This interview was recorded on December 18, 2025, at the of the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. The speaker is Tseng Shun-kuang, a spirit who served as a Rain God for centuries. After witnessing the golden light of during the massive fire at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong, he sought deliverance and now resides at the Western -Nature Land.
Tseng Shun-kuang speaks:
"When I arrived at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong, I realised that the scale of the fire was far beyond anything I had ever imagined! It was simply too massive, too overwhelming! I immediately petitioned the Jade Emperor, wondering if I could bring down rain to alleviate the inferno at the disaster site. The Jade Emperor did not answer me. Based on my past experience, this meant I was not permitted to act. The massive fire at Wang Fuk Court involved too many sentient beings participating in collective , settling debts of vengeance and repayment; it was not something that could be resolved by a mere rainstorm.
The Rain God's Journey to the Western Dharma-Nature Land
Namo Amituofo. Today, I, Tseng Shun-kuang, sit upon a lotus seat in the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, my face beaming with a smile so wide my eyes are mere slits. I look back upon my many lives and sigh at the great of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. From the moment I first recalled the Buddha in a single thought, He has never abandoned me. He has been waiting for me, Tseng Shun-kuang, to turn my head and follow Him home. For centuries, even millennia, I have guarded this vast expanse of land from the boundless skies. I am intimately familiar with the changing seasons, the fluctuations of water, and the cycles of drought, for I am the Heavenly General in charge of the climate. People are accustomed to calling me the 'Rain God.' I can bring rain when requested, or I can unleash excessive storms that lead to flooding in a region. I have always taken my orders from the Jade Emperor, reporting the rainfall conditions of the human world to him regularly. People often believe they can pray to the Rain God for rain, or ask me to stop the rain when it becomes too heavy, especially when the threat of a flood is imminent.
The Laws of Karma and the Role of a Deity
As the Rain God, people often assume I have the power to change their destiny. They think a single rainfall can help them achieve a bountiful harvest or great profit. In truth, my work is to present the conditions of the human world accurately to the Jade Emperor and, upon receiving his decision, implement it in the mortal realm. To 'implement' it means I adjust the mental focus of the rainfall in a specific area according to his decree. You might ask, what is the significance of such an ability for a minor deity like me? Here, we must speak of the laws of karma and cause and effect.
I am a seasoned Rain God, and I am also one filled with a sense of justice. If the people in a certain region are selfish or wicked in their character, I will carry out my orders to pour water upon that land for three days and three nights, creating a flood. However, for the virtuous families in that same region, I will send warnings in advance or try my best to ensure the flood does not cause too much damage to their homes, allowing their families to escape in time. I may seem busy, but I actually have a vast army of rain spirits who follow me to execute these tasks. We are very united and rarely make mistakes.
The Virtue of Seeking Rain
In the thousands of years I have served as the Rain God, I have encountered many major events. There were times when China faced widespread drought and famine. Emperors would personally hold grand ceremonies to pray for rain. Those emperors who were truly sincere in their concern for the people would fast for days, bathe, and change into clean robes to welcome the ceremony. As a high-ranking Rain God, I would wait early for the ceremony to begin, quietly sensing whether the heart of the petitioner was genuine—whether they were truly praying for the sake of the nation and its people, or merely performing a hollow ritual out of desperation. All of this was part of my report to the Jade Emperor, and the success of the prayer depended heavily on the virtue of the petitioner. Back then, I was just a Rain God who did not know the Buddha’s teachings; I did not understand the Universal Principle, the Truth, or the Right Way. Now, sitting on my lotus seat in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, listening to Practitioner Su give Dharma talks, my heart has finally been opened.
The Hidden Influence of Purity
Have you ever heard of a small area where, despite similar seasons, some farmers have excellent harvests while others do not? Beyond the quality of the soil, it actually has to do with the rainfall and whether the rainwater itself is 'healthy.' Sometimes, such minor matters do not even require me to intervene. Many spirits naturally bring healthy, unpolluted rainwater to the fields of farmers who possess good character and virtue. Conversely, less healthy water naturally falls upon the fields of those who are more selfish and lack moral cultivation.
I am an experienced and obedient Rain God who never acts on personal whim to change the climate. In fact, the position of Rain God is one that demands high moral cultivation. Therefore, any deity capable of managing the weather and rainfall of a region must be a virtuous person who has accumulated great merit. Since I have mentioned this, let me tell you how I became the Rain God!
