Chou Chuan-pin, a former imperial official who now serves as a Rain God, sought spiritual deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre. This interview, recorded on April 27, 2021, chronicles his journey from a humble rural life to his celestial role, and his profound experience of receiving help from Practitioner Su to resolve the karmic debt that caused severe drought in Taiwan.
Chou Chuan-pin speaks:
". Today, we were dispatched to bring rain to the island of Taiwan. The volume of rain allocated to us this time is slightly higher than the previous batch. This is because the skies over Taiwan have been purified through the of Practitioner Su, who has performed to resolve the suffering of many layers of sentient beings. Only then were we able to release more rain, particularly targeting the reservoirs as requested by the Jade Emperor.
The Miracle of
The people of Taiwan have great . Every nation faces disasters and droughts, yet only the people of Taiwan have the fortune to pray for rain and receive it in such a short time. Without the Buddha, such a miracle could never occur. Practitioner Su is a Taiwanese, a compassionate practitioner of the Buddha’s teachings who understands the suffering of the people. When the spirits of Taiwan sought help from Practitioner Su, he used his Body to perform Chao Du for these beings and collaborated with the Jade Emperor. That is the only reason rain could fall on Taiwan today. Otherwise, based on our initial projections, it would have been very difficult for Taiwan to see any rain this year. Even the summer typhoons would have struggled to form, failing to bring any moisture and leaving the land in a state of parched desolation. Fortunately, the has begun to resolve, and rain has returned to Taiwan. All living things are grateful to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su.
A Childhood of Gratitude
I am the Rain God, Chou Chuan-pin. Before I became a Rain God, I was an official in the imperial court. I was born in a rural village where very few people ever went to the capital to take the imperial examinations. Most children in our village grew up to follow their fathers in farming. As long as they could get by, they felt no need to study so hard and exhaust themselves. Of course, a large part of this was because we were poor; since we had no money, we dared not hope for the opportunity to study. My family had been farmers for generations, living a simple rural life. It seemed there was nothing wrong with that, so I had no wild delusions of grandeur.
My father was also a farmer. Our fields were not large, but every harvest was bountiful, allowing us to have more than enough vegetables and fruits to eat, and even enough to share with other households. Someone once asked my father, 'My field is right next to yours. We use the same water, the same soil, and heaven gives us the same sunlight and rain. Why are the vegetables and fruits from your field so much larger, better looking, and tastier? Do you have some special method?' My father replied, 'I do not actually use any special method. Perhaps it is because my heart in treating them is different?' The neighbor asked, 'A different heart? What does that mean?' My father said, 'Every day when I enter the fields, the first thing I do is offer gratitude to them. I thank them for their growth, which allows us to have food to eat. I treat every single plant as a life. They also need to be cared for, nurtured, and treated with empathy, including being thanked. I also share happy things with them to keep their spirits high. If the weather is cold, too dry, or too wet, I handle and protect them with great care so they do not suffer. Perhaps that is why they grow so well under my care and treatment.' Another neighbor added, 'It is not just that. I have seen him kindly helping you. When he sees your soil is too dry, he helps you water it; when he sees weeds growing too high in your field, he helps you weed them. Perhaps it is this silent practice of Goodness that allows his fields to flourish so well.' The other farmers were incredulous upon hearing this. They never imagined that these crops also possessed spirit and could understand the heart of each farmer—that they would grow well for those who treated them kindly, and grow haphazardly, or even fail to bear fruit, rot, or wither, for those who treated them poorly.
The Gift of Life
My father loved to give away produce. Every harvest, he would travel long distances to deliver vegetables and fruits to those in need. That year, every village was suffering from famine, and many people had no food to eat. Yet, our fields had a bumper crop, so we had plenty of extra produce to share. At that time, an old gentleman asked my father for some vegetables, and my father gave them to him without hesitation. A few days later, the old gentleman came to our home in person to thank my father. My father quickly invited him to sit.
