The Wandering Monk and the Stream of Dharma

This is a record of an interview with the Venerable Yunquan, 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 2,000 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on December 13, 2018.

Venerable Yunquan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Yunquan. I have come to share the story of my journey, a journey that spans across time and space, yet remains anchored in the boundless compassion of Namo Amituofo.

A Chance Encounter with Sorrow

My heart once felt a sudden, sharp pang of pain—a resonance with the suffering of those around me. As I looked left and right, I saw an elderly woman sitting alone on a large stone. Her face was so haggard, etched with the lines of deep, unresolved sorrow. I walked toward her and asked, 'Is there anything I can do to help you?' The woman looked at me, seeing my tattered clothes and bare feet, and gave a cold, bitter laugh. 'What could you possibly do for me?' she asked. I replied, 'I may not know what has happened to you, but I am willing to do my utmost to help. At the very least, I can be your listener. Let me hear the burdens you carry in your heart.' She lifted her head and looked at me again, her eyes searching. After a long silence, I sat down on a smaller stone beside her. Though she did not speak, I felt the profound misery within her heart as if it were my own.

After a long while, she finally opened up. 'The people around me have left me one by one,' she sobbed. 'My husband found another woman, and my children moved out as soon as they were married. I had pinned all my hopes on my youngest son. He told me he would never marry, and I thought it was because he wanted to stay and care for me. I never expected that he would ignore his own mother, save his money, buy a large house, and enjoy a life of freedom all by himself. Now, I am the only one left in this entire home. My heart is so bitter, so bitter that no one knows...' She broke down and wept loudly. I listened quietly, understanding the crushing weight of her loneliness.

The Wisdom of Wu Niang

I told her, 'Do you know that I, too, am alone? I lost my parents and my siblings; they all left me behind. I was a child abandoned from a very young age. I have lived in many people's homes; they saw my plight and lent me a place to stay for a few weeks at a time, so I have never had a fixed home. Look at me—I am dressed in rags, I have no shoes, and I do not even know where my next meal will come from. Yet, I am happy!' The woman widened her eyes, looking at me intently. 'How do you do it?' she asked. I explained, 'It is because there is no such thing as emotion in my life. I do not understand what attachment is. I have never had anyone around me to whom I could attach my feelings, and I do not wish to attach myself to anyone, because I know that those who are driven by emotion suffer greatly. Yet, everyone I meet is so deeply entangled in these emotions, and that is why everyone lives in such hardship.' The woman nodded, slowly coming to agree with what I said.

I continued, 'The poor envy the rich, and the rich envy the happy. Everyone lives in a state of dissatisfaction; no one truly knows the joy of contentment. I have been wandering for so long. By this year, I am already eight years old. In these eight years, I have lived with over a dozen families. They were all kind people who compassionately took me in. I, too, was once a sorrowful person, but when I stayed with the twelfth family, I was deeply moved by the mistress of the house, Wu Niang. In her home, I was not the only orphan; there were over a dozen of us. She was a practitioner who chanted the Buddha-name. She never married and lived alone in a large house. She compassionately took in so many wandering children, letting us live with her so we could have a warm, comfortable home instead of wandering the streets. Wu Niang cooked three meals a day for us, and we lived together as happily as a family.'

I told her, 'The families I stayed with were all good people, but Wu Niang was different. Her mind-capacity was vast and expansive. She never argued with others, and she spent her entire life chanting Namo Amituofo, practising Generosity, and doing good deeds. Her wealth was inherited from her father, but she never clung to this money. Instead, she gave it back to society in large amounts, helping the poor and those in need. Wu Niang once offered me money, but I refused. I knew there were other children who needed her help more than I did. I could rely on my own strength to survive. But I asked Wu Niang to teach me to chant Namo Amituofo. I realised that it was the Buddha’s teachings that made her mind so vast, and it was the Dharma that made her different from everyone else. I wanted to learn the Buddha’s teachings, too, and become as compassionate as she was.'

