This is a record of an interview with Chen Mingkun, who sought at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately seventy years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on April 1, 2022.
Chen Mingkun speaks:
". Thank you, thank you to the Buddha, and thank you to Practitioner Su. I am filled with gratitude. I, Akun, never imagined that I could ever arrive in such a beautiful world. I had heard of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss while I was alive, but I never paid much attention to it, nor did I truly believe such a place existed. Now that I have truly arrived here, I want to tell those who still have doubts: the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is real. Do not doubt it."
A World of Pure Refreshment
"Upon arriving in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the first thing I did was bow down and drink several mouthfuls of water. As the water entered my mouth, it felt like a pure, flowing stream. Drinking it made my entire body feel incredibly refreshed and cool. I admired the birds of the West, singing 'Namo Amituofo' as they soared across the horizon. The lotus flowers in the pond emitted a faint, delicate fragrance, and breathing in that scent made me feel completely revitalised. When I looked at my reflection in the water, I saw that I had become young again. From the moment I arrived in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, my entire being has been filled with vitality."
"Looking back to the time of my death, I was about seventy years old. At that moment, no one was by my side; I passed away quietly, all alone. My adopted daughter, whom I had raised with my own hands, had her own life to lead. For the sake of her happiness, I told her she did not need to stay with me. I was capable of being independent."
The Bond of a Lifetime
"I spent my entire life in a small country town where no one was wealthy. I do not know where I came from; I only know that I was abandoned in that town. I was raised by an uncle. He was forty years old when he found me, just after his wife had run off with someone else. I appeared at the most desolate moment of his life. A neighbour told him I had been left under a large tree. My uncle rushed over, picked me up, and looked at me. He felt that we were both 'fellow sufferers' in this world, so he brought me home to care for me. He was a grown man who knew nothing of raising a child. He relied on the neighbour, an auntie, to teach him how to cook porridge and how to hold a baby. He even used vines to weave a cradle for me. At first, the cradle wasn't sturdy, and I would fall out shortly after being placed inside. He tried again and again until he finally succeeded in weaving a strong, durable cradle."
"There were few resources in the town, so we had to make everything ourselves. My uncle even used stones and withered wood to craft many toys for me. My presence brought so much colour into his life. His world revolved entirely around me. During the day, when he went out to do business, he would dig a hole in his wooden cart, place me inside, and take me with him. When people saw me, they would come over to look, and in the process, they would buy things from my uncle. He would look at me with a beaming smile, happily telling everyone that this child was his 'good luck charm' who brought him wealth."
"My crying was very loud, and there were countless nights when I kept my uncle from sleeping, forcing him to try all sorts of ways to understand what I needed. When I was finally able to speak, the first word I uttered was 'Uncle.' I never called anyone 'Father' or 'Mother' because I had none. Sometimes, when I saw a happy, complete family, I would yearn for that, but then I would see how much effort my uncle put into caring for me, and I felt immense gratitude toward him."
A Shared Life and a Heavy Burden
"My uncle was not well-educated, but he made sure I went to school. After I returned home, I would teach him how to read. As I grew day by day, my uncle aged day by day. In this life, we had become inseparable family. Once, my uncle asked me if I wanted to leave the town to see the outside world. I thought about it and refused. I decided that I would stay by his side for the rest of my life. I took over his stall and ran the small business. When I was thirty-five, my uncle slipped at home and passed away without leaving a single word. I was devastated. Looking around the house, I saw so many handicrafts he had made for me since I was a child. Although some were crude and not very pretty, each one represented his precious, heartfelt love."
"One year, the rain in our town became very scarce, which made everyone anxious. Seeing that we were running out of water and not knowing what to do, I decided to leave the town and travel along the road to see if I could find a solution. When I reached the next village, I discovered a large creek. If we could draw water from there, the townspeople would have enough to use, but my strength alone was too small; it was not a long-term solution. I continued to search actively because I knew the townspeople could not wait much longer, so I knelt and prayed for a clear path."
The of Killing
"Finally, I met a fortune teller. He looked at the calamity befalling our village and told me that our village had accumulated too much karma from killing, and the entire sky was shrouded in a grey haze. I reflected on this and realised it was true; the town sold a massive amount of fish, distributing them to various places for sale. Every fish is a life. Thinking back to the way they stared with wide, unblinking eyes, it was truly heart-wrenching. I took the money my uncle had left me and asked the fortune teller to help me find someone to perform Chao Du for these fish. On the day of the ceremony, I gathered all the villagers. Before the ceremony began, the air felt incredibly heavy and suffocating. I saw that the faces of the men and women who sold the fish were pale. After several days of ceremonies, many people in the town began to vomit—they spat out coloured foam, and some even felt cold and weak all over. Some villagers blamed me for making reckless decisions, shouting at me and even saying that my uncle had raised me in vain, and that I had harmed the townspeople."
