A Life Dedicated to the Path of Awakening

This is a record of an interview with the Venerable Zunti, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately 2,000 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on December 30, 2018.

Venerable Zunti speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Zunti. It is a profound honour to share the story of my journey, a journey that spans across lifetimes and eventually led me to the compassionate embrace of Namo Amituofo. In my life two thousand years ago, I was born into a family of great wealth and prestige. My father was a prominent merchant, and my mother was a distinguished educator. Even my grandparents were held in the highest regard by the society of that time. From the moment I was born, I was surrounded by every comfort imaginable, yet my path was destined for something far greater than worldly riches.

The Choice of Two Trees

Before I was even born, my mother had a life-changing encounter. While she was walking through the streets, heavily pregnant with me, an elderly woman approached her. This woman spoke with a wisdom that seemed to transcend the ordinary world. She pointed to two paths, metaphorically represented by two trees. She asked my mother, 'In the East, there is a money tree. If you shake it, wealth will rain down, but for every shake, your lifespan will be shortened by ten years. In the West, there is a Bodhi tree. If you chant the Buddha's name beneath it for one year, your life will be extended by ten years, and you will eventually attain the supreme fruit of Buddhahood, achieving ultimate Bodhi. Which tree would you choose?'

My mother was initially bewildered, but the old woman, seeing her confusion, pointed directly at her womb. She explained that the child she carried was a high monk returning to the world, a soul whose past blessings were continuing into this life. She warned that if I were allowed to spend my life merely enjoying luxury, my blessings would wither away year by year, and my lifespan would diminish, for I had come with a mission. However, if I were guided to learn the Buddha's teachings, I would not only reclaim the power of my past practice but also save immeasurable suffering beings and attain the supreme fruit of Buddhahood. My mother, a woman of great insight, finally understood. She took these words to heart and resolved to arrange my life according to the Dharma.

A Childhood of Compassion

My mother was not a woman who forced academic prestige upon her children. She was open to the Dharma, believing that if I could learn to save those suffering in the world, my life would be truly meaningful. Even before I entered this world, she began to immerse me in the sounds of the Buddha's name. She chanted diligently every single day, allowing me to be cradled in the resonance of Namo Amituofo from the very beginning.

After I was born, my mother actively involved me in all manner of Buddhist activities, ensuring I heard the sutras and listened to the teachings. Despite being born into a life of opulence, I developed a heart of deep compassion from a young age. Whenever I saw the poor on the streets, I did not merely offer them silver; I taught them to chant the Buddha's name, encouraging them to learn the Dharma and transform their own destiny. Think about it—what greater gift could I offer than the path to liberation from their suffering?

The Vow to Renounce the World

As I grew, my understanding of the Dharma deepened year by year. By the age of ten, I had gained a profound realisation from the sutras: this world and this human body are merely illusory appearances. I saw clearly that the suffering of humanity stems from being deceived by these false appearances. People are lost in a cycle of pain, wandering through samsara, carrying their burdens from one life to the next. I felt a deep sorrow for the world, seeing how few people truly understood the preciousness of the Buddha's teachings.

I knelt before the Buddha and made a solemn vow: 'I am willing to renounce all the wealth and glory of this life. I will take up the life of a bhikshu, walking to every corner of the world to deliver sentient beings. I will dedicate this body to attaining the Buddha's path and saving the Buddha-nature within every suffering being in this cycle of rebirth.' I saw every person in this world as a Buddha, merely wandering and having forgotten the vows they made when they first descended from the Western Pure Land. At twelve, I bid farewell to my family to enter a monastery, and at twenty, I was ordained as a bhikshu. Compared to being a young master in a wealthy household, I was now filled with true Dharma joy at every moment.

The Path of No-Self

Having never performed manual labour, I learned to roll up my sleeves and participate in every task alongside my fellow practitioners. Though the beginning was difficult, I never gave up. Even when it required double the effort, I was willing to use my rest time to refine myself, all to nourish the provisions needed to save others. I cherished every moment, chanting Namo Amituofo without ceasing. I would sit anywhere at night, chanting until dawn. This ability to sit in meditation without lying down was not learned overnight; it was the result of my unwavering perseverance and my vow to deliver others.

My practice knew no distinction between favourable or adverse conditions because I had long ago offered my heart to the Buddha. Once you let go of this 'self,' there is no 'self' left to experience obstacles. The path becomes smooth and clear. Everything I did was for the sake of sentient beings, and my heart remained impartial and equal. At thirty-five, I attained Awakening, far surpassing my peers. This was not only due to my diligent practice but also because of my 'no-self' and 'no-mind' state, which allowed me to gain insights from every aspect of life and practice. Once there is no self, the path ahead is perfectly clear.

Delivering Beings from the Buddha-Land

I left no footprints in this world. When my time came, I transformed this physical form into emptiness, and my spirit flew directly to the Western Pure Land, where my compassionate father, Namo Amituofo, was waiting to welcome me. I did not waste this life. If there is a next life, I will follow Namo Amituofo throughout all my future lives to save sentient beings.

Through the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su, I was able to open a space to perform Chao Du for many spirits. In the universe, there once existed a 'Buddha-land'—a realm of goodness, though not the Western Pure Land. Even within that realm, beings could not escape the cycle of birth and death. However, that land taught people to do good, and all its inhabitants were purely virtuous. I was once a member of that land, nourished by its virtuous teachings before I reincarnated into the human world to become a monk, eventually returning to the Western Pure Land.

Today, as this space opened, I saw that land again. There are still immeasurable, boundless beings there continuing to be taught by virtuous methods. Some are listening to the Dharma, others are meditating, walking, or resting. Though they live in comfort and perform good deeds daily, they still lack the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. Today, I return with the name of Namo Amituofo and a vast golden light to deliver these beings with whom I have a karmic connection, teaching them to chant the Buddha's name and seek rebirth in the West.

These beings in the Buddha-land truly possess deep good roots and blessings. Under the power of the Buddha's name, they followed the Buddha to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This was only possible because their merit, accumulated over thousands of years, had finally reached fruition. I am deeply grateful for the compassion of the Buddha and the compassion of Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo."