This is a record of an interview with Gao Shutong, who sought at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately 1,891 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on August 26, 2018.
Gao Shutong speaks:
". I am Gao Shutong. My father and I were like two faces printed from the same mould; if you did not look at our ages, we were identical in every feature. My father held a deep and profound affection for my mother, yet he was always consumed by the relentless demands of his work. Even though they lived under the same roof, he was entirely unaware that my mother was pregnant. To avoid disturbing his peace of mind, she wore loose, baggy clothing to conceal her condition. It was only when the time of birth arrived that my father received the news and rushed home in a state of utter panic. By then, my mother was already lying in bed, having successfully brought me into the world. When my father saw that my face was an exact replica of his own, he was moved to tears. He held my mother and me tightly, and the three of us prepared to welcome a beautiful new chapter in our lives, unaware of the complex Causal Conditions that had brought us together."
A Mother's Hidden Sorrow
"My mother cared for me with such meticulous tenderness, allowing my father to focus entirely on his professional duties. As an infant, I was no different from any other child; I loved to suck my thumb and babble in ways that no one could understand. Yet, every day, I would open my eyes wide and watch my mother’s every move, as if I were observing something profound. I often noticed a hidden sorrow in her heart—a sadness that never appeared when she was in my father’s presence. She harboured a secret that my father knew nothing about. I understood her every gesture and expression as if I were a relative who had lived with her for decades. With just a single glance, I knew exactly what she was about to do or what she was thinking.
I desperately wanted to tell her, 'Mother, you do not need to care for me so tirelessly. I can look after myself; just take care of your own heart.' But she could not hear the words I longed to speak, and she continued to nurture me with such devotion. I did not wish to disturb the tranquillity of her life, but the Causal Conditions were arranged in such a way that I was born as her child. One day, her heart was particularly heavy. She climbed a ladder to reach for something hidden in the ceiling. The ladder was rickety and unstable. I broke out in a cold sweat, longing to reach out and steady that crumbling structure, but my tiny body was incapable of such a feat. As she climbed higher, the ladder swayed more violently. I watched in horror as it began to give way. She was still standing at the top, searching for her hidden treasure—a purple bracelet. My heart was filled with infinite sorrow as I watched her fall. I could not reach out to catch her, and as I saw that purple bracelet clutched in her hand, tears streamed down my face. I quickly wiped them away, terrified that she might see them."
The Truth of the Purple Bracelet
"That purple bracelet was incredibly precious. It was something I had purchased with three years of my hard-earned savings. I knew that purple was my mother's favourite colour, and I had searched tirelessly for such a treasure. I had worked so hard every single day just to buy that bracelet for the woman I loved—Shufen. Yes, Shufen was my mother, but she was also my woman. There was no conflict in this, for I had died and been reincarnated. I had not forgotten the past. In the underworld, during that fateful accident, a figure resembling me had drunk the cup of Meng Po's soup in my place. A vortex spun rapidly, and a brilliant white light appeared before me. I lunged forward with all my might, and in an instant, I became Shufen's child.
When I slid out from my mother's birth canal, the sounds that reached my ears left me in utter shock. 'Why does this voice sound so much like Shufen's?' I wondered. My underdeveloped body required time before I could possess clear vision, and my hazy eyes could not yet see the world clearly. I relied on sound and touch to navigate my surroundings. To an adult, my world was nothing more than the space of a cradle, and no matter how much I wanted to move, I remained trapped, being rocked back and forth."
The Agony of Recognition
"When my father called out the name 'Shufen,' my world turned to darkness. It truly was my woman, Shufen. For three days, I was so overcome with grief that I could not eat. My parents were frantic, calling in several doctors to examine me. They all concluded, 'The child is healthy, perfectly healthy.' They could not know that the illness lay in my wounded heart. My sorrow was so deep that no pulse-taking could reveal the memories of my past life that remained perfectly intact within my mind. No matter how they checked, they could not detect the intense, lingering emotions that still burned within me.
As the days passed, I grew, and my vision became clearer. Shufen’s face, once a hazy silhouette, became sharp and defined. I saw many wrinkles I had never seen before and strands of white hair that had not existed in the past. The sadness in her heart was the memory of our time together. She had hidden that memory deep within, tucking the purple bracelet I had given her into a hole in the ceiling. I knew she was still missing me because my departure had been so sudden."
