The Reincarnated Master: A Physician's Dream and a Return to the Dharma

This is a record of an interview with the Venerable Shi Changde, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately 1,400 years ago, during the Sui Dynasty. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa-Jing, on June 22, 2018.

Venerable Shi Changde speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am the Venerable numbered 602, Lu Wendong, who held the Dharma name Shi Changde.

I was born during the Sui Dynasty. My parents were both renowned physicians of their generation. My father served as an imperial medical officer to the Emperor, while my mother, Lu Jiawen, dedicated her life to running a free clinic in our town, providing medical care to the people without charge.

A Prophetic Dream and a Miraculous Birth

One serene evening, my mother went to bed early and had a long, vivid dream. In this dream, she carried her herbal medicines across mountains and valleys to reach a temple, where she treated a monk. Under her care, the monk’s health gradually improved. He was deeply grateful for her kindness, but my mother sought no reward. Once he had recovered, she left the temple and returned home to her ordinary life. The dream felt so incredibly real that when she awoke, her entire body felt exhausted, as if she had truly been travelling a great distance. She dismissed it, thinking it was merely the result of her exhausting work at the clinic, and gave it no further thought.

Half a month later, my mother felt a sudden pain in her abdomen. Upon checking her own pulse, she discovered she was pregnant. She was utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend how this had come to be. As the days passed, her belly grew rapidly. In less than three months, I, Wendong, emerged from her womb, as if I were in a great hurry to enter this world.

A Child of Mystery

When I was born, my physical form was no different from any other full-term baby. Though my mother was deeply puzzled, she accepted me as a precious life and dedicated herself to my care, setting aside her medical practice. However, by the time I reached the age of three, I still could not speak. My mother tried countless treatments, but none were effective.

I would often stare into the distance with a smile, which caused my mother great anxiety. She worried that I might be possessed by spirits. She even invited famous psychics of the time to examine me, but they could find nothing amiss. I would frequently make babbling sounds or giggle at the empty air, as if playing with invisible companions. This strange phenomenon left my mother both worried and deeply perplexed.

One day, wanting to test if I was a normal child, my mother gathered various toys and foods that children typically enjoy. She tried to entice me with them one by one, but I showed no reaction. After a long time, she grew weary, concluding that I was indeed different from other children. As she went to put the items away in a cabinet, she opened the door, and a string of prayer beads fell out. My eyes lit up. I crawled rapidly toward the beads, picked them up, and began to play with them, laughing happily. My mother was shocked by this sight. Why was I so interested in prayer beads? Was I destined to become a monk? Where had these beads even come from? Her mind was filled with questions.

The Return to the Temple

That night, my mother could not sleep, her mind consumed by thoughts of my future. If I grew up unable to speak, I would surely be mocked. To ensure I could live with dignity, she made a final decision.

The next morning, she carried me on her back and set out early, heading deep into the mountains. She had never been to this place before, yet for some reason, guided by a profound memory she could not quite grasp, she arrived at a temple in the deep mountains. The temple felt strangely familiar, as if she had visited it alone once before, though she could not recall the details. The architecture was simple, with a stable, square layout, and the environment was clean and tranquil. Beyond the crisp chirping of birds and the sound of the breeze rustling the leaves, one could hear the gentle, rhythmic chanting of the Buddha’s name—the sound of the master reciting. Everyone who arrived at this place was transformed by its pure magnetic field, naturally feeling at ease in body and mind.

As my mother stepped into the temple with me, a master approached, pressed his palms together, and recited, 'Namo Amituofo.' I immediately responded with the sound, 'Buddha—' My mother was startled and urged, 'Wendong, say it again!' But I remained silent.

My mother explained my situation to the master, suggesting that I must have a karmic affinity with the Buddha. To ensure my proper growth, she decided to leave me there to become a monk. The master looked at me and told my mother, 'Do not underestimate this child.' My mother did not understand his meaning, but seeing that he did not reject me, she felt at ease leaving me in his care and returned home alone.

The Master Returns

That was my first night living in the temple. I never cried or fussed for my mother; I seemed to be intimately familiar with the environment. The masters all grew fond of me because I would always smile happily when I saw them. During sutra recitations and Buddha-name chanting, I would join in. Although they could not understand what I was chanting, they knew I was deeply immersed, as if I had once chanted the Buddha’s name in exactly that way before.

One day, a young monk helping me bathe discovered a birthmark on my body and noticed the familiar string of prayer beads I carried. He was shocked and hurriedly gathered the senior masters to see the mark. Upon seeing it, they gasped in awe and immediately knelt, crying out, 'Master!'

