The Ambition of Cao Cao and the Path to Awakening
An Interview with the Spirit of Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms
Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Shi Faru
The Unveiling of a Hidden Past
Namo Amituofo. I never imagined that I, in a past life, was Cao Cao. The physical body I currently inhabit is likely unaware of this truth. My spirit has long been locked within this space, bound by the weight of my own history. In this current lifetime, I have achieved a measure of success in my career. Through the introduction of Venerable Master Chin Kung, I came to know Namo Amituofo. I made a firm, resolute decision to dedicate the wealth I earned throughout my life to Namo Amituofo and joined the system. I have been giving talks at the Pure Land society, which has made me feel that my life is filled with meaning. Yet, it is only now that I have learned that in my past life, I was the King of Wei, Cao Cao, during the Three Kingdoms period.
This revelation is truly shocking to me. These memories have been stored deep within the recesses of my spiritual , yet I have never consciously unearthed them until now. Today, it must be through the blessing of the Buddha-light of Namo Amituofo that I have been granted the opportunity to speak this truth.
The Vision of a Unified Realm
During the time of the Cao Wei dynasty, I served as a Great General and a feudal lord of the Han dynasty. I saw clearly that the Han regime was on the verge of collapse. To ensure the long-term stability of the nation, I believed it was necessary for a stronger, more capable leader to replace the weak and ineffective Han government. I possessed the ability and the strength to replace that regime and to restore order to the decaying late Han period. Once I set this ambition in my heart, I began to recruit soldiers, gather talent, and eventually initiate a political shift.
At that time, my influence was so vast that the surrounding feudal states dared not act rashly against me. It was this strength that gave me the courage to hold the Emperor hostage to command the feudal lords. In truth, I knew in my heart that such methods could not truly make all the feudal states submit with genuine respect. There was also the massive Yellow Turban Rebellion, and local lords were hoarding troops and carving out territories. I knew that to restore national unity and achieve a peaceful transition of power, I had to possess overwhelming military force.
The Philosophy of Leadership
I was a person of great boldness and my words carried significant weight. Consequently, many were willing to defect to my side. They identified with my vision and believed that I was the rare talent capable of unifying the world. My perspective on the world and my strategic planning were quite unique. The imperial court was weak, and the people had been seeking a stable life for a long time. If a hero could stand up at that moment, just as I, Cao Cao, did, it was inevitable that the hearts of the people would turn toward him. As expected, many of the generals and officers who later became my key staff joined my ranks for this very reason.
I have always cherished and loved talent. Even if someone had once been my enemy or had attempted to harm me, I would still treasure such a rare and gifted individual. I believed that to unify the world, one must possess the mind-capacity to embrace the entire world. This mind-capacity means that for anyone with talent or strategic insight, we must employ them fully. I even deeply admired those who were skilled in battle and could fight against a hundred enemies alone.
The Necessity of Unity
There were many brave generals in the Cao camp. Although they had their own goals and ambitions, a person must have grand aspirations. If they followed me without their own goals or principles, it would actually cause me great worry. It is impossible for a person to have no goals or principles of their own. If someone was unwilling to reveal their thoughts but had their own secret agenda, that was the person I needed to guard against. If they could openly express their clear ambitions, I could actually accommodate them.
After all, the territory of Cao Wei was meant to look toward the entire world, not be limited by one or two small forces or regions. The scale of the Cao Wei camp in the future would certainly not be limited to this; there was no need to use a narrow mind to block the development of every general. This has always been my principle in doing things. As long as they were genuinely willing to follow me to conquer the world, I would employ them and treat them with great respect.
The Regret of a Hero
In truth, I deeply hoped to bring Sun Quan and Liu Bei—those two rare talents—into my ranks. I respected Liu Bei greatly. I could see that his mind-capacity was extraordinary. He truly looked at the world and genuinely cared for the suffering of all beings. This truly earned my admiration. I even treated him as my own, allowing him to sit on equal footing with me. Although I knew he did not care for such things, it was a sign of my respect for a virtuous person and a reflection of my own principles. It is a great pity that I did not succeed in bringing him into my camp. However, I still cherish the relationship I formed with him; we were kindred spirits. As for the planning of the world, I could see that Liu Bei did not have the same ambition as I did. I knew he truly hoped for stability among all parties, rather than expanding his own territory. But for me, I did not think that way. For the world to be truly stable, it must be unified.
The Cycle of and Suffering
The fundamental reason is that the stability of the Three Kingdoms was merely a balance maintained by the capabilities and military strength of Sun Quan of Eastern Wu, Liu Bei of Shu Han, and myself, Cao Cao. But in the long run, the heroes and soldiers of one generation will eventually pass away. The new generation of soldiers and talents, along with the changes in the situation of the Three Kingdoms, could not be predicted. When the balance began to shift, conflict was inevitable. This is evident from the history of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Only when Qin Shi Huang pacified the various states could he ensure that there would be no more wars between them. I believed that unification was the only way to bring about true, temporary peace. Although I could not guarantee how long a dynasty would flourish, it was still better than long-term chaos among many states. After all, in long-term chaos, it is very difficult for the common people to find even a moment of rest. The coexistence of many states brings many possibilities for war, which keeps the people in a state of constant conflict. If one could launch a war of unification in one go, after the brief period of suffering, there would be a longer period of rest. This is what would truly help the people of the world. I knew the other two states would not let me achieve this easily, but the Cao Wei camp continued to strive for this goal.
