A Two-Millennium Journey on the Face of a Buddha

This is a record of an interview with Hu Yuanyin, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his life approximately 2,500 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on March 3, 2026.

Hu Yuanyin speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful to Practitioner Su and to Namo Amituofo. I have resided within the facial space of Practitioner Su for over two thousand five hundred years. Specifically, I have been located near the temple area of the face. It has always been a vast and spacious realm, and I never imagined that, after two and a half millennia, I would be here today sharing my story in this manner. Practitioner Su, given your immense achievements in this lifetime, the spirits residing within you should have long ago been guided to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Entering the Western Pure Land is the greatest fortune a spirit could hope for; there is truly no reason to remain attached to the cells of a human body. Your cellular space is indeed vast and exceptionally pure, yet the beauty of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss far surpasses even that—it is brighter, purer, and more magnificent."

A Choice of Attachment

"In truth, it was my own attachment. Two thousand five hundred years ago, my heart was set on seeing you again, which is why I clung to the space within your face. You have been a practitioner throughout your many lives; your temples have always been full and radiant, never lacking, and constantly surrounded by the Holy Name. Residing within that space, I remained focused on the Buddha-name, forgetting all external changes. Two thousand years passed in the blink of an eye. For those in the human world, this is an incredibly long time—enough to experience birth, aging, sickness, and death countless times over. But for one with even a small amount of practice, time flows slowly. Everything becomes like smoke passing before the eyes, and there is no significant sense of time's passage. Everything feels perfectly pure, the heart is calm, and as all phenomena pass by, one remains unmoved within the Buddha-name. This is the power of the Holy Name; it is only through Practitioner Su that one can truly feel such a profound difference."

The Call of the Ancient Monk

"Two thousand five hundred years ago, I was just a child in a small village in India. While I was still an infant, an elderly monk came to our village. Seeing me in my mother's arms, he advised my parents to cease their killing and hunting, saying that I had a karmic affinity with him and that he hoped I would follow him to practise the Dharma later in life. My parents, not understanding the monk's background, were hesitant to agree and simply let him depart. Strangely, I was born with an innate understanding of natural things. Even before my parents told me of this encounter, I knew that when I grew up, I had to find my life's purpose. When they saw I had no interest in the family trade of fishing and hunting, they told me about the monk. I was not surprised; instead, I felt a sudden clarity. My Master had already come for me; I was simply too young at the time to follow him as a practitioner."

A Lifelong Search

"I did not know where to find the old monk, so I began to travel slowly along the banks of the Ganges, asking everywhere for news of a wandering monk. By then, I was fourteen or fifteen years old, and more than a decade had passed since his visit. Most villagers had only a vague memory of him, and no one knew where he had gone. I believed that since I had a karmic affinity with him, we would surely be brought together by fate. And indeed, three months after I set out, I saw an elderly monk in a village along the way. I asked him if he had heard of a monk who had been wandering for fourteen years. He did not say much, only gently telling me that he had come to collect me. I was so astonished I could not speak; I never expected to find him so easily."

The Path of Dharma Propagation

"His voice sounded as if he were only thirty or forty years old, and looking at the beard on his face, it was impossible to tell his true age. He invited me to travel with him as he walked the borders of India, introducing the Buddha's teachings to the people along the way. Throughout our journey, he taught me the importance of the Dharma, how to apply it, and how to help suffering people escape their predicaments, the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and the endless entanglement of samsara. In my travels with him, I learned the profound nature of the Buddha's teachings. I watched him help countless people, teaching them to recognise the Buddha and chant the Holy Name, bringing peace and stability to the hearts of those in the border regions of India."

The Burden of Compassion

"One day, the old monk gave me instructions for the routes I was to take over the coming decades. I did not understand why he was giving me such orders, but he told me that the Dharma affinity for the future needed to be pursued independently to help more people. I understood his reasoning, but I was reluctant to part from him. Seeing my attachment, he scolded me, saying that my selfishness would cause countless people to miss the chance to encounter the Dharma, and that many spirits along the way would lose their opportunity for deliverance. Realising my selfishness was not in accordance with the Dharma, I bowed to him and began my own life of wandering."

