The Wind God's Vow: A Journey of Service and Deliverance

This is a record of an interview with the Wind God, Lu Mansha, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his life approximately 2,200 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on March 15, 2021.

Lu Mansha speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am the Wind God, Lu Mansha. Ever since Namo Amituofo designated the Wind God as a subject for an interview following the rain-making at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, I have not dared to be negligent. I have been waiting at the temple, ready to be interviewed at any moment. During these past few days, I have witnessed many inconceivable events that I had only heard of but never had the opportunity to see. This includes the salvation team led by Practitioner Su, which departs from the temple every morning at dawn to perform spiritual deliverance through their Dharma bodies before returning. The sheer scale of the team and the boundless, immeasurable number of sentient beings being saved has truly broadened my horizons.

I have been participating in the morning services with the fourfold assembly of disciples at the temple. We begin prostrations at 2:15 AM, followed by walking meditation, chanting, visualization for spiritual deliverance, and the recitation of the Infinite Life Sutra. By the time we finish at 6:20 AM, the level of diligent practice is truly distinct from any ordinary temple. I am filled with admiration and have taken this opportunity to join everyone in prostrating, chanting, and reciting. I had never recited the Infinite Life Sutra before, but within the text, it clearly mentions the Forty-eight Great Vows of Namo Amituofo and the magnificent beauty of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I knew that Namo Amituofo had made Forty-eight Great Vows, but I had never had the chance to learn the details. To be able to read and understand them under these Causal Conditions has left me deeply moved and grateful for the compassion of Namo Amituofo. It has also made me understand why Practitioner Su was able to move the Jade Emperor and the Four Dragon Kings to participate in the rain-making together!"

Witnessing the Inconceivable Power of the Dharma

"Generally speaking, rainfall is a regional matter handled by the local Rain God. They report the situation to the Jade Emperor at the heavenly court periodically, and such a grand assembly is not usually required. However, because Namo Amituofo abides at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, all the Dharma protectors and spirits regard this place as a holy sanctuary. Furthermore, Practitioner Su proposed that if the rain-making were successful, she would lead the Jade Emperor and the Four Dragon Kings back to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss when she returns there herself. This is an incredibly important opportunity—something one could not even dream of asking for! It is no wonder that the Jade Emperor and the Four Dragon Kings were so cautious and respectful regarding the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and Practitioner Su's request for rain.

In these past few days, I have had the fortune to participate in the Thrice Yearning Ceremony presided over by Namo Amituofo. I witnessed beings from spaces I had never seen before, coming from all corners of the Earth, the vast universe, and even outer space. For the spiritual realms, participating in each of these three days of the ceremony is a very special and significant event. The number of spirits participating was immense. I even saw beings from the Four Sacred Realms that I, Lu Mansha, have never had the chance to encounter. There were deities from shrines across the land, spirits from various nations—not just those with yellow skin, but those of all races and colours. I even saw dinosaurs and primitive humans in attendance, and these were only a small fraction of the total. This was the largest scene of spiritual deliverance I have ever witnessed; it is truly worthy of a Dharma assembly presided over by Namo Amituofo! I saw with my own eyes the golden light radiating from the bodies of Namo Amituofo, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, and the Pure Ocean of Bodhisattvas. In particular, when Namo Amituofo shone his Buddha-light to lead the beings into the golden light, the vast, boundless number of beings were liberated from their suffering. Many of my own followers who were with me, along with many other beings present, could not help but kneel down in gratitude."

A Celestial Duty and the Call to Rain

"Two thousand one hundred and fifty years ago, I was blessed by the compassion of the Jade Emperor to be appointed as a Wind God, a position I have held ever since. Each Wind God has a jurisdiction, and under us are many smaller wind spirits scattered throughout the region, receiving our commands on when to stir the wind, the intensity, the timing, and the scope. Sometimes, large-scale wind events require the cooperation of several smaller wind spirits; this is the usual situation for wind across various regions. If it is a purely local wind, it is managed by the Wind God individually.

It is extremely rare for the Four Dragon Kings of the East, West, South, and North Seas to gather rain together, and for the Jade Emperor to assign the Wind God, Rain God, Thunder God, and Lightning God to follow orders and participate in the rainfall for a specific location. After all, it is not easy to invite the Jade Emperor and the Four Dragon Kings to participate in rain-making; one must possess sufficient merit and virtue to command such power. The land belonging to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre—Goombungee, Australia, and the surrounding areas—is truly blessed to have such a magnificent opportunity to receive rain. I have observed that Goombungee and the surrounding lands would not have had the chance to receive such abundant rainfall during this period, but because of the presence of Namo Amituofo, Practitioner Su, and the temple, they were able to transform this collective karma and avoid the suffering of drought. I would like to share the Causal Conditions of how I became a Wind God, as a small token of my gratitude for the grace of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su in sending me and my followers to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

A Humble Beginning in the Fields

"I was born 2,200 years ago in a small village in the interior of China. My family lived a simple life as farmers. From my great-grandfather and grandfather down to my father, we were farmers for generations. We once owned a large piece of farmland, but due to war, our country was defeated. The land and the people were taken over by the victors. Our private farmland was confiscated by the government due to the change in the system, and we were left with only a small plot to survive on. My grandfather had to support over a dozen family members, so life after the war was extremely difficult—this is the sorrow of the people of a defeated nation. But as farmers, we were accustomed to the teachings of nature and possessed a resilient, accepting character. Although life was hard, we endured those days and managed to save a little money. After my father and uncles grew up and started their own families, my grandfather bought a few more plots of land so that his descendants could live better lives. My parents had three sons and two daughters, and I was the third child. Although I only knew a few simple characters, every blade of grass, every grain of sand, and the wind and rain were my friends. We lived together, which fostered my simple, kind, and honest personality.

