Reflections from the Western Pure Land: An Interview with Zhou Yu

A Message from the Western Pure Land

I offer my deepest gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. It is a profound honour for me, Zhou Yu, to share these words with you today. It has been over a decade since I achieved rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and this is the first time I have accepted an interview from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. My heart is filled with both deep reflection and immense joy as I look back upon my journey.

For many years, I have held these words of gratitude within my heart, repeating them silently, hoping that the Buddha would hear them. Now, I finally have the opportunity to speak them aloud. Having endured such long and arduous suffering in the past, the moment I arrived in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I was moved beyond measure. It was then that I finally realised the truth: this universe is not merely a grey, desolate place filled with the clash of swords and the pain of wounds. From the time I possessed a human body until I descended into the suffering of the hells, I had always believed that life was nothing more than waking up in a pool of blood, only to repeat the same cycle of agony day after day. I did not know that the Pure Land truly existed. I am eternally grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for their great compassion, and I wish to share the story of my transformation with you all.

The Bonds of Brotherhood and Ambition

In the history books, my name is quite well-known. During the chaotic era of the Three Kingdoms, I lived for only thirty-six years. Yet, this short life was a tumultuous journey that allowed me to taste every bitterness and sweetness of the human experience. I served under two lords, Sun Ce and Sun Quan. With my dedicated support, they were satisfied with my service, and I remained loyal to the very end. My deepest wish was to see the land of Eastern Wu unified under their leadership, bringing an end to the suffering of the people.

When I was young and full of spirit, I met Sun Ce. We grew up together in the Jiangdong region like brothers bound by iron. We witnessed the world together and entered the fray of that chaotic era. At that time, the Three Kingdoms had not yet been formed; the land was divided among many warlords. Sun Ce served under Yuan Shu, though we both knew that Yuan Shu was not a wise ruler. Fortunately, my lord had the foresight to recognise that Jiangdong was a precious land. We carved out our own territory, and Sun Ce inherited the ambitions of his father, Sun Jian, becoming a powerful ruler in his own right.

Those days were perhaps the most carefree of my life. We were single-minded in our desire to ensure that the people of this land could live in peace, free from the constant struggle for survival in a war-torn world. War is a source of immense suffering, and that was truly how I felt at the time. Sun Ce and I were kindred spirits. We shared everything:

• Our personal interests and hobbies
• Strategic discussions for the future of the nation
• A deep, abiding concern for the welfare of the common people

We even married the sisters Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, who were renowned as beauties of the age. That was the height of our prime, and it felt as though the entire Jiangdong region lay at our feet. We looked out over the land with grand aspirations, hoping to build a safe home for the people where they would have no worries. Like me, Sun Ce possessed great ambition. We longed for a stage where we could display our talents in an era filled with heroes. We dreamed of marching toward the Central Plains to unify our fractured nation. In our vision, Sun Ce would become a wise monarch, and I would serve as his chancellor, ensuring the stability of the realm.

The Weight of Victory and the Seeds of Karma

Tragically, Sun Ce left this world in his twenties. His passing was a profound loss, and I was devastated to lose such a close brother. I rushed back from afar to attend his funeral. His younger brother, Sun Quan, was only eighteen at the time and lacked experience in battle. I swore an oath to heaven and to the spirit of Sun Ce that I would do my utmost to assist Sun Quan in his succession and protect the stability of Jiangdong. Although young, Sun Quan was a calm and wise leader who possessed a unique vision and a compassionate heart for the people, which gave me great peace of mind.

I dedicated myself to assisting Sun Quan with all matters of state, providing him with my most sincere and valuable counsel. He treated me with great respect, and I became a trusted elder to him. Thus, a new chapter began. Eventually, the Three Kingdoms were established: Cao Cao unified the North, while the Sun family consolidated power in Jiangdong. Liu Bei was our ally, and together we sought to resist the massive armies of the North. This was the moment the world considers my most glorious hour. Many urged Sun Quan to surrender, fearing Cao Cao’s force of eight hundred thousand elite soldiers. However, I stood firmly with the faction that advocated for war, refusing to yield.

I analysed the situation for my lord, explaining that while Cao Cao’s forces were numerous, they were unfamiliar with the Jiangdong region and prone to strategic errors. I urged my lord to fight, not for our own glory, but to secure decades or even centuries of peace for the people. We saw Cao Cao as a ruthless warlord who would stop at nothing to achieve his ends, regardless of the suffering he caused. Sun Quan followed our advice, and we decided to employ fire as our primary strategy. This was a tactic our southern forces excelled at, and it provided us with the advantages of timing, terrain, and unity.

