Record of Guanyin Bodhisattva's Miraculous Responses

Author: Lay devotee Lin Cichao

Preface 1 to Record of Guanyin Bodhisattva's Miraculous Responses

As Master Hsing Yun famously observed, "Avalokiteshvara dwells in every household, Amitabha Buddha is worshipped in every home." That common saying alone makes clear how deeply Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is beloved by ordinary people. With so many bodhisattvas in the Buddhist pantheon, why is Avalokiteshvara the one who commands such widespread popular faith? In the Universal Gateway chapter of the Lotus Sutra, the bodhisattva Infinite Meaning asked the Buddha, "World Honored One! For what reason is this bodhisattva named Avalokiteshvara?" The Buddha replied to Infinite Meaning, "Good son! If countless hundreds of thousands of millions of sentient beings suffer all kinds of anguish, and upon hearing the name of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, call her name with single-minded focus, Avalokiteshvara will immediately perceive the sound of their cries, and all will be liberated from suffering." Reading this passage, it’s easy to see that Avalokiteshvara’s widespread veneration is no accident. You could say that wherever Buddhism takes root, people believe in Avalokiteshvara; even in regions where Buddhism is not widespread, faith in this bodhisattva thrives just the same.

In Taiwan today, even with the widespread prevalence of polytheistic folk religions, practitioners of these traditions still hold deep, steadfast faith in bodhisattvas. Take the back halls of Mazu temples and Heavenly Lord temples, for instance: the central altar there is always devoted to "Guanyin Buddha." The bodhisattva’s compassion has truly reached the point where she manifests in whatever form is needed to connect with each kind of being she responds to.

This volume of Record of Guanyin Bodhisattva's Miraculous Responses collects only records of the bodhisattva’s responsive manifestations and miraculous deeds, all written by Jiayi lay devotee Lin Cichao. When we talk about the bodhisattva’s spiritual responses, we’re not just speaking of general faith: we’re talking about the firsthand accounts of people who have been directly rescued by her. The bodhisattva regards all sentient beings as her own children. As the old proverb puts it, a mother and child share one heart: when a child is in trouble, how could any parent fail to rush to their aid? Some might ask: if the bodhisattva holds such great compassion and wields such divine powers, why do so many suffering people in the world not receive her rescue? Is that not playing favorites? As the Buddha said in the Sutra of the Buddha's Last Teachings: "I am like a skilled physician who knows the disease and prescribes the right medicine; if the patient refuses to take it, that is not the physician’s fault. I am also like a wise guide who leads people along the good path; if they hear the teaching but do not follow it, that is not the guide’s fault." Another example: the power company is already supplying electricity, but if the plug on your lamp is faulty, how can the lamp light up? The radio station is already broadcasting, but if your radio’s frequency isn’t tuned to match the station’s signal, how can it pick up the broadcast? We can’t blame the bodhisattva for lacking spiritual response. As the old adage goes, true response only comes when there is affinity: "A thousand rivers hold a thousand moons, ten thousand miles of cloudless sky stretch endlessly." And again: "When the defilements of sentient beings’ minds are purified, the moon of enlightenment appears before them." That is the principle at work.

That said, most people’s faith in the bodhisattva is largely pragmatic: they turn to her in times of emergency, praying for safety, good fortune, and well-being for their families, children, or themselves. Very few realize that true faith in Avalokiteshvara goes further than this: it calls on us to personally put the bodhisattva’s great compassion into practice, working to free all beings from suffering. We should recognize that anyone who puts the bodhisattva’s compassion into action is a manifest, living bodhisattva. The bodhisattva is not a distant, abstract figure: every single one of us has the potential to become a bodhisattva. This is the understanding we should all carry.

Lay devotee Lin Cichao is a housewife who, after fulfilling her duties of supporting her husband and raising her children, vowed to follow in the footsteps of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. She has spared no effort, hardship, or expense in her service to the public. For more than ten years, she has devoted herself wholeheartedly to spreading the Dharma, and her fervor for this work moves me deeply. Her earlier book, Miraculous Accounts of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, has gone through multiple printings, and countless readers have benefited from its teachings. Many have even volunteered to fundraise for its upcoming reprint, and she asked me to write this preface. I offer these few brief words in the hope that all sentient beings may perfect their merit and realize their full spiritual fruition. Written on December 30, 1974 (63rd year of the Republic of China) at Fo Guang Shan, Taiwan

