The Taste of Dharma and the Fragrance of Virtue

This is a record of an interview with Zhengqing, who sought Chao Du 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 approximately 1,200 years ago. It was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on November 12, 2018.

Zhengqing speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Zhengqing. I once cupped some river water in my hands and took a sip. The water was colourless and tasteless. As I held the water, I chanted 'Namo Amituofo,' and instantly, the water transformed from being bland into something sweet and refreshing. My life was just like that cup of water—colourless and tasteless—but ever since I began to practise the Dharma, it has turned into a sweet, nectar-like experience.

A Life Without Senses

Like any other child, I was born after ten months in my mother's womb. Yet, I was different from other children. I had no sense of smell and no sense of taste. I could not perceive scents, nor could I distinguish the flavours of food. What is 'fragrant'? What is 'foul'? What is 'sweet' or 'bitter'? From a young age, I simply did not know.

This condition was not discovered at birth. Because I could breathe and eat just like a normal child, my parents did not notice anything unusual. In reality, however, no matter what I ate, it was completely devoid of flavour. My mother initially thought I was just a child who was not a picky eater. Whether she gave me bitter, sweet, sour, or spicy food, I would put it all into my mouth. To me, everything tasted exactly the same: like nothing at all.

The Bird and the Fruit

One day, I was playing in the backyard when I saw a bird perched on a fruit tree, pecking at the fruit. I stood there, watching it intently. My heart was filled with confusion: 'Why does this bird only eat these few fruits and ignore the others? Are they not all equally tasteless? What is the difference between the fruits the bird chooses and the ones it leaves behind?' After the bird had eaten half of a fruit, it dropped to the ground. I immediately picked it up and took a bite, wondering, 'This fruit is also tasteless; what could possibly be different?' I took the remainder to my mother and asked, 'Why did the bird choose this one and not the others?' My mother glanced at it and immediately told me, 'Because this fruit is ripe; it is sweeter than the others.' 'Sweet?' When I heard my mother say the word 'sweet,' my heart became even more perplexed.

The Discovery of a Hidden Condition

The next day, my mother took me to the market. I watched a woman selling flowers. A customer approached, picked up a flower, brought it to her nose, and told the seller, 'This flower is very fragrant.' 'Very fragrant?' I was puzzled. What did that mean? I walked over to the flower seller, took the flower from her hand, and sniffed it, only to find it had no scent at all. What on earth was 'fragrant'? It was then that my mother noticed something was wrong. She began to pay close attention to my eating habits. She brought me a bitter melon and an apple, saying, 'Try these and tell me what the difference is.' I took a bite of the bitter melon and then a bite of the apple, and I told her, 'These two things are the same. They have no taste; there is no difference!' My mother was shocked. She realised I had no sense of taste! She then took me to the latrine and asked, 'Smell this and tell me what it is.' I looked at her, confused, and said, 'There is no smell!' My mother was even more stunned. She finally understood that I was not just 'not picky'—I was a child with a hidden illness.

A Positive Perspective on Defect

My mother immediately called a physician to diagnose me. The doctor had never encountered such a patient and could not find the cause. My mother began to weep, crying, 'If a person cannot taste the flavours of food, what is the point of living?' I walked over to her, tugged on her sleeve, and said, 'Mother, I do not think this is a bad thing. Not being able to taste food prevents me from being greedy, because I do not crave the deliciousness of meals. Once my stomach is full, I do not need to eat any more. Not being able to smell is also fine, because I do not have to distinguish between fragrance and foulness. Whether it is excrement or the scent of flowers, to me, they smell the same.' The physician was astonished that a child so young could view his own physical defects so positively! He could not help but exclaim that I must be a Buddha or Bodhisattva reborn.

The Wealthy Household of the Li Family

The Li family was a wealthy household in the village, as if we possessed mountains of gold and silver. We had an abundance of everything. We were a large, extended family of nearly a hundred people. Every day, we had to set over a dozen tables just to accommodate everyone. My grandparents were particularly fond of fine food, hiring servants to select the best ingredients and changing the flavours of our meals daily. The whole family enjoyed these feasts immensely, except for me. I could not taste the food or smell the aroma. I could only watch as plate after plate of delicacies was served, and everyone scrambled to pick up the dishes. I would simply select a few healthy items and slowly put them into my mouth. There was no taste, but I sat there and ate along with everyone else. Every day, I was the first to finish, and I would sit in my seat, waiting for the others to finish before I could leave.