"Even though everyone blamed me, I knew deep down that my decision was correct. I knew that those who had strong physical reactions were experiencing the departure of the many fish spirits that had been clinging to them. I saw white mists rising from their bodies, and the magnetic field of the village began to loosen because of these ceremonies."
A Change of Heart
"The Taoist priest who helped with the Chao Du told us that the villagers must truly repent, stop committing the karma of killing, and follow the Truth before it would be possible for rain to fall. I understood what the priest meant, but the people in the village did not trust me at all. I did not know how to convince them. So, I went to the town mayor to discuss the matter. The mayor looked troubled because this had always been the way many people made a living. It was difficult to change things overnight; we had to find a balanced way to ensure it wouldn't affect everyone's livelihood while still encouraging them to do the right thing. The mayor considered it for a few days and then decided to trust what I said. He took out his life savings to encourage everyone to switch to farming and explained the consequences of harming the fish. The people trusted the mayor. From one stall owner willing to change, to ten, I felt the magnetic field of the town changing more and more."
"After the town began to change, the rainfall increased. This rain helped the villagers irrigate their crops and allowed their lives to gradually stabilise. Once everyone's life was stable, the townspeople finally acknowledged that this was all my doing—that I had helped them change and survive a great disaster. When many villagers found out, they brought food from their homes to thank me. Suddenly, my house was filled with so much food that I couldn't even finish it all."
Passing the Light
"When I was forty-nine, a baby girl was abandoned in the neighbouring village. I decided immediately to adopt her. In the past, when I was in my most difficult times, my uncle helped me. Now, I was willing to be a light in this girl's life. I brought her home and gave her the toys my uncle had made for me when I was a child. Everything I knew, everything I could do, and everything that was good, I taught her. I named her Mingrong, hoping that in the future she could embrace everyone with a heart of light. I taught Mingrong to be very polite, and everyone liked her. She was very diligent and always willing to help the elderly; many times, she would do things before I even asked. Everyone said I had raised Mingrong very well."
"Mingrong had a good heart from a young age and never felt inferior because she had no parents. In Mingrong, I saw my own reflection. She called me 'Father' and brought me so much warmth and . Every year during the New Year, Mingrong would prepare a table full of delicious food, and we would celebrate together. Many times, I was so grateful to Heaven for letting Mingrong come to keep me company, so I would not be lonely."
"When Mingrong was twenty-one, she met a young man who was very good to her. I encouraged her to pursue her happiness, but the young man lived several miles away. If she married, she would no longer be able to stay by my side. I smiled and told her not to worry about me; I was an independent old man, and the neighbours often came to check on me, so I was not lonely. After I persuaded her for a long time, she finally gathered the courage to pursue her happiness. Seeing Mingrong happy made me incredibly happy. In this life, I had passed on the love my uncle gave me to Mingrong."
The Final Journey
"As I grew older, I often felt aches and pains in my back, sometimes so severe that I could barely get up. My movements became slower. Even so, I did not have many attachments in my heart because I knew this was just the normal process of ageing. I thought that if I were to leave at that moment, Mingrong might be sad, but that sadness would pass, and she would soon return to her normal life. Even when my body was in great pain, I still went around picking up litter on the road to keep it tidy, because I did not want to be a useless person. Until the very last moment of my life, I did not want to waste it."
"Mingrong had just finished celebrating my seventieth birthday. I felt a bit tired, so I sat in my chair, closed my eyes, and breathed my last. I left this human world. A few days later, Mingrong returned to see me and wept bitterly while holding my body. My spirit saw her sadness, and my heart felt sad too. Mingrong stayed at home to keep my body company for several days and handled my funeral arrangements. I saw that her husband and children were all doing well. After forty-nine days, I went to the underworld to report. I do not know how long I waited in the underworld for judgment, but I finally met the King of Hell. The King of Hell said that I was originally only meant to live until my fifties, but because I helped the townspeople resolve their crisis, my lifespan was extended."
"In the hells, I saw my . I repented in my heart. When the King of Hell gave me the position of a prison guard, I served with all my heart and strength, hoping to repay what I owed to my karmic creditors. I am not sure if they were willing to forgive me, but I did everything I could. Then, one day, I received the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. My heart is filled with gratitude, because ever since I became a prison guard, I have been listening to Practitioner Su give Dharma talks, hoping that I could be liberated and that all beings could be liberated. Today, I have finally arrived in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am grateful for all the good Causal Conditions, and I am grateful for the of the Buddha and Practitioner Su."
"I, along with fifty-nine other prison guards, kneel and bow."
"Chen Mingkun"
※ Chen Mingkun's uncle, Chen Donglai, was saved by Practitioner Su from the ghost realm.
