Three Brothers, Three Destinies, Three Paths to Enlightenment

This is a record of an interview with He Qingtian, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately four hundred years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on January 16, 2019.

He Qingtian speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am He Qingtian. Looking back across the vast, turbulent expanse of time, four hundred years feels like a mere blink of an eye, yet the profound lessons I learned in that lifetime remain etched into my very soul. My story is one of painful separation, of the bitter fruits of karma, and ultimately, of the boundless, radiant compassion of Namo Amituofo that brought three brothers back together in the light of the Dharma. It is a story of how the human world, with all its fleeting attachments, eventually gives way to the eternal truth of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

A Tragic Beginning: The Separation of Three Brothers

"My mother gave birth to us—three triplets—in a moment of supreme, agonizing struggle. She bit her lip, endured the unbearable pain, and gave every ounce of her remaining strength to bring us into this world. But the toll was simply too great; as soon as the last of us was born, she drew her final breath and passed away. My father, a man who had already lost a leg in his youth and struggled to make ends meet, was left in a state of utter, inconsolable despair. While other families in our village celebrated the arrival of new life with joy and laughter, our home was filled with the wails of three hungry infants and the heavy, suffocating silence of grief.

My father was a man of extremely limited means. With my mother gone, he could no longer sustain our lives. He looked into the wooden box where he kept his meagre savings, only to find it completely empty. He looked at us—three helpless, starving children—and his heart shattered into a thousand pieces. Fearing that we would all perish from hunger under his care, he made the most painful, heart-wrenching decision a father could ever make: he sold us to three different families. He hoped that by placing us in homes with more resources, we might at least survive. The money he received in exchange was just enough to keep him alive for a while, but the cost was the permanent, agonizing fracture of our family unit."

The Burden of Wealth and Expectation

"I was the eldest, the first to be born, and I was sold to a wealthy family named Gao. My adoptive parents had been told by doctors that they could never have children of their own. They were desperate for a child and, through a twist of fate, encountered my father. They took me in as their own, and I was raised in a world of opulence. My adoptive mother prepared a room filled with toys, a private study, and a spacious living area. The Gao estate was vast, a place where hundreds could gather without feeling crowded.

They showered me with every possible comfort, determined to provide me with the finest upbringing. They had grand plans for my future, intending to send me abroad for my education by the time I turned nineteen. Until then, they pushed me to master literature and the arts. To the outside world, I was the luckiest child in the city. I had risen from poverty to become the young master of the Gao family. Yet, I was always aware of the truth: I was a child bought with money. I knew my biological father was out there, suffering in solitude. I could not return to him, but I felt a deep, gnawing debt of gratitude—not only to him for my life but to my adoptive parents for their care. I believed the only way to repay them was to excel, to achieve the highest academic honours, and to bring glory to the Gao name."

The Emptiness of Worldly Success

"When I turned nineteen, I was sent abroad to study. The transition was brutal. I struggled to adapt, and my heart was constantly heavy with a sense of displacement. Yet, I pushed myself to the brink, studying until I forgot to eat or sleep. Within two years, I had become a shadow of my former self, gaunt and unrecognisable. I achieved top marks, but I was hollow inside. I felt no joy, no sense of accomplishment—only a relentless, driving need to succeed for the sake of others. I was a prisoner of my own ambition, trapped in a cycle of academic pursuit that offered no nourishment for the spirit.

During a long break, I returned home. My adoptive parents were overjoyed, celebrating my return with grand feasts. They looked at my grades and beamed with pride, completely oblivious to the fact that their son was wasting away, his spirit withered and his heart devoid of happiness. I walked the streets alone, seeking refuge under the shade of a large tree. I watched the crowds: the wealthy in their finery, the poor in their rags, the successful laughing, the struggling weeping. It was a theatre of suffering, and I was merely a spectator who had lost his way in the maze of the human world."

A Chance Encounter on the Street

"Suddenly, a figure appeared before me. I froze. He looked exactly like me. My heart raced—could this be one of my brothers? I approached him, my voice trembling as I asked if he was my kin. He looked at me with a calm, steady gaze. His face was round and radiant, his eyes bright with wisdom, and his demeanour was dignified and majestic. He did not answer with words at first; instead, he simply recited, 'Namo Amituofo.' The sound resonated through my very being, cutting through the noise of the marketplace.

I pulled out a small chain I had carried since childhood—a token my father had given each of us. He produced an identical one. It was my brother. I was stunned to find that he had become a monk, a Bhikshu of great presence and authority. He invited me to the temple to listen to the Dharma. I went, and for the first time in my life, the words I heard touched my heart. I had spent years studying secular texts abroad, but they had left me cold. This was different. The teachings of the Buddha stirred something deep within me, and I wept. I finally understood the nature of the suffering I had been carrying all along."

The Truth of Suffering and the Path to Deliverance

"For a month, I immersed myself in the Dharma. When I stepped back onto the streets, the world looked entirely different. I saw people living in a cycle of endless desire and frustration, their hearts burdened by attachments. I saw my own suffering for what it was—a product of my own ignorance. I knew then that only the Buddha’s teachings could save us. I began to share the Dharma with everyone I met, hoping to awaken them from their slumber.

One day, while attempting to speak to a beggar, I recited 'Namo Amituofo.' The beggar, who had been hunched over, slowly lifted his head. I gasped—it was my third brother. He, too, had the chain. His story was even more tragic: his adoptive parents had been gamblers who squandered their fortune and abandoned him on the streets when he was not yet ten. He had been wandering ever since. Seeing the three of us—identical in appearance but separated by such vastly different fates—was a profound lesson in the Law of Cause and Effect. We all turned to the Buddha’s path. My adoptive parents were furious when I chose to become a practitioner, cutting ties with me, but I knew that the only way to truly save them was to walk this path of awakening."

A Final Reunion and the Western Pure Land

"Fifteen years later, I returned to the Gao home. My adoptive father was bedridden, and my mother was frail and aged. They had adopted another child who had become a high official, but they had no blessings left to enjoy that worldly success. When they saw me, now a dignified monk, they were moved to tears. I spoke the Dharma to them, and they finally understood. They regretted their earlier pride and were grateful that I had found my true purpose. It was a moment of reconciliation that transcended the bitterness of the past.

We three brothers lived long lives, dedicated to saving sentient beings, before finally reuniting in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Our lives were a testament to the fact that no matter how far we wander in samsara, the light of Namo Amituofo is always there to guide us home. Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body has opened up infinite dimensions, saving beings who have been lost for aeons. In this age of the Dharma’s decline, Practitioner Su is the ultimate example of diligent practice. I listen to his teachings every day, alongside countless other spirits, and we are all filled with gratitude. To hear this supreme Dharma in these times is a rare and precious blessing. Thank you, Practitioner Su, for your boundless compassion in saving the world. Namo Amituofo."

Namo Amituofo.