The Dandelion Seed of the Dharma

This is a record of an interview with Haitian, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately 512 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on April 26, 2019.

Haitian speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Haitian. When I look back at my life five centuries ago, I remember the gentle breeze that would sweep across the grassy meadows of my childhood home. I remember watching the dandelion seeds as they caught the wind, dancing and drifting away into the vast unknown.

Spreading the Dharma Like Dandelion Seeds

My mother would sit beside me, her eyes filled with a profound and quiet wisdom. She would point to those drifting seeds and say, 'Look at these dandelion seeds, Haitian. They all grew from the same plant, yet now they drift wherever the wind takes them. Some land here, some land there. No matter where they land, another dandelion can grow. Our practice of the Buddha’s teachings is just like this. We must be like the dandelion, spreading the Dharma wherever we go. Wherever we walk, we plant the seeds of the Buddha’s teachings so that people everywhere can hear the Dharma and benefit from it.'

I nodded, my heart swelling with understanding. 'Mother, I understand what you have taught me. Now, no matter where I go, I will introduce the Buddha’s teachings to everyone I meet. Even if some are willing to listen and others are not, I will follow the Causal Conditions and never let frustration or annoyance arise in my heart.' Mother smiled at me with such warmth. 'Haitian, you have truly made great progress these days. Indeed, in all the good deeds you perform, you should be free of attachment and desire. Once you have expectations, your heart easily becomes troubled and loses its purity.'

The Verse of the Bodhisattva Path

'Hush, be quiet! Father is writing,' I whispered to my younger brother, who was playing nearby. 'Haitian, come here,' my father called out. I walked to his side, and he showed me the calligraphy he had just finished. I read each character aloud, one by one: 'Do no evil, perform all good, purify your own mind; this is the teaching of all Buddhas.' Father nodded with satisfaction and said, 'I give this verse to you. I hope you will spend your entire life following the Bodhisattva path—cultivating a good heart, performing good deeds, and acting with kindness. Never let an evil thought arise toward anyone or anything. Purify your Six Roots, maintain pure thoughts, and do not make discriminations between good and bad, or right and wrong. When your mind is still, all is silence.'

I accepted the paper from my father, bowed to him, and walked away, chanting the verse to myself: 'Do no evil, perform all good. Do no evil, perform all good.' I passed my little brother, who was crawling on the ground, and I could not help but teach him: 'Little brother, did you hear? Do no evil, perform all good! Even though you are still young, you must start learning!' He looked at me with wide, curious eyes, nodding as if he understood. I smiled and continued on my way, my voice repeating the sacred words: 'Do no evil, perform all good!'

The Mountain Mentor

'Mother! Can you hear someone chanting the Buddha’s name in the distance?' I asked, pointing toward the horizon. Mother replied, 'That must be the old man chanting. Let us go and see.' We continued our climb toward the mountain peak. The higher we climbed, the more breathtaking the scenery became; every view was like a painting, beautiful beyond description. I stopped and said, 'Mother, look at that mountain peak opposite us. It towers into the clouds, just like the landscape painting Grandfather Dong made yesterday.'

Mother shook her head gently. 'The beauty of nature is indeed magnificent, but your heart must not be swayed by it. Look, you were so busy admiring the mountain that you stopped chanting the Buddha’s name. How can that be worth it? Your practice is not yet steady.' I was startled by her words. 'Mother, you are so right! If you had not reminded me, I would not have noticed that I had forgotten to chant! It seems my heart is still easily moved by external conditions; I must cultivate it more diligently.' As we walked, we found a young girl sitting by the path, weeping. I approached her and asked, 'What is wrong? Why are you crying all alone?'

She looked up and sobbed, 'My mother gave me a bag of money to buy vegetables, but I tripped over a stone and fell. The money bag rolled down the mountain, and now it is gone. What am I to do?' Mother immediately told me, 'Give all the money you have to this girl.' I hesitated. 'But Mother, wasn't this money meant to be offered to the old man?' Mother looked at me kindly. 'Money is inanimate, but people are living beings. Living people need help, and money should be used flexibly. When the Causal Conditions arise, we should follow them. If helping others is always planned in advance and cannot be changed, then those who need help in the moment will never receive it.' I understood and immediately emptied my purse, giving all my money to the girl. I chanted, 'Namo Amituofo,' for her. The girl was deeply moved, thanked us, and followed along by chanting, 'Namo Amituofo.'

