The Path of the Wandering Soul

This is a record of an interview with the Venerable Yifan, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately 780 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Jing, on March 4, 2019.

Venerable Yifan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Yifan. Receiving a letter from my mother back in my hometown stirred an indescribable emotion within me. In my pursuit of a distinguished career, I had left home to reside with my Great Uncle, burying myself in books day and night. My Great Uncle possessed a library filled with every book he had studied throughout his life—the very collection that had propelled him to a high-ranking official position. Though he was now retired and elderly, his books remained neatly arranged in the attic.

A Legacy of Integrity and Betrayal

My Great Uncle was my grandfather’s younger brother, and the two shared a profound bond. They had both passed the imperial examinations together and served as vital officials in the imperial court. However, shortly after my grandfather took office, he was murdered. Because his administrative abilities far surpassed those of his peers, he became a target of intense jealousy. The Emperor was devastated, knowing full well that my grandfather had been killed by the sycophantic ministers who surrounded him. The Emperor was wise to their schemes and never truly trusted them, despite their constant flattery. Following the tragedy, the Emperor ordered a thorough investigation, stripping those corrupt officials of their ranks. To compensate for the loss of my grandfather, the Emperor offered to appoint my father to a significant position, but my father, consumed by grief, had no heart for court life. Instead, he poured all his hopes into me, wishing for me to restore our family’s honour.

My Great Uncle, aware of this, had fought tirelessly to clear my grandfather’s name. Before the assassination, my grandfather had been framed, and my Great Uncle had even staked his own reputation as a guarantor to protect our family from the fallout. Now living alone in a vast, quiet house, he was lonely. When he learned of my ambitions, he warmly invited me to stay with him, promising to guide me toward a successful career. My father sent me to him immediately, urging me to study with diligence.

The Treachery of the Imperial Court

Whenever I grew weary from my studies, my Great Uncle would share stories of his time in the court. The more he spoke, the more I realised that the court was a treacherous, sinister place. Human hearts were unfathomable; people would stop at nothing to secure their own interests. I hesitated, questioning whether I truly wanted to enter such a world, but the weight of my father’s expectations pressed upon my shoulders. I could not let him down.

With my Great Uncle’s assistance, I succeeded in obtaining an official post, finally restoring our family’s honour. As for those who had framed my grandfather, they were now bedridden, suffering the karmic retribution for their past deeds. The clearer I saw the truth of this world, the more I lamented its falsity. No one treated another with sincerity; everyone interacted through a mask of hypocrisy.

The Unjust Exile

Guided by my Great Uncle’s teachings, I strove to be an upright and incorruptible official. I worked tirelessly to secure welfare for the common people, ensuring they did not suffer in poverty. When I discovered that high-ranking officials were embezzling public funds, I gathered evidence and reported them to the Emperor. I never imagined that a heart dedicated to serving the people would be met with such ruthless retaliation. One day, chests of imperial silver mysteriously appeared in my residence. I was framed for embezzlement, stripped of my position, and exiled to the frontier.

My father was heartbroken, but I sought to put his mind at ease. "Father," I told him, "I will surely find a bright path forward." Seeing the determination in my eyes and the calmness in my heart, his worries began to fade. The heavy shackles on my feet made every step a struggle as I began the long, arduous journey to the frontier. I relied on sheer willpower to keep my fainting body upright. The Buddha truly looked after me. I saw a monk chanting Namo Amituofo as he passed by. He suddenly stopped and asked the official guarding me, "Could this poor monk beg for a cup of water to quench my thirst?" The official poured him a cup. The monk chanted "Namo Amituofo," took a sip, chanted again, took another sip, and then said, "This body’s robes are stained with dust, the sins of ignorance bind this frame; yet this heart remains unstained and pure, Buddha-water cleanses my heart’s sorrow." After drinking, he departed. The official urged me onward, but suddenly, the shackles on my feet felt lighter. The heaviness vanished, and my heart grew tranquil. With every step, I chanted "Namo Amituofo." The dust of the journey was purified by the Buddha-name, and a ray of hope—the Buddha-light—appeared in my heart.

A Decade of Spiritual Practice

Life at the frontier was a constant tempering of the body. Wherever labour was needed, I went. With heavy stones on my back, I chanted. Under the pouring rain, I chanted. Exposed to the scorching sun, I chanted. Even as I sweated, bled, and suffered, I chanted. The Buddha-name never left my heart. Even when the body suffered, the heart remained luminous. I worked alongside many prisoners; many died from exhaustion or succumbed to depression. I taught them to chant. Those who chanted sincerely found peace even in that bitter environment, while those who refused to chant lived in agony. After ten years, my Great Uncle succeeded in clearing my name, and I returned home to my parents. Though I was thinner, my face had become more dignified. I told my father, "It was the Buddha who saved Yifan. I did not know the Buddha before, but a monk introduced me to the precious Buddha-name. A single Namo Amituofo settled my heart. I treated my life at the frontier as a form of ascetic practice to temper my physical form, using the suffering to hone my diligence, chanting without interruption."

The Vow to Save Beings

Now free, I knelt before the Buddha and made a great vow. Over the years, I lived among many suffering prisoners. Though they had committed grave crimes, in the desolate frontier, away from worldly temptations and environmental pollution, their innate purity began to surface. I finally understood that people in this world suffer for the sake of survival and the satisfaction of physical desires. Without the guidance of a true spiritual friend, their perceptions become skewed, their thoughts twisted, leading them to commit evil acts. If the Buddha’s teachings were there to educate them, to guide them toward pure hearts and correct views, they would not have harmed themselves or others.

For fifteen years, I focused on chanting, keeping my body free from impurities, purifying myself completely to walk the earth as a luminous being to deliver sentient beings. I am deeply grateful for the Buddha’s compassionate salvation. If the Buddha had not manifested as a monk to teach me, I would still be serving my sentence at the frontier, never having the opportunity to escape. It is the Dharma that allowed me to understand the suffering of beings and to dedicate my life to their salvation. I have spent decades walking this path, propagating the Dharma, and chanting until the very last moment of my life to return to the Western Land.

The Great Work of Practitioner Su

Worldly people think the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is far away, not knowing that Practitioner Su has already attained the Dharma Body and moves freely between the Western Pure Land and the worldly realm. Ever since Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body began to perform Chao Du for sentient beings, the Western Land has been bustling with activity every day. Practitioner Su has extended his lifespan to save beings, enduring suffering on their behalf in this world, all so that they may leave suffering behind. He is truly a manifestation of a true Buddha, and I, along with all the other Venerables, am filled with gratitude.

Practitioner Su has been performing Chao Du for the universe for quite some time. The universe had fallen into chaos, with countless layers of space containing all manner of beings. Many who did not follow the universal principles acted with malice, creating a state of disorder. Now, through Practitioner Su’s Chao Du, the universe is being reorganised. Countless beings seeking salvation have been rescued, and those "Bodhisattvas" of the universe who had gone astray have been taught to take refuge in the Buddha’s gate once more. It is only through Practitioner Su’s Ultimate Vow that these marginalised beings of the demon realms can be saved, given the chance to repent, wash away their past, and join in the work of saving the world. I am grateful for Practitioner Su’s compassion. Namo Amituofo."

Recorded by the disciple Shi Fa Jing.