The Path of Awakening After Realisation

This is a record of an interview with Li Dexing, who sought Chao Du 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 1,500 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on October 7, 2018.

Venerable Li Dexing speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Li Dexing. Looking back across the span of fifteen centuries, the memories of my early life remain as vivid as if they happened only yesterday. The floodwaters were surging, rising higher by the second. The villagers were screaming in terror, 'Run! Everyone, run for your lives!' My mother scooped me up in her arms, using every ounce of her strength to sprint toward the higher ground, terrified that the relentless deluge would swallow us whole.

A Childhood Defined by Rising Waters

In that village, no one was willing to help us build a levee. Every time the heavy rains came, the river would burst its banks, and every single villager lived in a state of constant, gnawing anxiety. We were all people without the means to move away. That house was the only property they had in their entire lives; if they abandoned it, they would have nothing left. Even though it was incredibly dangerous, everyone gambled with their lives, desperately trying to protect their homes, fleeing and returning time and time again.

I grew up in that environment. When I was eleven years old, the flooding became catastrophic. The people in the village had no warning, and in a single night, the waters claimed so many lives. My mother and I managed to escape that tragedy only because, the day before, she had received news that a village in the mountains was suffering from a disaster. The entire village was shrouded in sorrow and misery, and they desperately needed help. My mother, without a moment's hesitation, took me and set off toward that village. Who could have known that this act of kindness would be the very thing that saved our lives?

The Power of a Mother's Compassion

We had no money, but wherever there was a need, my mother would always step forward to help. If someone was hosting a large charity event and needed assistants, my mother would certainly participate. When the temple held a Dharma assembly for Chao Du, my mother would go to serve as a volunteer. If someone brought rice to the village for disaster relief, my mother would be there to help transport the grain. Wherever human support was needed, my mother was sure to appear. Because of this, she became a beloved figure in the village, forming deep, positive karmic connections with every villager. Even I, because of my mother's good reputation, was especially cared for and protected by the villagers.

When we learned that the flood had taken the lives of so many of our neighbours, grief, sorrow, and a deep sense of loss flooded our hearts. In one night, we lost an entire village of people, and our own thatched hut was submerged by the floodwaters. We became a homeless mother and son, wandering without a place to call our own.

A Lesson from a Simple Rag

Perhaps it was the blessings accumulated from my mother's generous giving that prevented us from having to wander the streets. Very soon, a kind-hearted person helped us find a small house to live in. This benefactor was a Buddhist. He had met us on the street when my mother and I were sitting there, huddled and lost. He was merely passing by, yet he noticed us immediately. He came forward to ask about our situation, and when my mother told him what had happened in our village, he kindly arranged a place for us to stay. It was a small hut he had built outside a temple, which he had used for his own practice. Having moved back home to care for his descendants, the hut had been sitting empty. Our meeting was a matter of karmic affinity; he immediately offered us the space. We were filled with immense gratitude for his life-saving help.

We were not familiar with this new village at all, so the only place we could go was the nearby temple. My mother and I enthusiastically went to the temple to serve the community. The volunteer Bodhisattvas there loved spending time with us, and because my mother had such an easy-going personality, she could get along with anyone.

These volunteer Bodhisattvas in the temple were veterans who had served for decades. They practiced in the temple and volunteered there as well. Many of the elderly volunteers, even though they were only lay practitioners, had clearly achieved a high level of practice. They were constantly immersed in the Buddha-name, keeping their body, speech, and mind pure at all times. I was fortunate to learn by the side of these elderly Bodhisattvas. They told me, 'Practice is about the substance, not the form. You must constantly observe your own heart and reflect upon yourself at all times; only then can your practice be effective.' I am so grateful for the guidance of these true spiritual friends. They were practitioners of many years, and although they had not shaved their heads to become monastics, they had truly attained a level of practice that was worthy of respect and admiration.

The Wisdom of Purity

I followed these elderly Bodhisattvas, learning incessantly. It was a simple cleaning rag that started my life of learning the Buddha-Dharma. The first time I served in the temple, I was responsible for wiping the tables in the dining hall. I grabbed a rag at random and began scrubbing the table with all my might. A Bodhisattva beside me said, 'This rag is already covered in filth. No matter how hard you scrub, even if you scrub until the cloth tears, you will never be able to clean the table.' I looked at the tabletop I had just wiped; it was indeed not clean at all, still covered in oil and stains. The Bodhisattva then told me, 'Practice is the same. If your own heart is not pure, no matter how hard you practice or how loudly you chant the Buddha-name, you will never attain pure light.' Another Bodhisattva told me, 'Practice is about refining these impure aspects until you are completely pure. The foundation of practice lies in Goodness. Just like this rag, it was originally clean and white, but it became filthy after being used by many people. If you want to clean the table, you must first wash the rag. It is the same with practice: if your foundation is Good, you will naturally become more perfect and pure as you practice. If your foundation is filled with evil nature and evil thoughts, it is very difficult to achieve success in your practice.' After hearing this, I immediately washed the rag until it was clean. From that day on, I began to learn how to cultivate my heart, finding enlightenment in everything I did. Every day, I received the teachings of these true spiritual friends, and at the age of fifteen, I resolutely followed my master to become a monk. I spent my life actively saving sentient beings, and at the end of my life, I chanted the Buddha-name and was reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Vastness of Mind and Universe

I have followed Practitioner Su into the universe to perform Chao Du for sentient beings. I have realised that the universe can be large or small, depending entirely on a person's mind-capacity. The universe that Practitioner Su sees is boundless, while the universe I see is not as vast as his. This is truly a difference in mind-capacity and the power of one's vows, which fills me with great admiration.

We, the Venerable Ones, are able to follow Practitioner Su into the universe to perform Chao Du because we all had karmic affinities with the beings in the universe in our past lives. It is the combination of these karmic conditions that has brought about this grand assembly of deliverance. Today, I saw that in one of my past lives, I was a prince on a planet. After living there for a thousand years, I entered the six realms of rebirth again and was born elsewhere. Today, returning to that planet, the scenery inside was still familiar. I transformed back into my appearance as a prince and led all the people to loudly chant Namo Amituofo. The Buddha-light guided the sentient beings forward, and they were reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

Namo Amituofo.