Only my parents knew my situation, and they felt deep pity for me, thinking my life was dull and flavourless. My mother would say, 'The greatest enjoyment in life is eating, yet Zhengqing cannot taste any of it. If he were born into a poor family, it would be one thing, but he was born into the Li family, which is a paradise of food! Yet, he lives in a hell of his own.' What my mother did not understand was that by lacking the desire for food, my heart was actually much purer. I often sat quietly in the study, practising calligraphy, focusing my heart on every stroke. Furthermore, my eyes and ears were sharper than those of ordinary people. My eyes could see spaces that others could not, and my ears could hear sounds from a hundred miles away, as well as sounds from different dimensions. Although my senses were sharp, I kept myself in a state of purity by choosing not to look at or listen to anything unrelated to me.

The Encounter with Guangping

One day, a sound of chanting suddenly reached my ears—the holy name of Namo Amituofo. The voice was incredibly gentle and filled with compassion. I listened quietly, and my heart became even purer than usual. I could not help but exclaim, 'What an inconceivable Buddha-name!' I wanted to see who was chanting. To my surprise, it was a little boy standing outside the gate of the Li residence. I ran to the gate as fast as I could. When I opened it, the boy was still there. I walked up to him and asked, 'Are you the one chanting?' When he turned around, I was startled! The boy was blind! I told him, 'Your chanting is beautiful!' He did not respond. I said it again, but he remained silent. I clapped my hands three times in front of him. He immediately felt the wind from my clapping and said, 'I cannot see or hear, but my sense of smell, taste, and touch are exceptionally sharp. I could not hear your words, but I felt you clapping. If you wish to speak to me, you can write on my hand with your finger, and I can quickly discern what you are saying.' Meeting this boy felt like meeting a soulmate; we had similar conditions, just with different sensory defects.

A Shared Vow from Past Lives

The boy told me, 'I am ten years old. I originally wanted to give up on my life, but after I learned about Namo Amituofo, I stood up again. Since I started chanting, my life has changed completely. I can know things that ordinary people cannot—a person's past, present, and future. Last year, when I became aware of your existence, I decided to find you. We were twin brothers in a past life, and we have been reborn again. You must wonder why we have these defects. It is the karma we created ourselves. In our past life, you were obsessed with eating, while I was always unable to see or hear well. After we died, we suffered in the hells. Finally, we both made a vow: if we were granted a human body, we would use our abilities to save sentient beings. Because of that vow, we were able to obtain this precious human skin today. However, our bodies must still repay the remaining karmic retribution. I became deaf and blind, and you lost your sense of smell and taste. Even so, we can use our remaining senses to save beings. Just as I can use my remaining senses, you can use yours. We can support each other and fulfil our great vow to help all beings.'

The Path of Deliverance

I was shocked to learn that this boy, Guangping, was my twin brother from a past life! Our karmic connection was truly inconceivable. The next day, I bade farewell to my parents, deciding to live my own life and fulfil my dream. I would no longer stay in that house, living day by day. Within three days of following Guangping, I decided to make a great vow to save sentient beings. Guangping helped me see through this world and understand the suffering of people clearly. I vowed to let go of my attachment to this physical body and follow the Buddha to save the world.

After I made this vow, the cries of suffering, pleas for help, and sounds of sorrow from sentient beings flooded my ears. Only then did I understand how many beings in the space around us were suffering. They had nowhere to turn, and no matter how loudly they cried, no one could save them. Whenever I heard someone calling for help, I would chant 'Namo Amituofo' for them, helping them escape from their space. Once, I heard a large group of people crying for help, and when I turned to look, it was a giant tree! There were beings within every leaf; the number of beings in that one tree was countless. They were all begging me for help. I chanted 'Namo Amituofo' to open up space for them, and the spirits sincerely followed the chanting, escaping from their confinement.

A Life Dedicated to Saving Beings

Beyond my hearing, my eyes could also see these spirits. No matter where I went, there were beings. I walked step by step, delivering these spirits, helping them chant and seek the path toward the light. Guangping, with his exceptionally sharp sense of smell, could detect the scent of spirits everywhere. He also chanted to help them seek rebirth. His sense of touch was equally sharp; whenever a spirit approached him, he would immediately sense it. Whether they were just passing by or trying to enter his body, he was always aware and would lead them to chant and attain liberation.

In that lifetime, Guangping and I travelled everywhere to save sentient beings. Wherever there were spirits in need of deliverance, we went. Everywhere became our place of practice, and every location became a venue for Chao Du. We spent our entire lives fulfilling our great vow, and at the final moment of our lives, we chanted together and were reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Light of the Universe

Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body delivers beings across the Milky Way every day. Zhengqing and other Venerables have had the honour of accompanying her to deliver our own karmic spirits. Today, I see many different light circles, light bands, and halos—some large, some small. They are planets at different spatial levels and various energy fields in the universe. My connection to light stems from my eyes; in my past life, I could see light that others could not. It turns out that these lights also contain sentient beings. These light-beings in the universe are seeking deliverance. I use the name 'Namo Amituofo' to transform them, leading them away from the space of light and toward the true Buddha-light. I am grateful for the compassion of Namo Amituofo and the compassion of Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo."