends into the mundane or the secular. Although the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is currently quiet and unassuming, it is precisely this anonymity that makes it an ideal place for genuine practice."

A Hard-Won Realisation

"When I first arrived at this place, I was also deeply sceptical. My heart was still tethered to everything at Dharma Drum Mountain. If I had not reached the Western Pure Land and personally verified the Truth of all these matters, I would never have realised how profoundly mistaken I had been. As I said, if I had not gone to the Western Pure Land, I would already be a small child, suffering in a poor village, hungry and destitute. This is what I can now see with my own eyes—it is real, and it is not false.

Think about it: under what circumstances must one repay the Generosity and offerings received from the ten directions? This group of monastics, disciples, and followers who believe in you, assist you, and support you—if they do not attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land, you must repay them! Because if they do not go to the Western Pure Land, they have nowhere else to go. And because they are attached to the study of the Dharma, they will come looking for you.

The scale of Dharma Drum Mountain is so vast, spanning the entire world with thousands upon thousands of followers. If none of them attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land, how are you going to repay that debt?"

A Call to Action

"These are my sincere and heartfelt words. I hope that someone will be the first to step away from the crowd and come to see me for the sake of Dharma Drum Mountain. I have not a shred of falsehood in me. As long as you are willing to come, you will be able to know the truth of all these things. The inability to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land is truly terrifying. I implore everyone to believe in this. This is a grave and serious matter; please address it as quickly as possible. Do not allow yourselves to delay any longer."

"Namo Amituofo."