The Final Mission of the Thunder God

This is a record of an interview with Li Muyuan, who served as a Thunder God for 170 years and recently sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now prepares for rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his long service and his final mission. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxin, on March 18, 2021.

Li Muyuan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Li Muyuan. The sound of thunder—'Boom! Boom!'—is the herald of the coming rain. It is a signal for the world to prepare, for the insects to burrow deep into the earth, and for all living things to seek shelter. When that thunder rolls, it can be heard for miles, and the reactions of all beings are distinct. The ants communicate to return to their nests; animals scramble for cover, knowing that the heavy rain brings a biting cold and pain if they are caught in the open. The monkeys climb the vines to reach their familiar dwellings, for once the rain begins, the vines become too slick to traverse. Even the spirits residing in the trees place bets on which branches will snap under the weight of the downpour and how many leaves will be stripped away by the force of the storm.

The Symphony of the Storm

When the wind howls, the lightning flashes, and the thunder roars, the rain begins to pour in torrents. In some regions, there is cheering: 'The rain is here! The rain is here!' In others, there is only sighing: 'The rain has returned; the village will be flooded again.' Yet, after the storm passes, the earth is washed clean, appearing clear and renewed. Once the task is complete, the gods of wind, rain, and thunder either return to the heavenly courts or depart for their next assignment elsewhere.

I have served as a Thunder God for one hundred and seventy years. Every mission I undertook was performed with absolute loyalty and diligence; I dared not be negligent. Whatever the Jade Emperor commanded, I executed without hesitation. However, this time, I received a special mission. I was paired with a group of rain, wind, and lightning gods—all of us veterans in our roles. The Jade Emperor told us, 'This is your final mission.' I did not understand his meaning at first, but he continued, 'You are the most honest and diligent beings I have selected from the palace. Once this mission is completed, Practitioner Su of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia has promised to guide you all to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is a rare opportunity; seize it well!'

The Call of Practitioner Su

We know of Practitioner Su; he is renowned throughout the universe for having saved countless spirits. Knowing that we had the chance to assist in his request for rain and to bring down the nectar of life, we were filled with immense joy. Upon arriving at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, we found that the accumulation of merit here was already profound. The dark clouds, the raindrops, the wind, the thunder, and the lightning were all prepared. We unleashed a long-lasting, magnificent rain. The living beings on the ground cheered with delight; the water nourished everything from the flowers and trees to the insects, dust, and soil deep beneath the earth. We completed our mission successfully, and now, we wait for the Venerable ones in the temple to record our story, marking the success of this rain-making mission. Once this record is complete, I shall depart for the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

A Life of Performance

I was born Li Muyuan, in Chengdu, Sichuan. My parents were street performers who raised me while travelling from place to place. To attract the attention of passersby, my father trained me to shout at the top of my lungs: 'Come, come! Hurry and watch! There is a wonderful performance on the street! Come and see!' People would stop, amazed that such a small child could produce such a powerful voice. Once the crowd gathered, my father would perform incredible feats, and my mother would climb onto his shoulders, standing horizontally or balancing on one leg. The crowd would applaud in awe. I would take the collection bag around, and nearly eighty percent of the onlookers would drop in a few copper coins. The earnings from a single performance were enough to feed us for the entire day with some to spare. Sometimes I would ask my father, 'We have so many coins today, shall we have a feast?' But he would almost always refuse, telling me, 'Even though we have money now, we must plan for the times when we do not. Never be careless.' I eventually understood his wisdom.

The Forest of the Ice Kingdom

After years of wandering, we had saved a significant amount of money. Just as we were discussing settling down, a massive blizzard struck. The snow fell continuously, bringing life in the village to a complete standstill. The temperature plummeted, and no one dared to step outside. Fearing that the villagers would not survive, I felt an intuitive urge to leave the house. Despite my parents' desperate cries—'Where are you going? It is freezing out there!'—I did not look back. I walked to the edge of a forest and knelt with the most sincere heart, hoping to resolve the crisis. I knew that the Snow Monster was watching me in an invisible form.

Before long, an old man appeared and beckoned me into the forest. It was pitch black, and I had to feel my way forward. The Snow Monster sent a message: if I could make it through the forest, he would stop the blizzard. I summoned my courage and pressed on. I fell repeatedly on the slick, icy rocks, my body soaked and freezing, my feet aching with unbearable pain. Yet, I dragged my battered body forward, telling myself that if I could finish the journey even one day early, the villagers could return to their lives sooner. If I were late, it would be too late for them.