The Battle of Red Cliffs began. It was a massive conflict. Despite being outnumbered, we achieved a crushing victory through strategic brilliance. Cao Cao’s fleet was devastated by our fire attack, and fewer than one-tenth of his forces escaped. While this appeared to be my greatest triumph, I did not realise that it was the moment my character began to change for the worse. The victory filled my heart with arrogance, which acted as a deadly poison. I had created such great karma, and yet I allowed this fatal flaw to take root.

This war caused immeasurable suffering. Beyond the human casualties, the use of fire destroyed countless living beings—animals, plants, and sentient creatures alike. The magnetic field of the Red Cliff region became incredibly dark and desolate. From the perspective of the spiritual realms, the scene was truly horrific. I have witnessed this sight many times from the Western Pure Land, and it brings me to tears every time. I know that the karma I created was profound; that single battle effectively destroyed my future. My karmic creditors, along with those I had wronged throughout my life, awakened and came to seek revenge. As the primary commander, the weight of this cause and effect fell squarely upon my shoulders. I thought I had achieved a great victory, but I had actually pushed myself into a dark abyss, leaving my spirit clouded and heavy with negative energy.

The Shadow of War and the Burden of Conscience

Long before the Battle of Red Cliffs, I could already sense a change in Sun Quan. Perhaps out of compassion for the soldiers and the common people, he never spoke of war. It seemed as though a dark shadow hung over him. He was indeed a man of deep empathy, a quality that set him apart from the grand ambitions that Sun Ce and I once harboured.

Sun Quan felt a natural aversion to war. He did not believe that conflict should be the primary method for resolving political situations, though he understood that it was sometimes an unavoidable necessity. If an enemy were to invade the Jiangdong region, he would gladly lead his troops to drive them out. However, if he were asked to personally initiate a campaign, to expand his territory through aggression, or to provoke a war for the sake of conquest, he was fundamentally unwilling.

At the time, I did not fully grasp this. After I excitedly presented my strategic plans to him, I saw his brow furrowed in deep contemplation, unable to give me a direct answer. I realised then that he had no interest in war, so I had to temporarily set my ambitions aside. Yet, from time to time, I would bring it up again, hoping he might eventually adopt my perspective.

The Blueprint of Ambition

My proposal was clear: once we had established a balance of power between the North and the South, we would move to annex Cao Cao’s northern territories and unify all of China. There were many regions in the South, both large and small, that required our military force to secure land and resources. My primary target was the vast territory of Yizhou in the West, then governed by Liu Zhang. I advised Sun Quan to seize it while it was weak. As for Liu Bei, I suggested we actively use him to our advantage, ensuring he had no opportunity to cultivate his own land or power to challenge us. This was the blueprint I had meticulously crafted.

Because Liu Bei’s army was weak and he lacked land and resources, I believed that even without my interference, he would struggle to achieve greatness, despite the presence of his formidable generals and the brilliant Zhuge Liang. To prevent Liu Bei from becoming a future enemy, I urged Sun Quan to weigh the pros and cons carefully.

The Weight of Desire

Despite pouring out these dreams to Sun Quan, he never once accepted my suggestions for direct aggression. I pleaded with him repeatedly, hoping he would consider taking Yizhou for the sake of the stability and well-being of its people. I truly believed that under Sun Quan’s governance, the people would find peace and security. I told myself this was to ensure the long-term prosperity of the region, sparing the populace from the suffering of plague or the burden of conscription.

Yet, I cannot deny that my own mindset had become increasingly ambitious and arrogant. My desire to conquer more land and expand our borders grew with every passing day, revealing a deep-seated craving for dominion that I had failed to recognise.

Sun Quan seemed to see through my heart. Knowing that arguing with me was futile, he eventually allowed me to pursue my path. However, he never truly desired to conquer Yizhou or expand his territory in such a manner. He preferred to maintain peace and stability within Jiangdong, content to be the master of his own domain without initiating wars of expansion.

The Sudden End

Later, I began to march toward my grandest goal, leading my army outward. As fate would have it, at the age of thirty-six, while on the road to conquer Yizhou, I caught a chill. My condition rapidly deteriorated within the military camp. My body failed me, and I lost the strength to sustain myself. By my final breath, I had lost even the ability to speak.

I was filled with resentment. I felt that just as I had finally found the opportunity to distinguish myself, to lead the men of Jiangdong to glory and present my lord with vast new territories, my life was being snatched away. I could not understand why I had to die so young, why I had to leave the human world so prematurely.

