Today, let me discuss how humans can enter the Form Realm, an important concept in Buddhism. In reality, these are the material changes that occur after reaching a certain level of spiritual cultivation, akin to physical changes in modern terms. Many understand that cultivation involves the use of an energy field, such as in meditation or chanting sutras. In fact, it entails cultivating a certain energy (‘Qi’), and at a sufficiently high spiritual level, this Qi can even be transcended. For example, in daily life, when we say a person lacks Qi, it doesn’t imply that the person is without breath, but rather that there is an absence of the energy associated with the Desire Realm – specifically, the energy of anger and temper. If one does not get angry, wouldn’t that person resemble a Bodhisattva? The biggest problem for people is that when this energy has nowhere to go, it must be released when they are unhappy. As one’s cultivation progresses, with the elevation of spiritual state, even this energy should be transcended.
At a certain level of cultivation, a kind of inner heat, or tummo, develops in the body, flowing through the meridians. Many practitioners reach a point where an excess of Yin energy, resulting from a lack of this inner heat, leaves them prone to illness and discomfort. Constant interaction with the Yin realm (the realm of spirits) leads to seeing more of it.
One must have this inner heat, a kind of light within. This light is crucial as it travels and clears the meridians, transforming from light to fire (heat) and unblocking meridians. Your Qi does not flow through the meridians; it is blocked, what is often referred to as “Qi stagnation”. Blocked meridians are essentially a blockage of mental energy, which can obstruct many parts of the body, including blood and blood vessels. This is why when people get angry, their physical health deteriorates, and if this Qi is mishandled, accidents can occur. Some Qigong practitioners may face severe consequences, including passing away or becoming delusional, if not careful. Some may suffer leg issues or sudden strokes, or even develop other medical conditions.
Qi can block your meridians, so instead of cultivating Qi, you should focus on unblocking the meridians, cultivating a kind of light and heat. This is what I refer to a kind of energy field while practising Buddhism, or inner heat. This inner heat can turn your meridians red, as they become red after being cleared by this heat. Simply, when you pray to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas with me, don’t you feel warmth in your body? This warmth clears your meridians; it is not mere Qi, but light. In the past, our focus was on atomic energy, but now it has shifted to the speed of light and molecular structures, reflecting societal evolution beyond the atomic level. In the West, physical treatments are preferred, while in China, the focus is on meridians, invisible but real, addressing both symptoms and root causes of ailments.
When you cultivate to a certain spiritual level, a type of heat arises within the body. This thermal energy can turn your meridians red, then clear, calming you down. For instance, when worshipping Buddhas and Bodhisattvas with me, even with air conditioning, you feel hot. Usually, heat makes people irritable, but during worship, why do you feel calm instead? It’s because your internal energy emerges, penetrating your entire body. This is the light energy we need once we start chanting sutras and practising Buddhism. Like a fire lit in darkness, it becomes a source of light, doesn’t it? Initially, cultivate your inner heat, your energy body, which eventually becomes a warm, red light, filling your meridians with light, the light of clarity and purity. For example, in anger, if you suddenly see a beam of light, feeling Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s presence, you instantly calm down. Bodhisattvas are light, illuminating everything, calming you. The sun’s light also shines on all, but this energy has both Yin and Yang aspects, disappearing at night.
When you cultivate this light, it flows through you 24/7, helping to clear your meridians. This is why practitioners with right mindfulness seldom fall ill or go astray in their practice, while those with impure thoughts are more prone to go astray and illness.
I explain from a physical perspective; when you cultivate this inner heat, you essentially enter the Form Realm. There are the Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm. In the Form Realm, you control yourself, allowing the light to flow through you, always shining. How does this light arise? Through cultivating the mind, chanting sutras, doing good deeds, accumulating merit and virtue, etc. When someone accumulates enough merit and virtue, the inner heat naturally emerges. You can control desires, and eliminate greed, anger and ignorance with the Buddha’s light. This light, both spiritual and external, emerges as your spiritual light when this inner heat transforms into light. That’s why people with a certain level of cultivation have halos.
Now, I will discuss the higher spiritual realms. Even when you reach the Form Realm, you must understand the concepts of Joyous Love, Dharma Taste, and Illumination. Joyous Love is happiness filled with compassion. Dharma Taste means fully adhering to the Bodhisattva’s way of the Dharma Samadhi, where every action you undertake is in the spirit of a Bodhisattva. Illumination is because all your actions, imbued with compassion and joy, are as if performed by a Bodhisattva. What is Illumination? Only with light do things become visible and illuminated. Without light, how can there be brightness? Your own inner light is what achieves this illumination.
Let me briefly talk about the Formless Realm. The Formless Realm is characterised by emptiness, a state of pure and utmost cleanliness, even in spiritual forms. Many discuss the concept of “being reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss with karma”. Why is rebirth with karma possible? Can one ascend even after committing evil deeds? The concept of “being reborn with karma” refers to those who have created karmic obstacles or committed sins in the past. Now, through cultivation and repentance of these sins, they can be reborn with only a light burden of karma. For instance, someone who has harmed others but has since reformed, continually cultivating the mind, chanting sutras, and doing good deeds, will carry only a light karmic load at the time of their passing. Like a piece of clothing that, despite being washed several times and bearing marks, remains clean. It is through the compassion of the Bodhisattvas that rebirth with such light karma becomes possible. However, this does not apply to those who persist in creating negative karma and only repent at their time of death. Such actions will not lead to ascension. Understanding this concept is essential. Buddhism teaches, “The sea of suffering is boundless, but turning back is the shore.” Karmic retribution closely follows like a shadow, and in recent times, it seems to occur more swiftly. It’s as simple as that.
Even if one’s spirit reaches the realm of Amitabha Buddha, past wrongdoings, such as killing or falsely accusing someone, continue to accompany the spirit, along with emptiness. Consider a white cloud suddenly tainted by a dark spot that appears and then fades away within the cloud. This analogy shows that, although the overall spirit remains pure, it still carries certain karmic burdens. Scientists have demonstrated that even the tiny droplets in clouds have mass. These dark spots in the cloud, representing your karmic obstacles, add weight and intermittently appear and disappear. In the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, bathing in the seven-jewelled ponds and eight meritorious waters can temporarily cleanse this darkness, but it tends to gradually re-emerge – do you grasp this concept?”
When your heart is tainted and your Eight Consciousness is burdened with karmic obstructions, they can never be completely washed away. The only way to cleanse them is through complete enlightenment and transcendence from the cycle of rebirth, slowly and thoroughly purifying yourself over time with dedicated Buddhist practice. However, this is a challenging process. Can you forget your past wrongdoings? After practising Buddhism, you might hate yourself upon recalling them. Many Buddhist friends online have said that, after studying Buddhism with me, they realise their flaws, wondering how they went so wrong, too ashamed even to speak of past misdeeds. Why is this? It’s because they feel their karmic obstacles, leading to such realisations. Yet many continue to create negative karma. They have not cleansed the old, yet they continue creating new – how can they be thoroughly cleansed?