Huang Jianqun, a Thunder God from the Hunan region of China, was dispatched to assist with rainfall efforts in Taiwan. During his mission, he witnessed the extraordinary deliverance work performed by Practitioner Su, which led to the spiritual purification of the island. This interview, recorded on April 26, 2021, captures his reflections on the nature of existence, his transition to the divine, and his ultimate decision to seek deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre.
Huang Jianqun speaks:
". I am Huang Jianqun, a Thunder God from the Hunan region of China, who was dispatched to assist with rainfall in Taiwan. Upon arriving in Taiwan, I immediately witnessed a brilliant golden light permeating the entire island. I saw Practitioner Su, dressed in red silk, moving swiftly through every corner of Taiwan, lifting sentient beings up. I know Practitioner Su; he is a Taiwanese native who has attained the fruits of his practice and has delivered many beings from my homeland, China, as well.
The Inconceivable Speed of Deliverance
Practitioner Su’s manifestations are endless, and his speed of deliverance is astonishing. At times, it was impossible to even track his movements—one moment he was emerging from major temples, the next he was weaving through mountain forests and riverbeds. He was accompanied by an infinite number of protectors assisting in the work. Wherever his manifestations passed, cries erupted. I strained my ears to listen and realized they were shouting, 'The Buddha has come to save us! The Buddha has come to save us!' The Buddha? I looked up and saw three figures radiating light—Namo Amituofo, Avalokiteshvara , and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva—standing in the sky. From every direction, sentient beings were being sent into the light, with the Western Three Saints extending their arms in to guide them. I then heard the spirits within one of the reservoirs cry out, 'There is water! There is water! The rain has begun!'
Resolving the Grievances of the Land
However, the spirits in several other reservoirs were still wailing—a low, mournful sound. I looked left and right, and Practitioner Su began to deliver the spirits in the space above those reservoirs where it had not yet rained, hoping to assist in bringing rain to the area and directly solving the water supply crisis. This ingenious method of Practitioner Su left us all in awe. Furthermore, the space in Taiwan, especially in the central and southern regions, was filled with spirits brimming with resentment. Beyond delivering them, Practitioner Su also guided these spirits, hoping they could truly let go and seek the path toward the light. It was that caused this disaster, yet Practitioner Su used wisdom to resolve everything. The many spirits of Taiwan, grateful to the Buddha and Practitioner Su, followed the light to seek deliverance.
A Life of Solitude and Reflection
In Hunan, there is Dongting Lake. Its surface is bright and crystalline. On the lake floats a solitary boat, carrying both sentient and insentient beings, all enjoying the beautiful scenery. I held a pot of wine, drank under the moon, and asked it, 'How old are you this year?' The moon did not answer. I asked the stones in the lake, 'Where do you come from?' The stones remained silent. I sighed deeply and answered myself, 'I am fifty-one. I live by the lake. There are five willow trees in front of my house, four square chairs, and a straw mat for a bed. I have no wife and no children; I walk alone between heaven and earth.' I brought out my pipa and thought of a woman I once knew. In the brothel, her eyes were filled with sorrow, yet the melodies she sang were so heart-wrenching. Her eyes, as she drank with others, were full of helplessness. I wondered, what kind of life was that? Why were her eyes so sad? Out of curiosity, I went to the brothel and chose her. She wore thin, light clothing and looked so alluring. I asked her to play a tune. She took out her moon lute and sang a high-pitched melody, while I took out my pipa to accompany her. My action startled her. After we played together, we drank and talked, eventually becoming confidants who could share anything. Her name was Yuehua.
The Fleeting Nature of Existence
I once asked Yuehua if she wanted me to redeem her from the brothel. She shook her head and said, 'Since fate has arranged for me to be here, I will stay here.' I decided to respect her choice. When she was thirty-one, I heard from the people in the brothel that she had died. A flower had simply vanished from the human world, and her image remained in my mind, impossible to forget. I was puzzled. I had no romantic for her, and she had no intentions toward me; why did her image persist in my thoughts? I wrote a poem: 'Empty conversation. A withered body. Where is the spirit? A life passed in vain. A life lost. A flower falls. No one knows. A soul is lost.'
After Yuehua left the human world, it seemed there was no one left who understood me. My heart drifted alone like that solitary boat.
The Wanderer's Choice
I had a talent for literature; I could effortlessly compose verses that moved people. Once, a high-ranking official came to my home and offered me the best conditions—I could become a civil official without even taking the imperial examinations. When he arrived at my small, square hut, I served him tea in the only round cup I owned. Before he could speak, I knew what he would say. While he was still drinking his tea, I said, 'I am a wanderer at the ends of the earth; I seek neither fame nor fortune. Just like this square hut and everything inside it, I can have it, or I can choose not to. Even the poems I write—they can remain in this world, or they can vanish.' The official listened, looked around at the surroundings, and then at my simple attire. He said, 'If I had another choice, perhaps I would choose your freedom and ease.' After saying this, he set down his teacup and walked out the door.