Preface 2 to Record of Guanyin Bodhisattva's Miraculous Responses

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is the great bodhisattva most celebrated for compassion in Buddhism, and the one who shares the deepest karmic affinity with all sentient beings. According to the Lotus Sutra, this bodhisattva’s origin story is as follows: In the distant past, before the beginning of time itself, there was a Buddha named Treasure Buddha. At that time, the bodhisattva was still a mortal, and a highly respected figure: the eldest son of a Chakravartin, or wheel-turning sage king. He made a vow to offer alms to the Buddha and sangha for three months, and before the Treasure Buddha, he generated the mind of bodhicitta and made a great vow: "If any suffering sentient being in the world calls my name, and is seen by my heavenly eye and heard by my heavenly ear, yet I fail to deliver them from suffering, I vow never to attain Buddhahood." This great vow to lift sentient beings out of suffering and grant them joy moved the Treasure Buddha to endless praise. He therefore gave the prince the Dharma name "Avalokiteshvara." Avalokiteshvara uses her heavenly eye to see the suffering of all sentient beings in the sahā world, and her heavenly ear to hear their cries for help arising from that suffering. She responds to these cries to ease their suffering, leading them to liberation and joy. This is how she received her name, derived from the benefit she brings to others. The Universal Gateway chapter states: "If countless hundreds of thousands of millions of sentient beings suffer all kinds of anguish, and upon hearing the name of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, call her name with single-minded focus, Avalokiteshvara will immediately perceive the sound of their cries, and all will be liberated from suffering."

In truth, this great-hearted bodhisattva attained full, complete enlightenment eons ago, at which time she was known as the Buddha of Correct and Perfect Enlightenment. But her vow is so profound and her compassion so vast that she has deliberately turned back from nirvana to return to the sahā world on a mission of compassion, manifesting in countless different forms and using countless different skillful means to deliver all sentient beings who have faith in her. She is also called the Bodhisattva of Contemplating Liberation, or the Sacred Bodhisattva of Contemplating Liberation. The term "liberation" here refers to perfect, unobstructed awakening: a state where one’s cultivation has reached full maturity, the mind is free of all hindrances, and one is at ease, without worry or care. Thus this title of the Bodhisattva of Contemplating Liberation is derived from the benefit she has gained for herself. If one has not yet attained liberation for oneself, how can one liberate others? Self-cultivation is therefore essential; without benefiting oneself first, there can be no talk of benefiting others. But to seek only self-benefit, to focus solely on one’s own liberation, even if one escapes the cycle of birth and death, is still to follow the path of the Small Vehicle—this is not the ultimate goal of Mahayana Buddhism. A Mahayana bodhisattva does not only seek self-benefit; by engaging in the work of benefiting sentient beings, she holds that only when all beings are at peace can she herself be at peace. Conversely, the suffering of sentient beings is her own suffering, so working for the benefit of others is a duty she must fulfill. The bodhisattva possesses lofty aspirations, sincere zeal, and equal love for all, and engages in the sacred work of benefiting others without end, even if it costs her her life. As the verse states, "She appears in thirty-two forms across all dust realms, transforming the sahā world across hundreds of thousands of eons." This is the bodhisattva’s responsive manifestation, tailored to the capacities of different beings, her universal display of great compassion.

The Great Compassion Mantra we recite so often is the mantra of the Thousand-Handed, Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteshvara. The thousand hands symbolize the bodhisattva’s boundless power, like a thousand outstretched hands reaching to receive and rescue all suffering beings; the thousand eyes represent her perfect wisdom, whose radiant light can illuminate a thousand places at once. Truly, Avalokiteshvara’s skillful responsive manifestations leave no need unmet, and the number of sentient beings who have attained liberation through faith in her is incalculable. The spirit of Avalokiteshvara is like a candle that burns itself to illuminate others: for the benefit of others, she spares no sacrifice. This compassionate virtue is the very embodiment of Buddhism’s true spirit: the greatness of Buddhism lies in its compassion. Without compassion, Buddhism would have no reason to exist. Thus Avalokiteshvara is worthy of our admiration, reverence, and emulation; her virtue is a true model for all Buddhist followers.

Avalokiteshvara’s compassion, which ceaselessly strives to rescue sentient beings, fills the entire void of space, present everywhere at all times. The karmic receptivity of sentient beings is like a radio: if you hold sincere faith, it is like flipping the radio’s switch, and pleasant sound waves flow out immediately. From a psychological perspective, this resembles a resonance of mind between us and the bodhisattva. As long as one truly generates faith in the bodhisattva, no effort will be in vain.

To give another example, the bodhisattva’s compassion for sentient beings can be described as "sorrow for others’ suffering that penetrates to the bone." It is like a mother’s love for her children: utterly unconditional, infinitely sincere, willing to give priceless maternal love, even sacrificing herself without a second thought. But children who cannot understand their mother’s heart may abandon her and run far from home, betraying familial love. How then can they receive their mother’s loving care? They only break their mother’s heart with grief! So if we can understand the bodhisattva’s compassionate concern for us, just as a child remembers their mother, and we revere her, rely on her, and turn to her compassionate embrace, we will receive her care and warmth. Thus when we sincerely recite the bodhisattva’s holy name, we will certainly resonate with her. From a religious standpoint, this is a calling of the spiritual heart: being saved by reciting Avalokiteshvara’s name is the natural, inevitable result of spiritual and emotional resonance. It is not superstition, and there is nothing extraordinary about it.

