Hiding the Scripture in His Cut Arm

After my spirit left my body, I continued to stay in the twenty-third heaven, performing my duties of protecting the Dharma and propagating the Buddha’s teachings. During this time when Practitioner Su vigorously delivered countless suffering beings, I saw in the heavenly realm that the space was opened by the Twelve Lights of Buddha-light. I knew that the karmic affinity had been complete, and it would be the time for me to return to the West. I followed the golden light and arrived at the Western Land of Dharma Nature with one Buddha-name.

 

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Pramiti, who sought Spiritual Deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his life approximately 1,300 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable Shi Faru, on March 10, 2026.

Venerable Pramiti speaks:

“Namo Amituofo. I am Pramiti. I dare not call myself a ‘Venerable’—please, just call me a monastic. Over 1,300 years ago in India, after Shakyamuni Buddha had entered Parinirvana, the development of Buddhism faced many trials. This is a process that must be experienced during the Dharma-Age of the Buddha’s teachings, and it is a test that sentient beings in the age of the Dharma’s decline in this worldly realm must endure.

 

The Sacred Mission of the Monastic

The transmission of the Buddha’s teachings is bound to the great causal conditions of countless sentient beings. Every monastic, Dharma protector, and even lay practitioner interested in the Buddha’s teachings bears a responsibility for the propagation of the Dharma. The Buddha’s teachings are not merely historical records or texts in scriptures. Every word and sentence records the bits and pieces of the Buddha’s life 2,500 years ago as he walked through India, teaching and educating sentient beings in the ten directions with his own body, mind, and spirit. Through these records, countless sentient beings and spirits can receive the benefits of the Dharma. This benefit refers to truly seeing through the various sufferings and illusions of this worldly realm, perceiving the essence of the world, and generating a genuine belief in escaping the six realms of rebirth. It allows all sentient beings with karmic affinity to have the opportunity to hear and see the words, deeds, and even the thoughts of the Buddha from 2,500 years ago. This is the duty of every monastic; it is our inherent mission. I know that my own understanding of the Dharma is far inferior to the great Arhats of the Buddha’s time, and far behind the eminent monks throughout India’s history. However, I truly possess a sincere heart for the propagation of the Dharma.

I deeply understand the vastness and preciousness of the Buddha’s teachings, and I know that they can provide real help, assisting beings in this worldly realm to see the essence of suffering and the true direction of life. Therefore, I have always been very interested in promoting and propagating the Buddhist scriptures, and I have dedicated all my strength to it.”

 

The Legacy of the Great Master Xuanzang

“When Great Master Xuanzang brought the Buddha’s teachings from Nalanda University back to the Tang Dynasty, he propagated the Dharma along the way, and I admire him greatly. Thinking of the many sentient beings, nations, people, royalty, spirits, and beings in the demon realms along the route of his pilgrimage and return—all of them were able to hear the Dharma and receive its benefits, thereby having the chance to generate the Bodhi mind and plant the seeds for future Buddhahood. This fills me with deep admiration. I am truly happy for all the beings who had the affinity to encounter that magnificent journey of seeking the Dharma. I know that the many eminent monks who came to Nalanda University from all over to seek the Dharma, as well as the monastics responsible for translating the scriptures, all had significant backgrounds.

This does not mean they were royalty or powerful figures; rather, they were all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who had returned with deep karmic affinity to the Dharma. From their temperament and speech, and from the limited Buddhist texts available in their homelands, they were able to generate supreme faith in the Dharma. They understood that the Dharma could bring real benefits to the people, and with such profound wisdom and insight, they made great vows. At that time, transportation was extremely inconvenient, the roads were treacherous, and the journey was fraught with life-threatening difficulties. Yet, they were still able to cross mountains and rivers, travelling thousands of miles to reach Nalanda University to seek the Dharma. Even bringing such a massive quantity of scriptures and theoretical works back to their home countries for translation and propagation—these were all ancestral masters and Buddhas and Bodhisattvas returning to the world.”

 

The Obstacles to Propagating the Truth

Since ancient times, the propagation of the Dharma has been tested by all sides. Those elders, lay practitioners, monastics, and Dharma protectors who have tried to assist in propagation understand that if one wishes to promote the true Great Dharma, one will always encounter heavy obstacles and tests. Only with a deep and firm vow can one break through such dilemmas and successfully pass the Dharma down to the world. The transmission of the Dharma is truly not easy.

