This is a record of an interview with the 638th Venerable, Shi Changyi (secular name: Liang Xiaonan), and the 639th Venerable, Shi Changxing. They now reside in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon their lives approximately several centuries ago. It was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Jing, on June 25, 2018.
Venerable Chang Yi speaks:
". I was born into a rural family. My parents worked tirelessly in the fields to support eight children, and we barely managed to scrape by. When I was seven years old, my father fell gravely ill. My mother, alone and overwhelmed, could not care for all eight of us. She eventually made the heart-wrenching decision to sell me—the youngest—to the wealthy Wang household in town as a servant, hoping that at least I could earn some money to help the family survive.
I understood my parents' hardship deeply. I felt no resentment toward my mother for selling me; instead, I was grateful that I had the opportunity to earn money to support them. My sixth brother had suffered brain damage, and besides caring for my father, my mother had to constantly watch over him, terrified that he might accidentally harm himself. I told myself that since I had left home, I must work diligently and bring back as much silver as I could every month for my mother to use.
The Wang household was the wealthiest in town, a stark contrast to the poverty of my own home. Yet, I felt neither envy nor inferiority. My home, though small, was warm, and our family was bound by love and mutual support. When my family faced difficulties, I was the first to step forward, hoping to make life a little easier for my parents and siblings."
The Burden of Wealth and the Search for Meaning
"The master and mistress of the Wang household grew fond of me and assigned me to serve their young son. The young master had gone through many servants, both old and young. Despite his family's vast wealth, he remained deeply depressed and unhappy. His parents were at a loss as to how to help him. When I arrived, they noticed I was of a similar age and temperament to their son, so they decided to place me by his side.
I grew as close to the young master as a brother. His heart was heavy with unspoken words, and only after I stayed by his side did he begin to pour out his heart to me. Even though his parents had spent a fortune on his martial arts and artistic training, he remained joyless. He could not understand the meaning of life in this world, so he closed himself off, locking himself in his room. His heart was filled with such bitterness; he had no desire to live, and nothing in this world could capture his interest.
Watching the young master's suffering, and seeing my own parents grow older year by year as life slipped away, I began to wonder: what is the true meaning of existence? I wanted to help the young master, and I wanted to help my parents, but I had no solution. Even if I returned home, my parents would still age. I could only watch the young master's misery and my parents' decline with a heavy heart."
The Dawn of a Spiritual Quest
"One day, the young master finally agreed to go out with me. It was his first time stepping outside the house, and his parents were overjoyed. We went into town to buy some daily necessities. I shared my inner turmoil with him, asking if he knew the purpose of life. He felt the same way, and right then and there, we decided to search for the Truth of life together. In that instant, it was as if we had seen the first ray of dawn; we began to feel a sense of vitality.
From that day on, we travelled everywhere, searching for the Truth. We visited bustling cities and desolate villages. We witnessed the prosperity of the world and the decay of human nature; we saw the warmth and coldness of human relationships and the selfishness of mankind. We saw people forced to toil just to beg for food, and we saw the ignorance of those lost in the illusions of indulgence and gambling.
These various life patterns repeatedly told us that this world is not worth clinging to. If we could find a better destination, we could surely save the many suffering people we saw. They were living this way because they had no choice. If we could find a beautiful future home, their lives would be transformed. A vow to save the world sprouted in our hearts; we had to find a way to deliver humanity."
The Manifestation of the Buddha
"We spent three years travelling across the world. As our horizons expanded, so did our hearts. One day, we stood by a riverbank, feeling dejected after three years of searching with no results. As we skipped stones and watched the ripples, feeling utterly defeated, a brilliant light suddenly appeared before us. A magnificent Buddha statue manifested in front of us, radiating golden light. We saw it clearly, and the image was deeply imprinted in our hearts. We knew this must be the will of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
We began to actively search for which Buddha this was. After visiting many temples, we finally arrived at a remote mountain. We heard there was a temple there, though few pilgrims ever visited. After a long climb, we felt a powerful energy that left us in awe. We were certain this was the bodhimanda of that Buddha.
As we reached the summit, we saw no one. After a long path, we finally found a solemn temple. As we stepped inside, the Buddha we had seen earlier appeared before us again. It was truly this place. We immediately knelt and prostrated ourselves."
The Path to the
"The monastics inside told us this was the bodhimanda of Namo Amituofo. What we saw were the Three Saints of the West. The Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is a beautiful world created by Namo Amituofo, where every wish is fulfilled, where there is no suffering, only ultimate . It is a place every person should yearn for. However, people were unfamiliar with it; most had never even heard of it. If only people could believe in Namo Amituofo and seek the Western Pure Land, they would surely be liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
We were overjoyed to have finally found the way to save the world. Though we were only in our teens, we had seen so much of life. We decided to stay in the temple to practise diligently. By cutting off the desires of greed, anger, and ignorance, we would teach by example, letting the world know that the holy name of Namo Amituofo can truly change one's destiny and lead to the Western Pure Land.
At twenty, we both received the full . The young master was given the name Shi Changxing, and I was named Shi Changyi. After becoming bhikshus, we travelled everywhere, teaching the Dharma and helping people understand the magnificence of the Western Pure Land. Our parents and the master and mistress of the Wang household also began to believe in Buddhism, never leaving the holy name of Namo Amituofo. I told my parents that seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land was the goal of this life, and that we would surely return to the West together."
A Lifetime of Diligent Practice
"To spread the Dharma, we rarely stayed in the temple. We slept in the open, practised meditative concentration while on the move, and sat in the wild at night chanting Namo Amituofo. During the day, we continued our journey. Changxing and I walked one behind the other, without speaking. Our hearts were so pure that we instantly understood each other's thoughts; there was no need for words. Even when the journey was arduous, the memory of the suffering we had witnessed gave us the perseverance to move forward. In our sixties, while on our journey, we both chanted Namo Amituofo and achieved rebirth in the Western Pure Land, our physical bodies returning to the earth.
Changxing and I support those who truly dedicate themselves to the Dharma, and Practitioner Su is someone we deeply admire. Having seen Practitioner Su's past journey and current work of delivering spirits through the , we are filled with admiration. We have entered into Practitioner Su's legs from the Western Pure Land to help heal the injuries. Changxing is the 639th Venerable, Shi Changxing. I can see that the internal structure of Practitioner Su's legs is gradually stabilizing and solidifying. The cells and tendons damaged by the spirits are now healing perfectly. Soon, Practitioner Su will be able to walk with ease.
There are countless planets in the Milky Way. Practitioner Su's countless manifestations are spread throughout the galaxy, with the Dharma Body reaching into every planet to transmit energy, imprinting the Buddha-name deep within each one. This includes not just the planets, but all the dust, nebulae, stars, star belts, and even the light and gases in the universe—all these sentient beings are within the scope of Practitioner Su's deliverance. Wherever the Buddha-light shines, Practitioner Su's Dharma Body is present. This immense power of deliverance has caused countless beings on many planets to compete to reach the Western Pure Land. The Dharma is spreading through the galaxy at an incredible speed. In the future, every planet will be an Amitabha planet, filled with Buddha-nature. Namo Amituofo."