My father said, 'Our home is humble, please forgive us, sir.' The old gentleman replied, 'Do not say that. This house is much warmer than ours.' My father asked, 'May I ask why you have come in person today? Is there something…?' The old gentleman said, 'I have come to thank you today.' My father was surprised: 'Thank me?' The old gentleman said, 'Yes! The day before yesterday, you gave me some vegetables, which saved my wife. She had contracted a strange illness and needed to eat fresh produce every day to feel comfortable. But that day, no matter where I went, I could not buy any vegetables because of the famine. Even with money, there was nothing to be found. So when I saw you distributing vegetables to the poor, I asked for a portion, and you kindly gave it to me. I was so grateful that I wanted to give you money, but you had already left, and I did not know where you lived. After returning home, I had my servants prepare them for my wife. As soon as she ate them, she immediately asked, 'Which farmer grew these?' I did not know your name, so I did not know how to answer. My wife said, 'These vegetables are smiling, and these fruits are smiling too! This is the first time I have eaten such smiling produce. Now, I feel all my illnesses have vanished!' It was truly miraculous. My wife really recovered just like that. I had not seen her smile in so long, and she smiled so radiantly that I felt happy myself. I hurried to inquire everywhere to find out where you lived. Fortunately, I found you. I came today specifically to thank you and to buy more of the produce you grow so my wife can eat them and be even happier.' My father was happy for the old gentleman but could not help asking, 'Why did your wife’s illness recover after eating the produce I grew?' The old gentleman said, 'The doctor told me that my wife was not actually ill; she was just a bit stifled in her heart and could not find . As long as her heart was stifled, all her illnesses would surface. Once her heart opened, the illnesses disappeared. Your produce made my wife smile, and with that smile, all her hundred illnesses vanished, and her body returned to health.' My father said, 'This is truly a wonderful thing. Let me quickly get more produce for you to take back for your wife.' The old gentleman insisted on giving my father silver, but my father refused to accept it.
A Path to Public Service
At that moment, I walked out from inside and asked my father, 'Father, where are we delivering the vegetables today?' My father told me, 'Quickly, greet the old gentleman.' I immediately greeted him, and the old gentleman asked me with a smile, 'What is your name? How old are you?' I told him, 'My name is Chou Chuan-pin, and I am ten years old.' The old gentleman said to my father, 'I like this child very much, as if I have known him in the past. What is he doing now?' My father replied, 'He follows me to the fields to grow vegetables every day. Today, we are taking the vegetables to a remote area.' The old gentleman asked my father, 'Would you let me cultivate this child? I will certainly raise him well. Please rest assured.' My father hesitated for a moment, and the old gentleman continued, 'Growing vegetables and living a simple life is a good thing, but if the child has a better future, should you not give him a chance? Perhaps he could become a good official in the future to benefit the civilians.' My father felt this made sense but was still a bit embarrassed. After the old gentleman’s repeated persuasion, my father finally agreed.
Thus, at the age of ten, I went to live in the old gentleman’s home. He cultivated me with great care, taught me everything well, and let me study. I told myself that I must never let down the old gentleman’s efforts in raising me, so I was very diligent and never dared to slack off.
After passing the examinations and obtaining a minor official position, I was soon promoted. I did not like to seek credit, so among the hundred officials, I was an unknown figure, and the Emperor did not know of me.
