The Vow to Save All Beings

This is a record of an interview with the Venerable Fu Ji, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately six hundred years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Jing, on September 9, 2018.

Venerable Fu Ji speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Fu Ji. My mother was a woman plagued by many illnesses. My father, seeing her face grow haggard and her body consumed by sickness—her former beauty long since destroyed by the ravages of disease—abandoned us for a new love. He took every last bit of wealth our family possessed, leaving us with nothing.

A Childhood of Sacrifice

My mother was too ill to work, and I was merely a child of three. To care for me, she sold all the antiques my grandfather had collected during his lifetime. The money was enough for us to survive for three years without worrying about food or clothing. However, three years passed in the blink of an eye, and the money was soon exhausted. My mother fell back into deep sorrow. Seeing me grow day by day, she realised there was no money left to raise me, and she herself was unable to go out to work. In her despair, she considered taking us both to a tragic end.

When she brought me to the riverbank, I sensed something was wrong. I immediately stopped her from doing anything impulsive. I told her, 'I can earn money to support you, but I cannot live without you.' I understood our family's plight, and I understood my mother's hardship and heartache. I had always been a filial child, never wanting to cause her worry. When winter came and my mother shivered with cold, I would hold her tightly, trying to warm her body with my own. Though I was small and thin, the heart that connected me to her warmed every pore of her being.

The Little Clown

My mother was often too ill to leave her bed. I would wipe her body, wash her feet, and go out to the streets to beg for rice, hoping only that she might recover her health. At night, I would often hear her weeping. I understood how miserable she felt—lamenting her inability to hold her husband's heart, her inability to care for her child, and her inability to regain her health. Every day she could only lie or sit there, unable to do anything, feeling like a useless person who was a burden to her young child.

To keep her from worrying, I would put on a cheerful face every day, hoping to make her happy. Even when I was so hungry I had no strength, I would grit my teeth and flash a brilliant smile. I never cried in front of her, nor did I ever show her my pain or sadness. Sometimes, to amuse her, I would dress up like a clown, perform stunts, or sing. Seeing me so happy, her sorrowful heart would be eased, for she did not want to give me an unhappy childhood.

The Secret Life of a Child Labourer

When I was six, my mother's illness worsened. We had no money to hire a doctor, and I could not bear to see her grow weaker. Every day, I would prepare everything she needed and place it by her bedside, then tell her, 'I have made some new friends, and I am going to play with them.' She was so happy to hear that I had friends my own age—that I was finally acting like a six-year-old—and she readily agreed to let me go out.

Once I left the house, I would walk to a large tree a few steps away and immediately change into ragged clothes, preparing to work as a child labourer in the city—a job I had begged for. The other children working with me were also poor; the oldest foreman was only twelve, and I was the youngest at six. Whenever we failed to satisfy our employer, we were scolded and whipped. I was often beaten until I was covered in wounds, but fortunately, my clothes covered them so my mother would not find out. A few times, the whip struck my face, leaving red, swollen welts. When I returned home, I would smear mud all over my body and face, letting my mother think I had been playing in the dirt so she would not see the bruises.

A Vow Before the Buddha

With the meagre wages I earned, I immediately hired a doctor for my mother. I told her, 'This is a kind doctor who is passing through and is offering free consultations.' Only then did she feel at ease. The doctor told me that my mother's illness was incurable and that she had at most one or two years left. I was devastated, but I dared not let her know. Every cent I earned went toward buying medicine to soothe her pain. As her condition worsened, she eventually lost her sight. Not knowing how to go on, I ran into a temple and begged the Buddha and Bodhisattvas for help. Every day, I wept before the Buddha for a long time, saying, 'I am unfilial; I have no ability to care for my mother. Her illness is getting worse, and I no longer know how to help her. Please, Buddha, tell me what to do. I am willing to do anything, if only you would let my mother pass away peacefully and stop her from suffering.' I prayed like this every single day.