A Family Cultivating the Way

As we walked on, Mother said, 'Look, that small amount of money just saved a Buddha. If you had hesitated and not helped her, you would have missed the chance to save a Buddha. Even if you had given that money to the old man, it would have lost its true value and meaning.' Just then, we heard the old man’s laughter: 'Hahaha! That is absolutely correct! Others need money, but I do not. A drop of dew quenches my thirst, a breeze satisfies my hunger, a heavy rain cleanses my body, and a large leaf serves as my clothing. Why would I need money to disturb my pure heart? Money is for the people of the world; I am not of this world, so I do not need worldly things. That money was used to save a living being—a bag of money to save a Buddha. Worth it! Truly worth it!' I pointed to the peak: 'Mother, look! The old man is standing there!' He stood on the summit, far away, yet his voice reached us as clearly as if he were standing right beside us.

Mother visited the old man every year, for he was her first mentor in the Buddha’s teachings. She had married my father not out of her own desire, but because her mother had promised the marriage to repay a debt of gratitude. She had once stood before a Buddha statue, pouring out her heart, when she first met the old man. She had told him, 'My mother married me to an honest man because his family was kind to her. But I do not know why, my heart has never been in this marriage. I feel deeply sorry for my husband, yet I do not know what to do.' The old man had told her, 'Everything arises from Causal Conditions. Since the connection is already made, follow it. The bond of husband and wife can be transformed into a bond of the Dharma. If you and your husband study the Buddha’s teachings together, the child in your womb will surely become a monk who can benefit both humans and heavenly beings. That is a great merit.' Mother understood his words, and her worries vanished, leaving her heart as clear as light. She thanked him deeply.

The Law of Cause and Effect

From that day on, Mother brought Father to study the Buddha’s teachings together. They did not focus on worldly emotions, but instead polished each other on the path to Buddhahood, creating a successful 'Buddha-family.' Thus, from the moment I was born, I was able to hear the Dharma. It was the result of my past blessings. Growing up in this environment, hearing the scriptures daily and cultivating my mind, I was different from other children. It was a natural refinement born from the Buddha’s teachings—the inconceivable power of Buddhist education.

One day, while walking in the street to buy vegetables for Mother, I saw a boy who was known for his mischief snatching a toy from another child. I walked up to him and asked, 'Does this toy belong to you?' The boy shook his head. 'No, it is his! But I want to play with it!' I said, 'Do you know that taking something without permission and causing others to feel troubled brings about consequences that you must eventually face?' The boy did not understand, so I told him a story: 'Once, there was a farmer who was so stingy that he refused to buy his own hoe. He would take his neighbor's hoe whenever they were resting. He thought it didn't matter because he wasn't stopping them from working. But after his crops began to grow, his vegetables were constantly stolen, while his neighbor suffered no loss at all. No matter how many traps he set, he could never catch the thief. Finally, he lost everything. In a dream, a Buddha appeared and told him: "All these crops grew because of that stolen hoe. Since the hoe was not yours, the vegetables were not yours either." Cause and effect exist simultaneously. Good causes bring good fruit, and evil causes bring evil consequences. This is an unchanging law. Even though you only snatched a toy, do not underestimate this small evil cause. One day, you will reap the fruit of it. Do not take it lightly!' The boy looked frightened, though he tried to act indifferent. 'Fine, I'll give it back!' he said, and ran away.

I was almost at the vegetable stall when I met a woman with a sorrowful face. 'What happened?' I asked. She replied, 'Look at these vegetables. I haven't sold a single bunch today. The leaves are rotting and turning yellow. My son is waiting for me to buy medicine with the money from these sales. How can I not be worried?' I immediately took out my money and bought all her vegetables. She was deeply grateful. I took the opportunity to introduce the Dharma to her: 'Your son's illness can be healed by the Buddha’s teachings. As long as you truly believe in the Buddha, He will surely help you.' The woman smiled, nodded, and chanted, 'Namo Amituofo,' in gratitude for the Buddha’s compassion."