In the eyes of others, I was the perfect Grand Viceroy and General—the invincible, talented, and handsome Zhou Yu. Yet, in the light of the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, such delusions were not permitted. In truth, my early departure was a blessing, for it prevented me from creating even greater, more irredeemable karma. It was only after I reached the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss that I understood this, and my heart filled with joy and gratitude toward the Buddha.

The Unseen World of Suffering

Perhaps there was a hidden force at work, protecting the world from further war and sparing people from unnecessary conflict, which brought my campaign to a halt. This also spared Sun Quan from creating further sins, as the actions were carried out with his consent.

Before I died, I saw the overwhelming crowds of karmic creditors rushing toward me. I was helpless, having no faith and no understanding of where I would go after death. Witnessing that scene, I finally believed that in this world, invisible to the physical eyes, there are countless beings suffering—and I was soon to become one of them.

Shortly after, I breathed my last and was cast directly into the hells, subjected to endless punishment. Only then did I awaken to the reality that the lives I had taken and the bloodshed I had caused throughout my life had created immeasurable and boundless karma. Every single act was a debt that I could not escape; I had to repay them one by one.

The Long Path to Awakening

During my time suffering in the hells, my heart remained in a state of turmoil for a very long time. I did not understand the true nature of reality, nor did I know why I was receiving such painful retribution. I wailed and begged King Yama for mercy, but this was merely a selfish desire to ease the pain of my own skin. I felt no compassion for the beings I had killed in war, nor did I realise that my actions were fundamentally wrong.

After suffering for over fifteen or sixteen hundred years, I began to hear the Dharma-sound of the Buddha in the depths of hell—the power of the six-character name, "Namo Amituofo," which brings peace to all. This gave me a faint sense of faith. Although I could not fully comprehend it, I finally had a spiritual anchor and a direction. I realised that this name, "Namo Amituofo," possessed an inconceivable power, surely sustained by the Buddha’s light.

Over the next few centuries, even while still suffering, my mind became clearer. I acknowledged my mistakes and understood that I had to repay these sins to make amends for the monstrous crimes I had committed. I spent over eighteen hundred years in the hells, from the Three Kingdoms period until the twenty-first century. It was an agonizingly long time.

Redemption and Gratitude

One day, I felt the illumination of the Buddha-light. I remembered the Buddha-name and the "Namo Amituofo" that was frequently played in the hells. As I chanted, I entered the light and arrived at the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

I then understood that it was Practitioner Su who had made the vow to save beings, opening the gates of hell. Many others, like me, were liberated from the hells and arrived at the Western Land of Dharma Nature. We were filled with joy and reflection, especially after learning of the greatness of Buddhist education.

The Zhou Yu of the past did not understand the importance of the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. I lived entirely according to my own feelings and thoughts, which led to my downfall. My blessings were exhausted through the creation of karma, my health collapsed, and I faced the retribution of countless karmic creditors before my death. Fire attacks and wars should never have been waged! A single fire attack, a single war, destroyed infinitely layered lives. Today, I, Zhou Yu, truly repent and wish to sincerely apologize to all the beings and families I harmed, whether intentionally or unintentionally. I am deeply grateful for the layers of discouragement I received when I sought to expand my territory, especially from Sun Quan. He withstood immense internal pressure to do so, and now I truly see his heart.

He was a truly benevolent ruler. He possessed a Buddha-heart and Buddhist affinity, though the circumstances of that era prevented it from fully unfolding. His love for the people far exceeded my own attitude toward life.

I, the disciple Zhou Yu, am now a member of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Thanks to the guidance of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, I have been granted a chance at rebirth, and my heart is filled with gratitude. Although I cannot yet do much for others here, I openly repent, hoping that my story serves as a warning. Do not worship the Zhou Yu of the Three Kingdoms era; all that outward glory was bought with blood and life, and it does not conform to the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way.

If you can turn your interests toward learning the Buddha’s teachings, that is true wisdom. Throughout my life, I never knew the Buddha; I did not know that the Buddha’s teachings could truly solve the problems of birth, aging, sickness, and death—something no other philosophy can achieve. Practitioner Su uses high-tech methods to perform Chao Du across the vast lands of China, leading beings like me to the Western Land of Dharma Nature and reducing the presence of demons and suffering beings in this space. This is the person everyone should truly admire and learn from. Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su are truly great; they put all beings first, never thinking of themselves. This is the true Buddha-action and Buddha-vow. I am filled with admiration and vow to practice diligently in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss to repay the Buddha’s grace.

Namo Amituofo

Zhou Yu