A Life of Service: From the Wind to the Pure Land

This interview was recorded on March 16, 2021, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. The speaker, Li Youmin, a deity who served as a Wind God for 1,300 years, sought deliverance through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su. Having successfully completed his mission to assist in bringing rain to the Centre, he now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, awaiting his final rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Wind God Li Youmin speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am the Wind God, Li Youmin. It is a profound honour to have been personally selected by the Jade Emperor to serve as a member of the rain-making team for the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Following that, I was included on the list provided by Namo Amituofo to be interviewed regarding our rain-making mission. We have now been settled in the Western Dharma-Nature Land at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This is truly a magnificent place—a pure land that has allowed a spirit like mine, wandering through the dust of the world, to finally be purified!"

A Life Defined by Cycles

"From the very first day I assumed the duties of a Wind God, I have been diligent and cautious, never daring to slacken in my responsibilities. Only recently, after completing this mission for the Buddhist Centre and arriving at the Dharma-Nature Land, have I felt that my cycle of life in the samsaric world has truly reached a meaningful pause. My heart is filled with boundless gratitude and deep reflection. Although the heavenly realms are wonderful, and the position of a deity is a role envied by many beings, one is still, after all, a being within the cycle of rebirth.

Looking back at every segment of my past lives—whether long or short, male or female, in this world or another, whether living as a human, a ghost, or even suffering retribution in the hells—all of this has been the experience of my spirit. It is precisely because of the causes I created in the past that I have the fruit of being able to reach this Buddha-land today. Therefore, regardless of any experience from my past, my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude."

The Seniority of the Winds

"I have served as a Wind God for 1,300 years. Among the divine positions overseen by the Jade Emperor, this is considered quite 'new generation'! There are many far more senior and experienced elders. Some hold other divine offices, and there are also senior Wind Gods. I am deeply moved that these elders, out of their care for a junior, were willing to set aside their own opportunities for rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss to recommend me for this task. They gave me the chance to come here, and I am truly touched to the core of my being. I accept this kindness with a heart full of gratitude. During this recent rain-making mission, I did not dare to relax for even a single second while waiting in the skies above the Buddhist Centre. Now that the mission has been completed perfectly, I am truly grateful! I am grateful for everything."

The Child of the Wind

"I was born in a rural village in China. My family background was simple; I lived with my grandparents, parents, and younger sister. My family ran a grocery store that also sold hardware—a business passed down from my grandfather to my father, which supported our entire household. I loved the sound of wind chimes, so I often made them myself. I used different materials and shapes to create chimes of all sizes. When the wind blew, they would emit different sounds. I hung them on our doors and under the eaves. I could distinguish the strength of the wind and the direction from which it came just by listening to the different sounds of the chimes.

I made various wind chimes as gifts for our neighbours, and they nicknamed me the 'Child of the Wind.' I loved running in the wind; it gave me a sense of liberation. From a young age, I could distinguish between a light breeze, a weak wind, a moderate wind, and a strong gale. Once, from the sound of my chimes, I sensed a great wind was coming. I seemed to see the gale blowing through our village, leaving everything in disarray. Objects on the ground, including cattle, cats, dogs, and pigs, were all swept up by the wind. It was the roar of the wind itself. After the wind stopped, I saw wailing everywhere and heavy casualties!"

A Warning Unheeded

"I told my father about this. At first, he said I was overthinking, but after seeing my worried expression and firm attitude, he asked, 'What should we do?' I told him with certainty: 'Tie down everything that can be tied, store away everything that can be brought inside, take our important belongings, and leave this place for a while. We can return after the strong winds pass.' My father replied, 'We have never encountered such a thing. How can you expect the villagers to believe this, especially coming from the mouth of a ten-year-old child?'

I urged my father to try. He reluctantly agreed to tell the village head, who in turn reluctantly told the villagers. As a result, only my parents believed me. To show their support and trust in their son, they convinced my grandparents, packed our belongings, and moved to my great-uncle's house in a neighbouring village for a while. The villagers thought we were making a mountain out of a molehill. Some even said my parents spoiled me too much, taking the words of a ten-year-old seriously! My heart grew increasingly clear that the strong wind was coming, and I hoped the villagers would not suffer any harm. However, the situation showed no signs of an impending disaster. My parents closed the shop, locked the doors and windows, and left for half a month."

The Aftermath and the Gift

"Seven days after we left the village, on a night at my great-uncle's house, there was thunder, lightning, and heavy rain that woke everyone up. We rarely saw such heavy rain. I intuitively felt the wind was at my home; the thunder, lightning, and rain here seemed to be summoning the Wind God to come quickly. I told my father, 'The wind is at our home, and it is even stronger than the thunder, lightning, and rain here.' I did not know why I knew this, but I knew the disaster had already occurred.