The many scriptures of Buddhism, including the Tripitaka, contain 84,000 Dharma gates, and their quantity and depth far exceed the imagination of worldly people. Among them, the crucial scriptures that have an affinity with beings in the age of the Dharma’s decline, and which meet the needs of that era, are the key scriptures that can be passed down to future generations to influence and save many beings.

 

The Significance of the Shurangama Sutra

This includes the well-known Shurangama Sutra, which is widely familiar to later generations and is one of the important scriptures and Dharma gates designated as a daily practice in many schools. In fact, no Dharma gate is higher or lower than another; however, each scripture and Dharma gate has its own karmic affinity, and the beings they can save are different.

The karmic affinity of the Shurangama Sutra is in China, the Tang Dynasty. I learned in a deep meditative state that this scripture has a profound affinity with China and the subsequent development of Buddhism. Without this sutra, the propagation of the Dharma would lack a great source of support. Great Master Xuanzang and Great Master Rizhao, who previously brought the Dharma to the Tang Dynasty, were unable to bring the Shurangama Sutra back to China for translation.

This was not because they did not notice this scripture, nor because they thought its meaning was insufficient, but because the Indian royal family at the time forbade the circulation of such precious texts outside the country. They firmly believed that by guarding these hard-won scriptures, they would gain the merit of protecting and propagating the Dharma, thereby seeking the stability of the royal family and the government. However, to truly exert the power of the Dharma and accumulate merit, one must circulate precious Dharma widely to every corner of the world, using various languages to save beings. Only then can the true meaning of the Dharma be exerted, and the karmic affinity of each scripture be expanded.”

 

A Secret Journey to the East

“This is also one of the important concepts demonstrated by Shakyamuni Buddha when he was in the world. Only by deeply planting the Dharma in the heart of every being can we have the chance to wake them up from the ocean of karma in this worldly realm. I understood this principle, so I made a vow to find a way to propagate the Shurangama Sutra. At that time, the sages from the Tang Dynasty had all requested this great Sanskrit sutra. Great Master Zhiyi was very pious in seeking this scripture. Although Great Master Zhiyi had never seen this scripture, his piety in seeking it gave me a very clear and profound instruction: this scripture must be propagated to the Tang Dynasty.

The manifestation and symbolic action of Great Master Zhiyi showed that this scripture had a very deep karmic affinity with the Tang Dynasty and the people who studied Buddhism in various Chinese dynasties thereafter. This sutra would influence the transmission of the Dharma for generation after generation. I realized this profound meaning, so I began to plan to bring the Shurangama Sutra to China.

However, the national censorship was indeed strict. Monastics were always checked one by one, especially because the authorities feared that monastics would take top-secret scriptures that were forbidden from circulation out of the country.

If it reached other countries at the border, the royal family would not be able to maintain its exclusivity over the sutra. To break through this obstacle and prohibition, I copied the scripture onto very thin silk, cut open my arm, buried the scriptures inside, and stitched it up. After it healed, I could set off for the Tang Dynasty. Why not carry this scripture to China by memorizing it? Memorization would indeed not be subject to censorship and restrictions. However, the Shurangama Sutra is not a small scripture. To be able to recite it completely without a single word wrong requires considerable skill.

I did not have such ability, nor did I dare to try to pass such a long text to China purely by memory. After all, every word of the Dharma is very important and needs to be handled with great care. Even a one-word difference could bring a completely different meaning. Especially since this scripture has a very deep affinity with China, the karma of even a one-word difference is terrifying. I do not have such arrogance to boast that I can memorize 100% of the scripture’s content and circulate the Dharma to China with complete accuracy; this is my own self-awareness. This massive scripture was not just a task completed by reaching China. After all, the language and writing at that time were recorded in Sanskrit. To circulate it in China, it had to be translated into the local Chinese language.”

 

The Translation and the Role of Lay Practitioner Fang Rong

“Only in this way could more people understand it and even actively study it. We had to lower the threshold and difficulties in reading and learning to circulate the Dharma in the world. This relied on copying and recording the original Sanskrit text without a single error. After entering China, we would then find people capable of translation to work together to translate this precious and profound great sutra into Chinese that everyone could understand. To ensure that everyone had the same original text during the translation process, rather than missing passages or losing the original meaning, the safest approach was to clearly copy the entire Sanskrit original, allowing the translation institutions in the Tang Dynasty to have a common source text to follow.

The road to the Tang Dynasty was not easy. The path taken by Great Master Xuanzang was life-threatening, and I did not have full confidence that I could walk back to China using his methods and routes. I could only escort the Shurangama Sutra to China via other routes. At that time, maritime shipping in the South China Sea was developed, so I took a ship from the nearest port in northern India to China.

