The Horse and the Lover: A Journey Through Samsara

This interview features the 395th Venerable, Guangxi, who lived approximately 1,100 years ago. Having sought deliverance through the teachings of the Buddha, he now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This testimony was recorded on December 22, 2018, by the chief writer, Shi Fa Jing.

Venerable Guangxi speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Guangxi. Looking back at my life, it is the Causal Conditions that truly define our existence. Let me tell you about a time when I was just a young boy, and a wild, runaway horse changed the trajectory of my soul.

A Wild Spirit and a Call to Buddha

A horse, having broken free from its reins, was galloping as if it had gone completely out of control. No one could manage it. As I watched, I saw a look of utter helplessness in the horse's eyes. Without thinking, I shouted with all my might, 'Chant Namo Amituofo to be free from all suffering! Quickly, chant Namo Amituofo!' The horse let out a long, piercing cry, dug its front hooves into the earth, and skidded for a long distance before finally coming to a halt. Exhausted, the horse collapsed to the ground. The crowd immediately rushed forward, intending to subdue it. They had already decided to kill the animal to prevent it from causing further harm. I shouted, 'Please, you must not!' The adults turned to look at me, surprised to see the young boy who had just been chanting.

I told them, 'If you do not want this horse, please, give it to me!'

The Lesson of the World

The horse regained its gentleness, and I led it home. My parents were astonished to see me arrive with a horse, but after I explained what had happened, they agreed to let me keep it, effectively saving its life. Every day, I would take the horse out, sometimes leading it, sometimes riding on its back. I taught it to chant Namo Amituofo, and it never lost control again. This horse was incredibly spiritual; it understood the Buddha-name and even understood human speech. I took it everywhere, determined to teach it to see the truth of this illusory world.

I brought the horse into the town, past stall after stall of meat vendors. I told the horse, 'When you are born as an animal, you become food for humans. Look at the chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep being slaughtered. If you had been born as one of them, you would be nothing more than a piece of meat under these knives.' I then took the horse to see the homeless people huddled in the street corners. I told it, 'If you do not live a good life, do not perform good deeds, and are stingy with your help, you will end up as one of these beggars.'

The Truth of Reincarnation

I took the horse to observe the people on the streets. I told it, 'Whether human or animal, every one of them is a spirit reincarnated into this world. Can you hear the weeping in their hearts? No soul wishes to wander in this world. Without the Buddha’s teachings, one is forever helpless, unable to be the master of one's own fate.' Every day, I led the horse to contemplate the truth of six realms of rebirth, urging it, 'Do not come back as a horse. Chant Namo Amituofo diligently and return to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss!'

Whenever I went to the temple to listen to the sutras, I brought the horse along, tying it to a large tree outside so it could listen as well. Afterward, I would share the teachings with it. I could clearly hear the horse 'speaking' back to me. It had been a horse for five hundred years, and this was its first time hearing the Dharma. It had suffered incessantly for five centuries, and in its spirit, it could no longer bear the agony of being a beast. It had been on the verge of madness, wishing only for death. Now, having heard the Dharma, it knew that chanting Namo Amituofo was the way to liberation. It vowed never to be a horse again.

A Final Act of Devotion

One day, I went to the market to buy food for my mother and did not bring the horse. As I walked, I was distracted by the vendors and did not notice a fast horse charging toward me. Everyone else scrambled to get out of the way, but I stood frozen in the middle of the road. I heard a bystander scream, 'Child!' I was knocked to the side, and in that moment, I heard a clear 'Namo Amituofo—' and saw a flash of golden light. I turned to see that my horse had saved me; it had sensed my impending calamity and had thrown itself in front of the charging horse to shield me. As I watched the horse draw its final breath, I realised that the voice I heard was the horse’s own soul. Having listened to the Dharma all those years, it knew to chant at the final moment to seek rebirth in the Western Land. I wept tears of gratitude and sorrow, whispering to it to continue its diligent practice once it reached the Western Land.

The Burden of Emotion

The horse's departure steeled my resolve. I would use the same spirit with which I saved that horse to save all sentient beings. This horse was a karmic connection from my past. Meeting in this life allowed me to save the horse, and in turn, the horse helped me achieve my own path, leading countless beings to become a Buddha. I later realised that this horse was my lover from a past life. She had missed the sweet days we spent riding together and, out of attachment, had spent five hundred years as a horse. Meeting again in this life, I saved her, and in doing so, I saved my past lover, guiding her back to the Western Land. I felt the deep sorrow of six realms of rebirth and the suffering of those bound by emotion throughout your many lives.

Though I was only thirteen, I had already let go of everything in this world. I became a monastic to help more deluded beings escape the six realms of rebirth. For seventy years, I have travelled, teaching people that 'emotion' is the very thing that binds us to the six realms of rebirth. Only by letting go of these attachments can one truly attain liberation. It requires firm faith, perseverance, and diligent listening to the scriptures to see through the temptations of worldly emotion and fully commit to chanting for rebirth.

Awakening the Dreamers

I follow karmic affinity to deliver sentient beings. Every person who breaks through delusion and attain enlightenment is one more soul on the path to become a Buddha. My mission in this life is to save the confused. The suffering of the world lies in delusion and stubborn attachments. Without the Buddha’s teachings, all spirits would suffer endlessly in the dark sea of emotion. I am grateful for the Buddha’s compassion, which never abandons us. Namo Amituofo.

With the help of Practitioner Su, who opened up space for me, I have been able to perform Chao Du for spirits connected to me throughout the universe. There is a planet in the Milky Way called the 'Wei Ma' planet, which shares a karmic affinity with me. Princess Will of that planet was also my lover in a past life. In that space, there is only romantic love and nothing else. I once entered that space and was immersed in that love, but a familiar golden light reminded me of the six-character name of Namo Amituofo, allowing me to escape and be reborn elsewhere. Today, I returned to that space, and the Princess is still suffering in the illusion of love. I used the energy of Namo Amituofo to shake them from their dreams, telling them, 'Time has passed, all is illusion; only chanting the Buddha’s name is the true path.' I brought the energy of Namo Amituofo to awaken them. Those who wished to leave followed the Buddha-name and the golden light to a place of brightness; those who did not wish to leave remain in that space, waiting for love to arrive. I have seen that their future is the path of the animal realm. I have done my best to save them, hoping all beings will awaken from their delusions, chant the Buddha’s name, and seek rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Namo Amituofo. I am grateful for the Buddha’s compassion, and I am grateful for the compassion of Practitioner Su."