I had a special affinity for nature and was more sensitive than my siblings, especially regarding the wind and rain. I could often sense their impending changes. Rain is indispensable for farmland, while wind direction and intensity are indicators of the four seasons. Farmers pay close attention to the spring equinox, summer solstice, autumn equinox, winter solstice, and the solar terms of each season. These have a significant impact on farming; if the wind and rain are not in harmony, it causes chaos in the seasons and imbalance for all earthly creatures, affecting people's lives and the harvest. In the village, people would remind farmers about wind and rain during important solar terms, as many agricultural tasks and daily routines needed adjustment. In fact, these things had become a part of the farmers' lives, even the focus of our existence, passed down through generations. Often, without reminders, everyone was already prepared. For a simple farming family, agricultural work is the greatest focus of life, and we children learned amidst this. I was particularly sensitive to changes in the natural environment, and after my parents taught me, I naturally paid attention to these things, especially the solar terms and the changes in wind and rain."

The Drought and the Vow of Compassion

"One year, for nearly half a year, not a single drop of rain fell. Everyone was deeply worried. It was summer, the season that should have been rainy, and the rice paddies needed water to grow for the harvest. We saw that our water storage was almost exhausted, yet the heavens did not provide a single drop. That summer was exceptionally sweltering; there was neither rain nor wind. The whole space was filled with dryness, anxiety, and helplessness. We had done everything we could and prayed to everyone we knew, but everyone was at their wit's end. I was eighteen years old that year. My father had intended to harvest the rice to exchange for some silver to help me get married, but we encountered this disaster. I told my father not to worry about my marriage; in truth, I did not care about marriage at all. My father felt a little comforted, as my older brother was already married.

One night, I had a dream. An old man smiled and told me that if I were willing to contribute, the village's drought could be saved. I nodded without hesitation. The old man said that this disaster was because, in the past, several officials in the village had taken bribes and obstructed the village's water conservancy projects, causing a massive flood that resulted in heavy casualties. The bribe money was also distributed to the families of some officials who were in the know. In this lifetime, everyone had gathered in this village and had to receive the retribution of having no water, no wind, and no food for the collective karma of causing that flood. These losses had to be greater than the money taken in bribes, and the casualties of the villagers had to exceed the number of deaths in the original flood before the disaster could be lifted.

In a past life, I was a Taoist practitioner who had attained the Way, accumulating merit and virtue. I had remaining merit and blessings in this life. If I were willing to give to the villagers, I could shorten or lift this disaster. However, the villagers had to donate one-tenth of their annual grain harvest to the government to provide relief for the poor, the thirsty, and the elderly and children in the village who had no one to care for them. This had to be done every year. During this time, I had to be responsible for collecting one-tenth of every household's annual agricultural income each year and handing it over to the government to make up for the insufficient merit, until the end of my life in this world, only then could this disaster be lifted. If there were any changes midway, the same disaster would occur again until the losses of the victims were enough to offset the disaster. This was a vow I had made in a past life, wishing to give the merit and blessings I had accumulated to sentient beings in need. In this life, I had this opportunity, and it depended on whether I was willing to fulfill this vow.

I told the old man without hesitation, 'I am willing.' I told my parents about this dream and decided to remain unmarried for life, dedicating all my energy to this matter. Although my father was hesitant about me not marrying, he did not say much under my insistence; after all, resolving the drought was the most important thing. I reported this to the village chief and discussed it with the villagers. Everyone was surprised, but resolving the current disaster was the most urgent matter. With the consent of the whole village, we burned incense and reported it to the heavens. Sure enough, two days later, the sky was covered with dark clouds, the wind rose, and a heavy rain fell. The villagers all knelt on the ground, thanking the heavens for their help. I also promised to collect one-tenth of the agricultural income from each household every year to hand over to the government, to be given to the families in the village in need, and if there was any surplus, to help the neighboring villages."

Ascension and Final Deliverance

"When I was fifty years old, I passed away without illness. That afternoon, cool breezes blew, and a light rain fell. I felt a comfortable, refreshing coolness and fell into a deep sleep while sitting in my chair. At that moment, a light shone from the sky and took me away. I saw a bright light all around me, and the Jade Emperor smiled and told me that I had fulfilled my promise in this life, helping the villagers with merit and virtue to spare, and that I was qualified for the position of Wind God. I gladly accepted. I have been cautious and conscientious in this position, never daring to be negligent, fearing that any slight oversight on my part would affect the land and the lives of the people.

Not long ago, I received a notification from the Jade Emperor that I would be on standby at any time to cooperate with the Rain, Thunder, and Lightning Gods to take responsibility for the rainfall at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. I kept a close watch on the rainfall situation at the temple and, together with the Rain, Thunder, and Lightning Gods, successfully completed the rain-making mission. I have finally fulfilled the duties entrusted to me by the Jade Emperor.

Here, I, Lu Mansha, on behalf of the sentient beings connected to the Wind God, express my gratitude to Namo Amituofo, Practitioner Su, and the Jade Emperor for bringing us the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Namo Amituofo."

Interview recorded by the disciple of the Buddha, Venerable HaiZe.

Memorial Tablets: Wind God Lu Mansha and the small wind spirits, connected sentient beings, dust and sand, wandering spirits in the wind, immeasurable numbers, represented by: Lu Mansha.

Entering the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, Western Land of Dharma Nature.