Spreading Light in the Wilderness

"I travelled south along the eastern border of India. I knew the task he had given me; while the spread of the Dharma in northern India was already well-established, the southern and border regions were lacking. I did not dare to slacken my pace. According to his arrangements, I might not finish walking all the borders of India in my lifetime, but I had to strive to spread the Dharma everywhere. Shakyamuni Buddha had just entered Nirvana, and during this period of the 'Semblance Dharma', I had to save as many as I could. Most of the borderlands were wild and sparsely populated. Though there were no humans to hear the Dharma, ghosts and evil spirits were everywhere. The old monk had taught me that no matter the terror, the difficulty, or the interference from spirits, I should simply smile and chant the Holy Name, 'Namo Amituofo'. All spirits could be saved; the human body is not worth clinging to, but the propagation of the Buddha's teachings is the true meaning of life."

A Vow Beyond Time

"The more terrifying the evil spirits were, the more they reflected their own emptiness and helplessness. I walked upon two golden lotuses, blooming in the wild, scorched, and dark earth. Relying on the Holy Name, I lit up the darkness like stars. The spirits along the way were astonished that such a strange person would walk alone in the wilderness, performing these seemingly aimless acts that were, in fact, acts of deliverance. When I passed through villages, the people were curious. I did not fully understand their languages, but we communicated through gestures. It did not matter; I kept telling them the Holy Name. Some would chant along, and my goal was achieved—the Buddha-root was planted, waiting for the time when their Dharma affinity would mature and they could be saved."

The Cycle of Rebirth and Service

"When I reached a village on the west coast, I knew my time was near. I had followed the old monk's instructions and spread the Dharma to the coastal borders. Though I had not completed everything, I knew this was the natural progression of Dharma affinity. I sat under a tree by the river, chanting the Holy Name, and my spirit left my body. Even then, I was thinking of reporting back to the old monk. By then, he had already passed away, so I waited in the space between realms. I knew he would continue to appear in the world to wander and teach, for that is his compassion, and I knew him well. Indeed, he appeared in the world many times after that, and each time, I entered the space of his face. Perhaps it was my attachment to him, or perhaps it was because I only felt at peace when I saw him. During my own travels, it was his instructions that kept me going through every trial. Whenever I thought of his face, I dared not slacken."

The Living Infinite Life Sutra

"In each of his appearances, the old monk played a crucial role in promoting the Dharma. Once, he was a monarch who greatly flourished the Buddha's teachings, and I helped him promote them and resist external spiritual interference. With my chanting and my ability to travel, I could help clear away the attachments and darkness from his face, preventing evil spirits from attacking. Every time he appeared, I helped him maintain a radiant countenance, one that could inspire people to learn the Dharma. When beings saw his full and glowing face, they believed in the reality and benefits of the Buddha's teachings. He appeared constantly in India, then in the border regions, and finally in China. He manifested in all six realms, not just the human realm. My understanding is that only by delving into the six realms and forming broad Dharma affinities can one gather the power to spread the Dharma to the most difficult places when manifesting in the human realm. This vow truly fills me with admiration. When he manifested as a human—whether as a monarch, a minister, or an eminent monk—he always moved countless Dharma affinities. I saw this clearly on his face. Several times, as an eminent monk, he could communicate with all things. He knew of my existence and encouraged me to continue my work of saving the world, promising that the time would come when my affinity for the Western Pure Land would be fully matured. I did not understand his words then, but I trusted him completely. As his identity changed, so did my tasks. Following him through many lives, I have gradually understood the principle: there are only sentient beings, no 'self'. As long as one more person can be saved, nothing else needs to be clung to."

The Purity of the Dharma Body

"In this recent lifetime, the old monk manifested in a female body. Many people and spirits were surprised, wondering why he would choose an 'impure' female body. But that is not the case. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifest in whatever form is needed to save beings. Every body is a body of emptiness and a body of the infinite; it is not the 'impure' body people perceive. Impurity comes from the defilement of the spirit, and spiritual defilement comes from the impurities of past lives. The old monk, who is Practitioner Su, has a pure spirit because of his pure bodies across many lives. By manifesting in this body, even though he grew up in the Five Turbidities and Evil World, his spirit transcends them. The female form is what is needed to deliver beings and is the manifestation of matured Dharma affinity. Within the cellular space, the spirit is pure, transcending the purity of the male cellular space. This is what it means to be a 'great man among great men'—it is not about the superficial appearance."

