Reflections on the Path of a Ruler: An Interview with Sun Quan

Namo Amituofo. The nature of the spirit is truly inconceivable. I never imagined that, while residing in this sacred Buddha-land, I would be able to accept an interview while still embodying the identity of my ancient past. I have always felt a deep curiosity regarding my previous life, though this was initially merely a physical sensation. For my true self, the bits and pieces of my past lives are already deeply imprinted within the depths of my spirit, forming an inseparable part of who I am. However, when the body, mind, and spirit are not yet fully unified, the physical form cannot perceive the entirety of one's spiritual nature. The Alaya consciousness, which has stored every detail of our existence throughout countless kalpas, remains hidden. Unless one achieves Awakening, it is impossible to express these truths through the physical body. This is the profound mystery of our spiritual existence.

The Many Roles of the Spirit

During the era of the Three Kingdoms, I manifested in the world as Sun Quan. In truth, throughout my many lifetimes, I have manifested in countless other identities. That particular life was simply one where I was born as a ruler. Throughout the cycle of rebirth in the six realms, I have played every conceivable role. My journey has not been limited to Earth; I have even existed in other worlds beyond this one. In my most recent lifetimes, I have consistently manifested within China on Earth. I have developed a deep Dharma affinity with this land and its people at this specific moment in time. This is one of the primary goals I brought with me from the Western Pure Land: to save beings.

When I was born into the Sun family of Eastern Wu, I shared a profound connection with the many generals, soldiers, and civilians of that land. These causal conditions were naturally drawn together, and they are deeply linked to the great vow I made in past lives to save the world. As the youngest son of my father, Sun Jian, I grew up with an elder brother and a younger sister. However, I did not have a very clear concept of family or nation at that time. I only knew that my father was constantly away on military campaigns, rarely returning home. Most of my time was spent living my own life within the quiet courtyards of our home.

A Natural Sensitivity to the Unseen

From a very young age, I possessed a high degree of spiritual sensitivity. I was able to perceive and communicate with beings from various spaces. Sometimes I would hear them speaking, and at other times, I would engage in direct communication with them. This appeared to be an innate ability, one that I have carried through more than just this single lifetime. Yet, I never considered this to be anything particularly special. This ability had one distinct advantage: when people interacted with me, I could clearly understand their needs. I knew exactly how to assist them and how to provide solutions to their problems.

My father passed away when I was in my early teens, leaving my brother and me behind. My brother, Sun Ce, took up the mantle of our father's legacy and assumed the role of the ruler of the Eastern Wu empire. He was remarkably similar to our father, possessing a bold and generous character. He knew how to treat his generals like brothers, creating a bond so strong that everyone felt like family. Because of this, his generals were always willing to sacrifice their lives for him. My brother was a brave and skilled warrior who often charged to the front lines. I frequently worried for his safety and wished he would retreat to the background, but he always insisted on standing at the forefront with his men. As his younger brother, I held a deep admiration for his courageous spirit.

The Burden of Leadership

Later, my brother was ambushed and assassinated. Within the span of nine years, I had lost both my father and my brother. I was filled with profound sorrow and felt completely at a loss. The greatest source of my anxiety was how to continue the Eastern Wu empire that my father had built with his own hands. My brother's children were far too young to inherit the family legacy, and it became inevitable that I would have to take up the responsibility of leading Eastern Wu.

After much trepidation and internal adjustment, I resolutely accepted the position of ruler of Eastern Wu. I knew in my heart that the empire, which had been established with the blood and sweat of my father and brother, could not be easily abandoned. At that time, Eastern Wu had not yet been formally established as a nation. I had to provide a sense of belonging to the soldiers and civilians who supported my family. It was essential to build a nation quickly, giving them a clear goal so they could continue to strive for the stability of the country.

To me, the soldiers who had followed my father and brother into battle were like my own uncles, brothers, and sisters. I always viewed everyone as part of the great Eastern Wu family. My father had truly treated these generals as brothers, and I had been cared for by these uncles since I was a child. Because my father was away on campaigns for so long, it was these generals and strategists who truly helped and educated me. They taught me the art of war, how to govern a country, and how to understand policy and military decision-making. They taught me so much and treated me like their own younger brother. I relied on them deeply; they were my true support system.

Navigating a World of Conflict

This reliance became even more critical after the passing of my father and brother. I was only nineteen years old at the time. Although my father and brother had already achieved great military success by their teens, I was not as brave or fierce as they were. I was better at observing the human heart and understanding the needs of the soldiers, officials, and civilians. I considered this to be my greatest strength.