Actually, it was not that the propagation of all Dharma was strictly forbidden, but I could observe that the collective karma of China was at work. There was a force that did not want the Dharma to enter China, did not want this important scripture to circulate, and thus did not want to help future generations learn the Dharma.

The Shurangama Sutra is also well known for its very clear efficacy, and the mantras within it are very effective. Moreover, every country at the border had this risk of censorship. I knew that if I proceeded to the Tang Dynasty by land, I would likely be intercepted halfway. Even though I had hidden the scripture very secretly, facing the interference and obstacles of the spiritual realm—which is not limited by physical eyes—they could see the light emitted by the scripture hidden in my arm at a glance and would immediately subject me to strict scrutiny. I would likely have been caught after passing only a few checkpoints, blocking the propagation of the Dharma.

Therefore, under the blessing of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, my sensitivity told me that I had to take the sea route to safely deliver this sutra to China. Of course, even taking the sea route, I was subjected to the interference of various demons. However, even with great storms, it did not shake my determination to transmit the Dharma. Even if I fell into the sea, my physical body could still protect the scripture from destruction. As long as I had a breath left, I could step-by-step bring the Shurangama Sutra into China. Fortunately, there was not much obstruction from people and checkpoints on the sea, and the merchant ship I took—the people on board, the merchants, and the crew—were all Dharma protectors with good roots from past lives who came to help.

Coupled with the continuous recitation of the Shurangama Mantra along the way, and the fact that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas knew the importance of propagating this sutra to China, there were blessings and protection from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas all the way, which allowed this scripture to arrive safely in Guangzhou.”

 

The Power of the Shurangama Sutra

“Through the so-called Maritime Silk Road, passing through the Bay of Bengal, the Strait of Malacca, and the South China Sea, I finally arrived in Guangzhou, China. When I first arrived, Guangzhou was not a very prosperous translation center. However, fortunately, the karmic affinity for translation was at the Zhizhi Temple in Guangzhou. At that time, I met several eminent monks who were translators, including Meghashikha and Huaidi. These two great beings saw at a glance that the scripture I brought back was the famous Shurangama Sutra. They were also very surprised that this sutra could be brought out and successfully transmitted to China, because this sutra was originally impossible to circulate outside, yet I had brought it out. Everyone had a consensus that this Shurangama Sutra was precious because its circulation was extremely difficult. As everyone knows, this scripture can exert a great influence in China, and everyone knows that the background and significance of this sutra are extremely profound.

The environment at that time was in a severe era controlled by demon crowds. To break through in China, one must rely on scriptures with powerful strength like the Shurangama Sutra, which is sufficient to break through the interference of demon crowds.

The positioning of this sutra in later generations is not only designated by ancestral masters as an important daily practice for many schools of Buddhism, but it is even stipulated that the Shurangama Mantra be recited in the morning. Many Buddhist followers can quickly and fluently recite the Shurangama Mantra precisely because the efficacy of this scripture and the mantra heart is inconceivable, making it an indispensable and important scripture for practitioners to avoid the interference of demon crowds and to purify the bodhimanda.

 

The Path to Awakening

In a deeper sense, this scripture is intended to let all Buddhist followers who recite it realize the illusory nature of this world, thereby willing to generate a heart of renunciation. It further clarifies the importance of realizing one’s true nature and the fundamental truth of the true heart and true suchness. It does not rely on external seeking but on putting in the work from the heart. Such deep meaning and philosophy are fully explained in this scripture through dialogue and debate. This scripture also has the deepest meaning, which is to serve as an important guide for the transition between the Age of the Semblance Dharma and the Age of the Dharma’s Decline. This sutra clearly points out the various tests of demonic realms encountered in sitting meditation and cultivating concentration in the age of the Dharma’s decline, and lists the fifty types of demonic skandhas. However, in fact, the various illusions in the age of the Dharma’s decline are far more than these fifty types. These fifty types are considered as detailed a plan and classification of various illusory realms and demonic tests as possible.

However, the many illusions in the subtle details, and even the magic and demonic realms that exist on the border of Buddha and demon, using subtle differences to interfere with practitioners, can be said to be everywhere. If one cannot distinguish the differences between Buddha and demon and truly understand the essence of the Buddha’s teachings, how can one avoid the interference of demonic realms through sitting meditation and cultivating concentration, and truly break through the realm of practice? This scripture is intended to point out this deep and profound truth. The reason why this scripture is interfered with by demon crowds is also because it speaks of the key to how demon crowds manipulate human hearts and points out the focus of demon crowds in destroying practitioners.

