The Bitter Lesson of Attachment

This is a record of an interview with Gu Jiayun, who sought Chao Du 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 1,100 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on February 15, 2019.

Gu Jiayun speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Gu Jiayun. In the village where I grew up, every four years, a wave of men would leave to seek work in the distant cities. They would all board the same ship, hoping to earn enough to support their families back home. When I was just six years old, my father decided he would join them. He wanted to provide a better life for our family of six. I still remember the sight of my mother, standing on the shore, biting her lip to hold back her tears as she watched him depart. She begged him to return soon, and he promised—he gave us his word—that in four years, he would be on that ship coming back to us.

The Long Wait for a Father's Return

The day finally arrived. It had been exactly four years since he left. For an entire month, my mother had been in a state of restless anticipation. She spoke constantly of what she would prepare for him, scrubbing every corner of our home until it shone, desperate for him to see that we had kept everything in order. On the day he was expected, she took us four children to the docks. We stood there for hours, watching ship after ship pull into the harbour. We watched the crowds pour out, searching for that one familiar face, but he never appeared. We stretched our necks until they ached, peering into every vessel, but he was nowhere to be found.

As the sun began to set, casting long, mournful shadows across the water, I watched my mother’s heart sink. It was as if the light had been extinguished from her eyes. My younger siblings began to cry, their hunger and confusion overwhelming them. Mother, still fighting back her tears, led us home. Even as she walked, she kept turning back to look at the harbour, hoping against hope that she had simply missed him. Each time she turned, her face grew more desolate, more hollow.

For days, she remained in this state, staring blankly into the distance. She never spoke of her thoughts, but I knew. I was the eldest, and I remembered my father’s face clearly. To me, he was a giant—a man who carried the weight of our family on his shoulders. Without him, we were lost.

A Journey to Find the Truth

Months later, a friend of my father’s returned to the village. He had left with my father, but he came back alone. My mother’s hands trembled as she took the letter he brought. She could not read, and her panic was palpable as she looked at the strange markings on the paper. The friend read it aloud for her. My father claimed he was well, but that work was too demanding to leave. He spoke of high wages but even higher living costs, claiming he was struggling to make ends meet. He promised to send money when he could, but as for his return? He said nothing was certain. He would come home when life was stable.

Mother clutched that letter to her chest, her expression one of utter heartbreak. She begged the friend to take us to him, but he refused, shaking his head with a nervous intensity. Finally, I stepped forward. 'Will you take me?' I asked. Seeing no other way, he finally agreed. The next day, I packed my bags. Before I left, Mother whispered, 'You must bring your father home.' Every time I looked at her, my heart felt as though it were being torn apart.

The Cruel Reality of Human Greed

The journey was long, but when the ship finally docked, I was stunned. The city was a world away from our quiet village—a chaotic, vibrant, and overwhelming place. There were crowds everywhere, the air filled with shouting vendors, music, and endless activity. I asked the friend where my father lived, and he told me we were close. My heart raced with excitement. I remembered the joy of our life before he left, and I was so close to seeing him again!

But when we arrived, the world stopped. I saw my father, but he was not alone. He was holding the hand of a young boy, and his other hand was resting on the belly of a pregnant woman. I was trembling. 'Who is that woman?' I whispered. The friend spoke softly, 'She has been by his side for these four years. The boy and the child she carries—they are his children.' I could not believe it. It was a nightmare, yet it was standing right in front of me. I turned and ran. I ran until my lungs burned and my legs gave out, collapsing onto the hard stones of the street. I lay there, sobbing in the darkness, feeling as though the light had vanished from the world forever.

I cried until I felt a gentle warmth on my arm. An old woman had reached out to help me up. 'Get up, child,' she said. 'You have cried long enough.' I looked around and realised I had fallen in front of her home. She looked at my clothes and my travel bag and knew exactly why I was there. 'I see many men come here for work,' she told me. 'Six out of ten never return. When their wives finally come looking, they find their husbands have started new families. It is a common tragedy. You are just particularly brave for coming alone.' I was dumbfounded. Was this the nature of all men? She invited me inside to rest.

The Path to Liberation

Her home was simple, clean, and devoid of clutter. The only thing that stood out was a statue of a Buddha on her table. 'That is Namo Amituofo,' she said. I repeated the name, 'Namo Amituofo.' She told me she had been a practitioner for forty years. 'Forty years ago, I was just like you. I came here to find my husband, only to find he had three children with another woman. I bought this house in a fit of anger, wanting to watch his every move, but I soon realised how foolish I was. A man’s heart, once turned, cannot be reclaimed by force. The tighter I held on, the more I suffered. When I finally saw the truth, I let go. I chose to let them be and dedicated my life to the Dharma.'

