The Path of Selfless Devotion and Awakening

This interview features Venerable Fang Ping, a practitioner who lived three hundred years ago. Seeking deliverance from the cycle of suffering, he dedicated his life to the Buddha's teachings and eventually achieved Awakening. This record was captured on February 26, 2019, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, where his spirit sought guidance and shared his journey of cultivation.

Venerable Fang Ping speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Fang Ping. This is a record of my life from approximately three hundred years ago. My elder brother was my childhood role model. In my eyes, he was the most obedient child imaginable. Whatever our elders asked of him, he would do immediately without hesitation; if they told him something was forbidden, he would never even consider doing it. He was four years my senior. From the moment I learned to crawl, I was always trailing behind him. Wherever he went, I followed; whatever he did, I mimicked. The adults around us often found our inseparable bond quite amusing."

Lessons from the Stage of Life

"My brother loved taking me to watch plays at the local theatre. Although I was very young and could not fully grasp the complexities of the performances, I was mesmerised by the actors in their vibrant, colourful costumes, moving with such agility across the stage. Because he enjoyed it, I did too.

However, my brother was not like the typical audience members who would laugh boisterously at comedies or weep uncontrollably at tragedies. Our mother taught him that one should seek wisdom from the theatre. She told him that a person's life is like a play; by watching ten plays, one witnesses ten different life stories. Every person we encounter is a teacher, and we should contemplate what kind of life path is truly the most valuable to pursue."

"My brother took our mother's words to heart, carefully reflecting on the insights each play offered. It was not just the characters on stage that moved him; the actors themselves taught him about the nature of existence. He applied this same method to guide me. As I grew older, I began to understand the depth of his teachings. By the time I was seven, I could clearly articulate the lessons I had learned from each performance. We shared our thoughts and learned from one another, developing a perspective on life that was quite different from other children our age."

The Purpose of Existence

"After my brother and I decided on the direction of our future, we stopped playing and spending time at the theatre. Instead, we began to cultivate Goodness and serve others. As we were uneducated, we could only offer our physical labour to help those around us. Every act of service brought us immense benefit—not in terms of money or material gain, but through the nourishment of our spirits and the elevation of our character.

A play titled 'The Monk's Biography' awakened us. Many of the monks who had achieved success in their practice became our models. We finally found our purpose in this world: to be like these eminent monks, spreading the Dharma and using the Buddha's teachings to help people find liberation from suffering."

Equality in the Buddha's Gate

"In the temple, practitioners come from all walks of life—some from prestigious backgrounds, others from extreme poverty. The Buddha does not discriminate based on wealth or status. We are all disciples of the Buddha. It is only because of the different karma created in the past that we receive different fruits, encounter different Causal Conditions, and possess different blessings, leading us to be born into different families.

Yet, here we all are, returning to the Buddha's gate, learning to help beings with a heart like the Buddha's. Those who let go of the 'self' the most grow the fastest. Those who are most willing to save beings awaken the earliest, and those who can sacrifice and contribute without a trace of ego cultivate the most expansive mind-capacity. There is no disparity based on poverty or wealth, nor is there a hierarchy in practice. In the Buddha's gate, all are equal. There is no 'you' or 'me'; everything depends on the cultivation of one's own heart—initiated by self-effort and assisted by the power of the Buddha. Even though my brother and I grew up in a poor family, we never faced discrimination or inequality in the temple. This was a stark contrast to the society outside. This difference allowed us to feel the Buddha's compassion and equality even more deeply, and we vowed to treat all beings with this same heart, ensuring that the world is filled with warmth and that every being can be saved equally."

The Path of Diligent Practice

"After entering the temple, I rarely had the chance to see my brother. We each focused on our own diligent practice, purifying our hearts to recover our original nature. When I first entered, I severed all ties with the worldly dust. I no longer maintained relationships with anyone, ensuring that even the most subtle attachments would not disturb my pure heart. This purity is like clear water without a single drop of ink; one must cultivate the heart until it is clean and transparent.

This process requires immense perseverance and determination. It is not easy to remove deep-seated habits accumulated over many lifetimes. It requires constant tempering, much like grinding an iron rod into a needle—it cannot be achieved overnight. Only through daily, unceasing diligent practice can the muddy water gradually become clear, allowing the stagnant water to be replaced by a fresh, flowing stream."

A Life Dedicated to Beings

"The fundamental heart of practice never changes, regardless of one's status. As one's level of attainment rises, one carries a heavier vow. One must encourage oneself to be even more diligent to have the strength to shoulder the Buddha's work. From the time I entered the temple as a child until I grew into an adult and eventually became an elder in the Buddhist community, my heart never wavered. My focus was always on the beings, and every step I took was for their sake. There was never a 'self' in my actions.

I practiced honestly, never living in illusions or pursuing unreal states. Every step I took was steady and secure, and I never forgot the beings suffering in the sea of misery beneath my feet. At the age of thirty, I achieved Awakening. For all the beings who came before me seeking deliverance, I used the teachings of the Buddha to guide them out of their confusion. I spent my entire life following the Buddha's instructions in the sutras, never deviating, and at the time of my passing, I focused my mind on chanting Namo Amituofo to achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

A Call to Compassion

"A tall building rises from the ground. Practitioner Su practices step by step, with sincerity and diligence. She never seeks shortcuts, never craves personal gain, and always follows the teachings and the Law of Cause and Effect. Her heart of diligent practice never falters. She knows the suffering of beings and understands the tragedy of being born into this world without knowing the Buddha's teachings. She has vowed to practice for the sake of all beings.

The beings we see before us arrive endlessly, seeking deliverance, suffering in every moment. Even when great disasters approach, her heart never knows fear; she remains courageous and pushes forward. Practitioner Su often says that we are all born of the same parents, and everyone's potential is equal. Everyone can cultivate the same skills as Practitioner Su to help beings; it all depends on having a selfless heart that exists only for others. I am grateful for the opportunity to assist Practitioner Su. I hope that more people who wish to develop a compassionate Bodhi heart will join us. Saving the world requires us to work together, gathering the strength of all to help more beings find liberation. I am grateful for Practitioner Su's compassion. Namo Amituofo."

This interview was recorded and written by the disciple Shi Fajing.