In the Age of the Semblance Dharma and the Age of the Dharma’s Decline, practitioners are interfered with by demon crowds because we cannot distinguish between Buddha and demon in these subtle places, and we do not understand that practice, sitting meditation, and cultivating concentration are not for ourselves. Especially when practicing the Buddha’s teachings in the age of the Dharma’s decline, one should generate the Bodhi mind with Mahayana Buddhism and have a heart to truly save sentient beings; this is the truly ultimate Dharma gate. In fact, all Dharma gates are equal; it is just that the Dharma gates corresponding to different eras and the potential of sentient beings are slightly different. This is a situation that appears in nature, not determined by the way people think and analyze the merits of Dharma gates.

 

The Pure Land Dharma Gate

In the Shurangama Sutra, it is specifically pointed out through the dialogue between the Buddha and his disciples: in the age of the Dharma’s decline of Buddhism, the important Dharma gate for practicing the Buddha’s teachings is the Buddha-name chanting Dharma gate from the Chapter on Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva’s Perfect Penetration through Buddha-name Chanting and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva’s Perfect Penetration through the Ear Organ Dharma gate. In fact, these two Dharma gates are one, not two. The so-called reversing the hearing to hear the self-nature refers to the need to practice the Buddha’s teachings by chanting the Buddha-name of the self-nature with the true heart and Buddha-heart, and awakening the Buddha-nature of the self-nature. The focus of this Dharma gate lies in chanting the Buddha-name with the heart, mouth, heart, and ears, and even with every cell of the body, promoting the Buddha-heart, Buddha-actions, and Buddha-vows to save the world and save beings.

Therefore, in Guangzhou at that time, everyone knew the importance of this scripture and knew that if this scripture were to be circulated, it would inevitably encounter heavy demonic obstacles and tests. Now that it had finally been circulated into China, we should quickly translate and widely circulate this scripture to break through the restrictions of the demon crowds. This scripture was hard-won, and currently, there was only this handwritten copy and oral transmission between us. We had to quickly convert the Sanskrit that was not easy to circulate and the content of foreign languages that everyone did not understand into Chinese characters that could be widely circulated and copied, to ensure that this scripture was preserved in China. Otherwise, if it were presented only in foreign languages or Sanskrit, it would not be easily understood and valued by people.

Even if it were copied and circulated in the form of Sanskrit, and spread to other places, people might not understand the profound philosophy and mysteries within it. Therefore, there must be sage lay practitioners and Dharma-protecting great beings who can understand the preciousness of this scripture to ensure that this scripture is promoted in China.

 

Refining the Translation

With this understanding, we began to work on oral translation and verification. However, even with the initial translation, it still lacked refinement for circulation in later generations. After all, the initial translation was based on the relevant cultural background and terminology of India. For people in China, understanding still lacked the vocabulary and sentences that conformed to the Chinese culture of the Tang Dynasty.

Such raw translation could not fit the general understanding of the Buddha’s teachings by people at that time, and there were considerable discrepancies in terminology compared to many well-translated scriptures. Fortunately, I was able to meet Lay Practitioner Fang Rong at that time. I did not know his identity then; I only knew that he was a scholar who had read many books, and I could see that he had a deep karmic affinity with the Buddha’s teachings. I could also know his background from past lives, so I invited him to join the ranks of translating the Shurangama Sutra. Lay Practitioner Fang Rong himself had a very deep karmic affinity with the Buddha’s teachings and also had a foundation in the Buddha’s teachings. Presumably, he was also influenced by the Buddha’s teachings in the capital at that time, which was also thanks to Great Master Xuanzang and the ancestral masters who had propagated the Buddha’s teachings from India to China. Lay Practitioner Fang Rong had also heard of Great Master Zhiyi seeking the Shurangama Sutra. Although there was no term Shurangama Sutra at that time, the lay practitioner vaguely knew that the content and efficacy of the Shurangama Sutra transmitted orally by Indian monastics were consistent with the efficacy of this scripture in breaking demonic obstacles. However, he did not know that the one I brought was the Shurangama Sutra. After my explanation and invitation, he understood that this scripture was the Shurangama Sutra.

After understanding the origin of this Shurangama Sutra, the difficulty of seeking the Dharma, and the key guiding position of this scripture for the transmission of the Dharma lineage in later generations and the transition from the Age of the Semblance Dharma to the Age of the Dharma’s Decline, the lay practitioner was also willing to actively assist us in refining and proofreading the Shurangama Sutra.

