The Lasting Legacy of Shi Chengyu

This is a record of an interview with Shi Chengyu, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately 800 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxi, on November 28, 2021.

Shi Chengyu speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. This is a moment of profound gratitude for me. Having experienced the cycle of rebirth throughout countless lives and witnessed the many faces of life and death, I have finally attained liberation and reached the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I know that this is an opportunity that is difficult to encounter in millions of years. I cherish it deeply and am filled with immense gratitude. Here, I represent all the jailers and sentient beings with karmic affinity to bow in thanks for the Buddha's grace and to thank Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo.

I am Shi Chengyu. My previous life was over eight hundred years ago. My family home was located about three hundred miles east of the Western Gate of the capital city. At that time, the Shi family was a prestigious and well-respected clan in the region. For generations, we were known for our commitment to Goodness, frequently helping the young and supporting the impoverished. For over a century, we had assisted countless people, and we were regarded by the local populace as a family of great virtue.

The Ancestral Wisdom of Wealth

The Shi family possessed vast ancestral lands distributed across many areas. Much of this land was used for rice cultivation. Every year, we harvested an abundance of plump, high-quality grain, which provided food for several surrounding regions. Consequently, we generated significant wealth annually.

The Shi family never lacked money, yet we never became arrogant or complacent because of our riches. Our ancestral teachings frequently admonished our descendants: 'Wealth and status lead to ruin if you view money as something that belongs to you personally.' Therefore, every generation of the Shi family took this teaching to heart. We understood that wealth is merely an external possession. If one can use money in the right places, one will not bring about one's own destruction in a desperate attempt to hoard it.

A Life of Duty and Family

In the capital, I was known as Young Master Shi. From a very young age, my parents worried about my future. As I was the only son of the final generation of the Shi family, my parents were determined to preserve our family line. They felt it was my duty to carry on the family name. From the moment I was born, they began scouting for a suitable young lady, often bringing her into the Shi household to be raised alongside me, waiting for the day she would become my wife.

My parents eventually arranged for me to marry seven wives. I followed their instructions faithfully. Once I reached adulthood, I fulfilled my duties as a husband with all seven of them, and we brought one healthy child after another into the world to carry on the Shi family lineage. I had twenty-one children in total—each wife gave birth to three children, a mix of boys and girls. Looking at my large family, I could not help but think: giving birth is easy, but education is the truly important task.

The Weight of Responsibility

Given the Shi family's living conditions, raising twenty-one children was not a financial problem, but education was a monumental task that required careful attention. As their father, I decided to take charge of their upbringing personally. I taught them everything I knew, instilling in them the values of universal love and the importance of helping others. My seven wives lived in harmony; although the Shi household was vast, our hearts were tightly knit, and we were united as one.

Life moved forward with the passage of time. My children gradually grew into adulthood, and my wives and I began to age. My parents enjoyed their final years in peace, spending their time playing with their grandchildren. When they passed away, they left this world with no regrets and in complete serenity. Under my careful guidance, each of my children grew up well. They inherited the ancestral teachings of the Shi family, making the act of helping others their foundation and never finding joy in selfish indulgence.

The True Value of Education

As my children matured, I reached my twilight years. Looking back on my life—marrying, having children, and raising them—I realised that I had spent the better part of my life doing what the world calls 'living.' Fortunately, my children all lived meaningful lives. They knew how to keep a kind heart and were enthusiastic about helping others; they did not become a burden to society. Because they understood the consequences of their actions, I no longer had to worry about them. Children have their own destiny, and they knew how to manage their own lives.

The education one receives is truly vital. It is the most important learning process in every person's life. If a child learns to be good during their formative years, they will have the ability to choose a virtuous path in the future. Conversely, if they fail to learn well, their future choices may be flawed, leading them down the wrong path or even causing harm to the world. That would be a lifelong burden and the greatest pain in one's heart.

