The Struggle for Fame and Fortune

This is a record of an interview with Chu Jianhua, who sought deliverance 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 as a warrior and prison guard. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on September 6, 2020.

Chu Jianhua speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful to the Buddha for his boundless compassion, and I offer my heartfelt thanks to Practitioner Su for his merciful grace in helping us attain liberation. We were merely humble, nameless prison guards. I am profoundly thankful that Practitioner Su made the great vow to guide us toward rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Without Practitioner Su, we would have been trapped in the cycle of rebirth with no hope of escape. We cherish this opportunity more than words can express."

A Tragic Beginning

"I am Chu Jianhua. From the moment I was born, I was without a father or mother. I never even saw their faces; I only know what my wet nurse told me. I was raised by her. Before I was even born, my parents had already arranged for her to care for me. Shortly after my birth, they both perished in a tragic accident. My wet nurse quietly took me away and brought me to a remote fishing village. She was a true daughter of the sea, and she raised me as her own in that humble environment.

I heard from her that my parents were actually assassinated. On that fateful night, my mother covered my mouth and nose, hiding me beneath the bed. She sacrificed herself to shield me from the assassins' blades. My father and mother both died that night. Though I was fortunate enough to survive, I was the last of the Chu family left in this world."

A Life of Hardship and Resolve

"My wet nurse brought me to that fishing village, and she often said that even as an infant, I seemed to understand the tragedy that had occurred. I did not cry or fuss; I was naturally quiet and well-behaved. As I grew, I became very sensible. The village was not a wealthy place; the people were hardworking fishermen. To feed me, my wet nurse went to the docks every day to help unload the catch and perform odd jobs. Though she earned only a few scraps of silver, it was enough to keep us alive.

From a young age, I knew my origins and understood the selfless devotion of my wet nurse. I told myself that I had to be diligent and strive for success so that she would no longer have to suffer. I wanted to grow up to honour her and repay her for raising me. I kept telling myself: 'I am the only one left of the Chu family. I must work harder than anyone else so that I do not betray the sacrifice my parents made to save my life.'"

The Prince's Estate

"When I turned eighteen, I left the fishing village and went to the capital to enlist in the Prince's estate. When I reported for the interview, I told the official that I had no martial arts training, but I was willing to learn and could endure any hardship. The official looked at my face for a long time before asking, 'Are you a descendant of the Chu family?' I did not understand what he meant. He continued, 'You look very much like an old friend of mine. It is a pity that he and his wife were killed in an assassination eighteen years ago. I do not know if their child survived, but if he had, he would be about your age.' The official seemed lost in memory for a moment before shaking his head. 'Very well, you have passed the test. Report here tomorrow by noon. Martial arts training is extremely arduous! Once you join the Prince's estate, you belong to the estate in life and in death. From this day forward, your life belongs to the Prince, and you must be loyal to him with all your heart.' I was overjoyed and replied, 'Yes!' He nodded and told me to go home and pack my things. As I walked away, I could feel his gaze on my back, and I heard him mutter, 'This boy looks so much like him. Could it really be such a coincidence?'"

The First Test

"The next morning, before noon, I was already at the assembly point, observing every detail of my surroundings. I told myself: 'This is the first step toward success. No matter how difficult it gets, I must persevere.' When noon arrived and no one appeared, I wondered if I had misremembered the time. Suddenly, an arrow whistled through the air toward me. I dodged it quickly, and soon another came from the left, then another from the right. I did not know how to fight back, so I could only dodge and weave, retreating into the shadows to hide while keeping a sharp lookout. Because I had observed the environment earlier, I began to deduce where the archer might be hiding.

Just as I formed my theory, the official emerged from the shadows, clapping his hands. I stepped out from my hiding place. He smiled and said, 'Agile movements. Although you lack the ability to attack, you are certainly good material for martial arts! From today, you will follow me. Now, go to the mountain and bring back ten buckets of water. You must return to me before dark.' I replied, 'Yes, Master.' I turned and headed toward the mountain."

Ingenuity in the Face of Adversity

"The path up the mountain was filled with obstacles and traps. I observed them carefully and overcame them one by one. However, I could only carry less than a bucket of water per trip; I would need many trips to collect ten buckets. I thought to myself: 'If the path is this difficult every time, completing this task will be nearly impossible.' On my second trip, I began to look for a better way. I found a large tree, sharpened a stone, and painstakingly carved out the trunk. Drawing on my memories of the fishing boats from my village, I fashioned a simple wooden boat. I pushed this boat up the mountain, carefully navigating around the obstacles and traps. The boat left a deep groove in the ground as I pushed it. Once I reached the top, I filled the boat with water and carefully guided it back down along the path I had created. After two such trips, I had successfully collected ten buckets of water and completed my master's task.