Observing the Cycle of Samsara
I continued to row my solitary boat, taking passengers across Dongting Lake. A young couple embraced on the boat and pledged their lives to each other. I wondered what they would look like thirty years later. Besides each other, would they have many descendants, or would they no longer be by each other's side? In this impermanent life, I was certain they would look nothing like they did now. I saw a wealthy man taking his beloved son on the lake. It was clear the son would inherit all his wealth, but the boy was already spoiled and prone to temper tantrums. The father, loving his son, indulged him, treating the boy as his very life, for he hoped to rely on him in his old age.
The myriad states of human life could be seen from my small boat. The more clearly I saw them, the less I wanted to leave any emotional attachments in the human world. Behind every emotion, there is always a heavy price to pay. No matter the emotion, there is always a time of parting. Where is the permanence? Where is the reliance? This life in the human world is meant for , yet most people choose to remain lost. I picked up my brush and wrote: 'A solitary life, yet I laugh at the void. Coming and going, what is real? Human affairs, are we lost or drunk? We cry at death, only to return again. You and I, who is who?' After writing this, I placed it on a large rock so that those with karmic affinity might see it and ponder. After eating a bun, I returned to my solitary boat.
Sharing Wisdom with All Beings
Among the mountain cliffs, I saw a group of monkeys. They looked at me, and I looked at them. I muttered to myself, 'What do you want to be in your next life?' The monkeys made sounds. I did not understand them, but I assumed they also wished to attain a human body. I admonished them, 'There are many things about the human body that are mesmerizing. If you come here just to be infatuated with the world, there is no need to come.' I do not know if the monkeys understood, but I shared my insights on life with them.
After a heavy rain, a rainbow appeared in the sky, dipping into the water. I felt the Rainbow Fairy wearing her colorful clothes. I said to her, 'No matter how beautiful, it is only for now. Seize the present moment, otherwise, your destination in the next life is uncertain.' I saw frogs mating on lotus leaves in the pond and told them, 'Men and women are poisonous things that harm people; do not sink further.' I spoke my understanding of life to all things, hoping to give them a start so that their future results might differ from what was originally destined.
The Transition to the Divine
I felt my heart becoming increasingly peaceful. I knew death could come at any moment. From the time I saw through the nature of life, I was prepared every day for my life to fade away. A great rainstorm struck, and the lake water rose. One night, my home and I were submerged in the water. I forgot whether I struggled after I could no longer breathe. After death, my spirit wandered the shores of Dongting Lake, watching the sunrise and sunset just like the other ghosts of the lake. Fifty years after my death, the waters of Dongting Lake rose again. I tried my best to warn the residents on the shore to relocate, but because we were in different spaces, no one could hear me. The lake water still harmed the civilians. I was sad, disappointed, and felt sorry for the people; I could not help them, and many became ghosts on the shores of Dongting Lake just like me.
Just as I was lost in despair, a light carried me to the heavens. I saw the Jade Emperor on his throne. The Jade Emperor spoke with great majesty, 'It is excellent to have a heart that helps others. Because of the merits accumulated in your past life, you may hold the position of a Thunder God.' I knelt and accepted the decree, becoming a Thunder God. During my tenure, I cooperated well with the Wind God, the Rain God, and the Lightning God. Do not underestimate the gods of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning; our records and performance since taking office were all clearly recorded by the deities sent by the Jade Emperor.
Gratitude for the Buddha's Compassion
When I received the order to go to Taiwan to assist Practitioner Su in seeking rain, I was overjoyed, for I had long known that Practitioner Su saves countless beings and that his countless manifestations reach all Dharma realms. I arrived in Central Taiwan and awaited Practitioner Su's orders, standing directly above the reservoirs. As Practitioner Su circled Taiwan to perform deliverance, a vast, infinite number of spirits saw the Western Three Saints and followed the Buddha-light to enter. The entire space of Taiwan was continuously purified. The ghosts in the fields, the fish and shrimp in the water, the meat products on tables, and the souls of livestock in various farms—pig farms, chicken farms—were all crying out for help. As soon as Practitioner Su’s passed by, he began to restore them all to the form of human bodies.
Many devout Buddhist followers in Taiwan, upon seeing the Buddha-light, knelt and wept, their mouths continuously chanting, 'Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo.' The water polluted by factory waste and the molecules of air in the sky were all purified from their grim, filthy state, becoming clear. The spirits wept in gratitude, hoping they could be saved.
Practitioner Su’s deliverance is beyond counting. With the resentment resolved, rain finally began to fall across Taiwan, especially in the reservoir areas. Having personally witnessed the scene of deliverance, I marvel at the inconceivable power of the Buddha. In the past, I had no contact with the Buddha’s teachings. Now, I am grateful for the compassionate salvation of the Buddha and Practitioner Su. The Buddha’s power is boundless, and I am in awe. I am grateful to the Jade Emperor for allowing me to participate in this rain-seeking mission in Taiwan. I hope that after the mission is complete, I can follow the Buddha to learn the true skills and truly help people. I am grateful to my Buddha, Practitioner Su, and the fourfold assembly of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Namo Amituofo.
Huang Jianqun
Memorial Tablet: For this mission of seeking rain in Taiwan, the Thunder God of Central Taiwan, the beings with karmic affinity to the Thunder God, and the countless spirits in the spaces of Central Taiwan—in the sky, on land, and at sea—who are calling for help and wish to be guided by the Buddha-light. Representative: Huang Jianqun (seeking restoration, peace of heart, and light).
Entering the of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.
