The Four Lessons of Liao-Fan Series #5: The Truth of Destiny

Introduction 🌟

Let’s continue the journey in The Four Lessons of Liao-Fan. Last week, Master Yun Gu revealed to Mr. Liao-Fan that destiny is not written in the stars—it is shaped by our own deluded thoughts. As long as the wandering mind stirs, we remain trapped by fate. Yet when the heart grows calm and virtue is practiced with sincerity, destiny can be changed. 🌱

This week, we step deeper into Master Yun Gu’s striking words: “Destiny is created by myself; it is not made by others, and it has nothing to do with others.” But if even the thought “I think” is still delusion, then what is the true reality of life?

🌟 Destiny Is Created by Myself

Therefore, Master Yun Gu said: “Destiny is created by myself; it is not made by others, and it has nothing to do with others.”

🌌 All Phenomena Are Illusions

The external environment is an illusion. The Diamond Sutra says: “All conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow.” They are not real.

🌙 Dreamlike Nature of Life

Such phenomena cannot be said to exist, nor can they be said not to exist.
It is like dreaming—you cannot say there are no dream scenes, for they clearly appear, yet you also cannot say they truly exist, because they are illusory, unreal, and ultimately unattainable.

If we carefully observe, life is indeed like a dream. At night, when you are asleep, if someone were to carry away your body, you would not even know. From this, we realize: the body is not the self.

🧠 Western Philosophy vs. Buddhism

Western philosophers are quite intelligent. They recognized that the body is not the self, so they proposed a theory: “I think, therefore I am.”

This means acknowledging that the physical body is not the self, it is illusory, and that thinking and imagining is the true self. This is indeed one level higher than ordinary people.

📖 The Buddhist View

But is this the truth? No. “I think” is still delusion; it is not ultimate reality.
The state of Buddhism is higher still. Even the notion of “I think” must be relinquished.

One must return to the true mind and original nature, and only then can the true reality of the universe and human life be seen.
This is the “One True Dharma Realm,” also called “Suchness” or “the Ultimate Truth.”

🌀 Why We Cannot Cut Off Deluded Thoughts

Since we give rise to delusion, discrimination, and attachment, we may wish to cut them off. The problem is, we cannot cut them off.

Deluded thoughts still arise one after another. This shows that our practice is not yet powerful.

📚 Intellectual Understanding vs. Realization

Although we may understand from the scriptures and teachings, and believe deeply without doubt, this is only intellectual understanding.
It is not yet entering into the real state, so the problem is still unresolved.

Therefore, after gaining understanding, we must apply these principles and methods into our daily life. By gradually elevating our mind, only then can the problem be resolved.

Thus it is said: “Destiny is created by myself.”

⏳ Cause and Effect Through Time

A person’s lifetime of poverty or wealth, success or failure—this is destiny. Destiny has fixed numbers. Where do these fixed numbers come from? They are created by oneself.

Buddhism teaches that cause and effect extend through the three times.
Certainly there is a past life, and certainly there will be a future life.

🕰️ The Subtlety of Time (Ksana)

In Buddhism, the smallest unit of time is called a ksana (instant).
One snap of the fingers contains sixty ksanas; within one ksana there are nine hundred arising-and-ceasing moments.

If one snaps quickly, four times per second, then in one second there are thirty-six hundred arising-and-ceasing moments.

These are so extremely subtle that ordinary people, being careless and coarse, cannot perceive them.

Who can perceive them? Those who have subdued all delusion, discrimination, and attachment, and who have reached a deep level of meditative concentration.

Such practitioners can directly see this arising-and-ceasing phenomenon.

🌄 Bodhisattvas of the Eighth Ground

Mahayana Buddhism explains that those able to perceive the number of arising-and-ceasing moments within a ksana are Bodhisattvas of the Perfect Teaching at the Eighth Ground, already very close to Buddhahood.
Only then do they truly understand the reality of the universe and human life.

🌱 Blessings and Misfortune

When we give rise to a wholesome thought—benefiting others, benefiting society, benefiting all beings—the result is blessing.
When we give rise to an unwholesome thought—harming others for self-benefit—the result is misfortune and disaster.

A person’s lifetime of fortune or calamity all comes from one’s own thoughts, words, and actions.
Therefore, it is said: “Destiny is created by myself.”

🧭 Taking Responsibility

Those who truly understand will definitely affirm this.
In this lifetime, whatever adversity or suffering they encounter, they will never blame Heaven or others.

They will instead blame themselves:
“I created unwholesome causes, so now I receive this bitter fruit.”

Once this is understood, then blessings must be sought by oneself.
How to seek them? By reforming faults and practicing goodness.

🙏 Master Chin Kung’s Testimony

In my early years, Master Zhangjia advised me to renounce the world and spread the Buddha’s teachings. This was the bright path he pointed out for me.

I followed Master Zhangjia for three years, which laid the foundation for my study of Buddhism. Later, I studied under Layman Li Bingnan in Taichung for ten years.

From then on, throughout my life, blessings have been sought by myself.

⚡ A Turning Point at Age Forty-Five

When I was young, fortune-tellers said I would not live past forty-five. At age forty-five, indeed I fell gravely ill.
I did not consult a doctor or take medicine, because I understood: doctors can treat illness, but they cannot treat destiny.

So I closed my doors and recited the Buddha’s name, seeking rebirth in the Pure Land.
After one month, my health gradually recovered. From then on, I never fell ill again.

✨ Destiny Can Be Changed

One year, Dharma Master Ganjue told me:
“Master Chin Kung, in the past, we all said behind your back that you were very intelligent, but unfortunately without blessings and destined for a short life. Now, after these years of spreading the Dharma, your destiny has completely turned around. Not only do you now have blessings, but also long life.”

Thus, destiny can be changed.

🌿 The Way to Change Destiny

The way to change destiny is: once enlightened, never again create evil.
All thoughts must be for others, for society, for all living beings—not for oneself.

Of course, saying this is easy, doing it is difficult.
Mr. Liao-Fan practiced for over ten years before he saw results.
I myself practiced for almost thirty years before I felt any response.

In old age, indeed what Master Ganjue said came true. Things became smoother and smoother, and my mind became ever more pure.

🌸 Freedom from Self and Fear of Death

Today, I live in this world entirely for others, not for myself. My self is gone.
Fame, wealth, the pleasures of the five desires and six sense-objects—I have long since let them go.

In his later years, Master Yin Guang often said:
“I have nothing at all, and I do not fear death.”

Now I too am nearly in that state.
I truly have nothing, and I also do not fear death.
For me, death is a joyous matter, because I know where I am going.

When one understands where life comes from and where death leads, this is exactly:
“Destiny is created by myself, and blessings are sought by myself.”

📚 Source: Venerable Master Chin Kung’s lecture on The Four Lessons of Liao-Fan, delivered on April 16, 2001, on Phoenix TV