The Honest Tofu Seller and the Wind God

This is a record of an interview with Su Furong, 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 1,200 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on April 27, 2021.

Su Furong speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Su Furong. When I lived in the human world, I was just an ordinary, humble person. I had no great achievements to my name, nor did I come from a distinguished family. What I did have was honesty and a heart as pure as a child's. From the time I was a small boy, I was known for being sincere. As I grew into a young man, I remained loyal and honest, and I stayed that way until the very end of my life. After I passed away, I became a steadfast Wind God.

If you consider that my soul carried my body, and my body listened to the soul, we lived as honest people. When the lifespan of that body finally reached its end and the physical form decayed, my soul was able to truly live its own life and take on the duties of a Wind God. This simply means that what my body did in the world and what my soul intended to do were not far apart. In that sense, 'honesty' was the consensus reached between my soul and my body."

A Life of Simple Honesty

"I lived about 1,200 years ago, in a prosperous, bustling, and stable era. The capital was filled with high-ranking officials and noble ladies dressed in elegant, refined clothing. Carriages carrying the children of wealthy families rattled through the streets. And there I was—a small street vendor standing by the roadside as carriages passed by one after another. Every single day, I carried my shoulder pole and called out, 'Tofu for sale! Fresh tofu for sale!'

My home was a six-quarter walk—about an hour and a half—from the capital. When I set out with my tofu, I had to be extremely careful to keep the load balanced on my shoulders. I had to walk lightly, without swaying, so the tofu would not be crushed. I had to grind the beans the night before and wake up in the early hours of the morning to prepare everything. Once the tofu had cooled and set in the molds, I would stack the boards neatly and place them into the baskets on my shoulder pole. After walking that long distance to my fixed spot in the capital, I would wait to sell it all before carrying the empty pole back home. This was my daily routine. I was only ten years old at the time."

The Burden of the Eldest Brother

"My father passed away early, and my mother followed him in grief not long after. They left behind two younger brothers, two younger sisters, and me. As the eldest, I took on the responsibility of caring for them. I was only five years old then, knowing nothing of the world. My younger brother was four, the second was three, the elder sister was two, and the youngest was one. It was only through the help—or perhaps I should say the charity—of our neighbours, Uncle Li and Auntie Li, that we survived those years before I turned ten. My siblings grew up under their care.

Our tiny home had only one bed. When all five of us lay down, we could barely turn over; if anyone moved, they would bump into the person next to them. We had one table, two chairs, a cabinet for our clothes, a stove in the kitchen, a large pot, a few bowls, spoons, chopsticks, a kettle, and a washbasin. That was everything we owned. Our only expense was our three meals a day. Our neighbours would often bring us their leftovers, or extra food they had bought, or clothes their children had outgrown. We accepted these gifts with immense gratitude. It was not until we were a bit older that Uncle Li asked his younger brother to teach us how to make tofu, and our family finally began to have some income."

The Wisdom of Gratitude

"Growing up in such an environment, we knew that we had to accept the help of adults to survive. I told myself: 'If I ever have the ability, I will certainly help those who are truly in need.' I told my brothers and sisters the same thing. Even though we were poor, our hearts were full of gratitude. I taught them: 'When we receive clothes or food from others, we must accept them with a smile and bow to show our thanks.' We knew they did not expect anything in return because we had nothing to give. The only thing we could offer was that heart of gratitude. That is why we spent our days with smiles on our faces, rather than sorrow.

I was not a clever person. I only knew how to make tofu honestly, following the method Uncle Li taught me. I failed once, twice, three times. Uncle Li thought perhaps my siblings were smarter than me, so he called them over to learn as well. Sure enough, despite their chatter and constant bickering, they passed Uncle Li's test and successfully produced board after board of firm tofu. From then on, our household came to life. I was responsible for selling, and they were responsible for making. When people learned of our situation, they felt a sense of pity and began ordering in advance: Auntie Li ordered one board, Madam Lin ordered two, the Zhang household ordered four, and Uncle Chen ordered one. We were illiterate, but under the guidance of the adults, we learned to write and perform basic arithmetic for our business. Surprisingly, my six-year-old younger sister was incredibly quick with numbers. From then on, whenever I went out to sell, she would accompany me as my capable assistant. The 'Su Family Tofu' became famous on the streets, and our family's situation improved. Although selling tofu was hard work, we learned that as long as we were of one mind, there was no obstacle we could not overcome."

