The Path of Compassionate Deliverance

This is a record of an interview with Zhou Wen, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his life approximately 1,600 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on March 29, 2019.

Venerable Zhou Wen speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Zhou Wen. Looking back at my life from sixteen centuries ago, I see a journey defined by a heart that could never turn away from suffering—whether it belonged to a human or a creature of the earth.

The Boy Who Heard the Mice

I remember being only four years old, lying beside my grandmother. The house was old and creaky, and beneath the bed, there was a constant, rustling commotion. While others might have heard only noise, I could understand the voices of the mice. They were desperate. 'This family is truly destitute,' they whispered. 'There isn't even half a grain of rice on the floor. We are going to starve to death!' My heart ached for them. I waited until my grandmother was fast asleep, then crept out of bed to search the kitchen. The rice jar was empty, but I found a small piece of sweet potato. I placed it under the bed for them, and only when I heard the soft sounds of them eating did I feel at peace enough to fall asleep.

The next morning, my grandmother was furious. 'Zhou Wen! Where is the sweet potato I hid?' When I told her I had given it to the mice, she shrieked, 'I hid that specifically so the mice wouldn't find it! Do you realise that was the only food we had left?' I felt terrible, but I told her, 'I can endure hunger, Grandmother, but I didn't know you were hungry too. If I had known, I would have shared it between us and the mice.' She shook her head in despair, wondering who had taught me to be so kind to 'beasts' when we were barely surviving ourselves. She simply could not understand my heart."

A Heart That Shared Everything

"This was not the first time I had angered her. Once, I saw our neighbours—a family with ten children—who were so poor they had no rice at all. Seeing their suffering, I gave them the only bag of rice we owned. When my grandmother discovered it, she beat me with a rattan whip, calling me a traitor to my own home. My body was covered in welts and bruises, and I held back my tears, but deep down, I knew I had done the right thing. That rice saved the youngest child from starving to death.

My parents had left me in the care of my grandmother shortly after I was born, and she was a woman of great bitterness. She never wanted to share, while I felt a natural, irrepressible urge to give. As I grew older, I began working at the age of eight to support her. Even when I earned enough to buy better food, my heart remained heavy because I saw the neighbours still suffering. I took on extra work in secret, just so I could buy sweets for the children or give a few coins to those in need on the street. It was a constant struggle between my grandmother's demands for wealth and my own need to alleviate the pain of others."

The Shadow of the Slaughterhouse

"Then came the day a merchant arrived in our village. The villagers were buzzing with excitement—he wanted to buy our land to build a massive slaughterhouse. They saw only the promise of money, of regular income, and a way out of poverty. They were planning their futures with the blood of innocent beings. I was horrified. 'These creatures have spirits!' I cried out to them. 'How can we kill them just for profit?' They only laughed at me, calling me a foolish child. 'Beasts are just beasts,' they said. They were blinded by greed, and my grandmother was the most excited of all. Seeing her smile so broadly for the first time in my life, only to realise it was because of the prospect of a slaughterhouse, broke my heart.

I sat on a large rock, sighing in despair, when I heard another sigh behind me. It was a boy my own age. We shared the same grief—we both saw the beauty of our land and the sanctity of the lives that would be extinguished. We were just children, powerless against the adults, but we held onto our hope. We prayed to the heavens, begging for the slaughterhouse to never be built. And, miraculously, it happened. The merchant fell into a sudden, grave illness. He spent all his capital on medical treatments, and with no money left to build, the project was abandoned. The village was spared, and the disasters that had begun to plague us ceased."

The Awakening to the Dharma

"After that, I knew I had to find a way to truly save all beings. I left my grandmother and spent three years searching for the Truth. It was a woman washing clothes by the river who introduced me to the Buddha's teachings. She saw a dead fish floating by and, with such compassion, chanted for it, helping it take refuge in the Buddha. I was mesmerised. I asked her what she was doing, and she explained that she was helping the fish so it would never have to be a fish again. That moment changed my life. I sought out a temple, and for the first time, I understood the greatness of the Dharma—it could save every spirit and teach the truth of the universe.

At twenty-five, I passed the tests to become a monk. My master taught me that the most important skill was not the memorisation of scriptures, but the cultivation of a compassionate heart—a heart that feels the suffering of all beings as its own. Under his guidance, my wisdom grew, and I finally reclaimed the innate ability to use my life to save beings. Namo Amituofo."

"Zhou Wen travelled everywhere to teach the Dharma. The reason his teachings were so effective in capturing people's hearts was not because the scriptures he cited were different from those of other monastics. Rather, it was because Zhou Wen had regained the 'heavenly eye' and the ability to 'read minds'. This allowed him to observe the capacity of each individual and tailor his teachings accordingly. He would adapt to the nature, habits, and preferences of each being, using appropriate methods to guide them and introducing the Buddha’s teachings in a way they could truly understand."

A Life Dedicated to the Dharma

"Zhou Wen dedicated his entire life to the Buddha’s teachings. His heart was as still and silent as a pool of water. No matter what obstacles he encountered during the process of saving beings, his heart remained completely unmoved. His only thought was a singular, unwavering faith in the Buddha. If one truly believes in oneself and in the Buddha, and places the needs of all beings above all else, then one will never encounter anything truly unsatisfactory in life. The heart naturally gains the power to transform all external circumstances, remaining unshaken by the winds of the world. Saving beings is a duty that lasts a lifetime. Zhou Wen lived a simple, plain life. Even when he lost an arm for the sake of sentient beings, his heart remained as calm as still water. This body was always meant to be a contribution to all beings; losing an arm was not even worth mentioning. Zhou Wen pushed his life to its absolute limit. When his body could no longer survive in this world, he took his final breath, chanted a long, resonant 'Namo Amituofo,' and with a sudden 'snap,' he vanished from the human world to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

The Weight of a Soul and the Call to Serve

"Although Zhou Wen had returned to the Western Pure Land, he understood clearly that not all beings had been saved. He made a vow to return in future lives to continue rescuing suffering spirits. However, due to the rapid changes in the human heart and the nature of this current era, Zhou Wen did not dare to reincarnate into the human world lightly. A soul is a precious thing; once one takes the wrong path, it is inevitable that one will continue to be trapped in the cycle of rebirth within the six realms of existence. Now, however, Practitioner Su’s leg injury has moved me to come immediately to his aid, to support Practitioner Su in his noble mission to save the world."

Witnessing the Compassion of Practitioner Su

"During this time spent within Practitioner Su’s leg, I have felt the suffering of the spirits deeply. Their agony is so intense that they are desperate for help, and their hearts are filled with a hatred that has only been exacerbated by the increasing wickedness of the human heart. Practitioner Su, in his great compassion, bears this suffering on behalf of all beings, enduring excruciating pain as he continues to move forward. The path of saving the world is undeniably arduous, yet Practitioner Su’s perseverance and his profound vow are greater than any obstacle. I deeply admire Practitioner Su’s great compassion. Every day, I listen to his teachings and learn from him. I am filled with gratitude for Practitioner Su’s compassion. Namo Amituofo."

This interview was recorded by the chief writer, disciple Shi Fajing.