Beings in the Asura Realm enjoy the blessings of the Heavens but lack heavenly virtues. Although they belong to the spiritual realm, their thoughts are often base and crude. Look at what men and women who descend from the Asura Realm do in the human world, and you’ll understand. Some of you help your deceased parents ascend to the Asura Realm, thinking it’s a good place, and then stop reciting Buddhist scriptures for them. However, unresolved karmic conflicts between you and your parents may still remain. Many people ask, “Can I recite fewer Little Houses and let them be reborn in the Human Realm instead?” But aren’t you living in the Human Realm yourself? Isn’t it full of suffering? How many of you would willingly choose to be reborn as humans again?
Let me tell you, nine out of ten prisoners in jail are highly intelligent. Yet Buddhism teaches us that cleverness can backfire. How many people have trapped themselves by being too clever? It’s like spinning a cocoon only to be trapped inside it. Similarly, many people in spiritual practice think they have been cultivating well. They dismiss advice from others, presenting their own flawed reasoning with great eloquence. This is nothing but a karmic obstacle. Such individuals lack true wisdom. Let me give you a relatable example: suppose you’re studying computer science at the University of Sydney, while someone else is studying medicine at the same university. If you ask the medical student, “We’re both from the same university. Since you understand stethoscopes, can you help me fix my computer?” does that make sense?
There are 84,000 Dharma Doors—can one Dharma Door be used to contradict another? Each Dharma Door relies on the right time, the right place, and the collaboration of the right people to be transmitted to the Human Realm. However, some Dharma Doors descended to the Human Realm earlier to guide and transform sentient beings. Not every Dharma Door is suitable for everyone, so we must seek the one truly suitable for us.
What, then, is the standard for a true Dharma Door? These days, we often say, “Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.” In other words, a true Dharma Door must be effective and capable of helping and awakening sentient beings immediately. Why do so many people now follow me in cultivating their minds and reciting Buddhist scriptures? If it weren’t effective, why would their lives improve as a result? Problems that were bound to arise often disappear after recitation. However, some people say, “I didn’t feel pain before, but after reciting, I started feeling pain.” That pain was originally destined for the future, but your recitation activated it, allowing the spirit to surface sooner. Once the pain passes, it will no longer trouble you. If you don’t practise and recite now, what will you rely on when you’re older and lack strength and energy? You will endure great suffering as you face death.
Right now, while you’re young, you have strength and energy. Experiencing pain now won’t kill you. It’s better to resolve these issues early rather than letting them accumulate and overwhelm you in old age. If they all erupt at once, it’s called a complication, and complications are beyond saving. When your liver, lungs, and heart all fail, how can you be saved?
Male beings in the Asura Realm often have fierce appearances. The basic shape of their faces somewhat resembles the depictions of aliens in sci-fi films, though they are better-looking. In fact, many creative teams behind these sci-fi films consult with people who claim to have psychic abilities. For example, the themes in Star Wars bear a striking resemblance to the dynamics of the Asura Realm.
The spiritual practices passed down in India over 2,000 years ago were excellent for their time, but can they fully adapt to the needs of modern practitioners? Regardless of the method used in spiritual practice, the ultimate goal is to achieve enlightenment and attain true results—if you can do that, you’ve succeeded.
If you want to learn more about the Asura Realm, just watch sci-fi films. Whenever I watch a sci-fi movie, I feel a chill down my spine because what they depict is identical to what I’ve seen in the Heavens. The people, swords, guns, and lasers you see—those shimmering, radiant beams shown in sci-fi movies—are portrayed as bullets. From my Totem Reading, they appear as beams of light. These beams resemble a pair of glowing eyes, emitting rays of light. You can’t see them, but they exist.
Humans often let their imaginations run wild. Many people assume that passing away will be unbearably painful, but when the moment comes, if you truly ascend to the Heavens, there will be no pain at all. Why? Because at that time, there is no suffering—you won’t think about anything from the Human Realm. It’s not that you lack compassion, but you’ve entered another world entirely. Your state of mind in that realm will be completely different, much like how we forget our worries when travelling to beautiful places and feel happy instead.
When a spirit is about to be reborn into the Human Realm, it must drink the Soup of Forgetfulness to erase memories of its past life. Similarly, when a being ascends to the Heavens, they too forget their past. The Amitabha Sutra describes the Lotus Pool, the Eight Merits Water, and the Seven Treasures Pool. When you bathe in this pool, all your worries and impurities are washed away. Likewise, when you ascend naturally to the Heavens, you will experience a similar process. It’s like flying through a layer of clouds; once you pass through, the view changes completely. By the time you ascend to the Heavens, there will be no pain, and you won’t think about anything.
The karmic ties between you and me span many lifetimes. I feel a deep sense of sorrow because I can see your past lives. Some of you owe me karmic debts, while others were my students in past lives. Now, in this life, you’ve forgotten everything—you don’t know any of this. For example, when you meet someone whose face feels familiar, and you think, “I enjoy talking to them,” do you ever wonder who they might have been to you in a past life? Just as you cannot see your past, you also cannot see theirs. But I can see your past lives. I can see who has come to repay karmic debts and who was once my student. Sometimes, I wish I couldn’t see it—it makes me deeply sorrowful. Do you understand? Do any of you still remember things from your past lives? When you ascend to the Heavens, will you still recall events from the Human Realm? When people pass away and ascend to the Heavens, they focus solely on heavenly matters.
Yet many people fail to understand this. They assume that simply dying guarantees ascension to the Heavens. Many religions also mistakenly believe that no matter how many bad deeds a person commits, they will still ascend to Heaven after death. Is that possible? Evil people must descend, while good people ascend—this is the law of karma.
