The Path of Compassion: A Journey of Abandonment and Awakening

This is a record of an interview with the 888th Venerable, Zhuo Kaiming, who lived approximately 1,100 years ago. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa-Jing, on July 26, 2018.

Venerable Zhuo Kaiming speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I was a child found by my foster father. When I was nearly two years old, my biological mother abandoned me in a field of grass. I was too young to understand what had happened. I remember the gentle breeze brushing against my face that day, and I drifted off to sleep, feeling quite comfortable. My foster father happened to pass by and saw me there. He thought I looked adorable, yet there was no one around to care for me. He asked many villagers if they knew whose child I was, but no one had any idea. He decided to take me home to raise me as his own."

The Cries of a Lost Child

"When I woke up, I was already in my foster father's home. My stomach was empty, and I began to wail naturally. But no matter how hard I cried, I could not hear the soothing voice of a mother. Seeing this strange man, my foster father, I felt a deep sense of fear, which only made me cry even louder.

I cried incessantly for three days and three nights. My foster father was at his wit's end. At one point, he even considered taking me back to where he found me. But after walking a few steps, he remembered the bitterness of his own childhood abandonment. His heart softened, and he turned back, bringing me home once more, determined to care for me properly.

My foster father had never raised a child before. He constantly asked the neighbours how to handle a baby's needs—how to manage hygiene, what to feed me, what to do when I couldn't sleep, and so many other questions. Those early days of caring for me kept him in a state of constant, frantic activity."

A Bond Forged in Poverty

"Three years passed in the blink of an eye. I gradually grew accustomed to him and came to rely on him completely. Throughout my upbringing, my foster father cared for me in every possible way. He had always loved children, but he had never married or had a family of his own. Because of the trauma of being abandoned by his own parents as a child, he had chosen to live a solitary life, never wanting to marry, intending to spend his entire life in that dilapidated house. He never expected that meeting me would change the course of his life forever.

From the age of ten, my foster father had lived a life where he could barely afford three meals a day. At such a young age, he had to scavenge for food to fill his belly. Once, while walking the streets, he saw some delicious-looking steamed buns in a basket. He reached out to take one, but he was caught in the act. He did not even understand that this was considered stealing. He was beaten until his body was covered in wounds and scars, leaving a deep, painful mark on his heart. His life had never been smooth; he was always filled with sorrow and gloom, unable to find a way out of his suffering.

My name, 'Kaiming,' was given to me by my biological parents; they had written it on my collar. When my foster father found me, it was as if he had seen a ray of light. My adorable appearance brought a rare smile to his face. Although it faded quickly, it had quietly brought a new sense of vitality into his life."

The Wealth of Generosity

"Even though my foster father was poor, earning only a pittance from selling firewood, he lived frugally so that he could set aside a little to give to others. To him, this was his most sincere offering. Because he knew the bitterness of life, he did not want anyone else to suffer as he had from a young age.

When I was small, I didn't know how to chop wood, but I knew how to pick up fallen branches for him. My foster father never threw away the wood I gathered; he would take it out to sell as well. Some kind-hearted people would buy it, though at a slightly lower price.

My foster father would share the money from selling the wood with me. I saved for a long time just to buy a few small sugar cubes. But I never felt reluctant to share them with others just because I had so few. Having followed my foster father's example of Generosity for years, I would share even the smallest things with others. Seeing them enjoy the sugar cubes I had earned through my own efforts brought me a joy far greater than keeping them for myself."

A Turning Point in the Dharma

"One day, I went to the street with my foster father to sell firewood. I had bought ten sugar cubes and was walking happily along the road. We happened to meet a Venerable who was out on a begging round. My foster father bowed respectfully to the Venerable. When I saw the Venerable, I happily dropped all ten sugar cubes into his bowl and said, 'I want to share these delicious sugar cubes with you, Venerable.' Seeing my innocent expression, the Venerable smiled with great compassion.