In fact, when our faith in Avalokiteshvara and our recitation of her name reach their peak, we will unconsciously merge with Avalokiteshvara. Our minds will be completely purified: no more defilement, no more fear, no more disappointment, no more hindrances, no more suffering, no more grief. In their place, we have peace, freedom, and an even greater heart of compassion that works to lift suffering and grant joy to all. At that moment, I myself become Avalokiteshvara, for I hold the same compassion as the bodhisattva. This subtle, inconceivable effect is the work of the "Avalokiteshvara within one’s own mind." So believing in Avalokiteshvara is in fact believing in one’s own true nature: one’s innate conscience. When we can fully express our conscience and perfect our virtue, we have also perfected the bodhisattva path, and will surely attain the ultimate fruit of full Buddhahood!

Therefore, as Buddhist practitioners, we should take the bodhisattva’s mind as our own mind, the bodhisattva’s vows as our own vows, and most importantly, practice the bodhisattva path, carry forward the Mahayana spirit of saving the world and benefiting others, and work to deliver sentient beings. In doing so, we must remain mindful of whether our words and actions at all times align with the precepts, and whether we can move beyond selfish self-interest. We must put the benefit of others and the good of the many first, shoulder the bodhisattva’s compassionate mission to save all from suffering, step forward without hesitation when the moment calls for it, and emulate those who are virtuous. Just as this book’s author, lay devotee Lin Cichao, always keeps the Dharma close to her heart, carries a bodhisattva’s magnanimity, and is undaunted in her worldly work for the Dharma. She is an exceptional Buddhist in our community, and a virtuous wife and devoted mother to her family. When she first married, her husband and children were not Buddhist, but through her devout faith and her active demonstration of a Buddhist’s zeal for spreading the Dharma and benefiting all beings, her influence slowly took root over time, and she even moved her husband to take up the faith. Her children have all received higher education and graduated from university: some have gone abroad to work, while her youngest son is currently studying at National Chung Hsing University in Taichung and often visits temples to pay his respects to the Buddha. That lay devotee Lin Cichao has built a Buddhist household is no doubt the result of the example set by her own conduct.

Moved by her bodhisattva’s heart and bodhisattva’s conduct, she always holds the suffering of others close, hoping that they too can find the same spiritual comfort and peace she has found, and be freed from boundless afflictions and suffering. For this reason, she regularly participates in Dharma assemblies, attends teachings, encourages others to take refuge in the Triple Gem, and recites the Buddha’s name with single-minded devotion. Especially when she recites the bodhisattva’s holy name on behalf of others, her sincerity and single-minded focus are so powerful they can move metal and stone, and she truly receives inconceivable spiritual responses. This book records the various miraculous responses she has received while reciting the Buddha’s name for others, faithfully documenting them to inspire more newcomers to the Dharma to experience the benefits of faith in the Triple Gem.

In our modern age, excessive material development has left many people spiritually empty, longing for spiritual solace. This book is perfectly suited to guide newcomers to the Dharma. Moreover, its writing style is as plain and unadorned as the author herself, like the taste of a simple, aromatic root: the more you chew it, the more fragrant it grows. Her sincerity, humility, kind heart, and compassionate intent shine all the more brightly for their ordinariness, and cannot fail to move the reader. I believe that after reading this book, readers will surely open the door to right thought and right mindfulness, gain new understanding, and experience real insights.

Lay devotee Lin Cichao completed this book and asked me to write this preface. Seeing that its content is down-to-earth, profound yet accessible, and written in an elegant, approachable style suitable for all readers, I knew it had many merits worth recommending, and I am happy to have written this preface. I hope the author will continue to persevere in her practice, carry forward her original bodhicitta, act as a Dharma teacher in her role as a layperson, practice the compassionate work of benefiting all beings, and achieve limitless meritorious accomplishments. I also hope she will continue to use her wisdom and literary talent to write more moving works, publish more new books, address the ills of our time, help improve social customs, benefit the world and the human heart, and add infinite radiance to the world of Buddhist literature!

Preface 3 to the Record of Miraculous Responses of Guanyin Bodhisattva

Tang Qiyang

With reverence, the Avatamsaka Sutra states: "The Buddha's body fills the entire Dharma realm, universally appearing before all sentient beings, responding to all calls and conditions without fail, yet forever abiding on this Bodhi seat." This is not only true of the Buddha; all great bodhisattvas likewise appear before us constantly. Shakyamuni Buddha was the supreme great scientist. Through his own cultivation and direct realization, he understood all things, and the Buddha's words are true, without falsehood or deception.

But if Buddhas and bodhisattvas pervade all space, why do we not see or hear them? Because they abide in a different realm than we do. Buddhas and bodhisattvas are already awakened, like people who have woken from sleep; sentient beings remain unawakened, like people sunk in deep slumber. How could someone caught in a great dream of the five desires ever see a Buddha or bodhisattva?

