The Soul Within the Soy Sauce

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Chief Bali, who sought spiritual deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his life as a tribal leader many centuries ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Haipin, on October 6, 2017.

Chief Bali (Soy Sauce Bodhisattva) speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am grateful to Practitioner A-Tao for her repeated reminders. We, too, have longed to have our stories told. Whenever Practitioner Su recites stories in the Buddha Hall, we prick up our ears and listen intently. Every one of us has a story that is truly moving."

Haipin: "Indeed! Over the years, the amount of soy sauce and seasoning paste consumed in the Buddha Hall is significant, encompassing many different brands. It is much like the human world, where each individual holds a different status or position. I wonder, which Bodhisattva would be willing to step forward and speak on behalf of the others?"

The Chief’s Responsibility

Chief Bali: "As mentioned at the beginning of this story, our elder spoke first, but I am the Chief. I am the soy sauce that Practitioner A-Tao loves to use most in the kitchen. Let me be the one to represent us. The practitioners in the kitchen are our closest companions. Every day, we carry a heavy responsibility. Do not underestimate soy sauce; the purity of the ingredients and the quality of the beans are crucial to the flavour produced. Often, the final secret to a delicious meal lies in the seasoning. We are the key players! If one is too heavy-handed, the dish becomes too salty and unpalatable, which is also unhealthy. If it is too bland, the original essence of the food cannot be brought out. We are well aware of the importance of our role. Although we are merely soy sauce, we take great pride in our work.

"Unfortunately, there are too many chemical-based soy sauces today. They are like the gangs in human society—people keep their distance from them. We have no desire to associate with them, so we live our own lives. On the supermarket shelves, we never interact with them at all."

A Life of Hunting and Discovery

Haipin: "May I ask, Bodhisattva, why did you become soy sauce? Could you explain this more clearly?"

Chief Bali: "My name is Bali, and I was a chief of an Australian indigenous tribe. This bottle of soy sauce contains the spirits of my own people, all living together. If you want to know why an entire village became soy sauce and ended up in the same bottle, it is a long story!

"I cannot remember how long ago this was. I only know that our staple food, meat, had to be obtained through hunting. It was an unwritten rule in our tribe that whenever someone returned from a hunt, we had to gather around the fire and share the first animal caught with all the people in the tribe. Salt always played a vital role in seasoning. One day, my wife, Maria, obtained a bottle of soy sauce from a group of migrants. At our communal feast, Maria brought the soy sauce to the gathering, mixing it with garlic and juices to create a dipping sauce for everyone. Heavens! It was so delicious, so flavourful! The expressions of surprise and intoxication on everyone's faces led Maria to decide to experiment with making her own soy sauce.

"Maria recruited a group of women from the tribe to research and develop methods for making soy sauce. They began experimenting with black beans and salt, constantly adjusting the ratios and the duration of the fermentation. For beginners, achieving the perfect level of saltiness was no easy task. We men, who were responsible for hunting, simply waited to enjoy the fruits of their successful experiments."

The Transformation

Chief Bali: "Days turned into months. A year later, the results were finally ready to be unveiled. Everyone gathered around the roasted wild boar, waiting to dip their meat and taste the sauce. Respecting our elders, the chief and the elders were the first to pick up a piece of meat. They lifted their bamboo chopsticks and dipped them lightly into the sauce. Oh my! The meat, combined with the sauce and the perfect roasting, was truly exquisite. Then, one by one, everyone took a turn. After tasting it, we all agreed that we should promote the production of soy sauce throughout the tribe. We believed it would greatly enhance the flavour of all our food.

"And so, all the women in the tribe joined the effort to produce soy sauce. Do not underestimate my wife, Maria; she put her heart and soul into it, adding different spices to create many varieties. Maria was not selfish at all; she shared all the formulas and processes with the women of the tribe. We were even able to trade our delicious soy sauce for other spoils from neighbouring tribes. Gradually, whenever the tribe gathered, the men’s topics of conversation were hunting and drinking, while the women’s topics were how to improve and research better soy sauce. Soy sauce became the talk of the entire tribe.

"One day, as usual, I went into the familiar forest to track wild boars, hoping to bring back a bounty to share with my people. As I walked, I accidentally stepped into a void. Because it had rained heavily two days prior, the muddy path was covered by fallen leaves, and I did not know that the mud had been hollowed out by the rain, making it soft and unstable. I let out a loud cry and slid into the valley. The environment I knew so well suddenly looked very strange. Panic set in. As I was struggling, I did not notice a protruding rock and hit my head against it. Blood flowed uncontrollably, my vision went black, and I fainted.

"In a daze, I saw an open space with a campfire burning. My people were dancing and singing around the fire, drinking wine. A large wild boar was being roasted over the flames. As usual, everyone was given a small dish of delicious dipping sauce. I knew it contained soy sauce and garlic. The scene shifted to the backyard of my hut. I saw vat after vat of soy sauce filling the yard, but there was no one around. I gently lifted the lid of one vat, and the faint, fragrant aroma made me lean my head into the vat involuntarily. Who would have known that when I woke up, I would be soaking wet, inside a vat of soy sauce? Heavens! This is a disaster! How did I become a part of the soy sauce? I cried out, and then I heard Maria responding. I looked back and saw Maria there, too. I looked to the right, and there was the elder. My goodness! Looking around, all my dear tribespeople who loved soy sauce were here. What kind of world is this? It is truly a world of soy sauce."

A Path to Buddhahood

Haipin: "Chief Bali, you and your people have great blessings. Perhaps you accumulated much merit in the past, which is why you had the opportunity to become soy sauce and join the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Here, you all have the opportunity to become a Buddha!"

Chief Bali: "What is a Buddha? I do not know."

Haipin: "Becoming a Buddha means you can go to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. There, you will have no worries about food or clothing. Whatever house you wish to live in appears before you instantly, and the roads are paved with gold!"

Chief Bali: "If there is such a wonderful place, can I invite my friends and bring more people with me?"

Haipin: "I can help you write memorial tablets. Please tell me how many there are and who should represent them?"

Chief Bali: "Could you please write one for fifty units of soy sauce, with Chief Bali as the representative?"

Haipin: "Certainly. Namo Amituofo is compassionate. Practitioner Su will send you to the Dharma-Nature Land to listen to the Dharma first, so you can understand the beauty of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Once you make the vow, you can seek rebirth in the Western Land. Remember to chant 'Namo Amituofo!'"

"Namo Amituofo."