Phillip Medhurst

Look at the calendar: today is October 31, 2013. How time flies! In 2008, Osifu published his first gatha “Chaotianmen Praise” on the internet, and it has been more than 5 years in a flash. 

Five years ago, Osifu was a lonely walker, and now with you.

Five years ago, Osifu was a lonely gardener, and now he is in full fruit.

Five years ago, Osifu was a lonely farmer, and now he has Jiahe. 

In fact, Osifu is never alone; Osifu’s inner world is extremely rich.

In fact, Osifu is never alone; Osifu’s spiritual world is extremely fulfilling.

In fact, Osifu is never alone, and Osifu’s holographic world is extremely colourful. 

A few days ago, someone asked Osifu what he was doing, and Osifu answered him: “Walking.”

In fact, Osifu replied without thinking at the time that Osifu was travelling. What does travelling mean?

It is said that monks do not have a fixed place of residence, thatthey travel widely in search of famous teachers, or for self-cultivation, or to educate others.

A detailed explanation usually has the following five meanings:

1. It means that monks travel around in search of teachers and Dharma.

2. They do so to beg.

3. It refers to monks being on foot, travelling monks who live in no fixed place, or seek famous teachers, or practise for themselves, or educate others.

4. It means to walk, walk. 

5. It means that the feet are constantly moving. 

Osifu is not a monk, but Osifu is also walking, and Osifu has never stopped walking.

In 1992, Osifu read his first book about Buddhism, “Buddhism and Principles”, which Osifu bought at a roadside old book stand for a few cents.

Osifu likes to read. Because his family is too poor to buy new books, he has to buy used books. After class, he often visits used books stalls. The books there are cheap and there are many kinds, so there are many choices.

At that time, Osifu was studying in the city. One weekend, Osifu was going back to the countryside. On the way to the bus station, he passed an old bookstall. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at it. Suddenly, Osifu stopped and looked, and his eyes rested on a book: “Buddhism and Principles”.

Osifu clearly remembers that book. The cover of the book had Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, a monk with a red cassock, holding a metal staff, and stepping on a lotus platform. It was very simple. Osifu bought the book almost without thinking, and since then Osifu has started studying Buddhism in earnest.

In fact, the content of this book is very simple. It just briefly introduces some basic Buddhist knowledge, some Buddhist history, the Buddhist world outlook and life and values.

Ordinary people would probably throw this book aside after flipping it, but this was not the case with Osifu. Osifu devoured the book and memorised the important parts.

The Dharma attracted Osifu deeply like a super-strong magnet. There was no reason, it attracted Osifu inexplicably.

From then on, a strong driving force, a super-strong driving force, drove Osifu to all the old bookstalls in the small town to look for various Buddhist books. Every time he found one, he would buy it with his frugal money and spend all night studying.

Osifu grew up in a poor family. When he went to school in the city in 1992, his family could only pay 10 yuan per week for living expenses plus car fare. Osifu spent three years studying and living on pickles, steamed buns, and porridge, and returned to his hometown on weekends. Eating tofu and eggs at home was regarded as an improvement in life.

Osifu was living in his own world, a rich inner world, a fulfilling spiritual world, and a colourful holographic world.

Osifu did not pursue material desires too much, but was full of interest in the mysteries and the true meaning of life in the universe.

Osifu also experienced a process from studying Buddhism, onward to further study.

Before 1992, Osifu had been in the countryside and had received primary and secondary education. The only books Osifu could read were textbooks and comic books, and his knowledge was very narrow and limited.

After 1992, Osifu went to the city to study. There was a library in the school. There were old book stalls on the street, and at Xinhua Bookstore they could be read for free. Osifu was able to read more and more books; his knowledge became wider and wider, and his vision became clearer.

Many people marvel at Osifu’s strong memory and fast reading speed – ten lines at a glance, and never forgetting. Osifu laughs: this was forced and practised, but of course there was a little bit of capability.

The period from 1992 to 1995 was the most important three years in Osifu’s life, and it was also a key turning point in Osifu’s life. These three years determined Osifu’s future life path.

In those three years, Osifu intensively studied books on Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, law, military strategy, Yin-Yang teachings, famous schools, Mohist and miscellaneous schools, farming, the novel, logistics and other books. Assiduous study.

Osifu only cared about the things he was interested in; Osifu is very good at focusing.

Osifu only reads books that interested him, and only researched issues that interested him.

After reading a lot of books, I understood and answered my own questions. But a new, bigger and more important question arose: how to verify the invisible world mentioned in Buddhism?

