The King of the Undersea Empire

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Xiao Tianhe, 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 as the King of an Undersea Empire approximately 10,000 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on June 19, 2018.

Venerable Xiao Tianhe speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Xiao Tianhe, also known as Venerable 1152. It is a profound honour to be here today.

Ten thousand years ago, I was the monarch of a truly magnificent undersea empire. Beneath the four oceans lay my vast territory—a realm hidden deep within the waters, completely undiscovered by humanity, and of an expanse that defies description. Every soldier, general, and citizen within my empire was a creature of the deep, and their physical forms were colossal. Even the largest marine creatures on Earth today would not reach one-hundredth the size of my subjects back then. I realise now that this immense scale was a direct reflection of the vastness of my own mind-capacity at the time. We were all one family, living in absolute peace and harmony for tens of thousands of years, completely free from conflict.

The Golden Dragon and the East Sea

If we speak of Practitioner Su, she absolutely possesses the supreme ability to traverse space and arrive in this realm. Until ten thousand years ago, my empire began to undergo some changes. One day, the Red Shrimp Warrior reported to me, 'Beyond the East Sea, a Golden Dragon has descended from the heavens. He admires our territory and has come to ask if you would be willing to gift it to him?' After hearing this, I issued a decree: 'Give it to him! Our empire is so vast; I am not stingy about sharing it with those of great ability. If there are other capable beings willing to manage the undersea empire alongside me, I would be overjoyed! The only condition is that he must cherish my subjects and never cause any destruction or harm.' The Golden Dragon agreed to these terms without a moment's hesitation. I immediately ceded the East Sea to him. Under his leadership, the citizens of the East Sea Kingdom upheld the principle of 'benevolence,' and every one of them possessed a heart of great love and kindness. They lived in perfect harmony, helping and loving one another.

The Prince of Liwang Star and the West Sea

Several years later, the Prince of the 'Liwang Star' from the cosmos paid a personal visit to my territory. His home planet was on the verge of destruction, and he was desperately searching for a new place for his people to settle. He wished to move them to the West Sea of my undersea empire. He asked for my opinion, and I generously gifted him the territory. My only condition was that he must live in harmony with my subjects, treating everyone with equality and kindness, without any discrimination. The Prince agreed and promised me that he would treat everyone as one. I laughed with joy and immediately gifted the West Sea to the Prince of Liwang Star to govern. All the residents of Liwang Star relocated to the West Sea Kingdom. The Prince taught his people the virtues of 'respect and humility.' Whether they were the original undersea subjects or those who had moved from the stars, there was no distinction between them. They were united as one, living together in the West Sea Kingdom with mutual respect and courtesy.

The Integrity of King Liba and the North Sea

Later, a celestial explosion occurred in the universe, causing a massive amount of stardust to fall upon the North Sea. Many extraterrestrial beings, their energy exhausted, fell along with the meteorites. Among them was King Liba of the Nuda Xing planet. He staked his very life on a promise to me that he would absolutely cherish my subjects, and he implored me to grant him the territory of the North Sea. Seeing the profound sincerity of King Liba, I agreed without hesitation and divided the North Sea territory for him to govern. King Liba led his people with the spirit of 'integrity and sincerity.' Within the North Sea Kingdom, the citizens treated each other with complete honesty, and every one of them possessed a heart of pure sincerity and reverence.

The South Sea and the Path of Compassion

As for the South Sea, I continued to govern it myself. I led the entire South Sea Kingdom with compassion and the power of Goodness. I taught my subjects to practise charity and to embody Compassion, Joy, and Selfless Giving. Each of my subjects possessed an open heart, and we lived together in blissful harmony.

From that time on, the four great seas of the undersea empire were divided into four kingdoms. Each kingdom passed down the energy of Goodness and righteousness. The energy throughout the entire ocean was incredibly powerful, and this state was maintained for ten thousand years. After the kings of the four kingdoms passed away, we all ascended to the heavenly realms; I myself ascended to the twentieth heaven. While in the heavenly realm, I looked back upon my past and realised that I had once been a being of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I longed for the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land once again. Although I tried many times, I seemed to lack the final surge of power required to reach the West.

The Boundless Power of Practitioner Su

Hundreds of years later, I entered a mother's womb and returned to the human world to practise once more. I cultivated purity within Meditation, realised my true nature within that purity, entered Samadhi, and suddenly awakened to the wisdom of the Buddha. I spent my life in pure practice, chanting Namo Amituofo and seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I once had an experience in Meditation where my spirit left my body and travelled into the cosmos. At that time, I could only observe the universe from a fixed point; the universe I saw was not very large, and I could see very few planets. As my meditative concentration deepened, the time I could spend in the cosmos extended, and my range of movement expanded. Today, following the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su as she performs Chao Du, I have been able to rush into the cosmos and witness its vast, immeasurable expanse. The 'black holes' I once sought are now right before my eyes. Many who wish to enter these black holes are eliminated by the intense rotating air currents at the entrance. Today, Practitioner Su can traverse them freely. This is not only because she is already a Buddha of the West, but because her compassion and her heart for saving beings—which are in perfect sync with the Buddhas—give her the energy to roam the universe freely. Even today, her Dharma Body deliverance reaches immeasurable and boundless planets in the universe. Many beings from the Demon Realm have also come to surrender and seek refuge. I believe that under the continuous Dharma Body deliverance of Practitioner Su, the universe will surely turn around all kinds of negative karma and generate an endless source of positive energy. Namo Amituofo."