A Farmer's Connection to Namo Amituofo
In the life before I became the Rain God, I was called Tseng Shun-kuang. I was not a particularly clever child; I was just a simple, honest farmer who worked diligently in the fields. I had one particular skill: I knew how to protect the insects, ants, and all the small creatures beneath my feet from harm. In that life, I was also a practitioner of the Buddha’s teachings, though I understood nothing of the profound Dharma. It just so happened that a monk was passing through my fields. I heard him constantly murmuring something, and I asked him who he was speaking to. He told me he was reciting 'Namo Amituofo.' He explained that this Buddha-name carries light, and when recited by someone with light and virtue, the invisible beings and the insects beneath one's feet can all be saved. Hearing this, it was as if I had connected with the Buddha. I began to recite 'Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo' constantly, feeling that this was the only way to be worthy of the land and the insects beneath me.
As I continued to recite, I became increasingly sensitive to the changes in my environment. I began to know whether my fields lacked water, how much they needed, and how many insects were eating my vegetables. Walking on the land, I could sense whether the area would have a good harvest or if the water source was healthy. From then on, I actively spread the Buddha-name to those around me. We were all simple farmers, and everyone was overjoyed to hear it. Every person recited the Buddha-name, and within a ten-mile radius, it became a 'Village of Amituofo.' The entire village truly felt like a Pure Land, and everyone joyfully recited the Buddha-name to the earth. From that time on, droughts and floods never returned. It was as if the heavens sent us exactly the amount of water we needed. The villagers used to say we were a village blessed by the Rain God.
The Path to the Western Dharma-Nature Land
I lived a very happy and long life in that incarnation. Watching everyone recite the Buddha-name with and seeing every family enjoy a good harvest was a blessing. Besides reciting the Buddha-name, we would also pay respects to the Rain God, thanking the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the Rain God for our good life. Unfortunately, I still could not perfect my practice to follow the Buddha to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss in that life. This was due to a subtle attachment—an attachment to the good harvests of the land. My recitation of the Buddha-name had a faint element of 'seeking.' However, because the merit of reciting the Buddha-name and leading the villagers and the earth to recite was so great, the moment I passed away, I floated above the land, reported to the Jade Emperor in the heavenly realms, and was appointed as the Rain God of that region.
Initially, I was only the Rain God for our village, but over time, because I not only fulfilled my duties but also continued to recite the Buddha-name, the territory I was appointed to manage grew larger and larger, and the rain spirits following me increased as well. At one point, we were responsible for the rainfall over a vast area of Southern China. For thousands of years, I witnessed many droughts and floods, but we could not violate the operation of the laws of karma, so we could only try our best to help those with kind hearts and good thoughts escape the worst of the disasters.
Later, I heard that a massive fire was about to break out in a place under my jurisdiction. Following my intuition, I arrived at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, Hong Kong. This was my first time participating in an action so far south. When I arrived, I realised the fire was beyond anything I had imagined! It was too massive! I petitioned the Jade Emperor, but received no answer. I could only stand by with other benevolent spirits, offering mental support to the civilians, helping them escape by reciting 'Namo Amituofo' over and over, praying that the casualties would be minimised. We recited for days, and many other benevolent spirits joined us.
After a few days, Wang Fuk Court was enveloped in golden light—a completely different scene. The human world could not see it, but in the spirit world, it was crystal clear. The entire residential complex was golden, and even the surrounding area radiated golden light. We recited 'Namo Amituofo' with even greater determination, and in an instant, we vanished from that place and arrived at a very distant location: the Western Dharma-Nature Land at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. We had heard of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, but we did not know that there was such a place on Earth that resembled it so closely—a world of the Buddha. This Western Dharma-Nature Land was established by Practitioner Su in the human world with the help of Namo Amituofo, which is why it resembles the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I hear the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is even more magnificent, so we are very satisfied and grateful to be here, continuing to recite 'Namo Amituofo.' The Buddha is very compassionate and constantly shines His light upon us. Whether we are spirits from a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand years ago, we have all been transformed into young, dignified beings.
Namo Amituofo has truly come to the human world. I believe this news must be told to everyone, especially the Chinese people. Whether you believe in the Buddha or believe in me, the Rain God Tseng Shun-kuang, you should come here to see for yourself. At the very least, you must know that Namo Amituofo has truly arrived. Only then can humanity be saved. Otherwise, to encounter the Buddha and yet continue to cycle through samsara would be too painful.
I am the thousand-year-old Rain God, Tseng Shun-kuang, and this is the story of how I encountered Namo Amituofo.
