This is a record of an interview with Wu Xiuping, a Thunder God who served in Northern Taiwan. He sought at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia and now resides in the . This account reflects upon his life as a lawyer in the human world and his subsequent service as a celestial deity. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on April 27, 2021.
Thunder God Wu Xiuping speaks:
". From ancient times to the present, many nations have suffered through periods of drought. When the sky remains clear for too long, the earth cracks, and living beings struggle to survive. When human life itself is endangered, we know a severe drought has taken hold.
The Desperation of the Parched Earth
During my time in the human world, I encountered several droughts. The solution back then was always the same: we would pray for rain, kneeling and begging the Heavens to bestow nectar upon us. We would plead for the suffering of the common people. Sometimes, after a full month of desperate prayer, we might receive a light drizzle. That was considered a magnificent result! In some places, people would kneel, bow, and kowtow until their foreheads bled, yet not a single drop of rain would fall. I remember a Taoist priest who was highly accomplished; he performed rituals to summon the wind and rain. Before long, a heavy downpour arrived, and we were overjoyed, thanking him profusely. Yet, only a few months later, the drought returned with even greater ferocity. We did not understand why the rain stopped, nor did we know how to resolve the underlying causes. Before the rain fell, we could only silently endure the agony of thirst.
Today, Taiwan has faced a similar drought. The people implemented water rationing, and many prayed to the celestial deities, kneeling and begging for rain, yet there was no improvement—until the of Practitioner Su arrived. Only then did the sky finally open.
The Hidden Causes of Drought
Practitioner Su’s Body understood why the rain was withheld. The space above Taiwan was crowded with countless spirits filled with resentment and hatred. This intense, negative energy acted like a powerful barrier, blocking the moisture from entering Taiwan, forcing the people to suffer the consequences of the drought. This was compounded by the collective of the Taiwanese people; under the influence of these karmic forces, the situation became dire.
Practitioner Su took the suffering of these beings upon his own physical body, using his Dharma Body to resolve their resentment and deliver these suffering spirits. He helped Taiwan navigate this crisis. Practitioner Su negotiated with the Jade Emperor: if Taiwan could be granted rain, the spirits of the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, along with all connected beings, could be guided to rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This was an unprecedented event in history. The Jade Emperor, compassionate toward the suffering of beings, still had to act in accordance with the laws of karma and heavenly principles to determine the timing and volume of the rainfall.
The Power of Deliverance
Now, Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body helps resolve this karma, guiding these resentful beings to see their own pasts. He helps them awaken from the cycle of rebirth, let go of their attachments, and follow the light. Once these beings are willing to resolve their grievances, the Jade Emperor can begin the work of sending rain, dispatching the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning gods to bring moisture to Taiwan. These deities, having performed such meritorious service, are then guided by Practitioner Su to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body has been continuously performing Chao Du above Taiwan, sending spirits in massive waves, layer upon layer, to the Western Three Saints. These beings are incredibly blessed; they are able to attain liberation and leave suffering behind. No matter how much hatred or resentment they held, at that moment, it all becomes a thing of the past. Everything begins anew.
Under the , great power, and wisdom of Practitioner Su, rain fell within just a few days. The reservoirs filled, and the people cheered with ! Most Taiwanese people do not realise that it was Practitioner Su who secured this rain through deliverance. They view it as a miracle, but in truth, it was the deliverance of these spirits that allowed the rain to nourish the earth once more. If Practitioner Su had not removed these spirits from the skies over Taiwan, no matter how much the people knelt and prayed to the deities, the deities themselves would have been helpless to act.
A Life of Seeking Justice
I am grateful to the Buddha for his compassion, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su for his compassion. I am Wu Xiuping, a native of Jiangsu. My profession was much like that of a modern-day lawyer. I handled many legal cases, and whenever people encountered problems they could not resolve, I was the first person they thought of. It seemed that as soon as I appeared, everything could be settled! People would laugh and say, 'Your mother gave you such a perfect name! Whenever we have trouble, we just find you, and everything is smoothed out!' I would tell them, 'Let me be clear: while I can write and debate, black is black and white is white. I will not call black white, nor will I stain white black. That is my principle: fairness, justice, and impartiality! If you are in the wrong and want me to paint you as innocent, don't bother coming to me. No matter how much silver, how many fine clothes, or how many bags of rice you offer, I will not do it!' They would then ask, 'But if I am clearly innocent and am being framed, can you help me clear my name?' I would reply, 'That is no problem at all. As I said, white is white. If you are being framed, then you have come to the right person. I will certainly restore your innocence!'
