This is a record of an interview with Venerable Li Yage, who sought at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life as a prince in a past era. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on July 9, 2018.
Venerable Li Yage speaks:
". I was born into a royal family as a prince, but I arrived in this world carrying a heavy illness. By the age of fifteen, I was still unable to speak a single word. My father, the Emperor, summoned the most renowned physicians, yet none could cure my affliction. Whenever my illness flared up, my entire body would spasm, tremble, and curl inward. I would suffer from intense chills, breaking out in cold sweats, and sometimes even froth at the mouth. It was a terrifying sight that left everyone around me in a state of helpless panic. My mother, the Empress, would weep whenever she saw me in such agony, constantly praying to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, begging for my body to be restored to health."
The Emperor’s in the Streets
"My father, the Emperor, always cared deeply for the welfare of his people. He frequently travelled incognito among the commoners, often staying away for ten days or more at a time. On one such occasion, he donned plain civilian clothes and took only two or three trusted aides with him, intending to see the true conditions of the people for himself.
"As the Emperor and his aides walked along the road like common friends, a beggar approached them. He was dressed in rags, reeking of filth, with a prominent red scar on his head. The beggar walked straight up to my father, held out a tattered clay bowl, and begged for alms. My father stepped forward, patted the beggar on the shoulder, and took some silver from his sleeve to give to him. He said, 'You certainly have the ability to find work and support yourself. You should tidy yourself up and live a proper life; do not waste this precious human body.' With that, my father continued on his way.
"A little further down the road, they passed an old man who suddenly let out a cry of pain. My father turned immediately and asked if he needed help. The old man pulled up his trouser leg to show him; his legs were covered in festering sores, oozing with pus. Without hesitation, my father tore a piece of fabric from his own clothing, knelt on the ground, and bandaged the man's wounds. Only after he was certain the wounds were properly dressed did he rise and move on."
A Fire and a Prophecy
"Suddenly, a fire broke out in a nearby house. The people were screaming in terror, shouting, 'Help! Help!' My father sprinted toward the burning building and demanded to know if anyone was still inside. A woman cried out in desperation, 'My child! My child is still in there! Please, save my child!' Hearing that someone was trapped, my father rushed straight into the burning house. The onlookers screamed, their hearts in their throats, and some shouted, 'Don't go! Don't go!' My father's aides were so stunned they stood frozen, unable to react, but by then, my father had already emerged with the boy in his arms. The woman knelt to thank him, and my father quickly reached down to lift her up.
"As my father sat under the eaves of a house, wiping away sweat and nursing his own injuries, a monk approached him and said, 'Your son is destined to study the Buddha’s teachings in this life. If you allow him to do so, he will surely be saved.'"
The Beggar’s Revelation
"Upon returning to the palace, my father immediately summoned the abbots of various temples to discuss how to help me. The abbots scratched their heads in confusion, one whispering, 'Prince Yage is so gravely ill and cannot even speak; it is unlikely he could ever become a monk...' They debated for a long time but could offer no solution.
"Just then, a eunuch entered to report, 'Your Majesty, there is a beggar outside—filthy and foul-smelling—who insists on seeing you. No matter how we try to drive him away, he refuses to leave. How shall we handle this?' My father replied, 'Show him in.' The eunuch looked bewildered but brought the beggar into the hall. The stench was overwhelming, and the abbots pulled up their sleeves to cover their noses, but my father remained calm on his throne.
"My father recognised him instantly—it was the same beggar he had met on the street, the one with the red scar on his head. The beggar told my father, 'The Prince’s illness is a sickness of the heart. In his past life, he practised, but he failed to achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. In this life, he was born into royalty, but his heart remained stifled, which is why these symptoms manifested. If you teach him to chant the Buddha’s name, he will surely regain his spirit, resume his practice, deliver sentient beings, fulfil his great vows, and return to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.'"
A New Path of Practice
"From that day on, my father allowed the beggar to stay by my side, and we studied the Buddha’s teachings together. Before long, my illness naturally vanished. I knelt before my father and said, 'Thank you, Father. I have been an unfilial son all these years, causing you such worry.' Seeing me speak, my father jumped up, ran to me, and embraced me, saying, 'It is well, it is well.'
"I asked my father for permission to leave the palace and retreat into the deep mountains. I had decided to walk the path of practice and let go of everything in the secular world. Though it pained him to let me go, my father understood this was my mission, and he granted my request.
"I travelled everywhere with that beggar. Under my father’s rule, the weather was favourable, the harvests were plentiful, and the people lived in peace. Yet, I saw that even though the people lived stable lives, they could not escape the ravages of illness, nor could they escape the inevitable death that follows, ultimately falling back into the cycle of rebirth. I felt a deep stirring in my heart; I vowed to save the people, for only the Buddha’s teachings could rescue them from the suffering of samsara.
"We retreated into the mountains, carved out a path, and built a thatched hut for our practice. The purity of that life allowed me to recover all that I had practised in the past and to clearly foresee the suffering of the people."
The Fire of Samsara
"In my dreams, I once fell into a great fire, my body consumed by flames. I realised then that the suffering of the people in the cycle of rebirth is exactly like the agony of burning in a sea of fire. Because of this, I chanted the holy name of 'Namo Amituofo' with even greater intensity, my heart focused entirely on saving sentient beings from the misery of the six realms of rebirth.
"My spirit also entered the hells, witnessing the suffering of the beings there. The pain they endure is thousands, even tens of thousands of times worse than any prison in the human world. To prevent more spirits from falling into such torment, I knew I had to be even more diligent in propagating the .
"The beggar and I were both ordained as Bhikshus. To spread the Buddha’s teachings, we spent our days travelling on foot to teach, and our nights sitting in meditation in the wilderness, chanting the Buddha’s name to purify our bodies and minds. We spent our entire lives acting for the sake of others, fulfilling our great vows together, and eventually achieving rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
"When I returned to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I saw the suffering of spirits even more clearly. Throughout the entire universe, there are countless spirits trapped in spaces they cannot escape. Some possess high spiritual intelligence, yet they remain bound, unable to break free."
The Deliverance of Practitioner Su
"To save sentient beings, Practitioner Su has once again incarnated into this world. After studying the Buddha’s teachings, he has dedicated himself entirely to propagating the Dharma, remaining unaffected by the dust of the world. He has realised the , enabling him to save spirits across different spaces, and he is now powerfully delivering beings across the planets of the universe.
"Today, the holy name of 'Namo Amituofo' resonates throughout the entire universe. The planet 'Buluoya' has become Practitioner Su’s primary follower. They have set up massive television screens, like those in the human world, broadcasting Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks every single day. Every citizen on that planet knows of Practitioner Su; through his teachings, they have come to know the Buddha’s Dharma, they have come to know Namo Amituofo, and they understand the vital importance of chanting 'Namo Amituofo.' The planet’s leader has led all its citizens to make a great vow: every single person will chant this Buddha-name and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The entire population of the Buluoya planet has vowed to migrate to the West."