A Different Path for the Next Generation

I am deeply grateful for the education I received as a child, which allowed me to learn and grow. It made me realise the importance of education, and when I had my own children, I was able to pass those same values on to them so they would not lose their way. I treated the education of all twenty-one children fairly. I taught them the concepts of kindness and a correct attitude toward life, but I did not restrict them beyond that; I allowed them the freedom to choose their own paths. In this, I differed from my parents. Because my parents were under the pressure of continuing the family line, they had chosen my path for me from birth. But when I had so many children, 'continuing the family line' was no longer the most important thing to me. 'Education' was what I considered paramount, and I was happy to support my children in their own life choices, hoping only that they would be responsible for their own lives.

Some of my children told me they did not wish to marry or have children. I was not surprised by their thoughts, for I knew that my own life had become a mirror for them. They did not want to live the same life I had—a life completely bound by family obligations. I understood their hearts, and so when I heard their decisions, I supported them.

The Final Revelation

My children had their own choices. I told them: 'You may take the Shi family assets and live the life you desire. But there is one thing you must never forget: the meaning of "living" is that as long as you are "alive" and have this breath, you must do the work of a "living" person—helping others and supporting the young and the poor. Remember, only the dead are blind to the suffering of the world.' My children understood what I meant, which gave me great comfort.

I passed away at the age of seventy-one. It was only just before my death that I discovered my youngest wife was actually a fox spirit in human form. Although she was half-human and half-demon, she had never done anything to harm anyone in her life. I had never noticed this until the very end, when she was so heartbroken that my life was coming to an end that she wanted to sacrifice her own essence to extend my life. That was when her true identity was revealed. She asked me, 'Will you blame me for not telling you the truth?' I replied, 'You have given me your true heart throughout this life; how could I ever blame you?' I think I had truly fallen in love with my seven wives. While I was reluctant to leave this world, I was even more unwilling to let her lose her life to save mine. I refused her offer. Looking back on my life, I felt content.

The Judgment of the Underworld

After leaving the human world, I arrived in the underworld. Because the Shi family had performed so many good deeds for generations, I was treated with great respect upon my arrival. Everyone was kind to me. Perhaps this is what people mean when they say that one accumulates hidden merit while alive.

I lived in the underworld for a period of time until one day I was summoned to the Yama Hall. King Yama reviewed the course of my life and smiled, telling me: 'The greatest benefit of your life was that you raised a group of good children. Even now, they continue to accumulate merit in the human world. That is why I have summoned you today.' However, King Yama also told me: 'The greatest loss in your life was that you became too emotionally attached. Your lingering attachment to the love of your children made it difficult for you to let go, and this has affected your destination.' I understood what he meant. Hearing that my children were still performing good deeds in the world made my heart very happy. As for his pointing out that I was still unable to let go of worldly emotions, I knew it was indeed my obstacle. I also knew that I could not go back; those events were already in the past, part of my previous life.

Awakening to the Truth of Life

King Yama allowed me to serve in the hells. I am very grateful for that opportunity. During my service, I witnessed many instances of cause and effect, and my feelings regarding the attachment I could not let go of began to change. It was only in recent years, after hearing Practitioner Su give Dharma talks, that I became much clearer. I finally understood the truth of life and death. I realised how important it is to attain liberation. In the past, I only focused on doing good deeds in the world, and I even became deeply emotionally attached to those actions. Even after death, my heart could not let go.

Now, after hearing Practitioner Su explain the truth of life and death, I know that this physical body is an illusion. Everything in the world is merely a process of life. This life is meant to help us practice and to find the path to liberation. But I had spent my whole life clinging to the departure of life, which meant I was lost in delusion. Only now have I finally awakened.

The power of Practitioner Su's Dharma talks is immense; it helps people wake up from their illusions. I am deeply grateful for the power of awakening that Practitioner Su has brought to me. I have resolved to begin diligent practice, but as I am now a spirit without a physical body, there are many breakthroughs in practice that I cannot achieve on my own.

I am infinitely grateful for the great compassion of Practitioner Su. If not for Practitioner Su guiding us to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, it would be difficult for us to attain liberation. Today is a very joyous moment for me. I will cherish and grasp this opportunity, and I will practise diligently. I hope that one day, I too will be able to use my abilities to follow the Buddha and save sentient beings.

Shi Chengyu, on behalf of all jailers and sentient beings with karmic affinity, bows in thanks for the Buddha's grace and thanks Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo.

Shi Chengyu, with palms joined."