She told me how she chanted Namo Amituofo, filling her heart with the Buddha-name until it became a constant, peaceful sound. 'I learned that the pain of attachment is a delusion,' she said. 'Only by growing oneself can one be saved.' I stayed with her for six months, learning the Buddha’s teachings. I realised that life is full of suffering, and only through the Dharma can one find true liberation from the cycle of rebirth. I thanked her for her kindness, packed my bags, and returned home to my mother, finally understanding the path I had to take."

Upon returning home, Jia Yun saw her mother lying in bed. Her mother had been bedridden, consumed by an overwhelming longing for her father. Seeing this, Jia Yun could only shake her head, thinking, 'It is not worth it. Truly, it is not worth it at all.' Although her mother was so weak from illness that she was practically speechless, her eyes still betrayed a desperate yearning for news of her husband. In that moment, Jia Yun truly realised how foolish it is for a person to sacrifice everything for the sake of romantic love.

The Path to Letting Go

Jia Yun said to her mother, 'Please, let it go! Father is never coming back.' Hearing these words, her mother immediately understood what had happened to him. She burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably and beating her own chest in grief. Jia Yun held her mother tightly, offering her warmth and comfort. Once her mother’s emotions had settled, Jia Yun began to introduce her to the Buddha’s teachings. With no other support left in the world, her mother clung firmly to the Buddha, begging Him to take her away. Jia Yun urged her, 'Let go of everything. Chant Namo Amituofo and seek rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Only by returning to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss can we be completely liberated from suffering and never have to return to the cycle of rebirth again.'

Her mother listened to Jia Yun’s advice and began to chant Namo Amituofo with sincere devotion. Gradually, her body recovered, and her spirit became bright and cheerful. As she began to taste the Dharma and experience the joy of the teachings, she realised just how foolish she had been during those past years of suffering.

A Community of Faith

It took her mother two full years to completely let go of her attachments. Her story touched the lives of many other women who had suffered similar fates. Eventually, they formed a chanting group, turning away from the entanglements of worldly emotions and focusing their hearts entirely on chanting Namo Amituofo to seek rebirth in the Western Land.

Seeing that her mother had fully recovered and was living a peaceful life, Jia Yun entered a monastery to dedicate herself to practice. This had always been her dream—to gain the ability to truly help all beings. For over eighty years, she lived the life of a practitioner. In those eight decades, she witnessed every imaginable facet of the human world. The suffering of people in this world is beyond description; truly, only by learning the Buddha’s teachings and letting go of everything can one escape the torment of the Five Desires, the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. One must transform afflictions into Bodhi, transform extreme suffering into ultimate bliss, and transform all worries into a state of purity. When the pure heart is free from a single arising thought, every day of life becomes filled with joy. Jia Yun travelled everywhere to teach the Dharma, hoping to bring a sense of peace, purity, and stability to everyone she met. She taught that there is no need to seek anything in this world—only to chant Namo Amituofo and return to the Western Land.

Reunion and the Vow to Save

In the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, Jia Yun reunited with her mother. They looked at each other and smiled, seeing that her mother had regained her youthful and beautiful appearance. Jia Yun felt profound gratitude for the great compassion of Namo Amituofo. She continued to sit before the Buddha, listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma. As her thoughts expanded, she once again perceived the suffering of beings in the worldly realm. She saw how beings in the Saha World endure endless afflictions yet refuse to leave, drifting through the five realms of rebirth in unbearable pain. Jia Yun made a vow to descend once more to save beings and help them leave suffering behind, immediately entering the leg of Practitioner Su to assist in this mission.

Practitioner Su is a Buddha of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Her Buddha-land spans hundreds of thousands of millions of yojanas. The Dharma Body of Practitioner Su extends throughout the Ten Directions of the Dharma Realm and even the entire universe, saving countless beings from suffering. Her work has earned the praise of all Buddhas in the Ten Directions, who rejoice in her efforts. Jia Yun feels truly fortunate to follow Practitioner Su daily in performing Chao Du, learning from her compassionate actions. She is deeply grateful for Practitioner Su’s guidance and believes that if everyone contributes just a little more effort, countless more beings will be liberated from suffering. Namo Amituofo.

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