A Life Fulfilled: The Journey of Mengzhen Quan

This is a record of an interview with Mengzhen Quan, 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 1,510 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on December 16, 2018.

Mengzhen Quan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Mengzhen Quan. Looking back at my life over fifteen centuries ago, I see a journey that began in the humble, flour-dusted air of my family's steamed bun shop. In our town, the Quan family bun shop was legendary. It was not just because of the taste, though our buns were indeed delicious, filled with generous portions and crafted with care. It was because of the integrity that went into every single one. People would travel from afar, and once they had tasted our food, they would always return. Our business was a constant, bustling stream of life, yet it was built on a foundation that had been passed down through generations—starting from my great-grandfather, who once walked the streets with a simple wooden bucket, selling his wares one by one.

A Legacy of Honesty and Kindness

By the time the business reached my father, we had a proper storefront. Yet, the core principle remained unchanged: honesty. My father taught me that the secret ingredient was not just the flour or the filling, but the virtue of being a simple, honest person. We never sought to overcharge; we never tried to squeeze an extra penny out of our customers. In fact, we often set aside batches of fresh buns to give away to the impoverished families in our town. Everyone knew of my parents' kindness, and that reputation brought more people to our door than any advertisement ever could.

My parents possessed hearts of immense compassion. They were acutely aware that our shop was not the only one on the street. They intentionally kept our prices fair and did not open the shop every single day, specifically so that the other bun sellers in the neighbourhood could also make a living. They never wanted to be the cause of another family's hardship. They lived by the principle that if you have the ability to feed others and the capacity to give back to society, you are truly the most blessed person in the world. They were clean in their conduct, untainted by greed, and they raised me to be a straightforward, upright man."

The Turning Point: Choosing the Dharma

"My parents were like any other couple; they hoped to raise a child to carry on the family name and the family business. I was their only son, and my father poured his heart into teaching me. He taught me that in business, one must never be greedy. 'Earn enough to sustain your life,' he would say, 'and give the rest away.' Their mind-capacity was vast. They never haggled over pennies, and they lived lives of such purity that they eventually drew the attention of those who understood the deeper truths of existence.

Many in town admired my parents' goodness, yet some felt a deep sense of regret. 'They are such wonderful people,' the customers would say, 'but they have not yet learned the Buddha’s teachings. They are still trapped in the cycle of reincarnation.' Some of our regular patrons began to share the Dharma with them, encouraging them to chant the Buddha-name and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. My parents were not resistant to this. Once they handed the daily operations of the shop over to me, they began to immerse themselves in the teachings. They started chanting and listening to the sutras, and it was as if they had finally found the missing piece of their lives. They realised that the emptiness they had felt for so long was simply because they had not yet found the true direction of life.

When my parents realised the importance of the Dharma, they encouraged me to join them. At that time, I was at a crossroads. I had my eyes set on a young woman—a person of great character and kindness, despite her family's poverty. I was planning to marry, start a family, and continue the cycle of life. But just as I was about to pursue this, my father spoke to me with a gravity I had never heard before: 'Mengzhen, rather than spending your life chasing money and romantic attachments, why not use your life to study the Dharma and save others?'"

A Path of Service and Awakening

"It was a massive shift in perspective, and I struggled to adapt at first. I was a filial son, and I could not easily refuse my parents. I told my father, 'I will try to learn the Dharma, and then I will consider my future.' I began to follow them to listen to the teachings. When they asked me to go to disaster areas to serve those in need, I would drop everything to follow them and perform acts of kindness. This went on for a year, and in that time, I felt the true compassion of the Buddha. I saw how the Buddha uses countless methods to save people, hoping to reach those with karmic affinity, guiding all the wandering children of this world back to the Western Pure Land.

I looked at my own life—my struggle in the business, the way I was slowly growing older despite the success of the shop. I admired that young woman, but I knew that even if we were together, it would not last forever. Separation is the inevitable truth of the world. I made a firm decision: I would dedicate my remaining decades to the Dharma and to helping others. I even tried to share the Dharma with that young woman, only to discover that she was already a practitioner! She had no intention of marrying, and her gentle temperament was the result of a lifetime of Buddhist influence. Her wisdom only strengthened my resolve. I knew then that I had to spread the Buddha’s teachings far and wide.

I gave our bun shop away for free to a family in need, with only one condition: that every customer who walked through the door would be introduced to the name of Namo Amituofo. That family of five agreed. They greeted every guest with a smile and taught them to chant the Buddha-name. They plastered the six-character name of Namo Amituofo all over the shop. When customers saw the joy on the faces of that family and the success of the business, they understood that chanting was a good thing. Soon, the first thing anyone said upon entering the shop was, 'Namo Amituofo!'"

The Final Journey to the Western Pure Land

"With no more worldly attachments, I entered the monastery at the age of thirty-five. Though I was no longer a youth, I worked harder than anyone else, hoping to regain my strength to serve all beings. I trained through prostrations and manual labour, but more importantly, I kept my heart fixed on the Buddha-name, free from afflictions or idle thoughts. I used the Buddha-name to replenish my energy and to cultivate a heart of greater compassion.

My parents passed away and achieved rebirth in the Western Pure Land three years after I became a monk. Initially, they were still attached to me, but once they saw that I had shaved my head and committed myself to the path, they let go completely and focused entirely on chanting. The life of a practitioner is far superior to the joy of worldly family life or the pursuit of worldly knowledge. Practice is about 'emptiness'—having no attachments in the heart, arriving in this world with nothing, and returning to the Western Pure Land with a pure, unburdened spirit. When I reached the end of my life, I did so with the word 'fulfilment' in my heart, passing away with a smile as I chanted to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I must express my profound admiration for the Chao Du work of Practitioner Su. The number of spirits she saves in a single hour exceeds what I was able to save in my entire lifetime. This is a skill that I have only seen realised through Practitioner Su. While many ancient masters achieved the Dharma Body, none have utilised it with such agility and effectiveness in the work of deliverance. Her wisdom and compassion, and her constant search for new ways to save more beings, allow her skills to improve day by day. It is truly a sight to behold.

Practitioner Su opened the space of my karmic connections, and the sheer number of beings that appeared before me was staggering. It made me realise the terrifying nature of samsara. I must seize this opportunity to work diligently every day to save these connected beings. When the day comes that I follow Practitioner Su back to the Western Pure Land, my work will be complete and perfect. Namo Amituofo!"