Furthermore, the manifested bodies of bodhisattvas are like radio waves, present everywhere without exception. When we turn the needle of our minds—our thoughts—to hold fast to the sacred name, turn toward serene illumination, let no random thoughts arise, strengthen our pure mindfulness, and advance diligently without cease, our heartfelt wishes will align with the vows of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. As a magnet attracts iron, so a natural resonance arises.

The Lotus Sutra states: "If there are hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, or even billions of sentient beings who suffer all kinds of afflictions and recite the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, Guanyin Bodhisattva will immediately perceive the sound of their calling, and all will be liberated." Whatever we may seek, if we recite the sacred name with sincerity, the Great Compassionate, Great Merciful Guanyin Bodhisattva will surely respond, employing every skillful means to fulfill the wishes of those who ask.

Venerable Ci-Chao is the most devout member of the Pumen Library. In daily life she cultivates both blessing and wisdom, transforms her family through the Buddha's teachings, and further generates bodhicitta, practices the bodhisattva path, and expounds the Dharma at every opportunity. She has authored this book along with Record of Miraculous Responses of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, detailing the true accounts of the bodhisattvas' responsive powers. Every page reveals her earnest zeal and compassionate vow to spread the Dharma and benefit living beings—strengthening the faith of all readers, awakening their right wisdom, and increasing their blessing and wisdom.

Venerable Ci-Chao is truly a bodhisattva who has returned to the saha world through her sacred vow. We earnestly hope that all fellow practitioners of the Pumen path, seeing the worthy, will think to emulate them—taking her vows as their own, her good conduct as their practice—so that every person may become an emanation of Guanyin Bodhisattva, offering limitless compassion to save those lost in delusion.

A verse of praise: Guanyin Bodhisattva, your vows are vast and wide, All beings of the saha world receive your grace untold. With limitless skillful means, you relieve all suffering, Ferrying all across the ocean of samsara to venerate Amitabha.

June 10, 1979 (68th year of the Republic of China), at the Pumen Library

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The Dharma Body of Guanyin Bodhisattva as Seen Through the Eyes of My Mind

Lin Ci-Chao recalls that when she first entered the Buddhist path, the Guanyin Bodhisattva in her mind was a woman of supremely majestic appearance, endowed with the wondrous power to dispel disaster and turn misfortune into blessing—so much so that people called her the Bodhisattva of Great Auspiciousness. After several years of work to spread the Dharma and benefit living beings, she gradually came to understand that the Bodhisattva's majestic form represents her spiritual majesty, and that the Bodhisattva's pure Dharma body actually lives within the hearts of all people in the world; people simply have not noticed.

What she regrets now is that her husband has always opposed her practice of the Buddhist path and her work to spread the Dharma and benefit living beings. Constantly reprimanded by him, she once felt so disheartened that she thought: after I pass on, I will never return to this saha world to practice the bodhisattva path. I will stay in the Western Pure Land forever, enjoying a life of peace and ease. Not long after this thought arose, however, a string of unexpected disasters struck her family. Only then did she feel deep regret—truly sorry that she had wavered and lost her vow to practice the bodhisattva path.

Moreover, if a person with innate bodhisattva vows retreats from bodhicitta, the sentient beings trapped in the evil realms suffer even more, and all the merit and virtue cultivated in the past is utterly wasted. The radiance of the bodhisattva path gradually fades; Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and Dharma protectors all withdraw and keep their distance. Once again one is adrift in the vast sea of karma, enduring immeasurable suffering. Thinking of this, she trembled with fear. She sincerely repented and made a new vow: after she passes on, she will surely return to this saha world to broadly deliver sentient beings. For endless eons into the future, she will learn the great vows of the four great bodhisattvas—Manjushri, Samantabhadra, Ksitigarbha, and Guanyin—practice the bodhisattva path, and never regress.

After she firmly established this vow, remarkably, her adverse circumstances quickly turned auspicious. The above are facts she experienced several years ago. Although the vow of the bodhisattva path is arduous, one is constantly protected and upheld by all Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, with the Western Pure Land to rely on. What difficulty is there to fear? Great masters and virtuous teachers often say that becoming a Buddha or becoming a demon hinges on a single thought; the key is to keep generating bodhicitta within oneself. She believes everyone can become a Guanyin Bodhisattva—or even a Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

In short, the vow of the bodhisattva path is like a bright full moon, while the suffering that sentient beings endure in the world is shrouded in darkness; we must rely on the moon's radiance. Sometimes demonic obstacles arise to obstruct the path, but these are like clouds—only temporary. The moon forever shines high above the universe and earth. Likewise, the karmic offenses that sentient beings commit can be compared to a great fire that is hard to extinguish, while the compassionate virtue cultivated by bodhisattvas is like boundless, endless cooling waters of merit and virtue, which ultimately quench the fire of ignorance burning in sentient beings' hearts.