The master of the temple, seeing that I was a filial and sensible child, took pity on me. He taught me to chant for my mother and instructed her to chant 'Namo Amituofo' to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. He described the beauty of the West to us. I longed for my mother to go to the Western Pure Land to enjoy bliss and stop suffering in this world. Although I still had deep emotional attachments to her, I knew that rebirth in the Western Pure Land was the best choice for her, as it would free her from the cycle of rebirth forever.

The Final Journey

I followed the master's instructions, chanting tens of thousands of Buddha-names for my mother every day. I chanted until her complexion turned rosy and her body felt no pain. I dressed her in her most beautiful clothes, accompanied her in chanting, and waited for the Buddha to come and lead her. One day, my mother truly saw the Buddha. He arrived with a lotus flower to welcome her. She stepped onto the lotus, and amidst the sound of my chanting, she was guided by the Buddha to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Seeing her finally liberated from a lifetime of illness, I felt truly happy for her.

However, I realised that it was not just my mother who suffered such pain. The grandfather next door, the families by the river, and the people on the streets—so many were suffering from the torture of disease. Their families, like me, were constantly searching for remedies, hoping to save their loved ones, even when the patients were already rotting and smelling. They would continue to seek more capable doctors, unaware that the patient was enduring hellish suffering. Out of emotional attachment, they would weep and beg the heavens to grant their family members more time in this world.

The Power of the Buddha-Name

If only everyone knew the goodness of the Western Pure Land and the importance of chanting, patients would not have to face the fear of approaching darkness, and their families could rest assured in letting them go to the West. It is a pity that while many in this world chant, few truly believe, and those who are reborn in the Western Pure Land are few and far between. I chant tens of thousands of Buddha-names every day, dedicating the merit to all suffering beings in the world, hoping they may soon find liberation.

I never knew I could help others escape the suffering of illness until one day, I passed by a house where the mistress was crying loudly, begging for help. I rushed inside and saw the master of the house lying on the floor. He had suddenly fainted and was unconscious. His wife, an old woman of over eighty, could not lift her husband. Seeing that he still had a breath, I continuously chanted 'Namo Amituofo' for him, taught the old woman to chant sincerely, and asked the Buddha for help. I also told the man to chant in his heart.

After a while, the man gradually regained consciousness. The old woman was both shocked and overjoyed, for the doctor had once told her, 'If your husband faints again, he may not survive.' Who would have expected that this Buddha-name would save his life? The old woman knelt and kowtowed, thanking Namo Amituofo for his compassionate rescue. From that day on, the two elderly people chanted diligently. Their remaining time was short, but because of their sincere chanting, within a month, both were guided by the Buddha to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

A Lifelong Mission

This event spread throughout the streets and alleys, and many found it inconceivable. People began to chant the name 'Namo Amituofo.' Those who were sincere naturally felt the Buddha's response, and many patients were liberated from their suffering and went to the world of light because of this Buddha-name. I finally saw that I could do something for society. I was alone in this life, with no family ties or burdens. Thus, I resolved to become a monk. Carrying the compassionate power to help sentient beings, I made a great vow before the Buddha: 'My goal in this life is to save people. If I do not complete this vow, I am not willing to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. It is not enough for me to return to the West alone; I hope everyone can return to the West together.'

To fulfil my vow, I spent my whole life delivering sentient beings, never stopping for a single day or moment. Finally, the wish of this life was fulfilled, and at the time of my passing, I returned to the Western Land upon a lotus.

Continuing the Work in the Universe

When I saw Practitioner Su manifesting the Dharma in this world, I was moved to tears. The worldly realm truly needs the power of Practitioner Su to help all spirits in heaven and earth, and to help all sentient beings find liberation from suffering. I have followed Practitioner Su to perform Chao Du in the universe. Every day, I bring the full energy of the name 'Namo Amituofo' into the cosmos. I have learned Practitioner Su's method of Chao Du and apply it freely throughout the universe. Many planets have been brought into the light by me. They have caught up with the 'Western Ship' led by Practitioner Su, boarding this vessel of compassion, and with hearts full of gratitude, they have returned to the Western Pure Land. I am grateful to Namo Amituofo for his great compassion, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su for her compassion."

Namo Amituofo.