The Karmic Debt of a Mother's Love

This is a record of an interview with Ye Lanting, who sought Chao Du [Spiritual Deliverance] at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his life approximately 700 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on April 30, 2019.

Ye Lanting speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Ye Lanting. My vow to return to the human world has finally been realised, though a millennium has passed since I first entered the cycle of rebirth. For a thousand years, I have drifted through the six realms of existence, spinning endlessly in the currents of karma. I often wondered, in the depths of my suffering, when this cycle would ever cease. Who could have known that the path to liberation would be so long and arduous?"

A Birth Surrounded by Expectations

"Look at these eyes! Heavens, they are exactly like his mother's!" The voices of my relatives were filled with such intense, overwhelming joy. "Not just the eyes, look at the nose—it's as if it were cast from the same mould! And his mouth and eyebrows, they are identical to hers!" The air in the room was thick with excitement and relief. I was the first child born into the Ye family, and they had waited ten long, agonising months for this day. Everyone had expected me to resemble my father, but I was the spitting image of my mother. If there had been a portrait of her as a child, it would have been indistinguishable from me. It was as if she had been reborn in my form.

The Grandmother's Cruelty and the Dog's Sacrifice

My grandmother, impatient as ever, rushed to have my birth chart calculated. She wanted to know my destiny, any taboos, or warnings. The fortune-teller studied my birth chart for a long time, his brow furrowed in deep thought. My grandmother waited, her anxiety growing with every passing second. Finally, he spoke: "Madam, your grandson is truly blessed, but his life was 'picked up'—it was not meant to be." My grandmother was stunned. "What do you mean, 'picked up'?" she demanded. "He was destined to die in the womb," the fortune-teller explained. "How he escaped that fate is a mystery to me. Did something happen during the pregnancy?"

A Mother's Compassion

My grandmother fell silent, lost in thought. She recalled the day she had been so cruel to my mother. My mother had been told by this same fortune-teller that she was barren. When she returned home, devastated, she accidentally broke several bowls while cooking. My grandmother, a woman of harsh words, had berated her mercilessly. She had told my mother that a daughter-in-law's duty was to bear children, serve the parents-in-law with extreme devotion, and work from dawn until dusk without a single complaint. She had even threatened to force my father to take a concubine because my mother's "belly was not up to the task."

The Miracle of Life

The day after that verbal assault, my grandmother had been preparing to go out when she saw a mangy, flea-ridden, starving dog collapsed at our doorstep. In her rage, she struck the poor creature with a broom. The dog let out a heart-wrenching cry and struggled to stand, revealing that she was heavily pregnant. She collapsed again, unable to move. My mother, hearing the commotion, rushed out. Seeing the dying animal, she didn't hesitate—she rolled up her sleeves and helped the dog deliver her litter. Ten healthy puppies were born, but the mother dog, having exhausted her final ounce of strength, passed away. My mother buried her with tears and found homes for all ten puppies. A month later, the 'barren' mother was pregnant with me. The fortune-teller looked at my grandmother and said, "It was your daughter-in-law's compassion that saved those ten lives, and in turn, saved the life of your grandson."

In truth, Lanting rarely had the opportunity to walk the streets with Mother. She was always so consumed by endless household chores that she simply had no time to take Lanting out. Now, however, Mother accompanied Lanting to and from school every day. This provided them with precious time to be alone together, and both of them cherished these moments deeply. Mother used every sight and sound along the streets as a lesson for Lanting. She did not force Lanting to study excessively, but she insisted that Lanting must become a person of Goodness who always considers others. Every day, Lanting learned by Mother's side, and every word and sentence of her teachings was etched firmly into Lanting's heart.

Conflicting Lessons

However, Grandmother's teachings were entirely different, often leaving Lanting confused about whose guidance to follow. For instance, one day while Grandmother was out with Lanting, she spotted a bracelet someone had dropped on the road. She immediately picked it up and tried to put it on Lanting's wrist. Lanting stopped her at once and said, "Grandmother, this valuable item must have been dropped by someone accidentally. We should return it to them. If I were to just take it, wouldn't that make me a thief?" Grandmother retorted, "If it's dropped, it belongs to no one! We are just kindly picking it up for them—how could that be stealing? Don't talk nonsense!" Lanting still dared not take the bracelet, for Mother had already taught Lanting that such actions were wrong. Just then, an anxious woman came running toward them. Lanting asked, "Are you looking for this bracelet?" The woman’s face lit up with relief: "Yes, yes! Thank goodness you found it. You see, this was the last gift my father gave me before he passed away. I never dare to let it leave my side, but today I accidentally lost it. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest! Thank you, thank you!" Lanting finally breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that the woman had appeared just in time, otherwise Lanting would have been unable to stop Grandmother's actions.

