The Vow of the Five Hundred from Lotus Village

This is a record of an interview with the 835th Venerable, Xunhe, who lived approximately 2,300 years ago. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on August 28, 2018.

Venerable Xunhe speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Lotus Village is the village where I once resided. It was a place filled with all kinds of lotus flowers. The fragrance of these lotuses permeated the entire village, making one feel physically and mentally relaxed, refreshed, and tranquil.

A Realm Beyond the Human World

Lotus Village once existed in the world, but apart from its residents, people in the outside world were unaware of its existence. This is because the space it occupied was different from the space humans inhabit today. In Lotus Village, besides the abundance of lotus flowers, there were sweet fruits that grew freely. Villagers could pick and eat them whenever they pleased. These fruits were large and fragrant; once a fruit was picked, another would quickly grow in its place. Regardless of the season, there were always delicious fruits available for the villagers to harvest.

In Lotus Village, the hearts of the villagers were pure and kind, without a single evil thought. There were five hundred villagers in total, each one kind and gentle, living together in harmony like one big family. The various ugly manifestations of the human world were never seen in Lotus Village. The villagers' belief in Goodness created a beautiful, peaceful village where everything was shared.

The Constant Presence of the Buddha

There was another magnificent aspect of Lotus Village: the villagers could connect with the Buddha at any time. The Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss felt as if it were right before our eyes. This was the result of the practice of the villagers in their past lives. Furthermore, the purity within Lotus Village naturally allowed every villager to possess the ability to communicate with the Buddha. A statue of Namo Amituofo was situated in the centre of the village, incomparably tall, protecting the entire place. The villagers never departed from the Buddha-name for a single moment; it was the only important matter in this village.

The villagers of Lotus Village each possessed a dignified Dharma appearance, and their bodies naturally emitted a faint light. Our hearts were connected; there were no secrets and nothing to hide. The hearts of the five hundred people were not divided into 'you' and 'me'; they were connected as one. We viewed each other as ourselves—when there were difficulties, we helped; when there were good things, we shared. This was a Pure Land village without discrimination. The villagers had no so-called emotions—no friendship, no romantic love. Everyone focused purely on chanting Namo Amituofo. If the villagers were not gathered together, they would each happily chant the Buddha's name throughout the village.

The Freedom of Rebirth

The villagers of Lotus Village had no limit on their lifespan; whether long or short, it was all free and easy. At the time of passing, everyone could freely be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss in various ways. Some villagers chose to pass away while standing; some lay down on the grass to pass away at will; some achieved rebirth with a single leap; and there were even villagers who could come and go from the Western Pure Land as they pleased. The hearts of the villagers were in sync with the purity of the West, untainted by the filth and impurities of the world.

I was one of the residents of Lotus Village. The blessings and Causal Conditions cultivated in my past lives allowed me to grow up in Lotus Village and enjoy freedom and happiness alongside all the other villagers. We never knew that any other space existed besides Lotus Village and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

A Glimpse into a World of Suffering

When I was twenty years old, while I was chanting the Buddha's name and entered samadhi, I was shocked to see a world of suffering. The environment of that world lacked the purity and freedom of Lotus Village. All the people there had to struggle just to have enough to eat, and they were filled with distress. They were deeply entangled in intense emotions—family affection, friendship, and romantic love—all of which were difficult to let go of. To protect themselves, the people there could not treat each other with sincerity. Even among the closest family members, everyone hid secrets in their hearts.

In that world, money and wealth were things they craved. They hoped to possess as much wealth as possible and were attached to everything they owned. Yet, they did not realise that the more they possessed, the more tightly they bound themselves; they could never have a moment of purity or freedom.