Entering the Temple

Wu Niang was moved by my words. She had taken in so many children, but she had never met one who wanted to learn the Buddha’s teachings. She began to keep me by her side every day, teaching me to recite the Sutras, chant Namo Amituofo, and explaining the Dharma to me. She took me to visit the poor families she helped. Following her, I learned bit by bit that there is nothing to life—it is just a physical shell combined with a few threads of emotion. It is these threads of emotion that pull us back and forth, causing everyone to suffer endlessly in this world. If you can just remove these threads, half of your suffering vanishes. If you can also learn the Buddha’s teachings and know to chant Namo Amituofo to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land, then what suffering is left in life? Every day becomes filled with Dharma joy, and you are happy beyond measure!

Wu Niang wanted to continue caring for me until I grew up, but I told her, 'From today on, you do not need to look after me anymore, for I have already told the Buddha that I am going to become a monk!' I had no family left in this world, no attachments, and now that I had heard the Dharma, I understood the suffering of people and the beauty of the Buddha’s teachings. I wanted to learn the Dharma to help sentient beings. I did not want so many people to suffer, their faces haggard, binding themselves to a dark world where they could not see the light, all because they could not let go of the false things of this world. Today is my first day entering the temple. I happened to meet you on the way, and I hope to use the Buddha’s teachings to help you. If you can spend your time chanting Namo Amituofo and listening to the Sutras, you will find that you are a very happy person! I believe you will find your own path in the Buddha’s teachings. Namo Amituofo.' After I finished speaking, I walked happily ahead, ready to report to the temple.

The masters in the temple were all elderly monks. Although they were old, they looked full of vitality, their eyes filled with Wisdom, and their faces kind and dignified. When the master saw me, he asked, 'Where does the wind blow from?' I replied, 'There is no wind and no waves; it is my own resolve that has brought me to the temple to become a monk and practise.' The master nodded and asked, 'How does the bitter fruit taste?' I answered, 'It is sweet after the bitterness, because the Buddha has come!' The master asked again, 'When will the ripples on the river surface disappear?' I told him, 'I have already let go of all the dust of the world and am single-mindedly practising in the temple. From this moment on, the ripples have gradually vanished, and the water surface has become still.' The master replied, 'Very good. Go change your clothes and get to work!'

The Power of the Buddha-Name

Under the master's guidance, my heart rested peacefully in the Buddha-name every day. I accepted the tests the master gave me, breaking through my own habits and personality every single day. Others thought the master was scolding me, but only I knew, with a heart full of gratitude, that he was teaching me. Every day of practice was a preparation for the provisions needed to save sentient beings. When I met that elderly woman again, her face was no longer haggard; she had become radiant and full of spirit. She told me, 'Ever since you shared the Dharma with me that day, I have been chanting Namo Amituofo every day. I donated my property to help the poor. Although I have no family by my side, I have gained a life of pure practice. Every day is cool and refreshing, and every day I am moving closer to the Western Pure Land, so I am very happy!' My Buddha is compassionate; the power of the Dharma is truly inconceivable. I experience the vastness of the Dharma every day and use it to help sentient beings.

After my ordination, I moved forward with courage to deliver sentient beings. I drifted like a cloud to various places, bringing the Dharma like a life-saving stream. The Dharma can resolve the suffering of sentient beings. When they understand the falsity of this world and stop clinging to its illusions, seeking the reality of rebirth in the Western Pure Land, they can find joy within their suffering and return to the true home of the West!

A Journey Through the Universe

I am grateful to Practitioner Su for her compassion in taking me to fly through the universe. In my past lives, I was once infatuated with a space in the universe. The beauty there is beyond what people of this world can imagine. All practitioners who enter such spaces may become unwilling to leave because they crave the beautiful scenery and comfort. Fortunately, I did not forget to chant the holy name of Namo Amituofo, which allowed me to leave that space and be reborn in this world once more to save sentient beings.

I have returned to the universe to perform Chao Du. All sentient beings with karmic affinity have taken this opportunity to come forward and seek deliverance. I continue to reach out, unwilling to let any spirit wander alone. I lead them toward the light, and those who possess both faith, vows, and Blessings are all reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am grateful for the compassionate Ultimate Vow of Practitioner Su, which has allowed so many spirits to be saved. Every day is a magnificent day of deliverance, a day of great celebration! I am grateful to my Buddha for his compassion, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su for her compassion!

Namo Amituofo."

This interview message was recorded by the disciple of the Buddha, Shi Fajing.