The Corruption of the Times
People were delighted to hear this, for the society of that time was chaotic. Officials and merchants were constantly colluding for profit. They were all corrupt, and when they handled a case, they didn't look at who was right or wrong; they looked at who had more money and who offered the greater benefit. Whoever paid more won the lawsuit. And who suffered? Naturally, it was the poor who had no food. How could they offer benefits to these corrupt officials? They became the scapegoats. Even if they had nothing to do with a matter, these officials would twist a few words, and suddenly the poor man’s entire ancestral line was implicated! It was outrageous!
Although I was not born into a poor family, I understood the hardships of the poor. I chose this profession precisely to uphold justice and prevent the wicked from running rampant in this world.
Lessons from Childhood
When I was ten, my father’s business failed. We sold our large house in the capital and moved back to our ancestral home in the countryside. It was my first time in a rural area, and I found it quite novel. The clothes the people wore were tattered compared to those in the capital, and the houses were incomparable. Our family was still considered wealthy; even our old ancestral home in the countryside was a mansion compared to the village huts. It wasn't as grand as our house in the capital, but it was certainly not bad.
I was never a snob. I treated everyone as equals, a value my parents instilled in me. 'Even though our family is wealthy, we must never harbour arrogance, and we should often give alms to the poor.' My father would say, 'All people are equal. How can you speak louder just because you have a few extra coins? How can you look down on others just because you live in a nicer house? Whether a house is large or small, luxurious or humble, once a person dies, it is all just a place for ghosts to dwell!' I would clap and agree, 'Father, you are right!' My mother would bring tea and say, 'Speak gently, don't get so worked up, it’s bad for your health.' I told her, 'Mother, I understand Father’s heart. Those wealthy families always put on such airs, as if having money makes them lords. I have seen them step over the bodies of the poor, treating them like the very road they walk upon. How can they treat human beings this way? If I weren't just a ten-year-old boy without the power to speak up, if I were twenty years older, I would absolutely make them apologise to these poor people!' Mother said, 'Ping’er, don't make such big claims. These people are not to be trifled with. If you meddle in their affairs, they will cause you trouble. I don't want you to get involved in such murky waters; it is better to just look away. Be a good boy and listen to your mother.' I looked at my father, but he remained silent, so I closed my mouth and said no more.
Standing Up for the Vulnerable
One day, while I was walking down the street with my servant, I heard someone crying out, 'Spare me! Please, spare me!' I hurried over with my servant to see what was happening. I saw a man being trampled on the ground by another. The man on the ground wore tattered clothes—a poor man—and the one trampling him looked like a wealthy young master, accompanied by two servants. I was puzzled: what could have happened?
I walked to the side and asked an old woman selling vegetables. She said, 'That wealthy man only recently moved to our village. Everyone is afraid of him because whoever crosses him suffers. Just the other day, he nearly broke my back because I didn't see him walking behind me. I was moving slowly and blocked his path, so he ordered his men to shove me aside. It was such a violent push that I fell to the ground. Oh! My old bones felt like they were shattering! Luckily, I can still walk, but my back was sprained, and I had to use medicinal plasters for a long time.' I asked, 'And how did the poor man on the ground offend him?' The old woman replied, 'That poor man is the son of Madam Lin, named Lin Zheng. He has lived a very poor but contented life with his mother since he was a child. They are good people, and we neighbours help them whenever we can. Just now, Lin Zheng took the money he had saved for a long time to buy a new dress for his mother. The wealthy young master saw it and immediately ordered his servants to snatch the dress from Lin Zheng’s hands, pulling out a large sum of silver to buy it for himself. The filial Lin Zheng had made an agreement with the shopkeeper a year ago, begging him to save the dress because his mother loved it and would look at it every time she passed by. Lin Zheng told the shopkeeper that as soon as he saved enough money, he would buy it. The shopkeeper knew he was a filial son and kept the dress for over a year. Now, it was finally being sold to him, only to be snatched away by this unreasonable wealthy young master. We all saw it, but no one dared to speak up, because whoever speaks up meets with disaster. We could only watch helplessly as Lin Zheng was bullied. It is truly heartbreaking.'