The refined text was repeatedly proofread and verified by several of us to ensure that the meaning of the text conformed to the original meaning of the sutra at that time, and to ensure that there were no obstacles in circulation. Therefore, its literary style and vocabulary were not only rich but also very convenient and easy to understand for circulation, recitation, and copying. At that time, we also referred to many contemporary translations and examples of Buddhist scriptures to ensure that the words used were consistent with other scriptures widely circulated at that time.

For some Buddhist technical terms that had not yet been translated, we largely adopted the method of transliteration and did not make major changes to ensure that the original meaning of the sutra could be correctly transmitted.

As for later generations who want to translate and circulate this transliterated version, they will not have translation difficulties due to the lack of sound. As long as the sound is ensured to be the same, there will still be opportunities to compare with the original Sanskrit scriptures in the future when translating scriptures, and by comparing the same words and sentences with the same sound, the accuracy of the translation can be ensured. After ensuring that the translation process reached a certain level, I left China with peace of mind and returned to India.

 

The Eternal Mission

At that time, I knew that the promotion of the Shurangama Sutra had gained stability, and as I expected, this scripture was later brought back to the capital and promoted extensively. Many scholars and literati also found benefits from this sutra. Subsequently, this sutra also began to circulate in various Dharma gates and schools.

After returning to India, I wanted to circulate other scriptures in the same way. However, the restrictions of censorship were even stricter, and it could be said that the interference of demon crowds was even more intense. Following the karmic conditions at that time, I did not circulate other scriptures, but I still looked for whether there were scriptures with deep karmic affinity with China that needed to be transmitted. I kept in mind my duty as a monastic to propagate the Dharma. I knew that my karmic affinity with China was not shallow, but until I passed away, I never had the chance to circulate scriptures to China again. After I passed away, I ascended to the twenty-third heaven. I could have entered a deep meditative state to sit in peace, but I kept thinking about supporting the propagation of the Buddha’s teachings in China.

This is also because of my deep and profound karmic affinity with China. I continued to observe the situation of the propagation of the Buddha’s teachings on earth from the heavenly realm, and I continued to protect this Shurangama Sutra as a celestial being, ensuring that it would not be interrupted by the interference of demon crowds. I am also very grateful to many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who returned to vigorously promote this Shurangama Sutra. This scripture is often slandered by demon crowds, calling it a scripture of unknown origin, a forgery, or a scripture written by literati.

However, whenever people questioned it, there were always ancestral masters with true, sincere practice who protected this Shurangama Sutra with their lifelong cultivation. They used their true, sincere practice, their deep understanding of the meaning of the major scriptures, and their achievements in the cultivation of their own spirit, heart, and self-nature to explain this scripture to everyone and explain its true meaning to the vast number of people.

This also shows that this scripture actually coincides with the true core of the Buddha’s teachings and the various schools of realizing one’s true nature. The ancestral masters constantly explained to people the concept of the Buddha’s teachings of relying on the Dharma, not on the person, and one cannot be suspicious just because the source and origin of this scripture are different from the way other scriptures are transmitted.

Many practitioners, after studying this scripture, were able to quickly understand its deep meaning because the words within it could meet their potential and principles. The Buddhist meaning of this scripture can be said to be endless and of infinite levels, and different people always see the part that has the deepest karmic affinity with them after seeing this scripture. This is also the time when the good roots of the Buddha’s teachings planted in their Alaya consciousness over many lifetimes can be manifested. Whenever demon crowds want to manipulate human hearts and make people suspicious of this scripture, I will use the method of reciting this Shurangama Sutra and the Shurangama Mantra to make the demon crowds retreat.

By doing so, I protect the Buddhist followers who study this scripture, so that they can have the opportunity to avoid the interference of demon crowds and truly understand the true meaning of the Buddha’s teachings described in this scripture through their own realization of self-nature and spirit. This scripture, whose full name is The Buddha Speaks the Mahayana, Infinite Life, Adornment, Purity, Impartiality, and Enlightenment Sutra—although abbreviated as the Shurangama Sutra—can be seen from the translation of the complete sutra that this sutra encompasses 84,000 Dharma gates: including the cause of the Tathagata’s Buddhahood, the ten thousand practices of Samantabhadra, and the true philosophy of the Shurangama Sutra in breaking demons and breaking through false realms and illusory realms. At the same time, it also points out the focus of the practice of the Buddha-name chanting Dharma gate where the ear organ is the sharpest for practitioners in the age of the Dharma’s decline. This sutra was first brought to China across the ocean through the sincere heart of Great Master Zhiyi in seeking the Dharma, and through very difficult methods; and it was only through the dedication and translation of many Dharma-protecting Bodhisattvas that it had the opportunity to be seen in China and before the vast number of Chinese Buddhist followers. Later generations, Great Master Hanshan and Great Master Xuyun, also vigorously promoted and supported this scripture. It can be seen that the process of propagating and transmitting the entire scripture was not easy, and after suffering many slanders and suspicions, it still stands firm, which proves the authenticity of this Buddhist scripture. Therefore, everyone should not question this scripture. This scripture has now reached a stage. After entering the age of the Dharma’s decline, one can see that the Buddha’s teachings in China are gradually declining. Although this Buddhist scripture is still continuously recited as a daily practice by monastics in temples, the discussion of its philosophy and its true core—the true practice of the ten thousand practices of Samantabhadra and the 84,000 Dharma gates of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas—has gradually declined. When I successfully brought this scripture from India back to China, I also encountered many tests along the way. While facing these tests, I also recited this Shurangama Mantra with a sincere heart to save sentient beings. It is precisely because of this that the Shurangama Mantra can exert great efficacy.

