Gratitude from the Dragon Palace

This is a record of an interview with Li Yunrong, the new Dragon King of the East Sea, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now reflects upon the recent events surrounding the drought in Toowoomba and the subsequent salvation of his royal lineage. This interview was recorded by the disciple Venerable HaiZe on February 25, 2020.

Li Yunrong, the new Dragon King of the East Sea, speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Li Yunrong, the newly appointed Dragon King of the East Sea. My predecessor was my father, King Li Hao. My father lived for five thousand eight hundred years, while I have lived for three thousand seven hundred years. My father, my mother, his trusted advisors, and many senior ministers—including the fish, shrimp, and crab generals who have served for over a millennium—were all instrumental in assisting Practitioner Su with the rain-making efforts. Because of their meritorious service, they were granted the grace of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. During the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, they were delivered and successfully reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, alongside the Jade Emperor and the deities of thunder, lightning, rain, and wind."

The Guardians of the Deep

"Many of these ministers, shrimp soldiers, and crab generals had served in the East Sea Dragon Palace long before I was even born. In truth, these ranks are composed of all manner of aquatic life: various fish, shellfish, shrimp, and crabs. Many of the deep-sea creatures, with their strange and wondrous forms, are vital members of the Dragon Palace. Whether it is their protective shells, their powerful crab claws, the intricate patterns on their shells, or the long, flowing whiskers of the shrimp that dance with the ocean currents, they are all masters of defence. They are the first line of protection, capable of making any intruder retreat without a single blow being struck. The long-whiskered shrimp, in particular, are incredibly precise and swift when they lash out with their feelers."

"Because our realm exists in a different space than that of humanity, we are often invisible to one another. This is why humans have always viewed the Dragon Palace with such mystery. In reality, aside from our physical forms being different from those of humans, our palace functions much like the royal courts of the mortal world. We all attended the Dharma Assembly to bid farewell to my father and his retinue. Seeing them successfully reborn in the Western Pure Land brought us such immense joy. When we returned to the Dragon Palace, we lit lanterns and hung red silk banners to celebrate; the entire palace was filled with an atmosphere of jubilation and auspiciousness."

The Duty of the Dragon King

"In Chinese history, whenever a drought struck, people would naturally turn their thoughts to the Dragon King. We are the masters of water, responsible for managing the water levels of our domains and ensuring the safety and distribution of all marine life. Every movement on the surface, within the currents, or deep on the ocean floor is reported to the Dragon Palace by our officials to maintain the stability of the East Sea. When there are massive tremors or shifts in the marine ecosystem, it often takes a long time to restore balance. Under my father’s wise management, we always had comprehensive contingency plans for disasters or sudden changes. This is why the East Sea has remained orderly for so long, and why the creatures within it have lived in such peace."

"However, the situation in Australia was different. The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, located in Goombungee, Toowoomba, was suffering from a severe drought. The land was cracked and parched, the grass had withered to a brittle yellow, and even the two ponds within the temple grounds had dried up completely, revealing the bare earth at the bottom. Practitioner Su could not bear to see these living creatures suffer, so he made a vow to bring rain. Whenever Practitioner Su’s thoughts turned to the Dragon King of the East Sea, my father would feel it instantly and respond. It was a form of invisible communication, a transmission of signals across the dimensions of space. My father understood the compassionate heart of Practitioner Su. Although he reported the situation to the Jade Emperor, it was difficult to release enough rain because the drought was a result of the collective karma of the local residents, whose blessings were insufficient to merit such relief. Yet, because Practitioner Su had spoken, my father released some rain to soothe the cracked surface of the earth, though it was far from enough to end the drought."

The Power of Collective Merit

"Seeing this, Practitioner Su requested that the Four Dragon Kings—of the East, West, South, and North Seas—work together to bring rain, promising that if we succeeded in ending the drought, he would lead us all to rebirth in the Western Pure Land. This was an opportunity that is difficult to encounter even in millions of years! The Four Dragon Kings gathered to discuss how to resolve the drought. Usually, when a Sea Dragon King appears in the human world, it is accompanied by wind and rain. At first, the winds were strong but the rain was sparse, and Practitioner Su was not satisfied. Through his wisdom, Practitioner Su guided the local residents to chant the Buddha-name and pray for rain during the morning deliverance sessions. Combined with the power of the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, the Buddha-name and the power of the deliverance were truly incomparable. Their merit and virtue were sufficient to transform the local collective karma."

"When the Four Dragon Kings joined forces again, working in perfect harmony with the deities of thunder, lightning, rain, and wind, the result was a magnificent storm. Thunder, lightning, wind, and rain converged, finally bringing the life-giving water the land so desperately needed. Practitioner Su’s merit was so abundant that we joined forces a second time. The sheer scale of these two events shocked the local residents, who had never seen such a continuous display of lightning and thunder in the sky. The Rain God followed the commands of the Lightning God, and while the rainfall was sufficient to end the drought, it also caused local power outages—an outcome we had not anticipated. Yet, when you compare the two, restoring electricity is something humans can manage with their own hands, but bringing rain to end a drought is something that requires the power of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. Without them, such a miracle would never have occurred, and it would be even harder to witness."

A Final Expression of Gratitude

"Following his promise, Practitioner Su conducted a Thrice Yearning Ceremony to deliver the Four Dragon Kings, as well as the deities of thunder, lightning, rain, and wind, and their subjects. My father, my mother, and many of our people were guided by the compassion of the Buddha during this ceremony and entered the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. As the new Dragon King of the East Sea, I wish to express my most sincere and profound gratitude to Namo Amituofo, to Practitioner Su, and to all the virtuous ones at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre."

"Namo Amituofo."