A Brother's Betrayal
"When my father walked through the door, I saw his face clearly and immediately squeezed my eyes shut in terror. 'How could it be... it is my brother!' It was my most respected twin brother. I could not believe what I was seeing. I now realised that on that night, it was my brother who had poisoned me. He had once told me he had fallen in love with a woman he should not have, and he longed to be with her. I had encouraged him to pursue her bravely, never imagining that the woman was... Shufen. He had listened to me and pursued her. On the night of my wedding to Shufen, he had slipped poison into my wine. I was poisoned to death, and he had quickly moved my body, spending that night alone with Shufen. Even when she eventually discovered that the bridegroom was not me, it was too late. By the time everyone found my body, it was already decaying because the toxicity of the poison was so severe. Shufen wept for me for years, and now, I had become her child.
My brother loved Shufen dearly, and their life together was very sweet. No one could see the memories she kept hidden in her heart. I watched it all from by her side. Soon, she was pregnant again. I felt a deep sense of irony regarding the falseness of worldly emotions. To give everything for love is truly foolish. If I had not seen the truth with my own eyes, I would still be clinging to those past entanglements. Now, I have chosen to let go."
The Path to True Liberation
"My brother, my father; Shufen, my mother. They lived with me and my younger brother, Shufen's son, as a family of four, yet each of us harboured a secret world within. This is the family that humanity clings to so desperately. I was deeply moved by the realisation: who in this world is truly one's closest kin? If even one's spouse and one's own flesh and blood are not what they seem, what is there left in this world to hold onto? I saw clearly the falseness of worldly emotions and laughed at my own past ignorance. Yet, I am grateful for these Causal Conditions, for they allowed me, within of a five-year-old, to truly see through the world.
I must use this body until the end of my days, but I will not waste it. I will treat it well and use it, for everyone in this world is addicted to this false world of emotion. Who knows if their father was once their enemy? Or if their child was once their lover? Who knows that even in the sweetest of relationships, there is still the separation of 'you' and 'me,' and each person keeps their own private space? After we reincarnate, we go our separate ways, following our own . What is the value of such emotions?"
A Life Dedicated to Saving Others
"At the age of seven, I bade farewell to my parents and embarked on the path of monastic practice. This journey was one of , stability, and lightness. I discovered that letting go of everything is truly effortless. I hope that people in this world will heed my counsel: let go a little more, be a little more at ease, and spare yourselves some suffering. In the temple, I practised diligently day and night, striving to achieve the skills necessary to save the people of this world. After ten years of practice, I realised I was still missing one soul. It turned out that the part of me that had drunk the Meng Po soup and rushed to reincarnate was that missing soul, which had become a sow deeply mired in emotional attachment. I did not yet have the ability to call myself back, but it was my Master who called back that 'me' who was then mating. There is truly no emotion in this world worth such sacrifice.
I led many followers forward, our goal set firmly on the Western Pure Land. Everything in this world is but a nightmare. I travelled everywhere, expounding the scriptures so that every being could realise the truth of life and stop being obsessed with the things of this world. Only by chanting Namo Amituofo and seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land can one find the ultimate truth.
I used this body until I was over seventy years old—the longest possible lifespan for that vessel. It helped me accomplish much; many people heard the and learned to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. My life was not in vain. At the time of my passing, I successfully returned to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."
The Inconceivable of Practitioner Su
"Practitioner Su truly sees the truth of the universe in this world. She sees the pain of reincarnation, the falseness of emotions, and she has long since let go of it all. She has reclaimed her true self and , spending her entire life using her skills to save countless sentient beings. This is what it means to truly cherish a human body. If one body can save one person to become a Buddha, even if it only lives for ten years, it is worth more than ninety years of ordinary life. How much more so for Practitioner Su, whose Dharma Body has saved immeasurable and boundless beings, guiding them to rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Even if one were to travel across all the mountains and seas of this world, one would not find another Practitioner Su. People must truly seize the opportunity while she is in this world to learn her skills of saving the world, her mind-capacity, and her compassionate heart. Most importantly, one must learn from her how to truly see through the illusions of this world, to let go of everything cleanly, without leaving a single trace of emotion or residue, becoming crystal clear and radiating golden light.
Every day, I follow the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su into the universe to perform Chao Du. Today, I saw the existence of 'sphere-spirits'—souls of planets that had been extinguished in the universe due to the depletion of their energy. Their spirit-bodies remained in space. Upon closer inspection, I saw another space existing within the universe where these sphere-spirits and the beings from those planets existed together. Today, they were bathed in the Buddha-light, and we guided them out of that space, seeking the light. The number of these sphere-spirits is immeasurable. The Chao Du performed by the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su is truly inconceivable. She saves layer upon layer of invisible worlds, releasing soul after soul from the darkness. They all kneel and kowtow with infinite gratitude and tears, thanking Namo Amituofo for His great compassion, and thanking Practitioner Su for her mercy!"