 

The Power of Sincerity

Every Buddha-name, every title of a Bodhisattva, and every title of a sage can emit huge light and simultaneously summon many great Bodhisattvas, Buddhas of the ten directions, and Dharma protectors to help. It can be seen that the key to truly reciting the Shurangama Mantra and reading the Shurangama Sutra lies in a sincere heart to save the world and save beings, and the vow and compassion to sincerely propagate the Buddha’s teachings to the world, which can naturally exert the true benefits of this scripture and mantra. If one only recites with the mouth without heart or vow, then this scripture will be reduced to text. Although it is still circulated in the world, its philosophy has declined a lot. The fifty demonic skandha realms have also gradually appeared among the vast number of believers and Buddhist disciples. True practitioners are very rare in modern times. This is not to blame modern practitioners, because even in different eras, it is not easy for everyone to break through the tests of many demonic realms.

I continue to support this sutra as a celestial being of the twenty-third heaven, hoping that Buddhist disciples who study this scripture, in addition to reading the Shurangama Mantra aloud as a daily practice, can truly realize the great compassion of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas that ten thousand practices and ten thousand deeds, 84,000 Dharma gates are all for the sake of saving sentient beings, and understand the most sharp and most suitable practice focus for sentient beings in the age of the Dharma’s decline. Then they can follow the teachings and guidelines of this sutra to promote the Pure Land Dharma Gate of Buddha-name Chanting. Let people with deep spiritual obstacles in the age of the Dharma’s decline still have a Dharma gate that fits their potential and principles, still be able to firmly believe that there is a chance to be saved and delivered, and then be able to return to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. That is the time when the good roots and blessings of sentient beings are complete.

I did not have any great achievements in this life, nor did I have the attainments in the Buddha’s teachings like eminent monks and great beings. I only brought this Shurangama Sutra into China, giving it a chance to appear before the Chinese people. I was sincere in my heart, wanting to circulate and propagate the wisdom left by the Buddha when he was in the world, and sincerely hoping to help people end the cycle of birth and death and escape their original pain and suffering. Only then did I have this opportunity to form such a deep karmic affinity with the vast number of Chinese people. Speaking of this, I also feel full of Dharma joy. After all, as long as the Buddha’s teachings can be propagated to any corner of the world, that is the moment when I, as a monastic, can fulfill my duty.

 

The Ray of Hope in the Age of the Dharma’s Decline

Today, a ray of hope has appeared in the age of the Dharma’s decline of the Buddha’s teachings, which is that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have once again invested themselves in this world, saving sentient beings in the way of human life. Practitioner Su was born in Taiwan and has a deep karmic affinity with the Buddha’s teachings. With this karmic affinity, and the immeasurable and boundless merit of promoting and supporting the Buddha’s teachings over many lifetimes, Practitioner Su was able to practice as a lay practitioner in Taiwan and encountered the Great Dharma of Amitabha. This Great Dharma of Amitabha is a Dharma gate of ultimate liberation. Every era has Dharma gates that fit the potential and principles. In the age of the Dharma’s decline, the one that best fits the potential and principles of sentient beings is the Pure Land Dharma Gate mentioned in the Shurangama Sutra—the Great Dharma of Amitabha.

This Shurangama Sutra is not eliminated by the times, but the Shurangama Sutra and the Pure Land Dharma Gate are in the same vein. Without the general outline and table of contents of the Shurangama Sutra, the preciousness of the Pure Land Dharma Gate in the age of the Dharma’s decline cannot be highlighted, and there is no way to help sentient beings in the age of the Dharma’s decline believe in such a simple and easy-to-practice Pure Land Dharma Gate.

