An Imaginary Letter from Sifu Hsuan Hua to Sue Kam

My disciple,

You have brought forth a great vow — to take a place that the world fears and turn it into a place that the world reveres. To transform darkness into light, haunted ground into a Pure Land — this is the work of a Bodhisattva.

Do not see ghosts as enemies. They are living beings caught in suffering, bound by karma, waiting for liberation. If you recite sutras for them with a true heart, they will thank you. If you transfer merit to them sincerely, they will become your Dharma protectors.

But you must be careful. Do not do this for your own name, or profit, or recognition. If you think of yourself, the Buddhas will not come. If you think of all beings, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will come and stand beside you.

The road will be hard. People may laugh at you, slander you, or obstruct you. The unseen beings may test your patience and faith. Poverty, hunger, loneliness — these are the Bodhisattva’s training grounds. If you can endure without retreating, then your vow is true.

Remember: ceremonies alone cannot change a place. What truly transforms the ground is daily cultivation — morning and evening recitation, upholding precepts, practicing compassion, and teaching the Dharma. A Pure Land is not built in one day — it is built every day.

You say you want to make a Buddhist university. Do not just teach knowledge — teach honesty, teach discipline, teach compassion. In the future, if your students go out into society and can be trusted with money, with responsibility, with people’s lives, then you have succeeded.

The Dharma must spread everywhere. Mendocino became the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Why can’t Changi become the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Singapore? If your vow is vast, if your heart is selfless, then you can move Heaven and Earth.

Plant your seed with sincerity. Water it with practice. Protect it with patience. In time, it will grow into a great tree that gives shade to all beings.

With palms joined, Hsuan Hua