A Lesson in Forgiveness

"The tofu business brought a great change to our lives. We had to divide the work to keep things running smoothly. My six-year-old sister went out with me to help calculate the money. My seven-year-old sister helped wash the clothes—though she was not strong enough to wring them out properly, so they took an extra day to dry. My nine-year-old brother and eight-year-old brother helped make the tofu, paying attention to every detail: how much water to use, how long to soak the beans, and ensuring the filter cloths were clean. My older brother had to carry the water home and use his strength to grind the beans. My second brother handled the filtering, pressing, and shaping. What started as clumsy, chaotic work eventually became a smooth, coordinated effort.

One time, Madam Li ordered several extra boards of tofu. When I was ready to leave, it was already late. To avoid making her wait, I tried to hurry. Because the load was heavier, I accidentally tripped over a stone. I lost my balance, and both I and the shoulder pole fell to the ground. The tofu was smashed into pieces, scattered all over the white, dusty ground. I sat there, stunned, with the ruined tofu. My sister looked at me, wide-eyed, and said, 'Brother, all our hard work today has gone to waste!' I smiled and replied, 'It does not matter! Success and failure go hand in hand. This is a lesson for us: no matter what, we must not be impatient. If we rush, we do a poor job, and things end up worse.' My sister asked, 'What do we do now?' I said, 'We must go and tell Madam Li the truth, and apologise.'

We ran to Madam Li's house. She was just about to come out to collect the tofu. Seeing us breathless, with tofu bits all over my clothes and hair, she understood immediately. My sister and I bowed ninety degrees and I said, 'Madam Li, I am so sorry! We tried to make extra tofu today and left late. In my hurry to bring it to you, I tripped and ruined it all. Please forgive us!' I expected to be scolded or given a cold look, but to my surprise, Madam Li smiled and said, 'Oh, do not worry! I am sorry for making you rush. I have guests today, which is why I ordered more, and that is why this happened. I see you still have some tofu in your baskets.' My sister and I checked, and sure enough, there was a little left. Madam Li said, 'I will take these! I can still make a dish with them.' She then gave us the full payment for the original order and said, 'Keep the change; consider it my apology for the trouble.' My sister and I were speechless. This was completely unexpected. We were so grateful for her understanding, and we bowed again to thank her.

This experience taught us that forgiving others and being considerate of their hardships can fill their hearts with gratitude. This was our own personal experience, far better than anything said in words or taught in books. From then on, we knew it was better to sleep a little less than to wake up late. We had to leave on time to avoid the panic that leads to accidents."

From Mortal to Wind God

"With the support of my siblings, the business stabilized. We had enough money to rent a stall, so we did not have to sell on the roadside, exposed to the wind and rain. We stopped using the shoulder pole and started using a cart, and we found a place to live near the stall so we did not have to commute. These changes taught us that there is no such thing as getting something for nothing; for every bit of effort, there is a reward. As the years passed, my siblings grew up, married, and started their own families. As the eldest brother, I had fulfilled my duty and earned their respect. I never married. I had tasted the bitterness and sweetness of life, and I had no desire to continue the cycle of family attachments.