The positioning of the Shurangama Sutra is to support the continued propagation of the Buddha’s teachings in the Buddha’s teachings. The root of such an important responsibility lies in its inclusion of all scriptures and 84,000 Dharma gates, guiding people to return to the Pure Land Dharma Gate that best fits the potential and principles of the age of the Dharma’s decline after trying the ten thousand practices of Samantabhadra. In this way, it saves sentient beings from the trouble and suspicion of exploring and searching for practice Dharma gates, and also enables sentient beings to firmly believe that the Pure Land Dharma Gate is not an easy-to-practice Dharma gate that appeared out of thin air, but a Dharma gate selected by the World-Honored One from many Dharma gates, which is most suitable for practice in the age of the Dharma’s decline, most fits the potential and principles, and is easiest to realize one’s true nature and achieve success.

Practitioner Su is precisely because of cultivation over many lifetimes, deep good roots, and causal conditions, able to come into contact with such a Great Dharma naturally, and can uphold such Buddha’s teachings and continue to practice diligently. This is also the manifestation of the good roots, blessings, and causal conditions of past lives.

The guidance and transformation of karmic affinity in each period are always supported by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. From the early Chan school, Chan practice, and Chan concentration Dharma gates, to the Tiantai school, Vinaya school, and the Pure Land school in the age of the Dharma’s decline, there are always ancestral masters and Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the world to support the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings.

Each period has the core scriptures that are promoted and mainly used in that period. For the Pure Land Dharma Gate, the most important is the Infinite Life Sutra. It is not that other scriptures cannot be juxtaposed with the Infinite Life Sutra, but the Infinite Life Sutra belongs to the scripture that best fits the potential and principles of the current age of the Dharma’s decline, and it is also convenient for the world to understand.

The most important thing is to follow the teachings and practice, so that the true benefits of the Buddha’s teachings and scriptures can be exerted. This is the unchanging criterion followed by every period. At that time, the great master of the Tang Dynasty—Great Master Xuanzang—also returned to the human world because of the flow of karmic affinity and became Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju at that time.

He, as a lay practitioner, collected and compiled many translations, trimmed the complex, cumbersome, and awkward translations, and supplemented the missing parts of each translation, gathering them into the The Buddha Speaks the Mahayana, Infinite Life, Adornment, Purity, Impartiality, and Enlightenment Sutra that is easy to recite and easy to chant. This is exactly the same as the reason why I worked hard to transmit the Shurangama Sutra from India to China. It was all an effort to circulate the Dharma gate and scripture that best fit the potential and principles of that time to the world in the way that is easiest to circulate and transmit.

As you all know, whenever Buddhas and Bodhisattvas support the Buddha’s teachings in different identities and bring major changes to the Buddha’s teachings in different periods, they will always encounter many demonic realms and tests from demon crowds. Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju and Practitioner Su are both like this. From the preface of the compilation of the The Buddha Speaks the Mahayana, Infinite Life, Adornment, Purity, Impartiality, and Enlightenment Sutra by Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, it can be seen that in order to overcome many demonic obstacles, even as an eminent monk, a Buddha or Bodhisattva, or an ancestral master returning, he still had to use the purest and most pious heart to constantly invite the Buddha and invite the blessings and support of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to complete the compilation of the scripture.

The fact that this scripture, which helps the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings and the Dharma lineage of the next generation, can be published must be the result of the completion of the blessings, good roots, and causal conditions of sentient beings, plus the vows of ancestral masters to support and propagate the Buddha’s teachings. It is not a very easy thing.

This is also the reason why all Buddhist followers in every period must respect the scriptures and cherish and protect the scriptures. Cherishing the scriptures is not just a form or a norm, but a genuine heart to respect and propagate this scripture, to highlight the preciousness of the Buddha’s teachings, to let more sentient beings respect and respect the Buddha’s teachings, and then to circulate the Buddha’s teachings more widely and for a longer time, becoming a symbol and a model. By practicing the The Buddha Speaks the Mahayana, Infinite Life, Adornment, Purity, Impartiality, and Enlightenment Sutra and truly practicing and executing according to the philosophy of the scripture, whether from the appearance, the inner heart, or the level of self-nature and spirit, only by completely practicing according to the scripture can one truly be a Pure Land in body, mind, and spirit.

