An Interview with a Spirit Reincarnated as a Banana
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Cells of Namo Amituofo
This is a record of an interview with a spirit who, due to , spent three lifetimes reincarnated as a banana. She sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia and now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account was recorded by the chief writer, Venerable Fa Jing, on October 5, 2017.
Venerable Fa Jing speaks:
"Could you please share your story with us?"
The Spirit of the Banana Farmer speaks:
". Oh, it is wonderful! It is truly wonderful! What kind of merit did I cultivate in my past lives to be allowed to come to this place filled with such brilliant golden light? We just heard that this is a Buddha-land! Imagine that—a Buddha-land! We all started chattering among ourselves, wondering what a 'Buddha-land' could possibly be. We finally realised that it is a place where the Buddha resides! We were all so excited that we were jumping for , grinning from ear to ear. After being a banana for so long, I am finally saved!"
"I used to live in Pingtung, Taiwan. Oh, let me tell you, we had so many bananas there! Every village was busy planting them. I did not want to be left behind, so of course, I had to join in. My husband had inherited ancestral land, and we used several hectares just to grow fruit. The crop we grew the most was bananas, mainly because our whole family loved eating them. At that time, the market price for bananas was excellent. Every time we sold a batch, we would immediately earn a large sum of money. Plus, the weather in Pingtung is quite hot, which is perfect for growing bananas.
Ever since I married my husband, my life was dedicated to the farm. Aside from taking care of my parents-in-law and raising my children, I spent every waking moment helping in the banana plantation. You know, bananas are easy to care for when the weather is good. But if you encounter a typhoon? Oh, heavens! So many bananas would be completely destroyed. Some were not even fully grown yet, and even if you picked them, they would never ripen properly. Others were a bit larger but still green; you could store them and let them ripen naturally, but that takes time. Taiwan has so many typhoons. Sometimes, when there is no rain, we are grateful for the typhoons bringing water, but other times, just when the bananas are ready for harvest, a typhoon hits out of nowhere. We would be so anxious we did not know what to do."
"Those of us who grow fruit or vegetables, we are all at the mercy of the heavens. It is a very difficult life. The costs we put in—the fertiliser, the labour, the time—do not always guarantee a return. It is a hard fate. But the most tragic thing of all was what happened to me after I died! Heavens above! What kind of world is this? I remember I was in the banana plantation, standing on a ladder to cut a very large bunch of bananas. I do not know if the knife was too dull or what, but for some reason, I just could not cut through the stem. I struggled with it for a long time. Then, I do not know if it was the sun being too intense or something else, but I suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded. My legs went weak, and I fell right off the ladder.
There was no one else in the plantation at the time. By the time my son finished work and came to look for me, I had been unconscious for who knows how long. By the time I reached the hospital, I had already stopped breathing. After that, I was trapped inside the form of a banana. I was shipped to many different countries, constantly moving from place to place, but I was always a banana. It has been several lifetimes now—let me see, it has been at least three lifetimes! Thank goodness, I am so fortunate that in this lifetime, I finally arrived at this Buddha-land! There is hope for me now! I believe I will be able to free myself from this cycle very soon. Thank you, thank you! Thank you, Bodhisattvas! Hahaha!"
"Venerable Fa Jing, I am just so overwhelmed with gratitude. To think that a simple farmer like me could find such a place. I have spent so long in the cycle of rebirth, drifting from one form to another, never knowing peace. But here, the golden light of Namo Amituofo touches everything. It is a feeling I cannot even begin to describe. I am ready to leave the banana form behind forever and follow the Buddha to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Namo Amituofo!"
Venerable Fa Jing speaks:
"Haha, everyone can be reborn and transform their lives here! Namo Amituofo."
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Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
Contributed to Pure Land Buddhism knowledge library