Let me continue: In this world, one can only do good deeds and must avoid bad ones. Everything should be done according to conditions. Many problems arise when people cling excessively to things. The moment you become overly attached, it’s over. Pursuing something that isn’t meant for you—how pitiful is that? Do you know how many people dream of getting into a top university, yet the acceptance rate is less than one in a thousand? Many parents hope their children will gain admission to selective high schools, but how many actually succeed?
You are fortunate to be following me now. Remember, as long as you cultivate with me, not only will you benefit, but your children will also benefit. If you want your children to do well, practise Buddhism and recite sutras and mantras—you will create blessings for them. When I give a Dharma Talk, I am essentially blessing you. Practising Buddhism requires wisdom.
There are a few key principles to remember. Everyone knows about taking refuge in the Three Jewels—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. But what are the Three Jewels of self-nature? They are enlightenment, righteousness, and purity. This means that after achieving enlightenment, you must align all your actions with righteousness and purify your heart and mind. Only then will your inherent Buddha-nature begin to manifest; in other words, enlightenment, righteousness, and purity will gradually be restored. This is what you must strive for in your spiritual practice. Tendencies toward anger, unhappiness, greed, opportunism, or delusion—all of these are signs of a lack of awakening.
Take gamblers, for instance, who often tell their families, “A little gambling is just for fun, and big gambling helps support the family.” But tell me, has any gambler truly supported their family? This is an example of deviating from righteousness. When a person’s thoughts are not proper or righteous, they turn crooked, and with crooked thoughts, bad luck inevitably follows. If someone’s thinking is unrighteous, their actions will not be righteous either.
Here’s an analogy: if a road leads to Canberra, you’ll reach Canberra as long as you stay on it. But if you start on the wrong path and speed up, you’ll only stray further. The same applies to practising Buddhism. Why is it that someone who explores many Dharma Doors ends up worsening in their practice after entering a particular one? Why do their prayers and recitations become less and less effective? It’s because they’ve gone off track—how could it possibly be effective?
It’s like taking supplements when you’re unwell. Supplements are meant to maintain health, but when you’re sick, you need medicine. Taking supplements instead of medicine only delays treatment, doesn’t it? Right now, you’re burdened with deep karmic obstacles and full of problems, yet you still expect me to give you supplements? No, I wield a “big blade”. Whether you’re 82 or 28, if I see a problem, I’ll cut it away. Does it hurt? Yes, but that’s how healing happens. That’s why it’s often said, “No pain, no relief.” If it doesn’t hurt, the pain will linger indefinitely. It’s like surgery—it hurts briefly during the operation, but afterward, the pain stops. Many things in life are like this. Grit your teeth and endure, and the suffering will pass.
Take young people in romantic relationships, for example. They break up and get back together repeatedly, constantly suffering. They say, “I’ve made up my mind to break up, but why do I still reach out to them? Why can’t I control myself?” The relationship is already over, yet they keep chasing after it—that’s suffering. This suffering is self-inflicted. If you refuse to let go, you’ll suffer endlessly. What must be abandoned should be abandoned. In this day and age, I save people decisively. Those who can be saved will be saved; those who cannot must be let go.
Purity refers to cultivating a pure heart and mind. Regardless of the circumstances, a person must develop kindness within their heart. For those aspiring to attain enlightenment, one key requirement is “superior roots and sharp wisdom.” This means having a strong foundation, intelligence, and great wisdom. For someone who is dull or lacks insight, their path to enlightenment will be slower. Only those with good character, high morals, and a kind heart can attain enlightenment. A person with a malicious heart will never achieve enlightenment.
When attempting to awaken others, avoid wasting effort on wicked or thuggish individuals—they are too defiled, too tainted to be awakened. Focus on awakening yourself first before trying to help others. If you are unwell—if your life is burdened with flaws and ailments—how can you possibly save anyone else? Many practitioners spend their entire lives reciting sutras and practising Mahayana Buddhism, striving to help beings in the Heavens, the Underworld, humans, and ghosts. Do they accumulate merit and virtue? Yes, they do—but it will manifest in their next life. If they don’t eliminate their karmic obstacles, the merit and virtue gained from reciting sutras will only counteract their karmic obstacles. Even then, they may not ascend to the Heavens in their next life.
This explains why we see so many children of high-ranking politicians or wealthy families in this world. These people practised diligently in their past lives but were reborn into affluent families and lost their way—indulging in drinking, gambling, and other vices. In their next life, they may become ghosts or commit even worse wrongdoings than in their previous life, descending into Hell or being reborn as animals, thus losing the chance to be human again. Why can’t animals be reborn as humans? Take a horse, for example—it only knows it is a horse and nothing more. It lacks the necessary wisdom. You’ve encountered such a great Master, so make the most of this opportunity to practise diligently.
I enjoy explaining profound Buddhist teachings in simple, accessible terms. I prefer teaching Humanistic Buddhism, presenting it in a way that people can easily understand. When teachings are clear and relatable, they can truly save others—that is the essence of Mahayana Buddhism. The great Guan Yin Bodhisattva guides and awakens beings by appearing in whatever form is needed to liberate them. When I give Dharma Talks on stage, many people see my Dharma Body manifesting as a Bodhisattva.
To guide and awaken others, you must show genuine sincerity and avoid superficial gestures. For example, some charitable organisations visit nursing homes during Mother’s Day or Christmas, organising events where volunteers hold the hands of elderly residents, sing songs, play games, and then take photos. What are they really doing? Aren’t they just troubling the elderly? Many of these seniors suffer from dementia and sit there passively—what benefit do such displays bring? In some countries and regions, people not only kneel down but even kiss the ground. Pressing their lips to the earth—that must be quite an ordeal for them!
I follow the example of Ji Gong Bodhisattva: guiding and awakening people wherever he goes, punishing the wicked, and helping the virtuous.