Only by generating the Bodhi mind can one be in sync with the mysteries of the scripture. Practitioner Su, with a heart of great compassion, constantly delivers sentient beings and is attacked by demon crowds. When her left foot was pulled off, she felt Amitabha Buddha descend to the world and reside in the world, thus having the opportunity for the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to be born. This karmic affinity is a situation that has not been encountered in China for five thousand years, or even ten thousand or hundreds of thousands of years. This is not only the result of Practitioner Su’s diligent practice, but what cannot be ignored is that this is the moment when the good roots, blessings, and causal conditions of countless immeasurable and boundless sentient beings in the worldly realm are complete.

From Practitioner Su’s extensive delivery of sentient beings in the Dharma realm of the ten directions, and even now using the Twelve Lights of Amitabha to sweep through various deep spaces in China, we can know that the karmic affinity of this Amitabha’s presence event is not a simple matter of the completion of the karmic affinity, good roots, and blessings of a few sentient beings or even sentient beings in a few regions, but a very critical moment when the karmic affinity of the ten directions and the entire worldly realm is complete.

At this time, if sentient beings who can encounter the Buddha’s teachings and the Buddha-voice and Buddhist education of Amitabha Buddha can make good use of this opportunity, grasp this moment, and contribute their own strength to the promotion and propagation of the Buddha’s teachings, they can help the immeasurable and boundless karmic creditors and countless suffering beings in their bodies escape the body space and leave suffering and gain happiness. They can also further promote the Buddha’s teachings and help more people and their own sentient beings with karmic affinity leave suffering and gain happiness.

Such a magnificent opportunity and the time of Amitabha’s presence is the time when one can truly contribute one’s own strength to the promotion and operation of the Buddha’s teachings, and can contribute one’s own strength to the transmission of the Dharma lineage. It is also the time when true Buddhist learners truly achieve success. However, this is not to pursue this achievement, but to truly see the suffering of sentient beings and actively and constantly uphold a selfless and compassionate heart, a heart that is in sync with the forty-eight vows of Amitabha. Only by using such a true heart to deliver and help sentient beings can the Buddha’s teachings be permanently circulated in the world. If everyone claims to be a Buddhist follower and a learner of the Buddha’s teachings, then what should be pursued is no longer personal skills, sitting meditation, or achievements in appearance such as entering samadhi, but helping sentient beings at the root of the true heart and heart. At that time, I kept thinking about helping sentient beings, knowing that I wanted ultimate liberation and to escape the six realms of rebirth. However, when I passed away, I still had a mission for the propagation of the Buddha’s teachings in China that was not completed, and my karmic affinity for returning to the West was not yet complete.

After my spirit left my body, I continued to stay in the twenty-third heaven, performing my duties of protecting the Dharma and propagating the Buddha’s teachings. During this time when Practitioner Su vigorously delivered countless suffering beings, I saw in the heavenly realm that the space was opened by the Twelve Lights of Buddha-light. I knew that the karmic affinity had been complete, and it would be the time for me to return to the West. I followed the golden light and arrived at the Western Land of Dharma Nature with one Buddha-name.

In the space of the Dharma-Nature Land, it is very bright, light, and pure, and its level and realm are far higher than the twenty-third heaven, or even any heaven. It is really not easy to propagate the Dharma in the worldly realm in the age of the Dharma’s decline. Just as the sutra says, it is very difficult for Shakyamuni Tathagata to speak this hard-to-believe Dharma in the Five Turbidities and Evil World. The propagators of the Dharma in the age of the Dharma’s decline are all like this. In the age of the Dharma’s decline of the Five Turbidities and Evil World in this worldly realm, it is very difficult to introduce and promote this hard-to-believe Dharma.

Therefore, I also want to encourage all Buddhist learners and propagators of the Dharma not to be discouraged, and not to have too much gain or loss, because this is after all a very difficult thing. Everyone should have this preparation in their hearts, and do not generate a heart of retreat when facing many dilemmas. Everyone should face this phenomenon that it is not easy to propagate the Dharma in the age of the Dharma’s decline with a more peaceful way. My work of propagating the Dharma has also entered a new stage here. I will continue to save the world and save beings with Amitabha Buddha as a spirit, and start my new karmic affinity.

The karmic affinity formed with the Chinese people this time will surely become the cause for many sentient beings in China to achieve Buddhahood in the future. At that time, I will also look at you with full Dharma joy, and realize my true nature and attain Buddhahood in the future.

Thank you, Amitabha Buddha and Practitioner Su, for giving me this opportunity to tell the story of such a magnificent process of propagating the Dharma and transmitting the Dharma lineage. I bow to the great compassionate Amitabha Buddha and Practitioner Su here.

Namo Amituofo.

Pramiti”