The Child Who Remembered: A Journey Through Lifetimes

This is a record of an interview with Hui Zhi, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately 2,100 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on December 15, 2018.

Hui Zhi speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Hui Zhi. When I was just three months old, I would cry incessantly. My parents, being new to the challenges of raising a child, were at their wits' end. My mother would try everything—feeding me, offering me toys—but nothing could soothe the storm within me. My father sought help from doctors and various religious masters, but the wailing continued. They eventually resigned themselves to the idea that I was simply a difficult child."

The Old Monk's Guidance

"One snowy night, as my cries reached a fever pitch, a knock echoed at our door. My father opened it to find an old monk standing there in a straw raincoat. He told my father, 'I am just passing through, but I heard the cries of this child. He has a deep karmic affinity with the Buddha. Try chanting the Buddha-name for him; his heart will find peace.' After teaching my father how to chant, the monk departed into the night.

My father sat beside me and began to chant the six characters: Namo Amituofo. He spoke each syllable clearly and deliberately. At first, my cries were deafening, but as the sound of the holy name filled the room, my sobbing began to fade. I stared at my father, mesmerised, until I finally drifted into a peaceful sleep, cradled by the resonance of the Buddha-name. From that night on, my parents chanted regularly. I became a calm, healthy child, sleeping and feeding with perfect regularity."

The Child Who Could See

"By the age of three, I could walk, but I remained silent. My mother, worried, took me to a temple to pray for my speech. The moment we entered, I broke free from her hand and ran straight to the altar, prostrating myself on the cushion. Everyone was stunned. My mother was bewildered—I had never been to a temple, nor had I seen a Buddha statue, yet I knew exactly how to pay respects. It was truly miraculous.

A master approached my mother and said, 'This child’s eyes can see spaces that are invisible to ordinary people.' My mother finally understood why I had cried so much as an infant—I was seeing things from other realms. I could see the golden light of the Buddha bathing the altar. When my mother asked why I still could not speak, the master simply replied, 'Wait.'"

The Awakening of a Mother

"As I grew, I spent more time at the temple, always pulling my mother along. The devotees would marvel, 'What a wise child! He will surely be an eminent monk one day!' My mother would only smile. Though she had no prior contact with the Buddha’s teachings, the temple’s atmosphere brought her a sense of peace she could not find in the noisy world outside.

When I was six, I still had not spoken. One day, a master invited us to hear a sutra lecture. My mother was hesitant, but I was relentless. I tugged at her clothes and pointed toward the temple until she finally relented. That day, as she listened to the teachings, she understood for the first time the cycle of reincarnated suffering inherent in the world. She began to attend regularly, and after a year of listening, she wept before the Buddha, vowing to follow the path of the Buddha and save beings throughout her many lives."

The Secret Revealed

"Hearing her vow, I finally smiled and spoke: 'Mother, let us bring Father to the temple to practise!' My mother was shocked—I had been able to speak all along, waiting for this very moment. While she was away, I told the master, 'Though I am only five, my past memories remain. My mother was my daughter in a past life; she was once a nun who was deceived by emotions and returned to lay life, suffering through many reincarnations before regaining a human body. It is a strange Causal Condition that she is now my mother. I have waited five years for her to reclaim her original vow.'"

A Family United in the Dharma

"My father eventually joined us. I knew from my past-life vision that he had been my disciple in a previous existence. I was his master then, and I was determined to guide him back to the path of liberation. Through my persistent encouragement, he began to see the truth of the Buddha’s teachings. He stopped dozing off during lectures and started to truly internalise the teachings. Soon, the three of us were united in our goal: to practise the Buddha’s teachings and save the world.

I lived my life without desire, focused entirely on the mission of saving beings. The water of forgetfulness had not erased my memories, allowing me to guide my parents and reclaim my own abilities. I became a monk at ten, dedicating my life to the Dharma, and upon my passing, I ascended directly to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

Beyond the Stars

"I have explored the universe, and with the help of Practitioner Su, I have been able to reopen the spaces I once visited in my past lives. I now see those planets again, and I have the karmic affinity to save the beings there by chanting Namo Amituofo. I see my own cycle of reincarnated suffering clearly; without the compassion of the Buddha, I would still be lost in the darkness. I am grateful to Practitioner Su for his compassion, and I am grateful to the Buddha for his boundless mercy. I will continue to participate in every Chao Du ceremony, hoping that more beings may be saved. Namo Amituofo."