This is a record of an interview with the Venerable Ye Tianzhu, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life during the Wei and Jin dynasties. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable Fa Jing, on June 16, 2018.
Venerable Ye Tianzhu speaks:
"I am the Venerable ranked number 596, Ye Tianzhu, with the name Shi Yinben. I was born into a prestigious family during the Wei and Jin dynasties. For generations, my family served as officials. Whether it was my father, grandfather, or great-grandfather, they were all respected, incorruptible officials in our town. They were single-minded in their devotion to the welfare of the civilians, always maintaining a clear distinction between public duty and private interests."
A Mother's Longing and a Fateful Encounter
"My parents had been married for many years without children. As my father was an only son, my mother felt a deep sense of anxiety; she felt a heavy burden to bear a child to carry on the Ye family line. She tried countless herbal tonics and many folk remedies passed down through generations, but one prescription after another yielded no results. She began to seek guidance from deities and divination, yet her womb remained empty. Exhausted and drained, my mother finally decided to set down this heavy burden and simply follow the flow of Causal Conditions."
"Although our family was wealthy, my mother always preferred a simple, humble appearance; she looked just like a woman from the countryside. One day, while walking through the town streets to purchase daily necessities, she happened upon a dilapidated temple. Following the Causal Conditions, she stepped inside. As she looked at the Buddha statue before her, her heart was naturally stirred. She wondered, 'Which Buddha is this?'"
The Guardian of the Dharma
"At that moment, an elderly, disabled monk with limited mobility appeared. He greeted my mother and shared the story of the temple. It turned out that this was once a bodhimanda of , but it had been destroyed decades earlier. At that time, followers of an evil cult had arrived to propagate their twisted teachings. The civilians in the town gradually fell under the influence of that deviant sect, and many followers became possessed by a demon. Some went insane, while others locked themselves away, refusing to step outside; the entire town became a place of eerie, dark energy. These people, having been led astray by evil teachings, were eventually gathered and burned alive. From that day on, no one in the town dared to mention any religion at all."
"The kind-hearted old monk spoke of how the cult had attacked all other religions. To protect the Buddha’s teachings and ensure the people could still know of Namo Amituofo and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the old monk refused to yield, even unto death. In the end, his feet were brutally severed. Despite this, he continued to guard the bodhimanda every single day, preventing further destruction. Decades passed, and while civilians from this town and others would come and go to burn incense, they did not understand the great and vow of Namo Amituofo; they only knew that it was a Buddha."
The Golden Light of the Sutra
"My mother bowed respectfully to the Buddha and picked up the Amitabha Sutra from the altar, which was covered in thick dust. She gently wiped it clean and opened the scriptures. In an instant, every character within the book radiated a brilliant golden light. My mother blinked, looking more closely, and the text returned to its original state. This momentary vision felt truly inconceivable to her. She believed that this encounter was the will of the Buddha or , not a mere coincidence, but a chapter of life arranged by the Buddha for her."
"My mother decided to recite the Amitabha Sutra daily to understand the compassion of Namo Amituofo. Every time she recited the scriptures, she experienced inconceivable responses. Namo Amituofo is the King of Buddhas, the great compassionate teaching master of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The magnificence of that Western Land filled my mother with a deep longing. Being a compassionate and kind-hearted woman, she hoped that all beings could be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss together."
A Gift from Namo Amituofo
"One day, my mother suddenly discovered she was pregnant. She was overjoyed and deeply grateful for the Buddha’s compassion, believing this was a gift sent to her by Namo Amituofo. To help more civilians understand Namo Amituofo and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, my mother spent a significant sum of silver to renovate the dilapidated temple and restore the statues of Namo Amituofo. The once-ruined temple was rebuilt into a place of immense dignity, and the images of the Western Trinity were rendered with exquisite grace. Gradually, monks began to gather there for group cultivation. The old monk led them in propagating the Buddha’s teachings, letting the people know of the magnificence of Namo Amituofo and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. More and more civilians began to understand, and the number of followers in the temple grew steadily."
"When I was born, my mother was astonished; the infant's facial features were remarkably similar to those of Namo Amituofo. My mother took me to meet the old monk, who laughed with pure delight. Using his Wisdom, the old monk taught me daily. Even as a young child, I could recite the Amitabha Sutra fluently, and by the age of four, I began reading many scriptures. At seven, I left the home life to become a little novice in the temple, receiving the Dharma name Shi Yinben, and I followed the old monk every day to learn."
The Lesson of the Mountain Spring
"One day, the old monk and I went to the spring water behind the mountain and drank a cup of mountain water together. The old monk asked me, 'You drank that water quite hurriedly; is there something troubling your heart?' I was stunned and nodded. The old monk asked again, 'Did the water taste good?' I shook my head. The old monk said, 'I found it sweet.' He then asked, 'Did you see how clear the water was?' I shook my head and said, 'There was some dust in the water.' The old monk replied, 'That is because the water is clear enough to allow you to see the existence of the dust.'"
"The old monk taught me that everything we see before us is a manifestation of our own heart. When the state of our heart differs, even a cup of colorless, tasteless water will appear different. This heart is the essential key to practice; if one cultivates a pure heart, naturally all phenomena will be pure. The old monk’s Wisdom, in every gesture and every step, was always teaching Yinben."
A Life of Pure Practice
"Every detail of daily life served as the old monk’s teaching material, and I truly gained much insight from them. I later left the temple to propagate the Buddha’s teachings far and wide, and when the old monk passed away, I returned to the temple to serve as the abbot. I spent my entire life in pure practice, attaining the , leading lost beings to find the path of light, and chanting Buddha's name to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."
"The Dharma sound of Practitioner Su flows throughout the Dharma Realm and the void. The transmission of the Buddha’s teachings knows no race or rank; it is entirely equal. What the Buddha wishes to save are the spirits of every being trapped in the six realms of rebirth; the target of the Buddha’s teachings is every child lost within the cycle of samsara. Now, the Buddha’s teachings are widely spread throughout the universe, brought into every planet through different channels and Causal Conditions. The magnetic field and energy of the entire universe are continuously developing in a positive direction, and compassion and pure Goodness are gradually being absorbed and learned by more extraterrestrial beings."
"In the future, every planet will be a seed for spreading the Buddha’s teachings, waiting for it to sprout and grow. Now, all phenomena in the world have begun to move toward the light, and the Dharma sound of Namo Amituofo is spreading without boundaries. When the seeds sprout, the light of Namo Amituofo will permeate the Dharma Realm, and everywhere will be the world of Namo Amituofo. Namo Amituofo!"
