The Wisdom of the Mountain Grandmother

This is a record of an interview with Lan Kuo, a venerable spirit from 1,800 years ago 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, recorded on November 21, 2018, by the chief writer, Shi Fa Jing, details his life and his journey to enlightenment.

Lan Kuo speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Lan Kuo. I was a child rescued by my grandmother at the foot of a mountain. My grandmother lived high up in those mountains, and from the moment she brought me back to her cave, she never descended again. Thus, I grew up entirely in the mountains, living alongside her in that secluded, sacred space.

A Childhood in the Mountain Wilds

I remember one day when several dozen wolves appeared before me. I was only five years old, yet I felt no fear. I stood boldly before them and shouted, 'You have been caught in the cycle of reincarnated life for so long! Do not be wolves anymore! Quickly, chant Namo Amituofo and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss!' These wolves had grown up with me; they listened to me more than anyone else. Every single day, I would repeat this message to them. The pack would let out a long howl in response, as if they understood exactly what I was saying and were confirming their commitment to the path.

My grandmother was illiterate, yet she possessed profound wisdom through her practice of chanting the Buddha's name. After she left her home, she lived alone in the mountains, dedicating her life to the Buddha. The wild beasts of the mountain became the audience for her teachings. She did not feed them with food; she nourished them with the Buddha's teachings. Under the influence of the Dharma, these fierce creatures gradually became gentle. Even the predators that once hunted for meat began to learn to eat grass. This was an inconceivable phenomenon, yet it was a reality. Grandmother told them stories and explained the laws of karma and cause and effect. They understood every word, for these animals were also spirits who had been reincarnated into animal forms. Their spiritual nature was remarkably high; they understood human speech and listened to the Dharma with intense focus.

The Grandmother’s Dharma Teachings

Grandmother patiently explained the Buddha's teachings to them every day. She lived in the cave with this group of wild animals, who moved in and out freely. There was no barrier between her and these creatures; she viewed them as one with herself, knowing that we were all souls caught in the cycle of reincarnated life, all seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss in this lifetime. Her heart’s only desire was for all sentient beings to hear the Dharma and understand the importance of chanting Namo Amituofo.

Grandmother was the only woman in our village who studied the Buddha's teachings. She began her practice in her teens. Although she could not read, she understood the essence of the Dharma. At that time, the Buddha's teachings were not widespread. A compassionate monk would travel on foot and visit our village only once a year to give lectures. Grandmother would seize that one month to put aside all her work and listen intently. After doing this for three consecutive years, she decided to leave everything behind and retreat into the mountains to practise.

Renunciation and the Path of Practice

At that time, she was already of marriageable age, and my great-grandparents had arranged for her to marry the eldest son of the wealthiest family in the village. One night, she secretly wrote a letter to her parents, declaring her intention to pursue the path of practice. This letter infuriated them. No woman in the village had ever chosen such a path, and to them, it was a betrayal of the family's future wealth. They equated her practice with becoming a nun, which they saw as a death sentence for her life and their prospects. Despite their opposition, she remained steadfast. She lived alone in the mountain forest, performing the same manual labour she had done at home, but with a heart full of peace. The difference was that now, she could chant the Buddha's name in the purity of the forest, surrounded by the animals who were also receiving the Dharma.

There was a small temple in the forest where Grandmother would go to make prostrations every day and listen to the master's lectures every week. Nearly thirty years passed this way. One day, the master told her, 'The child at the foot of the mountain is waiting for you to save him.' Grandmother descended the mountain and immediately heard the wailing of a three-year-old boy—myself. My mother had abandoned me at the foot of the mountain and left. I knew she did not want me, and I stood there crying. When Grandmother saw me, she took me up the mountain to live in the cave. Despite never having met, I felt an immediate, natural connection to her. By then, she had cultivated a dignified and compassionate appearance, and I followed her without hesitation, beginning my life with her.

The Call of the City and the Reality of Suffering

When the wild animals saw my unfamiliar face, they did not attack; they simply sat before me, gentle as ever. Most surprising was the giant bear, who sat in the cave with the others, ready to listen to Grandmother's teachings. I sat in the place of honour, and the animals sat in order, listening intently to her stories.

Grandmother cared for me until I was eight, hoping I would become a monk who could save sentient beings. I then moved into the mountain temple to practise. There were six of us in total, including myself as a little novice. We did all the work ourselves. My presence brought a new vitality to the temple, as my liveliness brought joy to everyone. Visitors could feel the happiness of practising the Buddha's teachings through me.

At the age of thirty, I left the mountains to go to the city to save sentient beings. I soon realised that my years of practice had only scratched the surface. The city was vastly different from the mountains; it lacked the mountain's purity, and the temple lacked the complex emotional entanglements of the world. Only after descending did I truly understand the suffering of the world and what it meant to deliver sentient beings.

Gratitude for the Path of Deliverance

This path of saving others was filled with Dharma-joy. My persistent heart led me to the end of my life at over seventy years old, when I achieved rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. In the spiritual world, free from the constraints of the physical body, I enjoy the ultimate bliss of that realm. I am in awe of Practitioner Su's skills. She uses this physical body to cultivate her own spirit, manifesting a Dharma Body to save sentient beings across the universe and in various spaces. I follow Practitioner Su in the universe to perform Chao Du. Various layers of space appear before my eyes, and spirits rush out, begging for deliverance, all competing to leave their realms of suffering. This gentle Buddha-light and the compassionate six-character name lead them out of the sea of suffering and into the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I am deeply grateful for the Buddha's compassion, which allows me, even after rebirth in the Western Pure Land, to continue saving sentient beings in the form of a spirit. All of this is made possible by the compassionate support of Practitioner Su. Because she possesses a physical body, she can help me, the other venerable ones, and the Bodhisattvas of the universe to perform Chao Du for spirits in this way. On behalf of all the spirits, I offer my gratitude to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su for their boundless compassion. Namo Amituofo."