When the Venerable saw the sorrowful expression on my foster father's face, he guided him: 'You and this child share a karmic connection from the past, which is why you are reunited in this life. This connection is very good. As long as you both resolve to help others, your destiny in this life will surely change. Suffering arises from the heart; everything you experienced in childhood is already in the past. Now, see that your heart is filled with true wealth. Contentment brings lasting joy. Focus on chanting Namo Amituofo and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; before you lies a path of pure light.' My foster father was a person with deep good roots, but he had been trapped by the suffering of his youth. Under the guidance of the Venerable, he was deeply moved; no one had ever spoken such words to him before. It was as if he had found an exit from a dense fog, and he was overjoyed.

This encounter with the Venerable opened the path of Buddha’s teachings for my foster father. He found true Dharma-joy in his practice. He brought me home and we diligently practised the Buddha’s teachings, focusing single-mindedly on chanting the name of Namo Amituofo. He often took me to the temple to listen to sutras, following the teachings in our daily lives. By maintaining a pure heart, we naturally gained many insights."

The True Wealth of Liberation

"After our bodies were purified, the world we saw with our eyes was completely different from before. We saw the suffering of others more clearly, and we understood that beyond giving money, we must teach them to chant the Buddha's name and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land to truly achieve liberation and leave suffering behind. Otherwise, these people work for their livelihoods, work to support their families, and continue this for decades—from youth to old age. They toil to raise their children, only for the children to eventually go their separate ways. Then, they must face sickness, old age, and death. How much time do they actually have to enjoy life?

My foster father and I could not bear to see everyone continue to cycle through samsara, so we were determined to save people. At that moment, I remembered what that Venerable had said about us possessing great wealth. Now I finally understood: the ability to realise the importance of practice, to pursue the liberation from birth and death, and to not be attached to anything in this world—that is the greatest wealth of the heart, and that is what it means to be truly wise. If I had chosen to marry and have children in this life, my future would have been just like the villagers I saw—working from sunrise to sunset, ending my life in the same cycle. That would have been a true pity."

A Karmic Connection Across Time

"I am grateful to that Venerable who met us; he became our saviour. The connection between us did not end there. When my foster father and I were formally studying the Buddha’s teachings, we met this Venerable again at the temple. His Dharma name was Fa-Can. Venerable Fa-Can eventually became our shared master, and under his guidance, we both left the home life to become monks.

Ten years into my practice, I could freely know my past and present lives. I saw my past connection with our master and realised that he had once been an old ox. One day, his owner was leading him past the temple, constantly whipping the animal. The ox was too old to walk, yet the owner kept shouting at him. At that time, my foster father and I were monks in the temple, fellow disciples. While working in the fields, we happened to see this old ox and went forward to take refuge and offer teachings. The look in the ox's eyes told us that he understood. Although he was eventually dragged away by his owner, we knew that after he died, he would not have to continue suffering in the animal realm. Today, that old ox is our master, and now he is the one guiding us. This karmic connection is truly magnificent."

A Lifetime of Dedication

"Fifteen years of practice passed. My foster father and I eventually left the temple to travel and spread the Buddha’s teachings, all to help more people understand the importance of learning the Buddha’s teachings, chanting the Buddha’s name, and seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land, so they could permanently pull out the roots of the suffering of birth and death. After decades of practice, I am grateful for the karmic conditions that allowed me to learn the Buddha’s teachings in this life. In the end, both my foster father and I, at the time of our passing, chanted the Buddha’s name and attained rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Practitioner Su's 'Dharma Body Chao Du' compassionately reveals the truth of the universe and unlocks the codes of life for the world. There are immeasurable, countless spirits in the Milky Way who have received Chao Du and departed from their original spaces. Now, the scope of Practitioner Su's Chao Du continues to expand; there are even more and larger galaxies beyond the Milky Way. Watching Practitioner Su's effortless and graceful movements during Chao Du, the joy of that deliverance is beyond words. I hope that every practitioner can find their 'true self,' and together, make the vow to work for the sake of all beings. Namo Amituofo."