Recorded for the second edition of Record of Miraculous Responses of Guanyin Bodhisattva, June 1979 (68th year of the Republic of China)

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1. The Meaning of "Every Household Worships Guanyin"

Since ancient times, accounts of Guanyin Bodhisattva's miraculous responses have circulated widely, and the Bodhisattva's name has taken deep root in people's hearts; most households enshrine a sacred image of Guanyin Bodhisattva. For more than ten years, she has often felt Guanyin Bodhisattva manifest above her head, gazing at her with compassionate eyes, teaching and transforming her, guiding her into the pure Dharma realm. This is what has moved her to spread the Bodhisattva's great compassionate vows.

She knows that helping with Buddhist work is among the most honorable things one can do, yet she has often encountered demonic obstacles that hinder her, making her realize how difficult it is to practice the path as a layperson. It is like residing in a burning house—constantly tormented by suffering as fierce as fire, leaving body and mind without a moment of peace, the heart as dry and parched as if stranded in a thirsty, barren wasteland. How could anyone hope to attain the wondrous fruit of awakening under such conditions? Whenever she thought of this, she could not help but feel a surge of emotion, always believing that one could achieve this goal only by leaving home for monastic life.

Once, after being reprimanded by her family for her Buddhist work and feeling completely disheartened, she dreamed that night that the Guanyin Bodhisattva image she enshrined and worshipped daily was destroyed by a sudden fire. After the flames died down, aside from the traces of smoke and scorch, the sacred image remained perfectly intact. She wondered in surprise: this is only a wooden Buddha statue—how could it be unharmed by the fire? Suddenly she heard a voice, warm and gentle, say: "The fire of ignorance in the world may scorch your illusory body, but how could it burn your Buddha-nature?" These words struck like a ringing bell, shattering her dream. She woke and reflected deeply: what in me is being burned by the fire of ignorance now? Is it not just this composite body of the four great elements? The fire of ignorance can scorch this composite body, but how could it burn my Buddha-nature? This insight changed her outlook on life from then on.

She began to learn from Guanyin Bodhisattva's spirit of great compassion that saves all from suffering, and to practice the bodhisattva path. Without the dignified deportment of a monastic, she could still help those in pain. Especially when she saw animals enduring cruel suffering, she could not help but tremble, grief welling up from within. She sighed inwardly: why do humans not cultivate the path sooner? Worldly pleasures are the very root of falling into hell—why pursue them so greedily?

A few years later, she received a response from her neighbor Mrs. Xiao. This lady, also middle-aged, was beautiful and diligent and had built a happy home, but she had no faith in Buddhism. One day, Mrs. Xiao told her: "Recently, my husband dreamed that your home had somehow turned into a huge Guanyin temple. Suddenly a fire broke out. Looking closely, he saw a male tiger standing on the temple roof, brushing fire embers down with its paws. In an instant, the sparks fell on my house, and the whole building was burned to ashes. The strange thing was, although the temple had been burned, its walls remained completely intact. My husband was thinking: why was the neighbor's temple not destroyed while my house was burned to nothing? Then he woke up."

She continued: "My husband is an atheist. He doesn't believe in any religion, doesn't believe in fortune-tellers' predictions, and of course wouldn't believe in dreams either! He just thought it was very strange, so he told me about it and asked whether the dream was a good omen or a bad one."

After hearing her out, Lin Ci-Chao subconsciously felt an ominous premonition; according to the dream, it seemed to be an inauspicious omen. But she did not dare say so, so she told Mrs. Xiao: "Since your husband is a person who doesn't believe in any religion, this dream is all the more remarkable. The Bodhisattva must have known that although your husband has no faith, he is an honest and decent person, so she specially used a dream to inspire faith in you. Your husband dreamed my home turned into a Guanyin temple because I usually worship Guanyin Bodhisattva with utmost sincerity and act according to her great compassionate ideals, so I have unconsciously become a 'Guanyin temple' myself. That's the meaning of 'every household worships Guanyin.' The fire in the dream refers to the fire of ignorance in people's hearts, as well as all kinds of disasters. As for the male tiger climbing onto the roof and brushing down fire embers with its paws—that tiger must be your husband, because he was born in the Year of the Tiger."

After hearing this explanation, Mrs. Xiao was moved to faith at once. She said: "In the future, whenever any high monks or virtuous teachers give Dharma lectures at temples, I will definitely go." And she kept her word, often going to various temples to listen to the Dharma.

Human life is impermanent after all, just as all flowers, grasses, and trees must bloom and wither. This lady worked herself to exhaustion and, alas, fell ill from overwork and passed away two years later. Even so, had she been able to refrain from killing and practice releasing living beings, she might have extended her lifespan and added to her blessings. Before her death, she greatly enjoyed listening to the Dharma; she sometimes said: "Whenever I hear you teach the Dharma, my body and mind feel so much more at ease. I hope you can teach me often, alright?" At the time, what Lin Ci-Chao was studying was the "Great Compassion" practice, and because she did not yet understand the merit of reciting the Buddha's name, she did not encourage her to recite it. Thinking back now, it is truly a great regret! If she had lived a few more years, perhaps she could have encouraged her to recite the Buddha's name and be reborn in the Western Pure Land. But she has long since drifted away with the wind, and no one knows where she has gone—she can never see her again. Her passing was, in fact, exactly as her husband's dream of years before had foretold.

II. Reflections on Paying Homage to the Sacred Statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva by the Keelung Coast

Several years ago, I read in the newspaper about a tall, solemn statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva standing by the Keelung coast. I had longed to visit and pay homage ever since, and finally got the chance this Lunar New Year — the 12th day of the first lunar month in the 59th year of the Republic (1970). At the time, my younger daughter was heading north to start her semester at a college, so I used the opportunity to accompany her and fulfill my long-held wish to pay homage to this Guanyin statue. In that brief six-day journey, I reached a state of infinite purity.

On the morning of the 12th, my daughter and I packed our bags and headed to Chiayi Railway Station; it was still before dawn. We had walked only a few minutes when a torrential downpour started. We stood in the rain, unsure of what to do, when we suddenly spotted a tricycle parked under a house's eaves. Overjoyed, we hurried over and knocked. A woman answered, and when I explained our situation, she said the driver was still asleep. After I pleaded with her repeatedly, she woke him, and he agreed to take us to the station.

Once on the train, my daughter said to me, "Mom, if it hadn't started raining right when we reached the tricycle driver's house, we would have been caught in the storm halfway, with slippery roads and no way to hail a ride. We probably would have missed this train!" Hearing this, I felt deeply reassured. Just as she said, had we not arrived at the driver's door exactly when the rain began, I likely would have canceled the trip. It felt as though the Bodhisattva, in the unseen, had known we were on our way to pay homage and arranged things for us. Don't you think? I immediately took out my prayer beads and began reciting the sacred name of Guanyin Bodhisattva. My mind gradually grew still, and all worldly worries vanished in an instant. After reciting more than ten thousand repetitions of the Bodhisattva's name, the train arrived in Taipei. My eldest son met us at the station and took us to a vegetarian restaurant for lunch.

Afterward, I went first to Shilin to drop off our luggage at my daughter's dormitory, then we took a ride to Muzha to rest at my eldest son's home. His place sits next to National Chengchi University — the university he graduated from — surrounded by green mountains on every side, with scenery of quiet, understated beauty. We stayed there that night. Before bed, I continued reciting the sacred name of Amitabha Buddha until I fell asleep; even though we could hear passing vehicles from time to time, I slept very soundly.

The next morning, I woke at 4:30 and began reciting the Buddha's name again. At 7:30, my eldest son said, "It's Sunday today — let's all go up to Yangmingshan." So we took a ride to Taipei Main Station. The weather was extremely cold, but a long line of tourists was waiting to go up to Yangmingshan. We waited a long time before we finally got on a bus. When we arrived, it was drizzling lightly, and the cold was especially biting. But all kinds of flowers were in full bloom across the mountain — red, yellow, and white blossoms dotted the slopes beautifully, adding a festive touch to the new year. From the moment we boarded, I held my prayer beads and silently recited the Bodhisattva's name the entire way. Many tourists glanced at me with curiosity from time to time, but I didn't mind at all and kept on reciting.

In the afternoon, we returned to Muzha, and I continued reciting nonstop. On the morning of the 14th, I woke at 4:30 as usual to recite. That morning, my eldest son suggested my daughter and I visit Zhinan Palace. The palace was only a 20-minute ride away, but since it was still early, I stayed inside to continue my recitation. The house was on the third floor. I opened the window and looked out: a stretch of deep green mountains came into view. Since leaving home, I had been reciting the Buddha's name continuously, with no distracting thoughts weighing on my mind. My spirit felt as if it had floated into the void, and I was filled with a joy beyond words.

I kept reciting when suddenly, the prayer beads in my hand felt like a long rope hanging down from Amitabha Buddha, and I seemed to be floating in midair. If I let go even for a moment, I felt I would plunge into a bottomless abyss. After an hour, I closed my eyes, and in an instant, the prayer beads I held transformed into a string of beautiful jewels, encircling the mountain scenery across the way. My heart couldn't help but float along into the mountains. This state of mind is truly beyond description.

Some might say my chanting had led me into delusion. In fact, the practice of reciting the Buddha's name is itself a form of samadhi (meditative absorption). If one can reach a state of inner purity, everything one sees appears as a wondrous manifestation of the Tathagata's dharma body. I remembered what Venerable Master Huifeng once said: "If one sees various auspicious signs while reciting the Buddha's name, it means one's practice has already borne fruit. It cannot be considered delusion, because when one recites the Buddha's name, all Buddhas of the ten directions are guarding and protecting you, so you will not fall into such states."

In this state, I kept reciting until 11:30, then took a ride to Zhinan Palace. Zhinan Palace lacked the vibrant beauty of Yangmingshan, but it had all kinds of flowers and trees that still lifted the heart. The wind on the mountain was cold and biting, so at one o'clock we took a ride back to Muzha. I continued reciting, and noticed another auspicious sign: without realizing it, I was gently walking on a boundless heavenly bridge. It was wonderfully subtle.

On the morning of the 15th, my daughter and I went to Shilin. She went to register for school, and I stayed in the room alone to recite. That night, in a dream, I saw a man of about sixty standing before me. I guessed he was probably a wandering spirit from the area, so I asked him, "Did you practice Buddhism during your lifetime?" Strangely, he answered with a single word: "No." Then he quietly vanished.

On the 16th, my daughter and I went to Keelung to pay homage to the Guanyin Bodhisattva statue. I remained focused on reciting the Buddha's name on the train, and by the time we arrived in Keelung, it was already past eleven. As soon as we stepped off the train, we saw the Guanyin Bodhisattva statue standing tall on the mountaintop. We walked to the park entrance and climbed the stone steps. Along the way, we saw two lotus platforms towering on the mountain. We stepped onto one, stood facing the wind, and looked out at the surrounding scenery. Then we continued up and asked two female students for directions. They said, "Just follow this slope straight ahead, and you'll see the temple soon. The sacred statue stands right in front of it."

After thanking them, I followed their directions, and sure enough, the main gate of the temple came into view. In the center was a golden statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva, with many other Guanyin statues placed beside it. It was clear at a glance that this was a Guanyin Temple. After paying my respects devoutly, I walked out and looked up at the Bodhisattva's compassionate face, standing tall facing the sea. In this quiet setting, gazing out at the boundless ocean and the vast blue sky, all my delusions and attachments vanished in an instant. My whole body and mind were immersed in the pure dharma nature of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

In the afternoon, back in Shilin, I continued reciting. It felt as if, when I closed my eyes, Guanyin Bodhisattva's pure realm appeared before me. I seemed as dignified as the Bodhisattva herself, standing quietly by the sea, floating gently in the blue sky. This made me realize that the pure, dignified dharma body of Guanyin Bodhisattva has always lived within the hearts of ordinary people — we simply don't recognize it ourselves.

The next morning, I took the train back to Chiayi. This journey deepened my sense of the vast, inconceivable power of Guanyin Bodhisattva's great compassion. She truly guided me away from the burning house and led me to the supreme, wondrous realm.

3. Miraculous Accounts from the Amitabha Seven-Day Recitation Assembly

In April 1972 — the 61st year of the Republic of China — which fell on Buddha's Birthday, Wu Dahai, a lay Buddhist and chair of the local Buddhist Association, invited Venerable Master Hsing Yun of Fo Guang Shan to come and preside over the Seven-Day Amitabha Recitation Assembly. The rite used the merit gathered from reciting the Buddha's name as "Dharma water" to wash away the stains on everyone's heart and reveal the purity we were born with. It ran from April 2 through April 8 of the Western calendar. Even before it began, an unexpected miraculous account reached me.

The first took place at the home of my neighbor, Mr. Huang Xunmao. Mr. Huang's elderly mother had suffered from tuberculosis for years. She had recently caught a cold, and her condition had grown much worse, leaving her bedridden. Deep into the night she would cry out for help. When her daughter-in-law asked why, the old woman said, "It's my late husband — he's trying to drag me down to the underworld with him. What am I to do?"

Mrs. Huang was terrified, and hurried to a private spirit shrine to have her fortune told. The answer came back: "A ghost from the underworld has latched onto you. Your life is in danger during the Qingming Festival; if you get through it safely, you'll be fine." Mrs. Huang came straight to me and begged for advice. Although she had no faith in Buddhism, I comforted her on the basis of our friendship of more than ten years: "The Buddhist Association is holding a Seven-Day Amitabha Recitation in the next few days. It includes services for averting disaster on others' behalf and liberating ancestors. If you can join, the Buddha's universal light may turn your misfortune around."

She agreed, then added, "My late father-in-law died a violent suicide, and his elder and younger brothers — my husband's uncles — along with several other ancestors, all met unnatural deaths. Perhaps because none of them have been released, our house has grown heavy with dark energy, and misfortune keeps finding us." I told her to write down the names of every family member and of all the ancestors on the spirit tablets, and bring them to the Buddhist Association to register.

The next day (March 30), her mother-in-law's condition took a sharp turn for the worse. She was dazed, as if delirious, kneeling on the floor with a cracked bowl in her hands, muttering to herself. Mrs. Huang ran to me in a panic: "When she woke up this morning, Mother kept saying she was hungry and ate bowl after bowl of rice. By noon she had eaten even more, and said, 'The more I eat, the hungrier I get.' Then she flung her bowl and chopsticks aside. After she broke the bowl, she dropped to her knees again and said, 'I'm so hungry! I want to eat more — why did you take my bowl and chopsticks?' I never touched them, but she insists I did. I don't think it's really her eating — it feels like a dead soul is eating through her."

