The Scholar Who Found Enlightenment in the Latrines

This is a record of an interview with the 692nd Venerable, Gao Cheng, who lived approximately 1,315 years ago. He sought deliverance through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su and now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This interview was recorded on September 27, 2018, by the chief writer, Shi Fa Jing.

Venerable Gao Cheng speaks:

"Even now, I continue to clean the latrines, serving the community with unwavering dedication. I understand deeply that my Master was helping me overcome the deep-seated habits within my own character. I pour my heart into this service, attending to every detail with such care that I address even the smallest, most overlooked needs. As I serve, I find increasing joy in the Dharma, eventually discovering the true, profound meaning of practice through this humble work.

A Child of Many Families

I was born into a family of extreme poverty. As the fifteenth child, my mother could no longer afford to raise me and entrusted me to the Gao family. In an instant, I went from being a child of a destitute household to becoming a young master of the Gao estate.

When I arrived, I was already the twenty-fifth child the Gao family had taken in. The elderly Mr. and Mrs. Gao, both in their eighties and nineties, became my parents. Having been unable to conceive children of their own, they had dedicated their lives to adopting orphans and children from families who could no longer afford to feed them. The Gao family was renowned throughout the town for their quiet, immense Generosity, funding all public facilities and relief efforts. The mother’s first adopted child had been left at their doorstep, a mere skeleton of a boy, reduced to skin and bone. Through her loving care, he blossomed into a healthy, round child within months. Word of this spread, and soon, every week, another child would appear at their gate. The compassionate mother accepted them all, raising them with the same devotion. As the parents began to study the Buddha’s teachings, their focus shifted from academic success to moral character. They brought the children to the temple to listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma, and many of the older brothers left home at a young age to pursue monastic life, a source of great joy for the parents.

A Prodigy Among Scholars

My mother taught me to chant Namo Amituofo from a very young age. I was exceptionally bright; after hearing the name just once, I kept it in my heart, chanting it happily while playing or before falling asleep. The elderly parents, through their diligent practice, remained remarkably healthy, often joking that if they chanted even more, they could easily adopt thirty more children. They were sincere in their desire to cultivate disciples for the Buddha, and year after year, they sent their children to the temple, where they grew into dignified monks.

I was one of the children my mother hoped would become a monk. My dignified appearance and passion for the Buddha’s teachings showed my deep karmic affinity with the Buddha. I would spend hours alone in the family library, reading and memorizing complex sutras with ease. One day, while playing with a ball in the street, I encountered a group of learned scholars debating the scriptures. As they recited, seven-year-old me began to chant along, finishing their sentences before they could even complete a word. The crowd was dumbfounded, and a monk watching from the sidelines remarked, 'This child was a great monk in his past life.' When my mother asked if I wished to study at the temple, I immediately agreed. At eight years old, I left the Gao family to begin my life as a practitioner.

The Discipline of Service

Before I left, my mother gave me one final instruction: 'Once you enter the temple, you must learn to serve.' Knowing my intellectual brilliance, she feared I might develop arrogance, so she insisted I start with the most menial tasks. My Master assigned me to clean the latrines. While previous monks had rushed through the task, holding their noses, I transformed the space. I chanted Namo Amituofo with a peaceful heart, and the foul odours were replaced by the scent of lotus flowers. I worked tirelessly, and my Master, seeing my potential, instructed the other monks not to praise me, no matter how well I performed, to help grind away my pride.

I was the last of my cohort to be allowed into the lecture hall. While others moved on, I remained in the latrines, serving the community. I eventually came to see my own limitations, realizing I was not as perfect as I had once believed. Through years of tempering, the once-arrogant child became a humble practitioner who could appreciate the strengths of others and seek guidance with a sincere heart.

The Lesson of the Vegetable Patch

As I became more efficient, my Master assigned me to tend the vegetable garden. It was here that I had my great awakening. While observing a cabbage worm, I suddenly recalled a past life as a proud, arrogant farmer who had monopolized the market and looked down on others. That life had ended in suffering, and I had been reborn as a worm. This realization caused me to let go of all my past learning and my attachment to the sutras. In that moment of surrender, everything opened up for me.

After fifteen years of service, I began to teach the Dharma in my sixteenth year. I surpassed all my peers, not with arrogance, but with a singular desire to help beings break through delusion and attain liberation. I became a master of adapting my teachings to the needs of each individual, guiding countless beings toward rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

A Mission Across the Universe

Today, the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su leads me through the universe, returning to realms where I once taught. In one past life, I had attained the ability to travel through space to preach, but because I had not taught others to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I had remained trapped in the cycle of rebirth. Now, with the name of Namo Amituofo, I return to those same planets. The Buddha-light shines upon them, and as I call out for all to chant and seek the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the beings follow, guided by the Buddha’s light to ultimate bliss. I am deeply grateful for the compassion of the Buddha and the compassion of Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."