The Young Master's Path to Enlightenment

This is a formal record of an interview conducted with the spirit of Yun Qing, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Having attained liberation, he now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately 1,710 years ago, detailing his journey from a life of worldly discipline to the path of the Dharma. This interview was recorded by the disciple Shi Fajing on October 15, 2018.

Yun Qing speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Yun Qing. I was the third child born to my mother, and from my earliest memories, I was always by her side. I was a quiet, obedient child who followed her instructions without question. Every single day, I had to rise before the rest of the family to head into the mountains to gather firewood. Upon returning home, I would split the logs into uniform sizes and stack them neatly beside our house, ensuring we had enough for our daily needs. My mother never gave me explicit instructions on how to do this; she simply allowed me to figure it out on my own. At seven years old, I was quite frail. Even with all my strength, I could barely lift the axe. There were times when I would hoist it into the air, only to lose my balance and tumble backward under its weight. But I did not give up. I began collecting stones of various sizes, using them to train my arms—lifting, lowering, and repeating the motion until my muscles grew accustomed to the strain. Over time, I moved to heavier stones, and eventually, I could lift a large boulder with ease. By the time I had mastered the axe, I had learned the rhythm of the work, and within a year, I had become agile and efficient, capable of carrying a massive bundle of wood home in no time at all."

The Discipline of the Heart and the Rejection of Vanity

"No matter how well I performed my tasks, my mother never offered a word of praise. She taught me that doing one's duty is expected and that to crave praise or reward is to pollute the purity of one's heart. Because of this, I learned to give my absolute best to every task. Once I had exhausted my capacity, I would simply let go of the result, whether it was perfect or not. I refused to let the desire for validation turn into a competitive spirit. My mother also frequently took me to the marketplace. While other children of my age would clamour for toys or treats, my mother told me stories of contentment. She taught me that a life free from excessive desire is a life of true joy. Even if one has nothing but simple salted vegetables to eat, one can live with a free and happy heart. Under her guidance, I learned the true meaning of gratitude. Whenever greed arose, I would look at what I already possessed and realise it was more than enough. My heart, once turbulent, became steady and unmoved by external temptations."

"My mother insisted that I wear my older brother's hand-me-down clothes, patching them until they could no longer be mended. To an outsider, it might have seemed that the Yun family was destitute, but in truth, we were quite wealthy. My mother was a great benefactor who gave generously to the poor and those suffering from disasters. She taught me that while we had the means to provide me with the finest education, the most important lessons were found in the Ethics and Morality of daily life and the way we interact with others. I was like a jagged, uneven stone that she slowly polished into a smooth, rounded form. It was only as I grew older that I truly understood the depth of her love and the necessity of her strictness."

The Marketplace and the Lesson of Service

"When I turned sixteen, I entered the workforce. Many shopkeepers knew of the Yun family and were hesitant to hire a 'young master,' preferring the desperate, hardworking poor. I begged one owner for a chance, promising my absolute sincerity. He finally agreed, offering me the lowest possible wage and assigning me the most gruelling task: carrying water from a distant river. The restaurant required a specific amount of water daily, and the owner set an impossible quota of fifteen buckets, hoping I would quit. Instead, I arrived the next day with twenty buckets. I had spent the previous evening building a sturdy cart that could carry four buckets at a time, allowing me to make five trips with ease. My physical training in the mountains had prepared me for this. The owner was stunned, and eventually, he promoted me to a position of trust. Business flourished, and he often lamented that he had nearly turned away such a diligent worker."

"Working in that restaurant, I witnessed the profound suffering of the people who passed through our doors. One woman, in particular, tried to seduce me, seeking to fill the void in her own miserable life. I knew her background—she was poor and lonely, and she clung to men to feel alive. I tried to help her by giving her money to start a new life, but she squandered it on gambling and alcohol within a single night. Seeing her destroy herself broke my heart. It was then that I realised my own limitations. I could offer money, but I could not offer liberation. Ten days later, I left the restaurant and entered a small, solemn monastery to practice the Dharma. I was thirty years old when I finally took the vows of a monk, determined to use Wisdom and compassion to truly save sentient beings."

The Path to Ultimate Liberation and the Grace of Practitioner Su

"It was my mother who led me to the monastery. When I faced my greatest existential crisis, she simply said, 'Namo Amituofo,' and in that moment, my confusion vanished. I realised that people suffer because they do not understand the Dharma. If we do not seize this life to chant the Buddha's name and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, then even being born into a noble family is in vain. I have vowed to spend my life delivering sentient beings from the sea of fire. I am deeply grateful to Practitioner Su for allowing me to return to the realms where I have karmic connections to perform Chao Du. The universe is vast, containing countless worlds and spaces, and it requires immense compassion and mind-capacity to deliver the multitudes of spirits residing within them."

"Every day is precious, and every being delivered to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is a victory for the Dharma. I am humbled by the grace of Namo Amituofo and the tireless work of Practitioner Su, and I pray that I may one day serve as they do, helping all beings find their way home. Namo Amituofo."