The Rain and the Laws of Karma
One year, the entire country faced a severe drought. The civilians could not get rain and begged the Emperor to pray for rain with them. They believed that as long as the Emperor knelt, Heaven would surely grant rain immediately. The Emperor prayed for rain, kneeling and bowing on the ground, yet the sky still did not release any rain. Some said perhaps we should wait a few more days, but after several days, still no rain fell. To resolve the drought, the Emperor told us officials, 'Whoever has a way to pray for rain and can think of a method to resolve the drought, I will surely reward them greatly!' Every official racked their brains, but none could think of a good method. Although I did not know how to pray for rain, since I was a child, whenever I encountered a problem I did not know how to solve, I would have a premonition that told me what to do. Regarding this drought, I seemed to have that same feeling. After hesitating for many days, for the sake of the civilians, I finally decided to tell the Emperor, 'The taxes on the civilians are too heavy. If we can reduce taxes and cut some of the expenses in the imperial palace, the rain will fall.' Many officials laughed when they heard me say this; they did not believe this could bring rain. But the Emperor had no other choice. Even though he did not quite believe it, he decided to try my method. He ordered the taxes to be revised immediately and the imperial budget to be recompiled. When the civilians heard this, they all cheered with joy. Within a few days, the sky immediately released rain, which everyone found inconceivable. But the rain was not heavy enough, so the Emperor asked me, 'Are there any other methods?' I had a feeling again and secretly reported to the Emperor, 'There are too many corrupt officials in the local areas. They embezzle national funds, collude with unscrupulous merchants, and exploit the civilians, making their lives miserable. If we can deal with these corrupt officials, let new officials take office, and reform the system, the sky will naturally release rain.' The Emperor immediately sent people to investigate, had all the corrupt officials thrown into dungeons, and appointed new officials to reform the system. The Emperor was wise, and the civilians all knelt to thank him. After suffering for so long, they were finally saved and did not have to live in fear anymore. Within a few days, the sky immediately released heavy rain. The Emperor stood by the window watching the rain outside, muttering, 'This is truly inconceivable!'
From then on, I was highly regarded by the Emperor. Although I did not like to be in the spotlight, I did my best to help the Emperor. As long as it was beneficial to the civilians, I would encourage the Emperor to do it. Once the hearts of the people are settled, disasters will not occur frequently.
Deliverance to the Western Pure Land
I left the human world peacefully in this life, without any illness or warning. At the age of sixty-four, I passed away in a dream. When my spirit left , I saw a light guiding me—a very bright light. I kept moving toward the light and unexpectedly arrived at the Heavenly Palace. The Jade Emperor appointed me as the Rain God to release rain in various places at the appropriate times, allowing the earthly creatures and civilians to be nourished by the rain.
Today, I am fortunate to be able to bring rain to save Taiwan from drought and have been led by Practitioner Su to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am endlessly grateful. When a disaster occurs in a place, few people care about the animals and earthly creatures. Practitioner Su is compassionate; he knows that these animals harbor resentment because they were slaughtered by the Taiwanese people, and their spirits remain in the space, stacked layer upon layer, which is why Taiwan had no rain. Practitioner Su, through his Dharma Body, uses Wisdom to save these animal spirits, allowing them to return to their original state, regain their human bodies, and see their own pasts. The Taiwanese people have always believed in the Buddha and the laws of karma and cause and effect. When they realized that this was all due to cause and effect, they let go of their resentment and were willing to follow the Western Three Saints ahead, achieving liberation and leaving suffering behind.
There are still spirits in the space today. In fact, before the tectonic plates pushed up the island of Taiwan, karma already existed. The people of every country have Collective Karma; it is karma that brings people together to live, and it is after living together that they create karma collectively. As long as there is karma, there is suffering, and there will be disasters. The people must bear it together. Practitioner Su helps with compassion, performing Chao Du to resolve the karma, which allows the people of Taiwan to suffer a little less. Drought is a form of Collective Karma; only after resolving the karma can suffering be resolved.
Chou Chuan-pin is grateful for the compassion of the Buddha. I am grateful for the compassion of Practitioner Su.
Namo Amituofo.
Chou Chuan-pin
Memorial Tablet: The Rain God who prayed for rain during the Taiwan drought and sought Chao Du for the rain in the southern region; the creatures brought by the Rain God; the spirits of large and small raindrops; the beings connected in the space of Taiwan’s rainfall; and the crawling and flying creatures that were harmed—an immeasurable number. Represented by: Chou Chuan-pin (seeking restoration, seeking purification, seeking Chao Du)."