The Magnificent Deliverance

"In this lifetime, Practitioner Su has delivered countless spirits. Having followed him for many lives, I have never seen such a magnificent scene. For over five years, the daily Dharma Body deliverance, the daily Body-Mind-Spirit healing, and the various extraordinary scenes at every Dharma Assembly have surpassed the last. I know clearly that this is the manifestation of Practitioner Su's fully matured Dharma affinity. Since he can scatter golden light across the earth and his cellular space can traverse countless dimensions, it is time to lead all beings with karmic affinity back to our Western home."

The Power of the Holy Name

"Participating from within Practitioner Su's face, I have been on the front lines of the Dharma Body deliverance. As long as it is a task assigned by him, I carry it out with my life. I have seen the many venerable beings and Western Buddhas within Practitioner Su, all possessing first-class divine powers. Because of the merit I accumulated during my own travels, I also possess divine speed, but the divine powers of the Western venerable beings, the Buddhas, and Practitioner Su are far superior. I have come to realise that their cultivation through aeons of walking, step by step, is beyond the reach of ordinary people. My own cultivation is but a fraction of theirs. The Universal Buddha state of Namo Amituofo is the result of aeons of great compassion and walking the path. It is no wonder Practitioner Su often says he admires Namo Amituofo so much; one can only understand this after truly practising and achieving a little bit of success oneself."

The Greatness of the Buddha

"Namo Amituofo has possessed supreme power and majesty for ten kalpas, and even for immeasurable kalpas. To possess such great merit and power is the natural result of such immense, selfless, and great compassion. The more one practises, the more one realises that the descriptions in the Infinite Life Sutra are too modest. Practitioner Su is a living Infinite Life Sutra. If this is what he shows in one lifetime, then the Buddha's cultivation over countless aeons is truly beyond words. Through Practitioner Su's shocking act of saving demons in this lifetime, I have gained a deeper understanding of the Dharma. Every word and action of the Buddha is to teach sentient beings. The fourfold assembly in the human world may not see it, but I see it clearly from within his face. The counter-attacks from the demon realms, from all ten directions, attempting to take Practitioner Su's life, are actually the Buddha's skillful means. The 'shedding of the Buddha's blood' is a supernatural power to save the demon crowds. Many demons may feel triumphant in attacking, but this is simply the result of matured Dharma affinity. The Buddha saves those with affinity; even if it means sacrificing his physical body, he will save the demons. The demons may not understand, but the moment they decide to attack, their Dharma affinity matures. This is the Buddha's compassion and his greatness."

A Final Counsel

"I was also ejected from the facial space during this attack, but for a Buddha-spirit accustomed to leaving the body for deliverance, this is routine. As long as we can save the world, we do not care where we are cast. Practitioner Su says he has no regrets, and the spirits within him feel the same: 'Even if the body is in the midst of suffering, I only wish for the demons to be saved.' Such a mind-capacity, such sincerity, is something that cannot be understood through billions of years of life in the demon realm. Practitioner Su follows Namo Amituofo, vowing for aeons to save both humans and demons. As long as the demons are willing to attack, the Buddha is willing to save."

"After being ejected this time, Practitioner Su invited us into the Dharma-Nature Land. We can still continue the deliverance; this is the power of coming and going at will. It is just like when one makes a vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land—the lotus lock automatically opens, and the spirit can ascend. We can follow the Buddha in deliverance as long as we make the vow; there are no restrictions. This also helps Practitioner Su's face recover quickly, which is the wisdom of Namo Amituofo. The beings within Practitioner Su can also ascend directly to the Western Pure Land, starting their path of practice early. Therefore, one must never underestimate the 'shedding of the Buddha's blood' or the 'bearing of the suffering of beings'. Practitioner Su's vow has saved demons, saved the spirits in the cellular space, and saved his karmic creditors from many lives, allowing him to exert even greater influence in the human world."

"I wish to advise the demon crowds: you do not need to harm yourselves to help the Buddha. Surrender to the Buddha, follow Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to accumulate merit—why would you not want to? Practitioner Su, I never thought I would have the affinity to speak these words today. I am deeply grateful to Namo Amituofo and to you for giving me this opportunity. It has not been in vain that I have followed your teachings for thousands of years. I am truly valuable, for I can 'save all boundless suffering sentient beings'. This is my learning report for this time."

"Namo Amituofo."

Hu Yuanyin