Part A: The Guan Yin Citta Pure Land
Question: I would like to share my experience of the Guan Yin Citta Pure Land. On 21 October 2018, when I was praying to the Buddhas and reciting sutras at the Guan Yin Citta Centre, the landscape painting behind the Buddhist altar suddenly came alive. It seems the whole image slowly expanded out of the painting and dragged me inwards. I began to have a fluttery feeling.
The Guan Yin Citta Pure Land
When I looked down from the sky, this Land was covered in mountains. Palaces and pavilions stood proudly around it, the architecture resembling the designs that existed during the Ming dynasty in China. It had a traditional and antique charm to it. But there were also some modern-looking buildings interspersed around the sites (a bit like modern-day university town). All of the buildings were radiating a golden glow that also occasionally changed into different colours of the rainbow. It looked like the depictions of the Amitabha Buddha’s Western Pure Land that I saw on TV before, but there were some noticeable differences.
There was a huge open square, where the floor and railings were all made from solid white jade. At the centre of it stood a tall circular tower, and there were bell ornaments hanging at the side of the rooftop. The bell ornaments would ring a pleasant sound when they were blown by the wind. When you listened attentively, you could hear murmuring recitations of the Buddha’s holy name. Not long after, the voice changed into the Master Jun Hong Lu’s voice, and the two different voices continued to alternate. There were Bodhisattvas reciting sutras quietly in the background, while some were reciting the Master Lu’s words of wisdom. The whole environment and the air I breathed felt incredibly pure. The entire realm felt like a serene, peaceful void where it is impossible to be disturbed by any kind of affliction.
It was the Guan Yin Citta Pure Land; it is where practitioners of Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door who have attained fruition will be taken to, where they can continue to do chanting of Buddha’s holy names, recite sutras and listen to the Dharma. When looking down from the sky, the Pure Land were truly enormous. There are Bodhisattvas approaching a pool not far from the empty space. Inside the pool, there were dozens of divine lotuses that bloomed luxuriantly. Some were already as big as the wheels of a cart. They all belonged to Bodhisattvas who were diligently cultivating and performing meritorious deeds in the human realm. Although they had not yet attained nirvana in human’s realm, their divine lotus was already as big as a cartwheel in heaven. Some of the lotuses had bloomed luxuriantly, while some were still budding, and they all came in different colours. When I went closer, the floral scents coming from the divine lotuses were incredibly fragrant; it was something I could not find any word to describe.
The Bodhisattvas were reciting Buddha’s names and observing the scenery of the Land at times around the empty space. When a Bodhisattva lost focus slightly and couldn’t concentrate on reciting, then the bells would ring, which reminded the Bodhisattvas to lower their heads to recite sutras and immerse themselves into the state of concentration again. In one of the buildings, a Bodhisattva was giving a Dharma talk to a heavenly child. The heavenly child put his palms together and paid respect to the Bodhisattva. Every day in the Pure Land, Mandarava flowers would be scattered across the sky, and the air would be completely fragrant. The Bodhisattvas here would be doing chanting, reciting and listening to the Dharma in such an aromatic place. There, all the Bodhisattvas possess supranormal powers and they could create a divine lotus below their feet so they could go wherever they wanted.
Master Jun Hong Lu’s reply:
Currently, are we able to go wherever we think of? Our thoughts are just like the way Bodhisattvas travel. When we think of a place or image, our mind is already there. The Guan Yin Citta Pure Land and the Amitabha Buddha’s Western Pure Land are very similar, where Mandarava flowers are scattered across the sky, and the beings there are immersed in recitations, etc. When a person ascends to Heaven, they don’t have any afflictions. They cultivate their mind and nurture their nature every day, and recite sutras, bow and pay respects to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and go wherever they please. It’s just that they travel on their Divine lotuses. When in a dream, you could go wherever you like.