Sure enough, when the sun rose and the rain cleared, news came that our village had suffered a catastrophe with few survivors. We rushed home. When the villagers saw us, they wept and said that if they had listened to us, they would not have faced such consequences. They had been terrified, hiding indoors, not realising that the roofs of many houses would be torn off by the wind, sweeping people away. It was horrific! Everyone mourned for the victims, and the survivors worked together to restore the village. After that, the villagers began to believe what I said. Not only could I predict wind disasters, but I was also sensitive to water. On several occasions, with my help, we reduced the damage caused by wind and water disasters to the villagers."

A Divine Calling

"The neighbouring villages heard of this ability and invited me to stay with them. I told them my observations, and they recorded my words to pass on to others, hoping I could share this experience to reduce the loss of life and property. I travelled through many villages using this method. When I returned to our village, with the help of the village head, my experiences and observations were recorded by other villagers. In truth, many situations required improvisation; this was an innate ability, not taught by anyone. I tried my best to explain what I knew and observed. I even invented a wind direction detector—an instrument that could measure the intensity of the wind in advance—so that even when I was not there, it could still help the villagers reduce natural disasters and losses.

When I was forty-two, I caught a slight cold. While drifting in and out of sleep, I saw a brilliant light before me. I was taken by this light and, in an instant, entered the heavenly realms. There were many people around who looked like celestial beings, smiling at me. I did not know what was happening until the Jade Emperor appeared. He was a gentle, refined, and compassionate elder with an aura of great authority. He told me that my natural lifespan should have ended at thirty-five, but because I had travelled everywhere to teach people how to avoid natural disasters caused by wind and rain, saving many human and animal lives, my life had been extended. He said there was a position for a Wind God that was very suitable for me and asked if I was willing to take on this heavy responsibility. Only then did I realise I had left the human world, and that my ability to observe the heavens came from the teachings of my master, Yihai Daoren, many lifetimes ago. After my master passed away, he had also served as a Wind God, and I had been reincarnated through various cycles. In this lifetime, because of the purity of my spirit, this ability was able to manifest again, gaining the recognition of the Jade Emperor. Thus, I gladly accepted the position of Wind God and have not dared to be lazy for a single day since."

A Final Mission at Hsiang Kuang

"Time passed quickly, and 1,300 years went by. Not long ago, I received a jade decree from the Jade Emperor: Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia had successfully prayed for rain, and the work was continuing. It required the cooperation of the Four Seas Dragon Kings and the gods of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, with multiple teams of divine personnel on standby. Originally, the Jade Emperor had named my master, Yihai Daoren, but my master recommended his disciple, Li Youmin, to participate in this rain-making mission. Therefore, I was told to be on standby at all times, waiting for notification to go to the Buddhist Centre to initiate the wind before the rain, announcing to the earth that rain was coming. If the mission was successful, I would be granted the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This was an opportunity I could never have imagined. I am deeply grateful for my master's recommendation, which allowed me to obtain this excellent chance for rebirth.

I immediately handed over my local duties to my subordinates and brought those related to wind-making, along with my people, to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Upon arriving here, I was surprised to find that many divine friends I had not seen for a long time were already here on standby! This place truly has excellent feng shui. It is a blessing to encounter the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre located here. The area surrounding the Buddhist Centre should have been arid, yet the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre exhibits a climate of four distinct seasons, with perfect wind and rain, and favourable weather. Furthermore, Namo Amituofo is residing here, surrounded by Dharma-protecting dragons and gods. Now, after Practitioner Su's successful prayer for rain, not only has the local drought been lifted, but the climate has also transformed."

Gratitude and the Path Ahead

"After the previous group of divine personnel completed their mission, we were named by Namo Amituofo to wait for our interview. Now it is our group's turn, and we have faithfully completed this important task. While waiting for the interview, I listened to many of Practitioner Su's lectures, which have been of great benefit. Now, here in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, we continue to wait for the Dharma assembly, at which time we will join the masses in chanting Namo Amituofo to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I am grateful for the compassion of the Buddha. I am grateful to Practitioner Su for giving us this precious opportunity for rebirth.

Namo Amituofo.

Wind God Li Youmin

Memorial Tablet: To the family members, subjects, civilians, divine personnel of the spirit realm, wandering spirits in the wind, dust and sand, and all sentient beings with karmic affinity, immeasurable and infinite in number, represented by: Wind God Li Youmin.

Please enter the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre."