The Choice to Renounce Marriage

This is a record of an interview with Feng Ganlin, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his life approximately 1,612 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on February 14, 2019.

Feng Ganlin speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Feng Ganlin. As the only male grandson in my family, my father constantly instilled a singular concept in me from a young age: 'The greatest mission of your life is to carry on the Feng family line; the Feng family cannot be without descendants.' It was not just my father who said this; my grandparents were the same. They all hoped I would marry as early as possible to bring more children into the family, ensuring the Feng household would be filled with descendants."

A Dutiful Son's Burden

"I had always been an obedient child. No matter what the adults said, I did it. I hoped that while my grandparents and parents were still alive, I could let them hold a grandson and fulfil their dream. By the time I had just turned eleven, I began looking for a partner. My grandmother knew every girl in the entire village like the back of her hand. She knew exactly which families had good daughters. On her list, there were over a dozen candidates for me to choose from—all strictly vetted by her. Watching my grandmother select candidates as if she were choosing a concubine for an emperor, my father would often jokingly call me 'His Majesty Ganlin,' which would make the whole family burst into laughter!"

The Girl Who Did Not Want to Marry

"In the end, I chose a young woman with a delicate and refined appearance. Although her family was poor, she was incredibly well-behaved and sensible. Anyone who saw her would like her, and my grandmother was most pleased with her, praising my eye for quality! When my grandmother went to the girl's home, she discovered that the girl was in the middle of arranging her mother's funeral, as she had passed away from illness just days prior. My grandmother took the opportunity to speak with her and understand her family situation. The girl had a father and two younger sisters, all of whom she was caring for alone. My grandmother also chatted with the girl's father about the prospect of marriage. His eyes lit up immediately, for he could see that my grandmother was from a wealthy family and assumed that if he married his daughter off, he would receive a large sum of money. However, the girl herself did not want to marry because she could not bear to leave her father and two younger sisters behind. Seeing her filial piety and firm resolve, my grandmother decided to respect her wishes and returned home to tell me to choose someone else."

A Sudden Change of Heart

"Not long after my grandmother's carriage left the girl's home, we saw the girl running out to block our path. My grandmother nervously stopped the carriage and grabbed the girl's hand, saying, 'This is very dangerous! If the horses could not stop, you would have been hit!' The girl urgently told my grandmother, 'I have decided to listen to you and get married!' My grandmother looked at her in surprise, worried that she was being forced by her father, and told her, 'It is alright, this was just a suggestion; there is no rush.' With that, my grandmother left."

The Unspoken Connection

"For some reason, I felt a special connection to this girl. I had no interest in any of the other girls—not even the most beautiful girl in the village. I only wanted her to be my wife. A few days later, as my grandmother and the servants were preparing to go to the market, they opened the front door to find the girl sitting on the steps outside the Feng residence. As soon as she heard the door open, she stood up. Seeing her, my grandmother happily took her hand, brought her inside, and immediately ordered the servants to prepare the finest tea and pastries."

"The girl actually liked my grandmother very much because of the warmth and natural affinity she radiated. Shyly, the girl asked my grandmother, 'Do I still have a chance to marry into your family?' My grandmother laughed heartily and whispered in her ear, 'Our Ganlin is determined to have you as his wife. He took one look at you and decided that if it is not you, he will not marry anyone else!' The girl was quite surprised: 'Me?' My grandmother replied, 'Yes! I like you too. You are a sensible and well-behaved girl. If you can marry into our Feng family, I will certainly take good care of you!' Hearing this, the girl revealed a rare, sweet, and lovely smile."

The Shared Dream of the Dharma

"A few days later, my grandmother and father went to the girl's home to propose. We discovered that her two younger sisters had already been married off in the previous two days—marrying into wealthy families, no less. Her father was grinning from ear to ear, having collected the dowries! Now, with another auspicious event at his doorstep, the marriage was easily arranged, and the date was set for the following month."

"Even before she was officially married into the Feng family, my grandmother could not wait to bring her over every day. I felt my grandmother was being too pushy, bringing her over without asking how she felt. My grandmother told the girl, 'Men are just so troublesome! Do not mind him, let us keep talking!' My grandmother had endless things to say, and the karmic affinity between them was truly excellent."

A Vow to Help Others

"One day, after the girl arrived, my grandmother suddenly had to go out, leaving the girl and me alone. The girl was too shy to say a word, so I had to be the one to start the conversation, asking about her past. As she shared her life story, I finally realised how difficult her life had been: her mother was chronically ill, her father was lazy, and she had two younger sisters to care for. She carried the weight of the entire household on her shoulders, often embroidering and sewing late into the night to earn a living. She had almost no time to rest."

"We talked for a long time, and she slowly opened her heart to me. She told me her greatest dream. It turned out she had never intended to marry. Having carried the burden of her family since childhood, she felt like a mother caring for everyone; that life was no different from marriage, so she had long ago decided she never wanted to marry. But now, her father had already accepted my grandmother's money and was forcing her to marry into the Feng family. She could not resist and had to accept the arrangement."