The crowd suddenly kneeling startled me, and I stopped playing in the water, my expression turning solemn and serious. The monastics were stunned by this sight. They said, 'It truly is our Master. This serious expression is exactly like his—the Master has returned!' From that day on, they treated me with the utmost respect. Sometimes I appeared as a child, but in an instant, the Master’s presence would manifest. I still did not speak, which left them very confused. By the time I was seven, every move I made was unlike that of a seven-year-old. If one ignored my small stature, my conduct was that of an eminent monk—though I remained silent, profound Wisdom was hidden within.

A Lesson in Meditative Concentration

One day, a great fire broke out in the temple's kitchen. The monastics watched as the flames grew larger; many of the younger ones were jumping with rage and panic, while the senior masters scrambled to fetch water to extinguish it. The scene became increasingly chaotic. Suddenly, someone shouted, 'Chant the Buddha’s name!' The crowd was startled by the voice and turned to look, saying in unison, 'It is the Master.' I spoke: 'Such a small matter, yet you are in such a panic. Where has your meditative concentration gone? Kneel and chant the Buddha’s name!' The monastics obeyed my words, kneeling and pressing their palms together to chant. The kitchen area was isolated, the flames were quickly extinguished, and no major damage was done.

When the monastics gathered, I spoke: 'I am indeed the Master, Shi Changde. For these years, I have been observing your practice. As soon as the Master is gone, everything falls into disarray. Where has all that the Master taught you gone?' The monastics lowered their heads, not daring to speak. I called them out one by one to instruct them, and they were fully convinced that their Master had returned.

I explained to my disciples that my previous physical body had grown old and immobile. To continue the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings, my spirit had left the body and entered the dream of the physician who had once treated me. That physician was kind-hearted, and her true self agreed to let me be reborn. Thus, after she awoke from that dream, my spirit had already entered her womb. While in her womb, I began to learn the medical knowledge within her consciousness. I returned with even greater skills in practice and had also mastered her medical arts.

A Life of Service and Final Departure

From that day on, I reformed the temple’s style, correcting the habits of every disciple and adjusting the flaws that had previously gone unnoticed. I led my disciples down the mountain to spread the Buddha’s teachings everywhere, combining the Dharma with medicine to heal the people. My physical body was young, while my disciples gradually aged. I sent them off one by one to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and took in new disciples to teach them anew. Only when this new group of disciples could stand on their own to resolve the people's doubts or lecture on the Sutras did I conclude this journey of life. At the age of seventy, I recited the Buddha’s name and ascended directly to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I have had the good fortune to join 1,168 other Venerables in entering the leg of 'Practitioner Su' to repair injured areas. The ligaments in the leg had been damaged by the invasion of many spirits, and due to muscle relaxation, there was difficulty in walking. I have been attempting to repair Practitioner Su’s ligaments and strengthen every muscle. I believe that with continued adjustments, combined with Practitioner Su’s own external efforts, the leg will surely be repaired quickly, restoring a steady gait.

The Grand Deliverance

I have great admiration for Practitioner Su’s work in saving sentient beings throughout the universe. After my spirit left my physical body, I once visited the universe. At that time, many spirits already existed there, but I did not have sufficient ability to save them all, so I had to return to the human world to use this physical body to transform human beings.

Practitioner Su’s 'Dharma Body' stands above and beyond the universe, rapidly sending away batch after batch of universal beings. Every planet becomes tiny beneath Practitioner Su’s feet. With a wave of a great sleeve, countless planets are sent onto the golden light. This was the first time I had witnessed such a scene, and it was truly shocking.

Among the many planets, there was one that emitted its own light, existing alone in a belt of the universe. It could generate its own light and heat, even spreading energy to other planets. As it appeared in the universe in fixed cycles, the other planets would wait for its arrival to share its energy and maintain their balance. Now, the planets finally know that the inhabitants of this planet were all practitioners who had once been to the West. Since descending to the human world, they had never returned to the West, but instead resided on that planet, diligently practising the Buddha’s teachings. They became a 'good planet' in the universe, spreading good energy. Although their power was small, they did their utmost to perform good deeds throughout the universe.

Practitioner Su’s Chao Du brings energy millions of times greater than that planet. Today, that planet also had the karmic affinity to be saved, and the practitioners within it followed the golden light to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. That Practitioner Su could cultivate such a Dharma Body in this 'age of the Dharma’s decline' is truly unique, and this grand deliverance across the universe is the first of its kind in history. I am grateful to Practitioner Su; only today do sentient beings have this karmic affinity to be saved. Let us all encourage one another to emulate Practitioner Su’s heart for saving beings, so that for the sake of all beings, we may all be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Namo Amituofo."