The Wisdom of Choosing the Right Path: An Interview with Venerable Abhidha

This is a record of an interview with the 494th Venerable, Abhidha, who lived approximately 2,450 years ago. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Jing, on February 21, 2019.

Venerable Abhidha speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Abhidha. I arrived in this world on a stormy, rain-lashed night. From the very moment I left my mother's womb, I wailed incessantly, my cries piercing the heavy, damp air of that night. No matter how much time passed, I would not stop crying, as if the very atmosphere of this world was too heavy for my spirit to bear. I continued to weep until my tiny body was completely exhausted and I had no strength left to even draw a breath. My parents were terrified, fearing I was a difficult child who could not be soothed, and they began to worry deeply about the future that lay ahead, viewing my arrival not as a blessing, but as a burden to their comfort."

A Life of Neglect and a Sudden Departure

"My parents were indolent and self-indulgent people. They lived off the wealth left behind by my grandfather, spending it recklessly without a single thought for the future or the consequences of their actions. My mother had never intended to have a child; my birth was an unfortunate accident. Initially, she tried to keep me, but seeing how difficult I was to care for from the very first day, she abandoned that idea entirely. She began looking for ways to get rid of me so that I would not disrupt their leisurely, empty lifestyle.

To ensure I would be taken in by someone quickly, my mother adorned me with a gold necklace and gold bracelets. She dressed me in robes made of the finest, most expensive fabrics and placed gold-leafed shoes on my feet. When she carried me into the street, many people were dazzled, having never seen a child dressed so lavishly. My mother announced to everyone present: 'Whoever is willing to take this child home and raise him, everything he is wearing shall belong to them.' A murmur of conversation rippled through the crowd. After a long while, a woman stepped forward and said, 'I will take the child.' The crowd fell silent, all eyes turning to her. She was dressed in elegant, fine clothing, clearly a woman of wealth. My mother handed me over without a moment's hesitation. The woman took me into her arms, boarded her sedan chair, and departed, leaving my biological parents to their selfish ease."

A Mother's Love and the Search for Wisdom

"Throughout the journey, the woman spoke to me gently. She pitied me for being unwanted from birth, even by my own mother. Her touch was soft, and her voice was filled with grace and refinement. I kept looking at her, and eventually, I smiled. Seeing my smile, she laughed in return, a sound of genuine warmth that I had never known before.

She lived alone and had never married. From that day on, I became her life, and she became my adoptive mother. She, too, had lost her parents at a young age. Although they had left her a vast fortune, she had always been lonely. My appearance changed her dull and monotonous life. To raise me well, she shed her own bad habits, determined to be a virtuous example. She searched everywhere for the best way to educate a child, and many women offered advice based on their own experiences. She watched their children grow up—some became laborers, others married and struggled daily just to put food on the table. One woman boasted of her methods, but when my adoptive mother looked at her son—a high-ranking official who was already balding at a young age, his face etched with worry—she realised that despite his fame and status, he was utterly miserable. She shook her head, thinking, 'If I follow these methods, Abhidha will surely suffer just as their children do.' At that moment, the image of a wise person she had met long ago, who lived in seclusion in the mountains, surfaced in her mind."

The Stone Marked with 'Death'

"My adoptive mother immediately set out, carrying me on her back as she climbed the mountain, hoping to find that wise man she had encountered over a decade ago. She walked for a long time, but saw no one. Exhausted, she sat on a rock to rest while I slept soundly on her back. Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead. She looked closely—it was the wise man! She stood up and asked, 'Could you please teach me how to educate my child?' The wise man, with his long white beard and eyes full of wisdom, looked at me sleeping peacefully and said, 'This child has descended into this world with a mission. When he was born, his constant crying was a manifestation of his deep sorrow for the suffering of sentient beings. He is destined to be a savior who will deliver the world.' My mother asked, 'How should I educate him so that I do not ruin his future?' The wise man replied, 'If you can find a stone inscribed with the word "Death," you will find the one who can teach this child.'"

The Three-Hundred-Year-Old Hermit

"From that day on, my mother searched everywhere for this stone. She asked passersby, but no one had ever heard of such a thing. People told her, 'Don't listen to that old man on the mountain! Who would carve such an inauspicious word on a stone? If such a person exists, he must be a madman!' Yet, my mother held onto hope, believing the wise man's words were true. She searched with a firm heart for over a year before she finally found it. The stone was large, but the grass around it had grown even taller. It was hard to believe anyone lived there, but she pushed through the thicket until she found a dilapidated hut. She knocked a dozen times with no response. She sat at the door, waiting, refusing to give up. Finally, she heard the sound of someone stretching after a long sleep. She knocked again, and a voice answered, 'Come in!' She asked, 'Did you write the word "Death" on that stone?' The man replied, 'I wrote that three hundred years ago.' My mother stared in shock. 'Three hundred years ago?' The man said, 'I have lived for three hundred years. That stone is exactly as I wrote it. Writing the word "Death" does not mean I am dead; I have lived longer than anyone.' My mother asked, 'How have you lived for three hundred years?' He replied, 'Through meditative concentration.' My mother asked, 'Concentration?' He explained, 'Though my body is here, I often manifest in various places to save beings. I do not live for food; my heart remains in deep, silent concentration, unmoved by the world.' My mother praised his skills and asked if I could learn from him. He told her, 'Today is my last day in this world. I have already manifested as a beggar on the road to teach the Dharma.'"

The Path of the Buddha

"My mother could hardly believe these miracles, but they were happening before her eyes. For my sake, she went back down the mountain and immediately encountered a beggar. She had little money left, but seeing his plight, she gave him everything she had. The beggar said to her, 'Let the child learn the Buddha's teachings.' It was then that she realised this was the beggar the hermit had spoken of. He taught her the benefits of learning the Buddha's teachings and helped her understand that this was the only path for me. My mother understood immediately: I must become a monk. She searched until she found a small temple in the mountains with a few monks. They accepted me at age four. I cherished this opportunity, knowing the hardships my mother had endured to find it. In the purity of the deep mountains, I practiced diligently. Any messy thoughts would disturb the stillness, so I remained in deep silence, free from delusions. I listened to the teachings and followed the Buddha's guidance. Within one year, I attained the 'Heavenly Eye' to clearly foresee and the 'Heavenly Ear' to hear all. In three years, I had mastered all skills and descended the mountain to save beings.

When my mother saw me again, she was filled with joy, kneeling to thank the Buddha for the guidance that allowed me to use my abilities to help others. I lived to be over 130 years old, my body and heart always in stillness, using a Buddha-heart to save beings. At the end of my life, the fourfold assembly saw a golden lotus manifest, and I departed for the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

A Message of Gratitude

"I am grateful to Practitioner Su for giving me the opportunity to serve. Our connection as master and disciple spans many lifetimes. I see that my master has come to this worldly realm many times, yet her Buddha-heart remains unchanged. Her determination and perseverance in saving all spirits in this universe are truly worthy of praise. Seeing my master suffer for the sake of all beings, enduring such pain in her physical body, I am even more motivated to help her recover. I urge all beings to let go of their hatred and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, so that my master may recover from her leg injuries and save even more beings. Namo Amituofo."