The Path of Awakening

"My heart ached for her, knowing her life had always been decided by others. I asked her, 'If you do not want to marry, what do you want to do?' She hesitated for a moment before saying, 'I want to become a monastic.' I was shocked: 'Become a monastic?' She nodded and said, 'Being human is truly bitter. If I had a choice, I would not want to suffer in this world, but I cannot be selfish and leave alone. My mother taught me that if I can use this body to help others, then many who suffer like me can be saved. That is why I want to learn the Buddha's teachings to help others. That is my greatest dream. But now... I am about to become the Feng family's granddaughter-in-law. I suppose this dream is just a fantasy.'"

"I paused for a long time before asking her, 'Can you introduce the Buddha's teachings to me?' Hearing that I was interested in the Dharma, she was overjoyed. No one had ever asked her about it before; even her father constantly discouraged her, believing that learning the Dharma was useless and offered no help in life. Knowing there was a lecture at the temple that day, she immediately took me there to listen to the sutras."

The Truth Revealed

"For several days in a row, we went to the temple together. Whether serving the public or listening to the Dharma, we both began to immerse ourselves in the teachings. My grandmother, still unaware, thought our relationship was becoming more stable and happily whispered to my father, 'I will soon have a grandson to hold! I will soon have a grandson to hold!' My father was also delighted that I had finally found someone I liked."

"A month passed quickly, and the family began preparing for the wedding. Because I was so absorbed in the Dharma, I had forgotten to tell my family that I had decided not to marry. Seeing the house being decorated with lanterns and streamers, I remembered. I immediately ran to my grandmother and told her, 'We have both decided to study the Buddha's teachings for life and will not be getting married.' The tea cup in my grandmother's hand fell to the floor. She asked nervously, 'Are you talking in your sleep? Have you two not been going out on dates for the past month? Why are you not getting married?' Hearing this, I realised she had misunderstood, and I explained everything that had happened over the past month."

Transforming the Family

"After I finished, my grandmother's face turned pale. She said weakly, 'I... I will never have a grandson to hold in this lifetime.' Seeing her disappointment, I did not know how to comfort her. For several days, she locked herself in her room, refusing to step out. The whole family was worried about her health. I felt guilty, but knowing the goodness of the Dharma and the suffering of sentient beings, I could not be selfish and think only of myself."

"After a sleepless night, I finally thought of a good plan. The next morning, I went out early to bring the girl home. She knocked on my grandmother's door, and when she called out, 'Grandmother,' my grandmother immediately responded and opened the door. Once the girl entered, my grandmother closed the door, and they talked inside. Not long after, they both went out together, just as I had planned."

"The girl took my grandmother to many places, showing her the various states of human life—especially the lives of the impoverished and those who suffer throughout their existence. She showed her housewives who had paid a heavy price for their emotions. My grandmother had seen these things before, but she had never truly perceived the suffering within them. Only after the girl introduced the Dharma to her did she deeply feel the suffering of human beings. My grandmother could not bear for the girl to continue suffering in this life, nor did she want me to continue wandering in samsara just so she could hold a grandson. She followed the girl to listen to the sutras and praised the Dharma as truly inconceivable! I had long known my grandmother would love the Dharma, as she was a person with good roots and must have been a practitioner in her past lives."

"Upon returning home, my grandmother immediately announced to everyone, 'I support Ganlin in learning the Dharma! And I, too, shall begin to learn.' The family was astonished by her transformation. Only the girl and I looked at each other and smiled—the plan had succeeded!"

A Life Dedicated to Saving Beings

"Since my grandmother gave her blessing, I have focused diligently on the Buddha's path. My grandmother also began to devote her energy to saving others. She donated large sums of money to impoverished regions, set up offerings to support the bodhimanda, and did her best to propagate the Buddha's teachings everywhere. The entire family was transformed by my grandmother and me, and they too began to learn the Dharma, realising its vital importance to all beings."

"My mission in this life was no longer to carry on the Feng family line, but to help endless sentient beings escape the sea of suffering forever. At fifteen, I resolved to become a monastic. I practised diligently in the temple, cultivating the Precepts (Discipline), Concentration and Wisdom, refining myself to save sentient beings, and using Wisdom and the Bodhi heart to widely save those with karmic affinity in the ten directions. Not a moment in my life was spent without thinking of sentient beings, until the moment of my passing, when I entered the eternal life of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

Gratitude to Practitioner Su

"Practitioner Su is an awakened being who has realised no-self; she is a Buddha who saves all beings with the Dharma Body. Now, she is even performing Chao Du for planets and spirits throughout the universe—a grand event of deliverance not seen in a billion kalpas. These spirits are trapped in the space of the universe, unable to escape. Many who chant the Buddha's name crave the pleasures of the universe; although they have the skills to reach these realms, they are unable to leave due to their attachments. Now, the Causal Conditions are ripe. Practitioner Su leads a vast team in the universe to perform Chao Du, and countless spirits are rushing to seek deliverance, hoping to be saved by Practitioner Su and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

"That I have such great blessings to perform Chao Du for beings with whom I have karmic affinity in the universe is all due to the compassion of Practitioner Su. I will certainly do my utmost to support Practitioner Su, allowing more beings to be saved by her and escape the sea of karma. Namo Amituofo."