The Rain We Called Upon Ourselves

This is a record of an interview with a spirit known as 'Little Purple Flower,' who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon the events of October 19, 2020. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable Fa Jing.

Little Purple Flower speaks:

"Hello! Greetings to everyone, Namo Amituofo! My name is Cinderella. I am a local Australian girl, only fifteen years old. I am so excited right now; I haven't been able to calm down yet! This is the first time I have been brought into the lecture hall for an interview, and I can see Practitioner Su right in front of me. I am just so thrilled! My spirit is literally jumping for joy! Whenever I get excited, I love to jump and jump like this. When I finally get tired, I just sit on the ground and laugh out loud!

"From the moment that man you call 'Venerable Fa Ming' walked up to me, I couldn't stop leaping. I was hoping so much that I would have the chance to be 'plucked' by him! He looked at me several times, and then he really reached out and pulled me away. I shouted, 'YES!' so loudly, but I don't think he heard me. He gently held me in his hand, and I kept jumping with excitement as I followed him into the lecture hall. I want to say thank you to Venerable Fa Ming for bringing me here! I am so sorry for talking too much out of pure excitement, but I am ready to answer your questions now."

Practitioner Su: The Beloved 'Grandma'

"Practitioner Su is my idol! I also want to call her 'Grandma.' I hear all of you calling her that, and it sounds so intimate and kind. I want to call her Grandma too! Every day, Grandma appears before us with her entire body glowing in brilliant golden light. Especially during the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, Grandma looks so different—her body becomes somewhat translucent and shimmering. She walks so fast, so fast, just like she is flying!

"Speaking of the drought in the Australian region, it has truly made us little flowers and blades of grass suffer so much! We cannot survive without water. To stay alive, some plants work incredibly hard to grow their roots deeper and spread their reach, all just to absorb the moisture deep within the soil. If we cannot absorb any water, we have no choice but to wait until we wither and die. Once we die, our spirits are just sucked into another plant to be reborn. Ever since Grandma began the Chao Du, we have all been so excited. We never imagined that chanting Namo Amituofo could actually call for rain! Grandma’s Dharma Body appeared before each and every one of us, teaching us to chant. Every flower, every blade of grass, every grain of sand, every pebble, and every insect—along with the many animals in the forest—we all followed Grandma in chanting Namo Amituofo."

A Chorus of Spirits Calling for Rain

"I opened my mouth as wide as I could and sang out, 'Na—mo—A—mi—tuo—fo!' I was so happy singing it! It wasn't just us spirits singing; there were so many beings in the sky with glowing bodies—no, wait, they seemed to be Buddhas! They looked different from ordinary people; each one looked so beautiful and steady. They filled the entire sky, dense and numerous, and they were all chanting to call for rain.

"The sound of our chanting seemed to pierce through space itself. I could feel that it wasn't just the spirits here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre who were chanting; the sound extended to very distant places. I could hear them all. It must have been every spirit in all of Goombungee chanting together. Everyone was chanting with all their might. Some were chanting for the first time and weren't very standard, but the kind-hearted people standing nearby would teach them how to chant. In an instant, everyone’s hearts merged into one. We were all chanting loudly, focused, and joyful, all for the sake of calling for rain—begging the heavens to send down a great downpour to nourish us and irrigate this parched land! Some spirits who hadn't caught on yet heard the sound of everyone chanting and quickly rushed over to join in. To show our respect, we all knelt. Some were so intoxicated by the singing that they kept swaying their bodies. I felt so happy watching them, and I continued to chant loudly along with them. We all deeply believed that the sky would definitely rain! It had to rain! Because we were so sincere, everyone was working so hard, and we had all listened to Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks. We all knew that our hearts must be kind, we must be compassionate, and we must chant Namo Amituofo every day!"

The Miracle of the Falling Rain

"Last night, a sudden, fierce wind began to blow. Wow! We were all screaming, 'It’s going to rain! It’s going to rain!' We waited and waited, and while we waited, we continued to chant. After a few hours, the sky really began to sprinkle! I jumped up with joy and shouted, 'YES!' We danced in the rain and continued to chant while the rain fell. These raindrops heard our chanting and even asked us, 'What are you singing? Why is everyone so happy?' I immediately stood up and introduced ourselves to these raindrops, big and small: 'Listen up, everyone! We are chanting Na—mo—A—mi—tuo—fo! It is because Grandma led us in chanting today that you raindrops have descended upon us. Seeing you makes us so happy! We have been dry for so long; finally, you have come to nourish us!'

"The raindrops also happily replied, 'That’s right! We were suddenly dispatched to this place by the Jade Emperor. Many Rain Gods received the order and immediately led their subjects to move. We traveled quickly and only just arrived here. So, it was because you were chanting that we were suddenly sent here! It is so nice to meet you! Seeing you all chanting so happily, we want to chant along too!' I quickly told them, 'Of course! Come and chant with us!' Our massive group of immeasurable and boundless spirits chanted through the entire night! We were all celebrating this rain that we had called upon ourselves. It was truly such a happy time!

"Now that I have the chance to speak, I must thank Grandma. Thank you, Grandma, for your compassion in leading us to call for the rain. The rain we called for ourselves, falling upon our own bodies—it feels especially comfortable and especially joyful! Thank you, Grandma, and thank you, everyone! Namo Amituofo."