Namo Amituofo.

Haitian returned home carrying a large basket of yellowing, withered vegetable leaves. Upon seeing the basket, his mother did not ask any questions; she simply took them and stir-fried them into a hearty, delicious meal. Haitian asked his mother, "Mother, why are you not at all puzzled? Why don't you ask why these vegetables are yellow and rotting instead of fresh?" His mother replied, "What I see is not a basket of yellowing vegetables, but a whole basket overflowing with compassion." Haitian looked at his mother in astonishment: "Mother, do you possess supernatural powers?" His mother laughed, "Not at all. I have no such powers. The reason I know is that you went to buy these vegetables at dusk. The vegetable stall I sent you to is usually very busy; at that hour, there would certainly be very little left. Yet, you managed to buy such a large quantity, and they were already yellow and dried out. You must have bought them from a stall that had no business from morning until night. This was an act of compassion. Because of your compassion, that stall owner was spared from their worries today."

The Seeds of Compassion

His mother was constantly using the Buddha’s teachings to guide Haitian, and his father frequently took him to various places to perform acts of charity and generosity, ensuring that his heart remained pure and bright. By the age of ten, Haitian had already spontaneously made a great vow: to dedicate this body to the service of all sentient beings throughout the dust-mote worlds, to benefit all sentient beings, and to deliver the masses. His parents praised his compassionate heart and joyfully sent him to the monastery to practice.

"The Precepts are the foundation of supreme Bodhi, nourishing all good roots." In his practice, Haitian took the Precepts as his teacher. It could be said that his Discipline was as pure as crystal. This was the result of his parents' early education, which allowed him to naturally and strictly uphold the precepts, maintaining a constant state of pure conduct without ever violating the monastic rules. After several years of practice, his Dharma appearance changed rapidly. This was not because Haitian was born with superior talent, but because the merit of his strict adherence to the precepts caused his Dharma appearance to continuously transform, becoming round, full, and radiant. Because he upheld the precepts, Haitian was free from worries and afflictions. By following the teachings completely, he eliminated personal conceptual troubles and maintained a state of purity within his practice.

A Life Dedicated to Deliverance

Haitian practiced diligently, benefiting both himself and others. He travelled everywhere, teaching and delivering sentient beings according to their karmic conditions. Having grown up in a Buddhist family, he maintained a pure body, his good roots grew, and his wisdom blossomed. At a young age, he achieved the Way and attained Awakening. Haitian never forgot the teachings of the Buddha, his teachers, and his parents. He made the deliverance of all beings the sole purpose of his Buddhist practice, fulfilling his merits in this lifetime and achieving rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Practitioner Su practices extensive good deeds, saving immeasurable and boundless sentient beings every single day. Every grain of sand and every speck of earth is an object of Practitioner Su’s deliverance, and the entire universe is a space that Practitioner Su actively works to deliver. Every space exists within the fabric of time and space; from ancient times to the present, there have been infinite spaces. If one were to try to count them, it would be impossible. They are spaces spanning countless eons upon countless eons, filled to the brim with boundless spirits.

The Power of the Human Path

The power that can be exerted through the human path is fully witnessed in Practitioner Su. Even the Buddhas of the West cannot exert the same level of capability as Practitioner Su, because of the great vow Practitioner Su made: to use this body to temper and practice in the human world, remaining unaffected by the defilements of the world, and at all times maintaining awareness to prevent any improper contamination. It is only because of this that he can now, with a pure body and a vast, expansive heart of compassion, save countless sentient beings. Such a magnificent event is manifesting in the human world during this age of the Dharma’s decline. Haitian deeply admires Practitioner Su’s virtue, which is as deep and vast as the ocean, and humbly learns from him. He hopes that all Buddhist practitioners can emulate Practitioner Su, exert the magnificent power of the human path, and together deliver the beings in the boundless sea of suffering. Namo Amituofo.

This interview record was written by the chief writer, Buddhist disciple Shi Fajing.