The General Who Chose Compassion Over Conquest

Zhu Guang, a general from over 1,600 years ago, sought deliverance through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su. Having spent his past life in the relentless brutality of war, he eventually found the path to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This interview, recorded on October 7, 2018, details his journey from a life of bloodshed to one of profound spiritual awakening and service to all sentient beings.

Zhu Guang speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Zhu Guang. In my past life, I was a great general, a man who spent his entire existence caught in the endless, suffocating cycle of warfare. I fought countless battles, but it was in the final, harrowing conflict that my heart truly shattered. My forces had lured the enemy into a trap; they were drowning in a great river, struggling desperately for their lives. As I watched them, I realised that victory was within our grasp, yet I felt no joy. None at all. My entire life had been a series of compulsions: forced to be a general, forced to wield a blade, forced to train, and ultimately, forced to kill. I had no choice in the matter. For over fifty years, I lived only on the battlefield. I began to wonder: what is the true value of a life? I had spent my years playing with the lives of others and my own, all under the edge of a sword."

A Mother's Heart and the Weight of War

"In that moment of clarity, I thought of my mother. She had raised me from a helpless infant, often going hungry herself, scrimping and saving just to keep me alive. Now, I was unable to offer her any filial piety. The life she gave me was being gambled away on the battlefield. I looked at the soldiers before me—the enemy and my own men alike—and I realised they were all someone's precious child. They were all treasures in their mothers' hearts. We were all gambling our lives away for the sake of a country, for the sake of a war that felt increasingly hollow.

If we died on the battlefield, it would be our mothers who wept until their hearts broke. How could I, Zhu Guang, commit such an unfilial act? I shouted the order: 'Save all the enemy soldiers!' My own men were terrified and confused. They were on the verge of victory and ready to celebrate, but I insisted. I told them that no life should be trampled upon so casually. Every person has parents; no one deserves to be treated this way. My soldiers tried to dissuade me, but I remained firm. They had no choice but to obey. As the enemy soldiers were pulled from the water, they fled, vowing to return and defeat us. My men were furious, regretting their mercy. I told them, 'I will take full responsibility for this. This is the last time I will lead you into battle. I have killed countless lives in my lifetime, and I truly regret it. I will use my own life to redeem yours.'"

The Price of Conscience

"The news of this 'absurd' turn of events reached the Emperor, who was enraged. He declared me a traitor and ordered my execution. I had a friend in the government, and I asked him to deliver a final letter to my mother. In it, I told her to take care of herself. I told her that the life she gave me was hers, and I would rather die than continue to kill. Since I could not master my own destiny, this was the only path I could take to ensure I would not take any more lives.

The next day at noon, I was beheaded. I died with a sense of integrity. Although I descended into the hells to suffer for my past sins, my deep repentance before death—my genuine regret for my ignorance—helped offset my karmic debt. After my sentence was served, I spent twenty thousand years as an animal before finally regaining a human body."

A Vow to Save

"Before I entered my mother's womb in this life, I made a solemn vow: 'In this lifetime, I must cherish this precious human body and save the spirits I harmed in the past. If I become deluded again and sink into the desires of this world, I will forfeit my remaining lifespan and ask to be taken to the underworld for judgment.' I vowed to deliver all sentient beings. Even while in my mother's womb, I listened quietly to her chanting. A gentle, compassionate power helped me grow steadily. I chanted Namo Amituofo with her for ten months, and when I was born, I was a healthy, chubby baby.

We were poor, so my mother used a stick to teach me the six characters of Namo Amituofo in the sand. She was illiterate, but those six characters were etched into her heart. She believed that as long as one trusted in Namo Amituofo, there was no problem that could not be solved. She was deeply grateful to her aunt, who had introduced her to Buddhism. When my mother was thirteen, her parents died in a great fire, and she was taken in by her aunt, a devout Buddhist who spent her life in diligent practice. Her aunt used the name of Namo Amituofo to help my mother emerge from the darkness of her grief."

The Power of the Buddha-Name

"I was born with a large black birthmark on my left cheek. Although I was healthy, my appearance was frightening. My grandparents, who wanted a male heir to inherit the family fortune, disliked me because of this mark. They treated me like a stranger. But my parents were my closest companions. They taught me to chant and cultivated my confidence, telling me that 'a kind heart and a beautiful mind naturally produce a dignified appearance.' Under their guidance, I developed a healthy mindset. I did not feel inferior because of my looks, nor did I look down on myself because of how others viewed me.

I stood openly before everyone, teaching them to chant Namo Amituofo. Many people who felt inferior saw that I, who looked 'scarier' than them, could stand so freely and chant. They believed it was the power of Namo Amituofo that gave me such strength, and they began to follow. They chanted until their hearts opened, until they understood the true nature of life. Only the foolish are attached to the beauty or ugliness of the physical body. If one is pursuing rebirth in the Western Pure Land, who has time to be attached to their appearance?

Even as a young child, I led many to chant. I knew that only Namo Amituofo could save us. I chanted with such sincerity that it penetrated every pore of my being, grieving for the suffering of those trapped in samsara. Everyone was moved by my voice. They had never realised the magnificence of the Buddha-name or the compassion of Namo Amituofo. Seeing my demonstration, they developed unwavering faith. My appearance grew more dignified year by year, and the birthmark faded, to the amazement of all."

A Legacy of Deliverance

"My grandparents eventually regretted their coldness. They tried to win my favour with gifts, but in my heart, they were always my grandparents. I treated them with filial piety, knowing that everything was arranged by Causal Conditions. I taught them to chant, and as they learned the Buddha’s teachings, their harshness melted away. When I decided to become a monk, they became my greatest supporters. They used the family fortune to support the Buddha's teachings and the bodhimanda, allowing more people to chant and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, permanently ending the suffering of birth and death.

To repay the kindness of the Buddha and my parents, I practised diligently my whole life. At forty, I became the abbot of the temple, teaching over four hundred disciples. At the end of my life, I achieved rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, leaving my disciples to carry on the Dharma and save sentient beings.

In this world, Practitioner Su is the only one who truly sacrifices herself for others, achieving the state of no-self. Her mission is to deliver sentient beings, breaking through obstacles and opening up layers of space. The scope of her Chao Du is ever-expanding. The entire age of the Dharma’s decline is gradually shifting from its dark state; spirits that once interfered with human hearts are being delivered in massive numbers. The space is becoming purer. If we continue this effort, turning the age of the Dharma’s decline into an age of the True Teachings is certainly possible.

Practitioner Su has sent me to a space where beings have been waiting for tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of years to be saved. Without her compassion in bringing me into the universe to perform this deliverance, these beings would still be suffering. Her compassion is truly supreme! I am deeply grateful to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su."