My master approached, looking at the wooden boat with satisfaction. 'I am very pleased with the result of your test today,' he said. 'Tomorrow morning, you will follow me up the mountain to begin your martial arts training.' I was delighted and replied, 'Yes, Master!' He smiled slightly and told me to get some rest. He did not tell me where to sleep, but I assumed this was another test. I quietly pushed the boat to a hidden spot and hid behind it, covering myself with leaves to remain alert while I rested."

A Narrow Escape

"Sure enough, in the middle of the night, the boat was attacked. I had prepared red fruit inside the boat, and it splattered, creating a pool of liquid that looked exactly like human blood in the dark. I saw the assassins retreat the moment they saw the 'blood,' believing they had severely wounded me. Although the attack was over, I did not let my guard down. I remained vigilant, watching the surroundings until the dawn finally broke.

As soon as the sun rose, I quietly made my way up the mountain. I chose a path no one had ever walked before, and after a grueling journey, I reached the summit. When my master saw me, he could not hide his surprise, though he quickly regained his composure. He exclaimed, 'You are indeed a talent worth cultivating—you have wit, courage, and strategy. Since you have passed so many tests, you must work hard in the days to come. Train your true strength, and you will become a brave general on the battlefield.'"

The Shadow of the Prince

"From that day on, my master stopped testing me. He taught me martial arts and strategy every day. I trained with great diligence, and ten years passed. I finally became a brave general on the battlefield. It was only after ten years that I saw the Prince for the first time. When he saw me, he looked surprised, but he quickly hid it. He appointed me as a Great General of the Prince's estate and ordered me to prepare for battle.

I did not know which faction the Prince belonged to, nor did I know who we were preparing to attack. I did not have time to think about it. I received a generous salary and sent men to the fishing village to bring my wet nurse to the capital so she could live in comfort. On the night before I was to depart for battle, I had a strange dream. In the dream, I saw the Prince shooting arrows at me with hostility. I could not dodge one of them, and it pierced my chest, causing black blood to flow—the arrow was poisoned! I saw the Prince walking toward me with a malicious expression, laughing loudly. He told me in the dream, 'Not a single person of the Chu family can be left alive!' The Prince laughed so wildly that I woke up in a cold sweat. I did not know why I had such a dream, but it felt so real, and I felt a deep sense of foreboding.

The next morning, I led my troops out. This was my first battle, and I was exceptionally cautious. Before leaving, my master warned me to be careful, especially of hidden arrows. His words reminded me of the Prince in my dream, and I could not help but wonder: could this be a plot orchestrated by the Prince himself? On the second day of the campaign, I saw nothing unusual on the battlefield. It was unexpectedly calm, but I ordered all my soldiers to remain vigilant.

When night fell, the situation finally changed. The Prince himself had arrived! Although his visit was not entirely out of the question, the entire campaign had felt strange, and his sudden appearance confirmed my suspicions. I went to greet him personally, accompanied by my master and the Prince's personal guard. As soon as the Prince entered the camp, he smiled at me and said, 'Chu Jianhua, are you the son of Chu Xiong and Yanzhi?' I nodded and said, 'Yes.' In that moment, I knew the Prince was the murderer of my parents. I scanned the surroundings, alert, knowing that the Prince had come for my life."

The Prince looked down at me from his high position, his face twisted into a mocking smile. 'To think that after I assassinated Chu Xiong, he still left behind a son with such remarkable skills. Truly, Chu Xiong had extraordinary talent! But no matter how great your talent is, once you fall into my hands, you will meet the same fate: death!' As he finished speaking, he fired an arrow directly at me. The scene unfolded exactly as it had in my nightmares. Just as I prepared to dodge, a figure suddenly lunged in front of me, taking the arrow in my stead. It was my nanny. It turned out the Prince had abducted her as well. She collapsed, the poisoned arrow embedded in her body, her breath growing faint. I wept, falling to my knees to cradle her. As I started to rise, burning with the need to avenge her, she gripped my hand. Her touch was already deathly cold. With her fading strength, she pulled me close. She could no longer speak, but I knew what she was trying to tell me: 'Do not seek revenge for me. Do not let your hands be stained with blood. You must live... you must live well. Live with your head held high.' My nanny had never asked for any grand achievements from me; she only ever wanted me to live a good life. I knew she had never wanted me to leave our fishing village to seek fame and fortune, but I had been driven by the desire to spare her from hardship, hoping to succeed so she could finally live in comfort. I never imagined that this path would lead to her death. My heart was shattered, yet I dared not defy her final wish. I glared at the Prince with burning hatred. He looked visibly shaken. It turned out that my nanny had once been the woman the Prince loved most. He had originally been a military officer in my father's household, and my father was the true Prince. It was this very man who had murdered my parents and usurped my father's title.