On another occasion, Lanting saw an elderly woman struggling to cross the road, moving very slowly, while a carriage was fast approaching. Without a moment's hesitation, Lanting ran forward to support the elderly woman, trying to help her cross quickly before she could be struck. They managed to make it across just as the carriage brushed past them—Lanting had come within a hair's breadth of being hit. Throughout this, Grandmother had been shouting from the sidelines, "Don't go! Don't go!" But Lanting could not abandon the elderly woman and insisted on helping her. After saving her, Lanting was severely scolded by Grandmother, who said, "What does the life or death of others have to do with us? Your mother is teaching you all wrong, and you almost lost your life! If this happens again, you had better not meddle in other people's business! Saving your own skin is what matters most!" Grandmother's reaction left Lanting completely stunned. After returning home with her, Lanting ran out of the house alone.

The Monk in the Rain

Lanting walked along the riverbank, lost in thought: "Why does Grandmother teach me such things? And Mother tells me I must listen to Grandmother—must I really follow her ways?" Feeling dejected, Lanting sat on a nearby stone. As Lanting sat there, droplets of water began to fall—one, two, three—and looking up, Lanting saw that it had started to rain. Lanting hurried to find shelter under an eave. While hiding from the rain, Lanting saw a monk wearing a straw hat walking straight ahead, completely unfazed by the storm. The monk's composure caught Lanting's attention, and Lanting followed behind him. The monk walked step by step, unhurriedly, through the heavy rain. For every one of his large strides, Lanting had to take two or three small steps to keep up. After walking for some time, they reached the temple where the monk practiced. The monk stopped and turned to ask, "The rain is so heavy, little Bodhisattva, why do you keep following me to the temple instead of going home to hide from the rain?" Lanting replied, "Master, you are not afraid of this storm, and neither am I. I want to be like you—fearless of the wind and rain, and moving forward with courage." The monk said, "Come inside first! You will catch a cold." Lanting followed the monk into the temple, and the monk immediately asked a little novice to fetch some clothes from a lay practitioner for Lanting to change into. After changing, Lanting respectfully thanked the monk and asked, "Master, should I follow Grandmother's teachings or Mother's? I know I must listen to both, but I do not know what is the right thing to do." Even as Lanting asked, the monk could clearly see the karmic affinity between Lanting, Mother, and Grandmother.

The monk saw clearly that in a past life, Lanting had been a high-ranking official. One of the cases Lanting had presided over involved these two women. The one who had beaten the drum to seek justice was Mother, who had been falsely accused by Grandmother. Grandmother had used her power and influence to shift all her own crimes onto Mother. Mother was merely an honest, poor woman with no money to bribe officials. Before Lanting had taken the case, Grandmother had already had another official judge it, and he had convicted Mother. Mother, refusing to accept the injustice, had gathered the courage to appeal to Lanting. Lanting had re-examined the evidence and delivered a verdict: Mother was innocent, and the guilty party was Grandmother—a greedy, power-hungry, and fame-seeking merchant with a black heart. Grandmother had committed a capital crime. On the execution platform, she had harboured deep resentment toward Lanting and hatred for Mother, who had escaped her fate, vowing that she would return to seek revenge against them both. The monk looked at the timeline; it had been several hundred years ago. Now, in this lifetime, they had met again—their relationship was truly extraordinary. The reason Grandmother used such twisted values to teach Lanting was to create conflict and suffering, hoping to instill wrong ideas from a young age so that Lanting would grow up to be a person of evil thoughts and deeds, thereby ruining Lanting's life. It was the spirit within Grandmother that sought revenge, using her body and identity to stay by Lanting's side. Conversely, the bond between Mother and Lanting was one of goodness and affinity; Mother's spirit sought to repay the kindness Lanting had shown her in that past life. Thus, in this lifetime, Mother actively taught Lanting, hoping Lanting would become a useful member of society—someone who could help others and benefit the masses.

The Turning of the Tide

Although the monk understood the past between Lanting, Mother, and Grandmother, he did not tell Lanting. Instead, he said, "Little Bodhisattva, both your mother and grandmother are here in this life to help you achieve your potential. Later, I will accompany you home. If I can speak with them, they will understand how they ought to guide you."