The Queen of Ice and Snow

I calmed my mind and followed my intuition. As I felt the path ahead, the biting cold and the pain of my injuries constantly threatened to distract me. I kept telling myself, 'Hold on, just hold on.' As my body began to succumb to hypothermia, my consciousness drifted into a daze. I saw a vast expanse of snow, and a small sprite flying in the air said, 'Welcome to the Snow Kingdom.' I was astonished, but before I could react, the sprite flew ahead. I followed, and soon, a towering white palace with sharp, pointed roofs appeared. The sprite flew inside, and I hesitated, unsure if I was permitted to enter. The sprite looked back and gestured for me to follow.

Inside the ice palace, I looked around in wonder; everything seemed to be carved from ice. After passing through a long corridor, I found an elderly woman wearing a magnificent crown, sitting on a throne of ice. She asked, 'I am the Ice and Snow Queen. What do you seek?' I replied, 'I want the snow in the village to stop. I want the villagers to return to their normal lives.' The Queen laughed, 'Haha—you are still so compassionate.' I did not understand her meaning. She continued, 'You have forgotten! You are originally from our kingdom. You made great efforts to prevent our realm from melting. We saw it all. If not for you, our kingdom would no longer exist.' I was stunned. She added, 'After stabilizing the kingdom, you decided to leave to help others. We asked where you were going, and you said you did not know—wherever you were needed, you would go. I never expected that after you left, you would quickly be reborn into a human body and forget everything of the past.' As she spoke, the memories of my past life in that kingdom, wearing a cloak, flooded back to me.

A Vow to End the Killing

After hearing this, I knelt and begged the Queen for help. She sighed, 'This is the karma of the human world. The blizzard is only the beginning. If the human world does not change, there will be even greater disasters.' I understood. My soul returned to my body, and I woke up in agony. Driven by the intense desire to save the villagers, I crawled out of the dark forest and back to my home, collapsing before I could even knock on the door. When I finally awoke, my parents were watching over me with worried eyes, having bandaged my wounds.

The next morning, despite my limp, I prepared to leave. My parents asked, 'You are not yet healed; where are you going?' I gave them a look that told them to be at ease. I patrolled the village and discovered that the villagers had hung all the meat they intended to eat for the winter—chickens, ducks, geese, wild boars—outside their doors. The sheer number of animals killed was immeasurable, and the village was shrouded in the heavy, dark energy of killing. I reported what I had seen to the village chief, hoping he would help the village overcome this disaster. The blizzard had devastated our economy, so the chief was willing to try anything. He prepared an altar to offer sacrifices to the spirits of the slaughtered animals and promised them that the village would no longer kill. From then on, they would rely on potatoes to survive the winter. The entire village prayed together, and the blizzard gradually subsided. We survived the disaster, and the village returned to prosperity. I was only twenty years old when this ended, and within a few months, my family's life was stable once more.

The Final Transition

One day, in a dream, I saw two overlapping images: one was the Ice Kingdom preparing to welcome me back, and the other was a golden light leading to the heavenly court. Without hesitation, I walked toward the golden light. I found the Jade Emperor sitting on a high platform in the palace. Before I could even understand the situation, he sent someone to give me a long iron vine, telling me that from that day on, I was to serve as a Thunder God. Whenever I swung the iron vine toward the sky, it would emit a 'Boom! Boom!' sound. Following the laws of heaven, I travelled to various places to complete my missions.

My final mission as a Thunder God was to come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to assist in bringing down a great rain. Having completed this task, we now wait in the sky for the opportunity for Chao Du. This final rain was magnificent, nourishing the land around Goombungee, Australia. I am grateful to the Jade Emperor for the opportunity, and I am grateful for this chance to receive Chao Du. I know that this place is dedicated to saving the world, and if I can contribute my own strength, I hope to join in this work. Thank you."

This interview message was recorded by the Buddhist disciple Shi Faxin.

Memorial Tablet: The rain around Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, the Thunder God who assisted in the rain, and all sentient and insentient beings, uncountable, represented by: Li Muyuan.

Entering the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.