The Tomato's Tale of Reincarnation

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Lina, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon her life as a farm worker and her subsequent cycle of rebirth as a tomato. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Xin, on October 5, 2017.

Fa Xin speaks:

"Today, three crates of very fortunate tomatoes have been delivered to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Practitioner Su has given the fourfold assembly a special task today: to interview these fortunate beings who have arrived. Is there a tomato Bodhisattva among you who would like to step forward and share your life story as a tomato?"

(The three crates of tomatoes seem to engage in a brief, silent discussion and deliberation.)

Lina speaks:

"Well... I suppose I will do it!"

Fa Xin speaks:

"Yes, please. How should we address you?"

Lina speaks:

"I... I am called... Lina."

Fa Xin speaks:

"Please, do not be too nervous."

A Reluctant Spokesperson

Lina speaks:

"It is just that they kept pushing me back and forth! In the end, they sent me, the most timid one, to come out and speak. Now I am stuttering because of it." (She shakes her body slightly to loosen up.) "There, I am a bit more relaxed now. What is it that you wish to know?"

Fa Xin speaks:

"Please, share with us your life story as a tomato."

Lina speaks:

"Tell a story? Well, I can manage that, I suppose. I lived on an orchard near the countryside of Perth. Our neighbours were all fruit growers, and everyone had such vast plots of land. We had all agreed to grow different things to sell across Australia and even for export. Although I am a woman, I was quite burly and strong from a young age. I did not look like a typical lady, so it was only natural that I was treated like a man, tasked with all the heavy, gruelling work in the orchard. My siblings had all gone away to work or were still studying. I was the only one who did not care for books. My parents asked me which subject I wanted to study, hoping to cultivate my talents, but I had no interest in anything. Naturally, I became the only child who remained on the orchard."

The Songs of the Orchard

Lina speaks:

"My family grew a variety of crops: apples, oranges, corn, and tomatoes. My parents loved planting everything; while others specialised in one crop, they loved to grow many. Sometimes, I was truly exhausted! My body was always covered in dirt, so it was no surprise that no one wanted me. Of course, I never even thought about marriage, as my appearance and build looked just like a man's. I composed songs for these fruits. Whenever I was tending to a specific type, I would sing its song to find a little joy in life. 'Apple, apple, turn red quickly! If you stay green, you will just be a green apple... tra-la-la, tra-la-la.' 'Do you know you are a tomato? You need to grow bigger, be sweeter, hurry up! Hurry up! Lina loves you all!' Day after day, my life was confined to that orchard. Occasionally, I would go into town to shop, but that was the extent of my boring life. Sometimes, I would even dream that I was still tending to them. Was I obsessed? My temper seemed to grow stranger by the day. However, because I rarely interacted with people—at most, a few labourers hired by the orchard—no one dared to get close to me. My usual attire was just a pair of denim overalls, and that was it."

A Sudden End and a Strange Rebirth

Lina speaks:

"One day, I was working in the orchard as usual, researching how to graft the plants to make the tomatoes sweeter, as they were the least popular crop I grew. I was deep in thought, and as I stood up to reach for something—perhaps because I had been squatting for too long—I felt a wave of dizziness. With a loud thud, I hit my head heavily against a brick and died instantly. My boring life had come to an end. When I died, my spirit entered the very tomato vine I had just been researching, and it grew a tomato with a sweetness that satisfied me greatly. But why did I have to end up like this? I felt a bit angry. Once I felt that anger, I quickly turned from a green tomato into a red one.

After I died, my cousin took over the orchard because he had some experience helping out there. He worked very hard to manage it, and I saw everything. While patrolling the orchard, he visited the spot where I had my accident and saw the new variety of tomato I had developed. He saw the first red tomato, and he smiled to himself. He did not know that it was me. I was so anxious, but I had no way to express myself. In the end, I gave up. He took me home and gave me to his beloved child, who ate me. After being eaten, my spirit seemed to lose consciousness for a moment. I was digested, passed through the body, and went into the sewage system. Because the water treatment system was specially processed to be used for watering flowers, my spirit was purified into water for the fruit trees and sprayed back onto the tomatoes. I went through this cycle of being a tomato several times. I had long since despaired; I had accepted that my fate was to be a tomato."

The Luck of the Centre

Lina speaks:

"Then, one day, a wholesaler came and took away many of the fruits from the orchard. Was my cousin about to get rich? How could such a wonderful thing happen? I was taken to a fruit shop, watching the people coming and going. I hoped my fate might change. I prayed every day. Just like that, I was loaded onto a truck. I did not know where I was going, and I felt very nervous. Finally, the truck stopped, and when the doors opened, wow! It was so bright here! Was I finally going to have my moment? I was so happy that I shouted out loud. The tomatoes next to me thought I had gone mad. But I truly felt that I had won the lottery. After entering the cold storage, many vegetables welcomed us. I asked everyone about the state of this place, and I learned that I could still seek Chao Du and attain Buddhahood. Today, I even accepted this interview. Finally, all this good fortune has come to me. I am grateful to this place. I have finished speaking. Thank you, everyone."

Namo Amituofo.