The heavy rain outside had stopped. The monk accompanied Lanting home, where Grandmother and Mother were waiting anxiously. They stepped out to greet Lanting and took the opportunity to thank the monk. The monk used this chance to speak with them. He understood exactly what Grandmother wanted to hear, so he used "skillful means" to praise her, saying she had raised Lanting well and that he was a well-mannered child. He then invited Grandmother to the temple to listen to the Buddha’s teachings, suggesting it would help her guide Lanting’s growth and bring glory to the Ye family. Grandmother was overjoyed and promised the monk she would come to the temple the next day. Mother, too, was invited and agreed to accompany her.

The three of them sat in the temple listening to the teachings. The monk's words touched their hearts, and the spirit within Grandmother began to accept the transformation of the Buddha's teachings. Her deep-seated malice began to be shaken by the Buddha's righteous nature. However, after hearing the sutra, Grandmother fell ill upon returning home—it was the beings within her trying to prevent her from listening to the Dharma. Lanting continued to share the teachings the Master had spoken every day. One day, two days, three days passed, and gradually Grandmother's heart began to change. The spirit within her had been transformed, and the old grievances were slowly resolved under the influence of the Buddha's teachings. Grandmother began to regain the strength to walk, and eventually, she could even support herself to go to the temple to listen to the Dharma. That she had the blessings to hear the Buddha's teachings was due to her past-life affinity with the Buddha, having once donated wealth to support a bodhimanda. Now, she could reap the rewards of listening to the sutras, even while the karmic creditors tried to obstruct her. The one who benefited most from Grandmother's change was Lanting, who began to receive the positive and compassionate guidance of the Buddha's teachings, finally understanding the Universal Principles and what constitutes the righteous path and righteous conduct.

A Life of Compassion

Three years passed, and the relationship between Grandmother and Mother was completely transformed. Grandmother’s attitude toward Mother became remarkably gentle. She no longer insisted that Lanting carry on the Ye family line, for over these years, she had personally felt the Buddha's compassion and understood that the world could not be without the Buddha's teachings. Thus, she changed her mind and encouraged Lanting to become a monk.

Lanting's ordination completely changed the nature of their relationship. It was no longer a bond of gratitude and resentment, but one where they all became messengers on the Buddha's path, each contributing their strength to support the Dharma. Lanting dedicated his life to the Buddha's teachings, while Grandmother and Mother used their wealth and labor to help other beings. In this lifetime, under the Buddha's guidance, Lanting became a compassionate bhikshu. He understood the suffering of people entangled by karma and unable to control their own fate, so he traveled everywhere to teach the Dharma. He hoped to help people resolve conflicts with their karmic creditors and, through the Buddha's guidance, practice various acts of Goodness, turn from evil toward the Good, and eliminate their sins. Many people, by following these teachings, attained liberation. Lanting continued to propagate the Buddha's teachings throughout the world, benefiting more beings and helping them escape the suffering of karma. Only then would his return to the human world not be in vain. Namo Amituofo.

Practitioner Su has come to this world in this lifetime to unlock the mysteries of the universe that have remained hidden for millennia. He has revealed the profound truth that the human body is filled with countless spirits. The root cause of illness lies in the disturbances of the heart. When the heart harbors deviant thoughts, it stirs up the deep-seated resentment of the karmic creditors residing within the body. All the love, hatred, and grievances from the past are played out once again, and unresolved grudges are reignited. These karmic creditors will not allow the body to be at peace, and if one lacks the heart to repent, these grievances become even harder to resolve.

The Power of the Dharma Body

In the past, when I, Lanting, was practicing, I had not yet attained the Dharma Body capabilities that Practitioner Su possesses—the ability to easily enter the cells of every being to resolve conflicts with their karmic creditors. Because of this, even though I traveled everywhere to give teachings, many of the beings attached to people were unwilling to leave or resolve their grievances. Things are different now. Practitioner Su’s skills allow him to resolve the deep-seated animosity between beings in the human world and the spirit realm, untangling relationships that have been intertwined for many lifetimes. Because of this, illnesses are cured, and sentient beings are saved. This leaves me, Lanting, in constant awe.

A Legacy of Compassion

Such skills are something that people in this world should learn. They should be passed down to benefit more beings, and in this way, the world itself can be transformed. I am deeply grateful for Practitioner Su’s compassion. Namo Amituofo.

This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Buddhist disciple Shi Fajing.