The Orange That Taught Me Life

This is a record of an interview with the 559th Venerable, Xitao, who lived approximately 1,100 years ago. He sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia and now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on December 5, 2018.

Venerable Xitao speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. An orange fell onto my head. It rolled along the ground, and I reached out to pick it up. Upon closer inspection, I was shocked to realise it was a karmic creditor from my past life. This being had been reborn as an orange, growing on that tree for many years, just waiting for me to sit beneath it. It had finally completed its plan for revenge, using its own body to strike me hard on the head. I chanted Namo Amituofo for him, took refuge for him, and taught him to chant so he could head toward the light."

The Lesson of the Orange

"The staff struck the ground three times—it was my Master calling for Xitao. I immediately went toward the sound. Master asked me, 'What have you realised about life today?' I told him, 'When there is Buddha in the heart, even if one encounters a karmic creditor, one can view them as a Buddha.' Master then asked, 'Did you encounter a karmic creditor today?' I replied, 'Yes, and it was an orange. I chanted for him, took refuge for him, and told him to go toward the light.' Master asked, 'How did you know this orange was your karmic creditor?' I told him, 'Because it hit me on the head.' Master smiled slightly and asked, 'Why not view him as your noble person?' I looked at Master in confusion, 'He is my noble person?' Master explained, 'The orange hit your head today, which led you to this realisation about life; therefore, he is your noble person.' Hearing this, I understood: 'The orange was originally my karmic creditor, but after it hit my head and led me to this insight, it became my noble person. And because I chanted for him and helped him attain Buddhahood, I am also his noble person. So, today I was lucky to meet a noble person, not a karmic creditor!' Master then told me, 'When the state of your heart changes, circumstances will follow, because the environment changes according to the heart. All good things come from this heart, and all bad things also come from this heart. As long as the heart sees everything as good, this world is always at peace.' I finally understood!"

A Noble Encounter

"I was still holding the orange in my hand. Other fellow practitioners asked me, 'Why are you holding an unripe orange?' I happily told them, 'This is the noble person I met today!'

I am Xitao. I am eight years old this year. Even when I was still in my mother's womb, I was a lively child. The year I was born, disasters struck the village one after another, and the villagers all said I was the omen of misfortune! Neither my mother nor I were liked by anyone, and we had no goals in life. Once I learned to walk, I began following my mother to beg for food. We were homeless, drifting from place to place. I was beaten with bamboo sticks, splashed with water and driven away, and I once lay by the roadside, nearly dying of cold, picking up sour, rotten food to fill my stomach. To survive, I deeply experienced what the suffering of life truly is."

The Power of the Buddha-Name

"My mother passed away from illness when I was seven, leaving me alone in this world. I originally had no desire to live and intended to starve to death in the wilderness. My body was curled into a ball, huddled in the roadside grass. I thought I could leave this world just like my mother and be liberated from all suffering, but it turned out my life was not yet meant to end.

Master saved my life in less than a day. It was the power of Namo Amituofo that revived me. At that time, I had only one breath left. Master continuously chanted for me, using the Buddha-name to infuse energy into my body. In a very short time, I regained my strength, could speak, and began to eat. Master told me, 'It is easy to die, but to live again is not a simple matter. You would have to go through countless cycles of rebirth to obtain a human body again. These hands can be used to dig for scraps to eat, or they can be used to save people. The Buddha has given us the same physical body; it all depends on how you make good use of it.'"

The Lesson of the Rice Bowl

"After I recovered, Master gave me a task: to give a bowl of rice to the person who needed it most. I did not know where to look for such a person. I walked a long way, passed through many poor villages, and met many beggars, but I could not find who needed that bowl of rice the most. Distressed, I sat under a large tree and left the bowl of rice to the side. Before long, I fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up, the bowl of rice was surrounded by a large group of ants, all working hard to carry away the grains. I nervously reached out to shoo them away, but immediately pulled my hand back. Seeing how hungry the ants were, I could not bear to drive them off and decided to give the rice to them.

When I returned to the temple, Master asked me, 'What did this bowl of rice teach you?' I told him, 'It turns out that helping others requires a selfless heart, it requires following karmic conditions, and it requires not having any discriminations! I searched for a long time but could not find the person who needed the rice most, yet in the end, the rice followed conditions to save immeasurable and boundless ants. When I let go of my discriminations, I realised that even the small ants on the ground are beings I can save.'"

A Life Transformed

"Every day, Master gave me different lessons to help me realise the truth of life. I understood more and more that this seemingly insignificant body could actually perform such great functions, and that helping others is such a joyful thing!

The suffering of the world does not distinguish between levels or ranks. The suffering of the wealthy is the same as the suffering of the poor, because suffering lies within one's own heart. If the heart cannot be opened, even the richest billionaire will be more miserable than a beggar on the street. Following Master to learn the Buddha’s teachings, I found enlightenment everywhere in life. When I saw clearly that the world is an illusion, I resolutely decided to shave my head and become a monastic.

I am grateful to Master for his twenty years of teaching, which allowed me to find the strength to stand up again when my life was at its most desperate. This strength is the practice of Buddhism to help others. I let my body exert greater ability, so that these hands are no longer just for begging, but for saving immeasurable and boundless sentient beings. My heart is Buddha, and Buddha is in my heart. I learn the Buddha’s actions to help every being chant Namo Amituofo and attain Buddhahood."

The Reality of the Western Pure Land

"In this life, it was Namo Amituofo who saved my life, and it is Namo Amituofo who leads me to rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. My life can be said to have existed in this world, but it can also be said that it never existed at all, because life is inherently empty, illusory, and a false perception of birth and death. My soul has awakened from delusion and returned to the West; that is the true existence.

Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body is already a prominent figure in the universe. The scale of the space he opens is constantly expanding, with new breakthroughs and progress every day. A large group of spirits in the universe actively supports Practitioner Su’s Buddha-actions. They want to learn from his compassion in saving the world, helping other spirits in the universe hear the Buddha’s voice and be saved. These spirits happen to have a karmic connection with me, and today I met them and praised their compassion. Many of these kind spirits also chanted Namo Amituofo today and were reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, which is a joyous and celebratory event!

Human nature is originally Goodness. Whether it is humans or spirits without bodies, they all still possess a heart of Goodness. The power of Goodness can be expanded, the Goodness in human nature can be stimulated, and the kind side of spirits can be reopened. The power of Goodness in the universe spreads wider and wider with Practitioner Su’s Chao Du. Every speck of dust and every planet in the universe is gradually turning toward Goodness. In the bitter sea of the Saha world, as long as there is Goodness and Buddha, there is no cycle of rebirth. This power will continue to be transmitted to every space and every corner. For all of this, we must be grateful for Practitioner Su’s compassion. Namo Amituofo."