The people there rarely experienced happiness. Their delusions, attachments, afflictions, desires, and various needs had long since left them breathless. Their hearts carried intense pain, yet they did not understand what suffering was. They were forever pursuing various vanities to satisfy the emptiness within. Although the Buddha’s teachings were circulated in that world, they did not fully believe in the Buddha. They remained self-centred; even at the time of death, very few could truly be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Vow of the Five Hundred

I felt deeply moved by the existence of such a miserable world. I opened my eyes, stood up, and walked to the centre of Lotus Village. I gathered the five hundred villagers to sit before the statue of Namo Amituofo and shared the scenes of that world with them. As I described it, all the villagers saw the existence of this miserable world. Some villagers saw a sea of fire, with people in that world wailing and begging for help. Some villagers saw a vast darkness, and others saw cruel punishments. All these various sufferings and sorrows were transformed by the hearts of the people in that world. Because there was evil in their hearts, evil thoughts brought about all suffering; evil thoughts and evil deeds brought harm and destruction to one another.

The villagers could not bear to see the people of that world continue to suffer. Each of them felt compassion and sincerely made a vow before the Buddha to save them. I was the first villager to raise my hand and vow before the Buddha: 'I am willing to let go of all the enjoyments in Lotus Village, to be reborn in that world of suffering, to help them know Namo Amituofo, and to let the people there see the light once again.' Following this, the villagers one after another made their vows: 'I will bring the happiness of Lotus Village into that world filled with sorrow, so that the people there can see joy amidst their misery.' Other villagers vowed: 'I will bring the sweet fruits of Lotus Village to that world to help those who are distressed by their daily meals, so they may have endless fruits to enjoy.'

The five hundred villagers made five hundred vows, each doing their best to help that miserable world, hoping that the people there could be as happy as those in Lotus Village, and hoping that the people there could all chant the Buddha's name and freely be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Descending into the World

The villagers of Lotus Village left their home freely, agreeing to go to that world of sorrow together. In an instant, five hundred baby boys were born into that miserable world. Each child was incomparably dignified, carrying the fragrance of the lotus. The five hundred boys were born in different places, each following their original vow, coming only to help people be liberated from all suffering.

I was born into a wealthy family and was well-educated from a young age. Even as a small child, I understood the suffering of the human world and knew that I should chant the Buddha's name to help people; I was different from ordinary children. My parents were both devout Buddhists, and they were overjoyed to have such a sensible child. When I expressed my wish to become a monk to save the world, my parents were deeply moved, for they had been hoping that I would grow up to become a monk and save the world.

I am grateful for my parents' kindness in raising me. When the time was right, I bid farewell to my parents and went alone to a deep mountain to practise. After I obtained this human body, I completely forgot the life I had lived in Lotus Village, but the intense vow to save the world within my heart was the great vow I had made back in Lotus Village.

In this life, I have tempered myself through practice, allowing myself to possess sufficient ability to save beings. I travel everywhere to proclaim the magnificence of the Buddha’s teachings, teaching the people of this miserable world to chant the Buddha's name and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The five hundred villagers of Lotus Village are each like a lotus flower rising from the mud without being stained. Even after coming to this world of deep pollution, they remain as pure and bright as lapis lazuli. Upon growing up, they all became dignified monks, carrying the vow to save the world, teaching the masses according to the Buddha's principles, and leading people to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body Deliverance

I am fortunate to follow Practitioner Su every day into the universe to perform Chao Du. Practitioner Su’s vow to save the world is incomparably firm; with one step, he arrives in the universe. The spaces in the universe are densely intertwined, and there are spaces within every planet. There are endless spaces, endless planets, and endless sentient beings.

Today, I arrived at a planet I had never seen before. This planet had known how to chant the Buddha's name for a long time. Like those in Lotus Village, they had taught the name 'Namo Amituofo' for generations. Unfortunately, they did not seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; they only knew how to chant the Buddha's name with a pure heart, and the Buddha naturally protected them so that everything was well. Therefore, they still preferred the free and peaceful environment of their own planet.

Today, the holy name of Namo Amituofo was transmitted to this planet. When they heard this familiar Buddha-name, they looked up and saw the West right before their eyes. They praised this incomparably dignified world before them, lamenting that only today did they realise the beauty of the West. As the Buddha-light shone down, those beings who wished to be reborn in the West were all able to chant the Buddha's name together and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Namo Amituofo."