White Rice and the Essence of Life

This is a record of an interview with Tao Yun, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his life approximately 1,100 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on November 13, 2018.

Tao Yun speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Tao Yun. I remember calling out to my mother, 'Mother, look! The entire sky is filled with seven-coloured clouds! It is so beautiful!' I followed my mother, chasing after those vibrant clouds, but after only a few steps, I tripped and fell to the ground. At four years old, the pain was overwhelming, and I burst into tears. My mother looked at me and asked, 'Do you remember what I just taught you?' I immediately stopped crying and replied, 'If I chant Namo Amituofo, everything will be fine!' I bravely stood up, chanting the Buddha-name in my heart, and truly, the pain vanished as if it had never been there."

A Village of Chanting

"In our village, one could often see those beautiful seven-coloured clouds. This was because every villager was a practitioner who chanted Namo Amituofo. From the moment a child was born, their parents taught them to chant. My mother was teaching me to keep the Buddha in my heart at all times. She taught me that no matter what happens, if the Buddha is in your heart, there is no obstacle you cannot overcome. In our village, we never knew what it meant to have bad luck, to face adversity, or to suffer through misfortune, because every day was a good day for chanting Namo Amituofo."

"My home was not like others; we did not have grand chairs to sit on, comfortable beds to sleep in, or delicious food to eat. We were a poor family. My younger brother, Tao Hai, and I would spend our days running through the fields, playing for hours. We did not need toys bought by our mother to be satisfied. Our lives were simple, yet we were incredibly happy."

The Lesson of the White Rice

"Our rice was grown by our own hands, and our family lived on simple bowls of white rice. It is true—a single bowl of white rice allowed me to realise the essence of life. If you look closely at the grains of rice, each one is different. Some are long, some are short; some are round, some are flat; some have a chipped corner, while others are perfectly formed. Yet, they all share one common trait: they are all pure white. These grains of rice are just like people. Every person is unique; even twins are never exactly the same. When a person is born, they are just like these grains of rice—clean and pure. It is only when we add 'sauces' or 'stains' of worldly life that we lose our original, brilliant clarity."

"On our dining table, besides the white rice, there were occasionally vegetables grown by my father. We never mixed the vegetables with the rice. Rice was rice, and vegetables were vegetables. I would finish a bite of vegetables before putting the rice into my mouth, allowing the rice to retain its original, pure sweetness. My mother told us, 'Vegetables have their own flavour, and white rice has its own. If you mix them, you cannot taste the goodness of either.' Eating taught me about life: people are people, and life is life. Although we must live in this world, we can still keep our hearts clean. Even if there are conflicts, arguments, and distinctions between 'you' and 'me' in life, if you have the Buddha in your heart, you can remain pure and untainted by your environment."

A Life of Detachment

"The children in our village did not go to school. Every family allowed their children to play on the earth, splash in the streams, and enjoy the freedom of the fields. We did not want the 'civilised' world to pollute us; we wanted to preserve our closeness to nature. The name 'Namo Amituofo' was naturally etched into our hearts. No matter where we played or where we walked, the Buddha was always with us. This was the teaching our parents instilled in us from a young age, allowing us to form the habit of chanting."

"Regarding life, I have always held a detached view. Whatever family I was born into, I was merely a guest. Even coming into this world was just a temporary stay. If born into a wealthy family, one gains the insight of wealth; if born into a poor family, one gains the awakening of poverty. No matter where one is born, one should always be like that grain of white rice—unpolluted, forever maintaining a bright and clear lustre. As long as the Buddha is in your heart, different living environments are not sources of delusion, but different levels of awakening."

The Path of Renunciation

"I did not live in that village for long. At the age of twelve, I moved to the city alone. It was not because I wanted to live a city life, but because I wanted to use the Buddha's teachings to save the people there. No matter how noisy the city was, my heart remained silent; no matter how many temptations existed, I remained intoxicated by the Buddha's name. Wherever I went, I was like a wisp of cloud, drifting by lightly, leaving no trace behind."

"This world is not a place for long-term residence, but I wanted to do something meaningful while here. People in this world are all guests, but they stay too long and forget they must prepare to leave. They treat this world as if it were real, and in the end, they become trapped in the cycle of samsara."

"At eighteen, I resolutely chose the path of a monastic. Renunciation was not a mandatory path, but I understood that only by becoming a monastic could I ensure I would never forget the way home and never forget the suffering of sentient beings. I renounced for the sake of all beings, hoping to trade this false physical body for the appearance of a monastic, using a dignified Dharma image to move the world and awaken the hearts of those who have forgotten the way home."

A Cosmic Mission

"In that era, people's hearts were not yet deeply polluted by the world. The name 'Namo Amituofo' could quickly cleanse the human heart and help people find their original, pure selves. Those who knelt before the Buddha in tears realised they were lost and that it was time to let go of their attachments to the world and walk the true path back to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I integrated the Buddha's teachings into my daily life, acting according to the Dharma to influence the masses, letting them see the brilliance of learning from the Buddha so they would be willing to let go of worldly temptations."

"The Buddha gave me eighty years to deliver sentient beings, to be a guest in this world for eighty years. For eighty years, I held the name 'Namo Amituofo' in my heart. I used this Buddha-name to save beings and to return to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Deluded hearts need the Buddha's guidance, and those who listen will walk the same path of light as the Buddha."

"This time, I have returned to the world. I am not here as a physical guest, but as a spirit entering the legs of Practitioner Su. I am here to help save the world. I know that Practitioner Su's life is dedicated to saving sentient beings, and this vow moved me. I decided to support Practitioner Su and join him in delivering the world."

The Vastness of Deliverance

"Chao Du in the universe is a major breakthrough for Practitioner Su, and I am honoured to participate in it. In the entire universe, every point contains a space. If you further divide these spaces into points, lines, and planes, the universe is densely packed with them—these are the spaces where spirits exist. Within a single point, there is a universe; within universes, there are more universes; within spaces, there are more spaces."

"The time that these spirits have existed is sometimes so long that it cannot be calculated; one can only say it has been since immeasurable kalpas ago. These spirits exist in the space as spirit bodies. In spaces where the Buddha's teachings do not exist, there is no way for beings to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Only this name, 'Namo Amituofo', can lead these spirits back to the Western Land."

"Now, I perform this magnificent task every day, transmitting 'Namo Amituofo' into every corner of the universe and delivering the spirits connected to me by karmic affinity, allowing these long-suffering beings to have the opportunity to return to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. It is Practitioner Su's compassion, exerting the power of the human realm, that has allowed so many spirits to be saved today. With the cooperation between the human realm and the spiritual realms, the number of beings delivered is immeasurable and boundless. I am grateful for the Buddha's compassion, and I am grateful for Practitioner Su's compassion."

Namo Amituofo."