The Transformative Power of Gratitude

This is a record of an interview with Mahan, 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 1,651 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on December 12, 2018.

Mahan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Mahan. I was the eldest son in my family. From a very young age, I watched my mother work tirelessly, struggling solely to raise the three of us. To lighten her burden, I would proactively help her with many tasks. Even at the tender age of five, I had already learned to do much, simply by observing and following my mother's lead.

The Honest Merchant and the Heart of Gratitude

Every morning, before dawn, I would help my mother push a cart full of vegetables to the town market. At that early hour, the streets were quiet, save for the vendors preparing their stalls. It was a bustling street where everything was sold. Everyone went about their own business, without suspicion or rivalry. Yet, some stalls thrived while others struggled. Those who did well wore proud smiles, while those who struggled were always filled with worry. My mother’s vegetable stall, however, sold out every single day. Often, others grew jealous of her success, saying, 'It must be the location! That is why she has so many customers!' To avoid conflict, my mother would voluntarily swap her spot with others. But those who took her place, thinking a change of location would bring them prosperity, found their business worsening, while my mother’s business continued to flourish. This proved that it was not a matter of location, but rather my mother’s honesty and the vastness of her heart.

Though our family was poor, my mother never haggled over a single cent with her customers. Whenever she saw someone in poverty, she would proactively offer them a few bunches of vegetables for free. When she encountered wealthy noblewomen, she would never greedily overcharge them; she kept to the original prices. She simply would not offer the extra vegetables she gave to the poor, as she wanted to save those for people who truly needed them.

The Signature Smile

Regardless of whether business was good or bad, my mother always greeted everyone with a smile. She would often say, 'A smile is much more comfortable than a worried face!' Her radiant smile became one of her trademarks. Every customer who saw her smile felt joy in their hearts, and naturally, more and more people came to her stall.

I learned to be optimistic and cheerful like my mother, and I learned to possess a heart that delights in helping others. Whenever I saw someone vulnerable, I would proactively show care. I was grateful that I still had the ability to help others, and whenever I could, I would extend my hands to assist them. My mother once told me, 'My child, I do not need you to earn a lot of money when you grow up, nor do I need you to become a famous person. I only hope that no matter where you are, you never forget the foundation of being human: gratitude. If you hold a heart of gratitude toward everyone, there will be no enemies, and no such thing as favorable or adverse circumstances. No matter who or what you face, as long as you know how to be grateful, your heart will always be content and at peace.'

The Magic of a Thankful Heart

My mother taught me to practice gratitude from childhood. These two words, though common, possess a truly magical power. I remember when I was three, my mother finally managed to buy a bag of candy for me. Before I could even eat one, a group of children snatched the whole bag away! I cried loudly, but my mother told me, 'Look at those children; no one has ever bought them candy. You should be grateful, Mahan. Be grateful for the opportunity today to give a bag of candy to them, so they can share in your joy.' Hearing my mother’s words, I immediately wiped away my tears, and a smile soon returned to my face. From that moment on, I believed that as long as one learns to be grateful, a magical power appears—it can turn a crying face into a smiling one instantly! It can turn an uncomfortable heart into one that is completely at ease.

Whenever I saw my mother being bullied, I wanted to stand up for her, but she would immediately stop me and forbid me from speaking. After the people left, she would teach me, 'In this world, there will always be people who treat us well and people who treat us poorly. If we feel happy because someone treats us well and angry because they treat us poorly, wouldn't living in this world be very exhausting? If people treat us well, we are grateful. If they treat us poorly, we are also grateful. Doesn't life become much easier that way?' Hearing her words, my anger would vanish instantly. I became grateful to those people for teaching me a lesson. If they appeared again, I would never give them a sour face; instead, I would smile and be grateful to them.

