Chen Zhongyong, a spirit who spent over two centuries as a drifting rain cloud, sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. This interview, recorded on April 6, 2021, by Venerable HaiZe, chronicles his transition from a tragic human life to his current residence in the .
Chen Zhongyong speaks:
". I am Chen Zhongyong. In the human world, people often look up and see the dark, heavy clouds in the sky. Since I was a child, I was filled with wonder and curiosity about the clouds. I would watch the white clouds and the dark clouds, changing shape and drifting wherever the wind carried them, and I felt a deep sense of envy. I never imagined that after I died, my dream would actually come true—I became a dark cloud. For over two hundred years, I lived a life of becoming a cloud, turning into rain, and then becoming a cloud again. Finally, after this mission to bring rain to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, my days of drifting have come to an end! Now, residing in the Western -Nature Land, I have found a peace I have never known before. My heart is filled with gratitude."
A Childhood of and Tragedy
"As a child, I was strong-willed and grew up in a wealthy family; we never lacked for food or clothing. My father was a merchant who was constantly travelling, so he was only home for half the year. When he was away, my mother did not have much time to supervise us children, and those were our happiest times. My mother gave birth to three sons and two daughters, and I was the third child. She managed our large family estate with an iron hand, and from the moment she woke up until she went to bed, you could hear her calling the servants to do this or that. Even when there was nothing to do, she would find tasks to keep everyone busy!"
"My siblings and I would run around with our eldest brother, always busy. Every morning, after finishing the breakfast prepared by the servants, we would dash outside. Congee with side dishes was my favourite breakfast—especially the cool, thin congee with rice water, paired with pickled melon, crispy melon, and spicy bamboo shoots. It was truly a delicacy; I could eat it every day and never grow tired of it! We children would race to see who could finish first. Even my youngest brother, who was only four, was looked after by our five-year-old sister. If he could not finish his last two bites, she would simply pop them into her own mouth to clear his bowl, quickly take off his bib, and lead him outside by the hand. My brother, sister, and I would be waiting at the door, shouting, 'Hurry up, hurry up!'"
The Simple Joys of Youth
"Once all five of us were gathered, our eldest brother would lead us to our destination. One day we would run to the mountains, the next to the water’s edge, then the meadows, the market, or the farmlands. On the sixth day, we would play rock-paper-scissors to decide where to go, and our eldest brother would take us there. Old Liu, the servant mother tasked with watching us, always tried to keep us from running around like wild children, but we never listened. As long as we made it home for lunch and a nap, we were free to play again. We lived such happy days! Even if one of us got hurt and we all ended up being scolded, kneeling in punishment, or getting a spanking together, we accepted it willingly. That was my childhood."
"Everything changed when I was twelve. A massive fire broke out in our home, claiming the lives of my parents and three of my siblings. Only my eldest brother and I survived. The large estate suddenly felt empty. The authorities could never determine who started the fire, but it had nearly destroyed everything we owned. My brother was fourteen, and in his grief, he had to shoulder the burden of the family. The land left behind by our father provided enough rent from the farmers to keep us fed. I, who had been so lively and active, changed completely. I became silent and withdrawn. My brother encouraged me, saying, 'We two brothers must pull ourselves together.' I asked him sadly, 'Why did this happen to our family?' He replied, 'I do not know why, but I hope we can both stay strong. We have already lost so many family members; we must live on... otherwise, our parents and siblings would be even more saddened.' I listened to his advice, but from that day on, I spoke very little."
A Lesson in
"After a period of darkness, and with the help of the villagers, we finished the funeral arrangements. I did not know how to go on. My once-cheerful face became expressionless. One day, while walking aimlessly in the street, I saw a beggar who reached out to me for money. He was a boy about my age, but he was missing an arm and a leg. He was covered in grime, his hair was long and matted, and he wore rags. My eyes widened. I thought to myself, 'How can there be such a miserable person in this world?' Then I heard him say, 'Kind person, please give me some money. I have not eaten for days. Please, give me something to eat!' His voice sounded like thunder, striking right into my heart. How could such a person exist in this place? I looked at my own healthy limbs, my food, and my clothes, and I realised I looked much more miserable than he did! I took all the copper coins from my pocket and gave them to him. I kept hearing him say, 'Thank you.' I ran home and told my brother what I had seen. My brother nodded and said, 'Yes! We must be grateful. We two are still alive; we are lucky! We should live well.' I nodded, and together we turned the business methods our father had taught us into a small trade at home."