Years of warfare and the karma of killing caused me to suffer greatly from illness in my later years. After I died, I entered the hells to undergo punishment, and later I was reborn into various realms. After many lifetimes, I have now been born as a human again. In this lifetime, I have been fortunate enough to encounter a venerable master who introduced me to the Pure Land education of Namo Amituofo. This is because, in my past lives, I had been a monastic practitioner, followed ancestral masters, and even served as a disciple of Vimalakirti. Therefore, I have a very deep Dharma affinity with Namo Amituofo in this life. However, because the venerable master blocked Practitioner Su, I did not have the opportunity to come into contact with the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, where Namo Amituofo truly abides. Nevertheless, I still do my best to promote Namo Amituofo and the Pure Land Dharma Gate.
The Illusion of Modern Practice
Looking at it now, it is truly not easy to practise in this age of the Dharma’s decline. I never expected that even though I have been so devout in learning Buddhism, continuously giving Dharma talks, and recording many videos to promote the Buddha’s teachings, I still harboured greed and attachment toward fame, profit, and the management of the Pure Land society. Such mental notes and subtle deviations have caused my spirit to be locked within my body, and I have lost control over my own physical form. In fact, I have become accustomed to this situation; I have been locked for a very long time and could not clearly understand this state. Now, under the illumination of the Buddha-light, I have finally become a little clearer.
Nowadays, the person on the stage giving talks and living daily life is not truly me. I cannot control the continuous decay of this body; after all, for these past few years, I have not been able to act autonomously. I never expected to have such Dharma affinity, to be blessed by Namo Amituofo, and to be able to accept this interview. This surprises me greatly.
The True Abode of Namo Amituofo
What surprises me even more is that Namo Amituofo truly abides at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia! I never expected that the venerable master is also truly at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia! This information is truly shocking. If I could control my body and proactively make contact with the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, that would be the best thing possible. After all, we were all part of the causal conditions of the Three Kingdoms. Although I have been very wealthy in this life, if I do not have the opportunity to truly come into contact with Namo Amituofo, who is currently on Earth and residing at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, then I have truly come to the human world in vain.
What is the point of supporting the Pure Land Learning College and the Pure Land societies if they do not have the true Dharma in operation? Even if they give many talks, read many works of the ancient sages, learn much traditional culture, and cultivate many talents in Dharma education and translation, what does it matter? If they cannot follow the Dharma they circulate in their own practice, and if they cannot even perceive their own habits and ego, they are just like me—locked within their own bodies, yet helpless. In such a miserable situation, even if I provide much support and generosity, what help is it to the people of the world? Does this not just become superstition? Everyone is obsessed with Buddhism, but they have no opportunity to learn the Buddhist education of Namo Amituofo, and no opportunity to learn the performed by an awakened being like Practitioner Su. Although I have not yet had the chance to see the actual Dharma assembly for Chao Du, I can learn from the memories of the venerable master that this is truly something unimaginable.
The Path to Return
I never imagined that there really is such a practitioner who can achieve such great success in practice during this age of the Dharma’s decline. Regardless of how all phenomena in the world appear, at the very least, being able to attract Namo Amituofo to descend and truly abide here is enough to prove that this practitioner is in sync with the Buddha-heart. Because only when someone who is truly in sync with the Buddha-heart appears will the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifest in the human world; this has been the case since ancient times.
My body is outside giving talks and doing what the human world considers to be Buddhist work, but I cannot feel it at all, nor can I gain any benefits of the Dharma from it. This is because I only know that the spiritual attachments within my body are increasing, and my body is becoming heavier and heavier. Those who can truly be saved by the Buddha’s teachings are likely very few. It is truly a lament that it is so difficult to practise in this age of the Dharma’s decline.
If I could have the opportunity to follow Namo Amituofo and the salvation team to learn true practice, perhaps then I would have a chance to return to the Western Pure Land. This is the lament of Cao Cao within this space. Although I cannot go anywhere and am helpless, at least I have the opportunity to express the in my heart.
I understand that this is also the pull of my own karma. After all, having studied Buddhism for a long time, I understand this principle. Although the Dharma talks outside may not necessarily be in accordance with the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, I still know a thing or two about the content. It is just a pity that it is an empty form of the Buddha’s teachings without the true Buddha-heart.
I am grateful to Namo Amituofo for giving me the opportunity to accept this interview. If there is a chance to truly go to the temple, I must be grateful for the great of the Buddha and the of the Buddha’s power.
Namo Amituofo
Cao Cao
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About the Author
Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library