The Truth Revealed

As the truth came to light, my Master stood by, his expression filled with sorrow. It turned out I was the son of his old friend, and the very tragedy he had feared had come to pass. My nanny, clinging to her final breath, gestured for me to let her go. She beckoned the Prince closer. He was trembling now, his composure completely shattered. He knelt and gathered her into his arms. With no strength left to speak, she reached up and pulled the poisoned arrow from her own body. A torrent of blood surged forth. With a voice barely a whisper, she gasped, 'Stop this madness!' With those final words, her hands fell limp. The Prince cried out in agony, 'No! Meiniang, you cannot die! I have searched for you for eighteen years—now that you have finally returned to me, you cannot die!' He held her tightly against his chest. In that moment, I saw her hand, still gripping the blood-stained arrow, strike with lightning speed toward the Prince's neck. She pierced his throat with such force that it was hard to believe she had any strength left at all. The Prince’s eyes widened in shock, staring at her in disbelief. She smiled at him, saying, 'Everything must end. It is time to return what you have stolen.' Then, she turned to me: 'My child, you now have the strength to reclaim the Prince's estate. My task is finally complete. I can now face your parents in the afterlife with a clear conscience.' With that, she breathed her last. Blood sprayed from the Prince's neck; because the arrow was coated in a lethal toxin, his heart and mind were quickly overwhelmed, and he collapsed, dead. My Master stood nearby, shaking his head. Fame and fortune are truly the ruin of men.

A Life of Solitude

The war itself had been nothing more than a scheme of the Prince's own making. After he and my nanny passed, I gave them both a proper burial. I did not take over the estate; instead, I dismissed all the servants and distributed the gold and treasures among the impoverished, ensuring that those in need finally received help. In this world, I was truly left alone. With my nanny gone, I retreated deep into the mountains, hiding my identity. I spent my days looking after the elderly, the weak, and the vulnerable. Whenever danger arose, I would appear to uphold justice and aid those in need. I spent the rest of my years in solitude, until I passed away at the age of sixty.

The Judgment and the Path to Liberation

After I died, I expected to see my parents coming to greet me. My heart ached with longing for them and for my nanny. My life had been so lonely. After death, I entered a void of darkness, only to find myself standing before the King of Hell. He asked me, 'What did you do with your life?' I replied, 'I lived a simple life, mostly in solitude.' He asked again, 'Why did you not seek to reclaim your position as the Prince of Chu? The estate belonged to the Chu family.' I answered, 'I am but one man. I have no need for fame or wealth. Why not let those who truly need it receive the help?' The King of Hell laughed, 'Good! Very good! Though your life was lonely and filled with hardship, you have overcome these obstacles. You have not allowed your true nature to be covered up by fame, fortune, or hatred. You have true ability.' He allowed me to remain in the underworld to serve as a prison guard, telling me that one day, I would be able to achieve liberation from the cycle of rebirth.

Gratitude for the Dharma

I served as a prison guard in the underworld for hundreds of years, and today, I have finally attained rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. From the moment I began listening to the Dharma talks given by Practitioner Su, I was deeply moved. I realised that life and death are merely matters of these principles; beyond the Truth, everything else is but a false appearance. I am overjoyed to have received this magnificent Dharma of liberation. I am filled with gratitude for the compassion of the Buddha, who does not abandon a single soul.

A Final Vow

Today, having attained rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, such a magnificent connection is something I, Chu Jianhua, will cherish forever. I will strive diligently in my practice. I am grateful for the compassion of the Buddha and the kindness of Practitioner Su. On behalf of the sixty prison guards, I bow in gratitude for the Buddha's grace. May the Buddha's compassion shine upon all. Namo Amituofo.

This interview was recorded and written by the disciple Shi Fa Xi.