After in-depth study of the scriptures of various religions and the words of sages, Osifu believed that the words of the ancient sages were true, but how to verify them? Osifu also accepted the insights of modern education and dialectical materialism. How would one verify those invisible and intangible heavens, hells, six reincarnations, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and gods?

There was only one way—practice.

At that time, after comprehensively evaluating Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Catholicism, Christianity, and Islam, Osifu chose Buddhism as the entry point, not because Osifu had a different mind, but because Osifu felt that Buddhism spoke more carefully about the three realms, the six realms, and the invisible world, in a way more apposite, more nuanced.

Osifu began to enter the stage of practice. Of course, theoretical research is still going on.

Chanting Buddha, chanting scriptures, reciting mantras, and meditating are compulsory courses with Osifu, especially on weekends and winter and summer vacations. Osifu will work harder.

The empirical process is arduous, but also joyful, step by step verifying the truth of the Buddha’s words, and experiencing the harmony and thoroughness of the Buddha’s words one step at a time.

The gate of the spiritual world is opened; the gate of the invisible world is opened; the gate of the feminine world is opened;

the gate of the invisible world is opened; the gate of the Three Realms and Six Paths is opened. Time and time again, the spirit body goes out of the body, and travels to the hell realm; time and time again, the spirit body leaves the body and travels to the human world; time and time again, the spirit body leaves the body, and travels to the world of Asura; spiritual bodies come out of the body again and again, and journey on to the Arhat

way of Buddhism.

During the process of verification, I sensed the invisible, but I didn’t believe it, because of the possibility that what I sensed might be false. During the process of demonstration, I saw the invisible, but I didn’t believe it, because what I saw might be false; in the process of approbation, I heard the invisible, but I don’t believe it, because what I heard might be false; in the process of observation, I saw the formless, but I didn’t believe it, because what I observed might be counterfeit; in the process of demonstration, I travelled through the formless, but I didn’t believe it, because what I visited might be false.

There was nothing they could do to deflect Osifu, and they began to predict what would happen, and they were verified one by one, and their predictions were accurate.

Osifu would also test them in various ways, and asking them to write gatha is one of them. Their literary talents are indeed very good, and they can complete them instantly, answer fluently, and have beautiful diction, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Osifu will also test them with Buddhist scriptures, Taoist scriptures, and classics of other religions. Their intelligence is indeed very high without thinking, clear meanings and eloquence without hindrance, all of which is not something ordinary people can achieve. Osifu will also test them with fame and wealth, offering to build temples, Buddhist halls, fruit offerings, incense candle paper, and anything else they say they don’t need.

There are too many stories about Osifu and the formless to relate. In this way, day after day, year after year, we became friends, we became relatives, we became family members.

Osifu’s business is their business, their business is Osifu’s business. The more Osifu knows, the more he realises, the more he needs to do. Everything is ripe and will fall into place naturally. Osifu wants nothing from the formless, and the formless wants nothing from Osifu. We came together unconsciously because we shared the same goals. Osifu’s life gradually merged with Daishou.

During the three-year transition from 1992 to 1995, Osifu changed from a Buddhist lover to an honest Buddhist student.

During the three-year transition from 1992 to 1995, Osifu changed from a Buddhist researcher to a down-to-earth Buddhist student. During the three-year transformation from 1992 to 1995, Osifu changed from a Buddhist explorer to a solid Buddhist practitioner.

Osifu learned to surf the Internet after he was transferred to work in a small town in 2002, and began to use QQ instant messaging to communicate Buddhism to others in the second half of 2003. Before that, Osifu could only read wise books and did not know how to use the modern Internet. From 1992 to 2007, Osifu’s main energy was used for self-adjustment, purification, sublimation and promotion.

The publication of “Chaotianmen Praise” in 2008 was another turning point for Osifu.

Since 2008, Osifu’s main energy has been focused on fulfilling great vows, effecting salvation with compassion, promoting the laws of the universe and caring for the earth.

A little bit of Osifu’s memory is in play: there is no great achievement, nothing grandiose, an ordinary person doing some ordinary things.

This is Osifu, an ordinary person; this is Osifu, an ordinary walker. This is Osifu, an ordinary devotee; this is Osifu, an ordinary traveller; this is Osifu, an ordinary cultivator; this is Osifu, an ordinary speaker; this is Osifu, an ordinary medical practitioner; this is Osifu, an ordinary educator; this is Osifu, an ordinary pilgrim. 

Bless everyone!

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