However, in the chaotic era of the Three Kingdoms, to truly defend a territory and allow the people to live in peace, one had to possess a certain level of military strength to avoid being invaded by the other two kingdoms. The tripartite division of the Three Kingdoms had already taken shape, and the other two kingdoms had established powerful empires. For Eastern Wu, we had started as a local force. Although we had recruited many talented generals, we still needed the resources and military power of a full-scale nation to truly stabilize and hold our territory. We all worked hard toward this goal. In the early stages, before Eastern Wu's power was fully stabilized, forming an alliance with the Liu Bei regime was the most prudent approach. This strategy served several purposes:

• It reduced the frequency of direct conflict between our two nations.
• It allowed the long-suffering soldiers of Eastern Wu a much-needed opportunity to rest and recover.
• The alliance effectively curbed the ambitions of the Cao Wei regime, preventing them from constantly harassing our southern borders.

I held a deep respect for Liu Bei of the Shu Han. I could see that he truly cared for the world, rather than merely using force for the sake of annexation or expansion. Deep within my spirit, I knew that I shared a profound karmic affinity with him from many lifetimes. We were quite compatible, and I sought to avoid war whenever it was possible.

The Weight of Karmic Debt

However, my subordinates could not always understand my approach. These uncles and generals had spent their entire lives on the battlefield and were accustomed to constant warfare. If there were no battles to fight, they felt they had no purpose. Thus, there were many pro-war factions within Eastern Wu. I did my best to appease them, helping them understand the broader situation, and I would dispatch them to defend local regions or quell rebellions, giving them opportunities to exercise their skills.

Regarding long-term planning and strategy, I adhered to the principle of minimizing the loss of life and military resources. Since Eastern Wu's initial scale was smaller than the other two kingdoms, we had to cultivate our own strength first. By gradually pacifying surrounding separatist forces, suppressing civil unrest, and eliminating local bandits, we were able to stabilize the internal and external situation of Eastern Wu.

When I first took power, I often wondered why I was the one chosen to inherit the throne. These uncles, generals, and soldiers were like family to me, and I felt a heavy responsibility toward them. I knew that the Eastern Wu empire was vital to their survival; without this nation, they would have nowhere to stand. Therefore, I had to resolutely take on this role for their sake and for the sake of the people of that land.

Yet, in this process, it was inevitable that I had to launch wars, which created significant karmic debt through the taking of lives. At that time, I did not understand the Buddha's teachings, nor did I understand the laws of karma and cause and effect behind these actions. However, I felt that every time I made a decision to send troops into battle, and whenever war broke out or concluded, my body would suffer from severe interference and great discomfort. I initially thought these were merely illnesses, but looking back now, I realise that I was being targeted by the karmic creditors of those who had died. The lives lost due to the wars I initiated, the casualties caused by the clashes between armies, and the innocent civilians affected along the way—all of these karmic debts returned to me to seek revenge.

A Journey Toward Awakening

I did not understand this at the time, and because I continued to wage war, I quickly awakened my karmic creditors, and my spirit was locked away. My spirit began to descend into the hells to suffer retribution. My physical body also became increasingly clouded and irrational. I sat firmly on my throne as an emperor and continued to wage war. After continuing these campaigns, I passed away from illness at the age of seventy, which shows that my blessings at that time were still quite significant.

After death, I entered the hells, and then I wandered through the various realms of rebirth, repeatedly being born again. Although I was reborn in the human world, it was only because of the vast blessings I had cultivated over many lifetimes, which still had some merit left to enjoy. Thus, I continued to appear in the human world, serving as a high-ranking official, a prime minister, and even an emperor. I have also been reborn as beings in various other realms. In this lifetime, I have returned to the human world as an ordinary civilian.

Later, because I had the opportunity to converse with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, I met Practitioner Su. Through her, I eventually had the opportunity to encounter Namo Amituofo and to follow Practitioner Su in establishing the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Looking back now, I realise that the fourfold assembly of disciples and the people I have met along this path are all those with whom I have shared deep karmic affinities in past lives. We have all gathered together again, drawn by the power of our karma.

There must be a very important significance behind this. We are not just gathering; we are gathering at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, where Namo Amituofo truly abides. To be able to gather before the Buddha and return to the assembly of Amitabha must mean that we have all come here by our vows, that our vow power has matured, and that our Buddhist affinity has manifested. If we can grasp this opportunity and make a vow to follow the Buddha in saving beings, we will certainly be able to transform our many karmic debts.