When I was sixty-three, I fell ill. I felt that my time had come. I gave my remaining savings to my eldest sister, hoping she would use the money to help those in need, just as Uncle Li and Uncle Li had helped us. A person's life should bring opportunities and hope to others, or it is a life wasted. That night, I spent my final moments. In a daze, I suddenly heard someone calling: 'Su Furong! Su Furong, wake up!' When I opened my eyes, everything was bright. A voice said, 'We are the heavenly soldiers and generals, acting under the imperial decree of the Jade Emperor to bring you back to the Heavenly Palace to report.' I felt my spirit leave my body, light and swift, and in a very short time, I stood before the Jade Emperor. He told me: 'You have accumulated merit and performed good deeds in the human world, and you could have enjoyed heavenly blessings. However, you saw sentient beings suffering and requested to descend to the mortal realm to conclude those karmic conditions. I granted your request. Now that the conditions are concluded, you have returned to the Heavenly Palace. Would you be willing to take the position of Wind God?' I gladly accepted."

The Drought in Taiwan and the Power of Deliverance

"Time flies, and 1,200 years have passed. I have seen the warmth and coldness of the human world. Changes in climate are actually closely linked to the human heart, for the Truth is unchanging, while celestial phenomena change in response to human nature and the human heart. A while ago, I received an imperial decree from the Jade Emperor, informing me of the drought in Taiwan. Practitioner Su had made a vow to pray for rain to end the drought, and it required the gods of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning to cooperate. I immediately set aside my duties, delegated them to my subordinates, and rushed to Taiwan. Seeing the scene of Practitioner Su's Dharma Body performing Chao Du was truly awe-inspiring!

I had heard of Practitioner Su's compassion—that it knows no borders, and that the sentient beings saved by his Dharma Body are immeasurable and boundless. 'Ice three feet thick is not formed in a single day,' and the drought in Taiwan was not caused overnight. It was the accumulation of many years: the slaughter of countless animals—pigs, chickens, ducks, cows, sheep, geese, fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish—for food; the pollution of rivers and streams by modern industrial chemicals, which then flowed into the sea and polluted the oceans; the contamination of farmland and crops by agricultural pesticides; and the harm caused to ghosts and spirits of the underworld by human greed and selfishness. All these sentient beings generated layers of darkness, resentment, and injustice that covered the sky over Taiwan. Under the laws of karma, the entire population suffered the drought together.

At that time, Practitioner Su performed Chao Du with his Dharma Body every day and invited the Three Saints of the West—Namo Amituofo, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva—to shine their Buddha-light across the land. They swept away the dark, ghostly energy and opened up space, allowing the spirits within to be saved. This was truly an unprecedented event. Countless spirits, upon seeing Namo Amituofo, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, were astonished and knelt in gratitude! Practitioner Su's Dharma Body sent these spirits into the Buddha-light to be saved. I had never seen such a scene of deliverance, and I was filled with admiration. Sentient beings must have great blessings to receive such an opportunity for deliverance."

A Heartfelt Debt of Gratitude

"After Practitioner Su performed the deliverance, the dark, ghostly energy in the air significantly decreased. Seeing this, we quickly summoned dark clouds to gather over the reservoirs. I raised the wind to notify the earthly creatures that rain was coming, and the Rain God directed where the rain should fall. This gave the reservoirs a chance to receive water. No matter the amount of rain, it was a positive response and result of Practitioner Su's Dharma Body deliverance, bringing immense joy to the people and all creatures of the earth! Furthermore, through the compassion of the Buddha, the gods who participated in the rain-making were to be sent to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss after visiting the temple. When the Jade Emperor issued the decree, he had informed us of this. At the time, I thought it was just our duty, but now it is about to be fulfilled. To receive such an opportunity is impossible unless the Buddha manifests in the world with compassion! On behalf of the wind-god subordinates and the people of the wind who participated in this rain-making, I offer my most sincere gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."

Su Furong

Memorial Tablet: Sentient beings in Taiwan seeking deliverance, sentient beings harmed by the drought and rain in Northern Taiwan, and sentient beings with karmic affinity in the reservoirs, immeasurable in number, represented by: Wind God Su Furong

Memorial Tablet: Subordinates who have karmic affinity with Wind God Su Furong and participated in this rain-making, the people of the wind, dust, spirits, and sentient beings with karmic affinity under my jurisdiction, immeasurable in number, represented by: Wind God Su Furong

Entered the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, Australia