After hearing this, I told my servant, Brother Wang, 'Let’s go see.' Brother Wang was nervous and said, 'Young Master, let’s not get involved! Madam told you to look away, so please don't go over there!' I told him, 'I have always stood for reason. Since this is happening right in front of me, if I don't handle it, my heart will not be at peace. I wouldn't be able to eat or sleep tonight.' Brother Wang had no choice but to accompany me.
I walked up to the wealthy young master and asked, 'May I ask your name?' He looked me up and down before saying, 'I am Tang Shuai. Who are you? I haven't seen you before.' I told him, 'My surname is Wu, given name Xiuping. I recently moved back to our ancestral home from the capital with my father.' Tang Shuai said, 'I see, no wonder I haven't seen you.' I said, 'May I ask what is happening? Why are you trampling on someone?' Tang Shuai replied, 'Anything I, Tang Shuai, set my eyes on, no one is allowed to compete for. He insisted on competing for this dress, so I must teach him a lesson and let him know that I am not to be trifled with!' I asked him, 'I just heard the story. He reserved this dress with the shopkeeper first and has already paid for it; it belongs to him. How can you snatch his dress and claim it is yours?' Tang Shuai said, 'Absurd! I am a regular customer here; the shopkeeper should respect me. He is just a pauper; why should I care about his pittance? If I pay the shopkeeper more, the dress is mine!' I asked, 'In that case, very well! Brother Wang, take off the clothes he is wearing.' Tang Shuai was furious and stopped Brother Wang: 'What are you doing? Why are you taking off my clothes?' I said, 'If I pay the shopkeeper a little more, your clothes will be mine, won't they? Isn't that what you just said?' Tang Shuai was so angry he was trembling. He then said, 'I will return the dress to him, but only if he kneels and begs me!' Lin Zheng actually started to kneel, but I said, 'No! His demand is unreasonable; why should you kneel to him?' I told Tang Shuai, 'This dress clearly belongs to Lin Zheng. Taking it without his consent is theft, robbery, and thievery. Do you want people to call you, Tang Shuai, a robber? That would be a laughingstock! And the first person to laugh at you would be me, Wu Xiuping! The law is posted on the wall; open your eyes and look clearly. There are so many people here who can testify. I can debate you until you are speechless.' Tang Shuai was so furious that he threw the dress at Lin Zheng and stormed off in a rage.
A Legacy of Peace
After that incident, many people came to me for help with disputes. To everyone who came, I would say, 'My principles remain unchanged: black and white are distinct. If someone who has done wrong comes to me, I will only lecture them; I will not help them turn black into white.' Everyone knew my principles, so those who came to me were truly those who had been framed. They had no money to argue their cases, so they entrusted me with their cause. I did not take a single cent; to me, it was just a matter of doing what was right.
I never expected there would be so many people to help. Every day I was busy, but I followed the law in every case. Over time, things were handled more smoothly, and in the place where I lived, there were rarely any more cases of the strong bullying the weak or the rich bullying the poor. I was a defender of justice, a guardian of peace, fairness, and reason.
In that life, I left the human world at the age of forty-nine. My spirit entered the Celestial Realm, and the Jade Emperor appointed me as a Thunder God. Every day, I followed the other deities to wherever we were assigned to perform our duties.
I never imagined I would have the blessing to join the ranks of those saving Taiwan from drought, or that I would be guided by Practitioner Su to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. What an honour! My heart is filled with gratitude. We are all now waiting in line. Until the drought in Taiwan is fully resolved, the gods of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning will actively assist Taiwan. But I also advise the people of Taiwan that they should learn to change from this drought. All disasters are related to the human heart. If the human heart were not distorted, calamities would not arise without cause. Only by changing the human heart, resolving grievances, and eliminating karmic obstacles can we find the fundamental solution. Otherwise, once this matter is over, another will arise, and it will be endless. How can the people be at peace? You should reflect deeply.
I am grateful to the Buddha for his compassion. I am grateful to Practitioner Su for his compassion.
Namo Amituofo.
Wu Xiuping
Memorial Tablet: The Thunder God who sought rain for the Taiwan drought and deliverance for the Northern region, along with the creatures brought by the Thunder God, the Thunder God’s family members, the connected spirits in the space where rain was sought for Taiwan, and the earthly creatures that were harmed—the number is uncountable. Represented by: Wu Xiuping (seeking restoration, seeking purification, seeking deliverance).
Entered the Western Dharma-Nature Land at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.