"Later, my brother wanted to study, so he pursued the path of the civil service examinations. He eventually succeeded and obtained an official position, fulfilling our father's expectations. I continued to run our small business, selling rice and oil, until my brother married and settled down. He helped me find a wife, and our home finally became lively again. My brother had three sons and three daughters, just like our own family, and I had one son and two daughters. We brothers would burn incense every year on the anniversary of the fire, telling our children about the disaster that had once struck our home, teaching them to cherish life and never forget the preciousness of the good days we had now. Our children were diligent and obedient, each following their own aspirations. We raised them just as our parents had raised us—letting them develop their own interests and willingness to work."
The Weight of Impermanence
"Since I started selling rice and oil, I kept at it because it allowed me to do something for others. I often sold to the poor at half-price or gave rice and oil to destitute elderly people who had no children to care for them. Because I had lost my own parents, I treated them like my own elders. In my lifetime, I helped over a dozen elderly people arrange their final affairs. My life was not particularly dramatic or filled with grand highs and lows, but it was a life of helping others. Yet, deep in my heart, the sorrow and grief over the impermanence of life remained like a dark cloud, occasionally surfacing in the quiet of the night as a faint melancholy."
"Before I could resolve this sorrow, at the age of fifty-nine, on a night of wind and rain, it seemed as if the storm had come specifically for me. I suddenly felt a pain in my chest—I had never experienced such a thing! I held my chest, and in an instant, I could not breathe. I passed away. My soul left my body. There was no pain, and I could still hear the sound of the wind and rain outside. The sky was covered in thick, dark clouds. I had always loved looking at the sky, at the dark clouds and the white clouds, and even as a soul outside my body, I was still doing the same. Just as I was watching, a force pulled me upward, drawing me into the dark clouds. At that moment, it was pouring with rain in the human world. I was pulled above the clouds, where it was not raining—it was perfectly peaceful. I could see the clouds falling one by one, and I saw a figure who looked stern yet gentle and kind. When he saw me, he asked me to wait a moment, as he was busy directing the clouds and the rain."
The Hidden Work of the Elements
"I watched everything from the side. It turned out that there were so many things happening within the wind and rain that ordinary people knew nothing about. I only saw it then. I had already left my body; I was dead. Human life is truly fragile—just one breath stops, and it is over! Then I heard a voice. I turned to see the commander of the clouds, who said to me, 'I am the Rain God, Sun Maoshi. You did many good deeds in your life and could have enjoyed , but because you still held shadows in your heart, you have entered the clouds upon your death to become part of our rain-making team. From now on, whenever rain is needed somewhere, you must arrive as soon as you receive the order.'"
"From that day on, I became a part of the water vapour in the clouds, drifting in the sky. The water molecules in the clouds are all sentient beings. We listen to the Rain God's orders on where to go. The Wind God blows us there, and once enough of us have gathered, we fall to the ground. Afterward, the spirit is naturally drawn back into the clouds, becoming a dark cloud again, drifting in the sky, waiting for the Wind God to blow us to where the Rain God directs. For two hundred years, I lived this life, working in coordination with the Rain God and the Wind God."
Deliverance at Hsiang Kuang
"Recently, I received a notice from the Rain God, and I was chosen as the representative to lead a group of clouds to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia to stand by. The Wind God blew us to the location, and on the way, we gathered more cloud beings to join us. When we arrived at the Buddha-land, we waited in groups to enter. One batch of clouds would fall, and the next would move up to take its place."
"Finally, it was our turn! We were told to give our all. Even in the rain, I could feel the golden light of this place; despite the downpour, the golden light shone through undiminished. We worked even harder, using all our strength to release the water molecules. We successfully brought the rain, and the earth rejoiced. This place is truly extraordinary! Practitioner Su, in his human body, was able to send us into the Western Dharma-Nature Land. It is a beautiful world of spirits. Now, after this interview, I look forward to going to the even more magnificent Western Land of Ultimate Bliss!"
"I am grateful to Namo Amituofo, grateful to Practitioner Su, and grateful to everyone!"