In this lifetime, following Practitioner Su and Namo Amituofo is a tremendous stroke of good fortune for me. Throughout my many lives, because I had not encountered Namo Amituofo or Practitioner Su, I committed many wrongdoings and created much karma. Without the help of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, I would likely have found it impossible to repay these debts throughout my many lives. Having the opportunity to follow Namo Amituofo now is truly an inconceivable blessing. I am deeply grateful for the great compassion of Namo Amituofo, as well as the great compassion of Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju and Great Master Xuanzang. It is only through their grace that I have been given this opportunity to encounter the Buddha's teachings as an ordinary person in the human world, and to exercise my abilities at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre where Namo Amituofo truly abides. I am now able to listen to the Buddha's words and record the teachings of the Buddha and the Teacher to help save beings.

With the profound Chao Du work performed by Practitioner Su, the historical spaces spanning five thousand years of Chinese history have been opened. Countless sentient beings trapped within these various dimensions have finally been granted the opportunity to depart and enter the Western Land of Dharma Nature. The demon crowds have also been liberated from their original Demon Realm, as their dark palaces were one by one neutralised by the brilliant Buddha-light, allowing them to return to a state of peace. This is a tremendous blessing for all beings involved. In this process, I have been fortunate enough to encounter once again the brothers, sisters, uncles, and elders of my great family from the Eastern Wu Empire during the Three Kingdoms period.

The Bonds of a Shared Past

Deep within my spirits, I feel a profound sense of emotion. In those days, we were truly united in heart and mind, working together with a single purpose to build the great Eastern Wu Empire. It was less of an empire and more of a vast, extended family. We supported one another, each of us contributing our own strength to ensure the stability and peace of the civilians under our care. To the entire Eastern Wu family, every single civilian was like our own child. As the parents of these people, we did our utmost to protect the sons and daughters of our land.

Eighteen hundred years have passed since that time. I, Sun Quan, the King of Wu, no longer hold the status of an emperor. Instead, I manifest in this world as a Venerable. Although there is severe interference from demons and other sentient beings within the temple, I am still able to exert my own strength to help others, thanks to the guidance and support of Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su.

A Call to the Salvation Team

To the many soldiers and generals who share a karmic affinity with me, and to all the sentient beings connected to the Eastern Wu Empire: since we have the karmic affinity to gather here once more and join the assembly of Amitabha Buddha, please listen to these words from Sun Quan. If you still trust me as your leader, I hope that you will join Namo Amituofo in the work of saving immeasurable and boundless suffering beings.

The human world is truly filled with suffering. Even I, in this current life, have endured great torment. In my past life, I held a high position, yet I did not understand the universal principle. I created much karma and was therefore destined to suffer. However, this is not a fate unique to me alone. The sentient beings in the human world today are all in the same position. They create immense karma and are trapped in a state of burning agony, yet they lack a goal in life and do not know how to escape the cycle of rebirth.

Transforming Karma Through Compassion

Now that there is an opportunity to follow Namo Amituofo and the salvation team, I hope that the soldiers, civilians, and all sentient beings who share a karmic affinity with me will place their trust in Sun Quan and in Namo Amituofo. By following the footsteps of the Amitabha salvation team, we can work together to help immeasurable and boundless beings. In doing so, we can all transform our karma.

I possess a human body and am able to engage in practice, yet all of you must follow Namo Amituofo and contribute your own efforts. By joining the salvation team to perform Chao Du for the beings with whom you share a karmic affinity, you will have the chance to break through your own karma. I also hope that you will continue to lend me your strength, just as you helped me build the Eastern Wu Empire and protect the people in the past. If you are willing to assist me once more and follow the Buddha, we can all transform our karma together this time.

A Vow of Gratitude

Having spoken these words, I hope that all sentient beings in the world who are connected by karmic affinity and are able to see these true words of Sun Quan will awaken their past faith in serving the nation and the people, as well as their selfless heart. Please join the Amitabha salvation team now. Only in this way can we be worthy of Namo Amituofo and repay the grace of Namo Amituofo in saving us.

I offer my gratitude to Namo Amituofo, to Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, to Practitioner Su, and to the fourfold assembly of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. I hope that we can all work together, follow the Amitabha salvation team to help immeasurable and boundless suffering beings, and return together to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, finally escaping the cycle of rebirth. I am grateful to you all.

Namo Amituofo

Sun Quan