The Prince Who Sought the Truth of Suffering

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Pu Luo Tuo, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his life as a prince in a past era, detailing his transition from a life of royal privilege to a life of spiritual awakening. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Jing, on June 23, 2018.

Venerable Pu Luo Tuo speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Pu Luo Tuo. In a past life, I was the prince of a prosperous nation. My existence was defined by immense luxury; I never had to worry about food, clothing, or shelter. I sat upon the highest throne, looking down upon a vast multitude of subjects, and I harboured a sincere desire to be a king who truly understood the suffering of his people. I wished to possess a heart of deep compassion, ensuring that every decision I made was for the benefit of the common folk. Yet, despite my noble intentions, I had no concept of what 'suffering' truly meant. The word was easy to write, but what was the actual, visceral taste of suffering? Driven by this burning, unanswered question, I knelt sincerely before the Buddha and begged for the wisdom to understand the true nature of human suffering.

The Whirlpool of Rebirth

Suddenly, I was caught in a powerful, overwhelming suction, pulled into a deep, dark vortex. I spun endlessly, my body feeling as though it were being torn apart and then reconstructed in a violent, chaotic process. In an instant, I slid through a narrow, suffocating passage and burst out into the world, crying out in agony. I was terrified by the sound of my own wailing, shouting, 'What is this sound?' I looked down at my own body and gasped in shock, 'How have I become a small infant?' My parents were a poor couple who had met in an orphanage, fallen in love, and built a life together in a dilapidated ruin. They were deeply devoted to each other, and despite their extreme poverty, they longed for a child. I was their firstborn, named Anji.

The place where I was born was incredibly impoverished and backward. The residents had no money to build bridges or roads, so whenever they needed to travel, they had to risk their lives crossing a river on a single, fraying steel cable. If one were not careful, they would fall into the raging torrent below and lose their lives. Every day, my father would hold my mother's hand, slowly traversing that terrifying cable to reach the other side, where they worked as manual labourers, hauling massive boulders. It was a job they had begged for, as neither of them possessed the mental capacity for complex work due to congenital developmental issues. To support our family, my father took on extra work. Every morning, he would strap me to his back, take my mother's hand, and we would cross the cable together. While they worked, I was placed in a basket under a large tree, covered with broad leaves to protect me from the scorching sun.

The Final Breath of a Father

My parents laboured tirelessly, moving heavy stones until their bodies ached. When they were too exhausted to continue, they would simply look at each other, share a weary smile, wipe the sweat and dust from their faces, and find the strength to carry on. One evening, my father did not return home at the usual time. My mother, filled with anxiety, carried me on her back and crossed the cable again to search for him. She eventually found him under a tree, his head bleeding profusely, his hands still clutching the fruit he had tried to pick for us. He had fallen from the tree and struck a rock. As he saw my mother, he wept, apologising that he could no longer walk this life with her, and vowed to meet her in the next. He passed away in her arms, leaving my mother in inconsolable grief.

My mother was left helpless, her world turned to darkness. Yet, for my sake, she forced herself to stand up. She faced the harsh elements alone, even as our shack was torn apart by a violent storm. In that freezing night, as the roof was blown away, I felt my mother's body grow cold, and I, too, stopped breathing. Suddenly, I awoke in my royal chambers, my mother the Queen clutching me in terror. I finally understood the suffering of life—the suffering of emotion, the suffering of survival. I felt a profound pain in my heart. How could I help the world escape this cycle? I knelt before my father, the King, and begged to renounce the throne to seek the path of liberation. He saw my resolve and supported my quest, acknowledging that he, too, had felt the bitterness of life.

The Path to the Western Pure Land

I left the palace, wandering the world and witnessing the futility of human existence—the endless struggle for a single breath, only to inevitably face death. After months of travel, I reached a mountain cliff where an old man awaited me in a thatched hut. Inside, there was only a statue of the Buddha. As I looked at the six characters 'Namo Amituofo', they shone with brilliant golden light. I knew this was the path. For three years, I practised diligently, chanting the holy name. I regained the memories of my past lives and understood that I must end this cycle of rebirth and seek the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I returned to my father, the King, and shared the truth. He was overjoyed and dedicated his reign to spreading the Dharma and the holy name of Namo Amituofo. Many suffering people found their refuge, and together, we returned to the Western Pure Land.

A Reunion Across Lifetimes

Now, I have the honour of entering the leg of Practitioner Su, who is my father from that past life. I am grateful to serve him as a son once more. In that past life, he vowed to save all beings, and it was that very leg that was injured while he laboured for the sake of the world. I have come to heal his pain so that we may continue our mission together. We have seen the vastness of the universe, including other worlds and beings, and we are now fulfilling our dream of saving immeasurable beings and leading them to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am humbled to follow my father, the King, in this grand work of deliverance. Namo Amituofo."