A Treasure Found in Poverty

Once, a child of my age asked me, 'Why is your family so poor, yet you can live so happily?' I told him, 'Because of gratitude. I am grateful for this poor environment, which taught me to do many things from a young age. I am grateful for this environment, which taught me to face life with an optimistic heart. No matter the size of the matter, I face it with a heart of gratitude, and so every day is naturally very happy!' The child was so delighted, as if he had found a treasure. He immediately said to me, 'Thank you for telling me this wonderful method today! From now on, I will also learn to be grateful! I will go home and be grateful to my mother, even though she hit me today and made me cry—because it was that sadness that gave me the courage to ask you how to be happy. Now I finally know: it is gratitude! I am grateful my mother hit me today; it helped me understand how to become happy!' I laughed heartily, feeling that life was truly fascinating.

The Encounter with the Dharma

At the age of sixteen, I began to learn the Buddha-dharma. The opportunity arose from a dog. I saw a dying dog on the side of the road. Upon closer inspection, the dog had a bun in its mouth that had been poisoned. I did not know how to help the creature. Just then, a monk immediately chanted 'Namo Amituofo' for the dog and told it to follow the chanting and seek rebirth in the world of light, and not to return to this world as a dog again. Hearing what the monk said, I curiously asked, 'Is it true that as long as one chants Namo Amituofo, one does not have to be a human again?' The monk nodded and told me, 'Sentient beings do not learn the Buddha-dharma, so they do not know how to let go of their attachments to this world. Namo Amituofo is the One of Great Wisdom, Great Compassion, and Immeasurable Light. He is our beacon, capable of leading us out of delusion. As long as we follow the teachings of Namo Amituofo, we can all escape the six realms of existence and return to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss that He created for us!' I was so happy. In those sixteen years, I never knew that learning the Buddha-dharma was like this—that it was the only true method to leave suffering behind. But I did not understand, 'Why is it that such a wonderful thing is understood by so few?' The monk replied, 'Because sentient beings have spiritual obstacles, personalities, habits, and their own ideas. Those with deep good roots can believe in the Buddha-dharma and be saved by it. But those who are clever in worldly ways, or those with heavy delusion, discrimination, and attachment, if they cannot believe in the Buddha-dharma, they must remain in the cycle of rebirth, revolving according to their karma. Therefore, those who have made vows are willing to give lectures to deliver sentient beings, helping them gradually let go of their attachments through the teachings, understand the matter of life and death, and be willing to chant and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.'

A Life Dedicated to the Buddha

Ever since I met that monk, I decided to start learning the Buddha-dharma. I brought my mother and two younger brothers to learn together. We all hoped to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and we hoped to help everyone understand the benefits of learning the Buddha-dharma, so we could all chant and seek rebirth in the West together.

After five years of study, I entered a temple to learn under a master. Three years later, I was ordained as a monk. I was twenty-four years old then. Before the Buddha, I made a vow to follow the Buddha to deliver sentient beings, dedicating my body and mind to the service of the Dharma. I held infinite gratitude in my heart, grateful for the opportunity to learn the Buddha-dharma in this life and to know its preciousness. I used the Buddha-dharma to help sentient beings, and also to help myself and my mother chant and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss at the end of our lives.

The Compassion of Practitioner Su

I have followed Practitioner Su into the universe, changing and manifesting at will. The space of the universe is vast, and the spaces connected to me also exist within it. Immeasurable and boundless planets appeared before my eyes, all waiting to be saved. The vastness of the Buddha-dharma is eternal, because the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is always waiting for all sentient beings to turn back from their lost paths. However, the spiritual obstacles of sentient beings are becoming heavier, and those who can firmly believe in the Buddha-dharma are becoming fewer. If not for the compassionate Chao Du performed by Practitioner Su today, those who could be reborn in the Western Pure Land would be few and far between. Practitioner Su’s Faith, Vows, and Practice are truly a model for the human world. He is a true believer and practitioner, a true descendant of the Western Land, and a future Buddha of the West.

Every day, as I spend time with Practitioner Su, I learn from him an inconceivable mind-capacity and compassion. Only with a true Buddha-heart and Buddha-vow can one possess such virtue. I urge all of you to cherish the opportunity to learn from Practitioner Su. Only by truly learning the Buddha-dharma can one truly obtain the opportunity for rebirth. Namo Amituofo."