The Solitary Boat: A Journey Toward Enlightenment

This article presents an interview with the 271st Venerable, Yin Cheng, who lived approximately 721 years ago. Having achieved rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, he shares his life story and his current mission to assist Practitioner Su in her work of saving sentient beings. This account was recorded by the chief writer, Disciple Shi Fajing, on February 27, 2019.

Venerable Yin Cheng speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Yin Cheng. My life began with a miracle that astonished my entire family. 'This old hen that never laid an egg has finally laid one today!' my family exclaimed in disbelief. Coincidentally, news arrived that my mother was pregnant. Everyone was filled with shock and joy. My grandmother immediately ordered the servants to prepare a grand feast so the whole family could celebrate this unexpected blessing.

A Legacy of Kindness

The Yin family was fated to have no descendants, or so the fortune-tellers claimed. When my grandmother first heard this, she felt a sense of sorrow, but she accepted it as the unfolding of Causal Conditions, leaving it to the heavens. Now, with the news of my mother's pregnancy, my grandmother was beaming with joy, nearly dancing with delight. The Yin family had always been a single-lineage family; after my father was born, there were no more children. It was said that our ancestors had once made enemies and were cursed to have no descendants. However, because our ancestors were fond of performing good deeds and helping others, the family line did not end, though it remained a single-lineage for generations.

With my mother pregnant with me, my grandmother knew I was the only grandson the family would ever have. She became incredibly protective, forbidding my mother from doing any heavy work. She took over all the household chores, ensuring my mother remained at ease so that I could be born safely.

Blessings for the Village

During the New Year, my grandmother began crafting silk pouches to give to every household in the village. Inside, she placed a few pieces of silver, and my grandfather wrote a congratulatory message on small red paper. These were gifts of blessing, praying for peace and joy for every family in the coming year. Though these were small tokens, they were deeply warming to everyone who received them.

The gates of the Yin home were always open, welcoming villagers as guests. Every day, the finest tea was prepared, and my grandparents would sit and chat with whoever visited. Sometimes, a dozen people would arrive at once, and the house would become lively and vibrant.

The Fragrance of Lotus

On the day I was born, the entire house was filled with the fragrance of lotus flowers. Many villagers came to offer their congratulations, and upon smelling the lotus scent, they were filled with praise, having never encountered such a divine aroma before. All who smelled the pure fragrance naturally gave rise to thoughts of Goodness. Even those who had previously held grudges against one another became incredibly friendly, forgetting their past conflicts. They congratulated my grandparents, saying, 'It must be the years of accumulated virtue by the Yin family that brought forth such a fragrant lotus scent. This child is surely extraordinary; he is not like ordinary children and must be raised and cared for well.' Even when my grandmother gave birth to my father, there was no such fragrance. The entire family felt it was truly inconceivable.

A Heart of Sharing

From a young age, I possessed good roots. Watching my grandparents perform good deeds, I observed and learned. Before I was even a year old, I understood how to share my food with others. If I saw someone feeling low or angry, I would make cute expressions to cheer them up. Thus, I formed many good connections from childhood. Many people loved to come to our home just to hold me, and my grandparents cared for me daily, their faces always lit with smiles.

Although I was an only child, I was never selfish. I did not cling to possessions; whatever I had, I shared with those around me. My grandfather was a calligrapher whose brushwork was powerful and majestic; the spring couplets for every household in the village were his work. I began learning from him early on. Many children envied me for having such a skilled teacher. When I realized this, I immediately asked my grandfather to teach not just me, but all the children in the village who wished to learn, so that everyone could have the opportunity to master his art.

The Path of the Solitary Boat

Having learned to expand my mind-capacity from a young age, my own calligraphy took on a unique character. Everyone who saw my work praised me as an 'ordinary person with a great heart.' In every stroke, one could see the character of the writer—a person who was broad-minded, cheerful, and dignified. As I grew older, I began to sell my calligraphy and paintings on the street. Business was booming, and my parents and grandparents were delighted that I had a skill to support myself.

By the time I was thirty, I was still writing and painting for others, living a life that felt unchanging. My grandparents urged me to find a wife, warning that life would be dry and tasteless without a companion. However, I never intended to marry. I was not accustomed to having a specific person by my side. I felt no particular attraction to the opposite sex; even when a beauty stood before me, I remained unmoved, treating her with the courtesy of a gentleman. My family worried that I would never marry and that the Yin family line would end with me.

Awakening to the Dharma

I truly had no desire to marry. I often watched a solitary boat drifting on the river, occupied by only one old man, who had lived that way from youth to old age. A thought arose in my heart: 'Life is like an illusory dream. If one can see their true nature within this dream, why follow the wind and chase the path of the world? When the river is clear, one can see the bottom, and the fish swim slowly and freely, without worry or suffering. Therefore, I shall keep my body pure and unburdened, like clear water, so that I may see the vast emptiness of the heart.' I preferred to enjoy this emptiness and purity alone. Even when my family tried to persuade me, I refused to discuss marriage.

As I aged, my perspective on the world shifted. Drifting in a solitary boat, enjoying silence, I began to see the chaos of the world and the suffering of those on the shore. The 'other shore' was full of light, but if I did not use this boat to save the suffering people on the bank and help them reach the other shore to leave suffering behind, I would merely be enjoying a selfish pleasure. That was not my intention. I began to realize the suffering of life and grew weary of the selfishness and greed of the world, where people only care for their own affairs. I aspired to become a teacher for the masses, using my own life as an example to save the suffering beings of the world.

A Life of Service

At thirty-eight, I shaved my head and became a monk, taking the Dharma name 'Seng Chuan' (Monk Transmission). I spent my life practising according to the Dharma, never wavering, and following the Buddha-vow to save all beings. I practised diligently until I was eighty, still full of vitality, with a face like a man of fifty, and Wisdom flowing endlessly. I continued to teach disciples in the temple, allowing them to spread the Dharma far and wide, ensuring the Buddha’s teachings would continue to flourish in the world.

At the age of one hundred and twenty, I left this world. I sat within a lotus, my face glowing, and achieved rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. My body did not remain in this world; it vanished like smoke, leaving no trace, my life having been as empty and unattached as a dream. I am grateful for the Buddha’s compassion in watching over me, which prevented me from wandering lost in the human world.

Assisting Practitioner Su

I have returned now to perform Buddha-work, to assist Practitioner Su in maintaining a healthy body so that she may continue to propagate the Dharma and allow the True Teachings to educate the world. Practitioner Su’s body often bears the weight of many sufferings. Although she does not feel the intrusions of spirits physically, her human body suffers; the leg pain indeed makes walking difficult. Therefore, I, along with other Great Holy Ones, have entered Practitioner Su’s legs to assist her, hoping she may have a light and healthy body to continue the path of saving beings.

Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body is unaffected by her physical form; she has even ascended to a higher realm above the Milky Way to save the beings of the universe. This great breakthrough has saved an immeasurable number of beings among the stars, and they are weeping with gratitude. I am fortunate to participate in this. All those in the universe who have karmic affinity with me have been saved because of this. I cherish this opportunity and hope that more beings can obtain this chance to leave suffering behind; otherwise, they might remain trapped in space for thousands of millennia without a way out. I am grateful for Practitioner Su’s compassion in saving beings in this world. Namo Amituofo."