Right away I said to the old lady, "Granny, I'm going to recite the Buddha's name for you — will you recite along with me? Namo Amituofo." "Namo Amituofo," she repeated. After we chanted together several times, she seemed to settle down and went back to bed to rest. From then on, her illness improved quickly. Her daughter-in-law also wrote down the names of the whole family and of the ancestors on the tablets, and asked me to register them on her behalf.

The next day, Mrs. Huang told me again: "Last night Mother dreamed she heard a great weeping rising from the ancestral tablets. Then she heard a chorus of chanting, and the crying stopped. She also dreamed that the chanting from your home filled the four directions. I think that dream was real — last night I heard chanting myself, and that's what woke me up." The dream struck me as deeply significant, and I told her: "Your ancestors' spirits must be begging you to find a way to release them from their suffering — that's why they were weeping. The chanting afterward means your registration for their liberation has gone through. When you join the assembly, your ancestors will follow you to the Buddhist Association, and through the compassion of eminent monks and the power of everyone's chanting, they will be freed. As for the chanting from my home being heard everywhere — that meaning runs deeper than I can explain."

She replied, "Even though I don't understand Buddhist teaching, I'm deeply convinced that the Dharma is boundless. I'll keep coming to the assemblies."

I went on: "The profound merit of sutra chanting and Buddha recitation still moves me deeply, stirring the purest intentions and dissolving all my negative karma. On the evening of April 2 (the 19th day of the second lunar month) at 7:30, I went to the Buddhist Association to join the Seven-Day Recitation. Each evening, several hundred people came. When the chanting session ended, the lights were turned off, and Master Hsing Yun would settle into the full lotus position on the lecture platform to give a Dharma talk. Those moments struck me as utterly wondrous: my mind would clear at once like a mirror, and sometimes the emotion of it brought me to quiet tears. As I sat in meditation, faint, unusual scents drifted past my head, and I saw Master Hsing Yun on the platform looking like a golden Buddha. I felt as though I were in the presence of Amitabha himself — with not a single stray thought in my mind.

The teachings the Master gave during that time are still vivid in my memory, and I have not let a single detail slip away. Let me recall a few of the most striking passages:

"If we can recite the Buddha's name single-mindedly, we will often find, without quite knowing how, that Amituofo's Dharma body is present in our minds. And everything our eyes see and our ears hear will turn into the sacred name of Amituofo held in the heart."

He also asked, "Why do we recite Amituofo's name?"

And answered: "Amituofo represents all the Buddhas of the ten directions. We use one recitation of Amituofo to encompass them all. From the moment we wake until we fall asleep, we are busy with countless things, so the mind cannot settle. Stray thoughts, afflictions, and craving for worldly blessings never end; even in sleep they don't stop. Try as we might to sweep them away, we can't get rid of them. The only way to true purity is to rely wholeheartedly on Amituofo — then we are freed from all suffering."

"In the past, some eminent monks and great masters have had this experience: each time they uttered a Buddha's name, a Buddha appeared in the air; recite a hundred names, and a hundred Buddhas appeared. Others have seen a ray of light above their head for each recitation, and a hundred rays after a hundred recitations. The gate of Buddha recitation truly is the highest and most wonderful of all Dharma gates."

On April 7, the sixth day of the retreat, the Three-Period Mindful Recitation ceremony began at 6:30 that evening. The Master had received requests from the faithful to hold this special rite for averting disaster and liberating the deceased. First, the nuns sang hymns of praise, their voices bright, clear, and utterly pure. Then the lights went out and everyone sat in stillness. In my meditative state, the platform where the Master sat turned into a vast stone staircase, and the Master himself became a golden Buddha. Below the steps, on either side, were tens of thousands of people packed together, and the sky above was lined with countless heavenly beings in blue robes.

When the lights came on again, Master Hsing Yun said to the assembly, "Honorable ones attending this rite — your ancestors and all your deceased relatives have descended to this place, waiting to be reborn in a higher realm." These words gave me an even deeper sense of how high the Master's realization must be.

The Master then came down from the platform to lead everyone in reciting the Buddha's name, until we reached the spirit tablets at the front of the hall. Once more the nuns began the hymns of praise. At that moment, I closed my eyes on my own and saw countless golden lotus thrones appear in the air, arranged in tiers, ascending upward. Right away I understood: every spirit tablet registered for liberation had become a golden lotus throne.

April 8, Buddha's Birthday, was the final day of the assembly. The Bathing of the Buddha ceremony began at 10 a.m., and around a thousand people filled the courtyard of the Buddhist Association — a gathering the likes of which we had never seen. After the midday meal, many people in succession took refuge in the Three Jewels. When the assembly ended, I heard many people say they had received responses of grace. A few of these accounts follow:

(1) Senior Dharma sister Zhang Suqin said: "After the Three-Period Mindful Recitation ended, I came home and was just drifting off to sleep when my late father appeared to me and said, 'The serious illness I had before has now been cured.' I was overjoyed and replied, 'The Master's power is truly vast. When he comes again, I'll help you take refuge in the Three Jewels.'"

(2) An elderly woman said that the night after the assembly, she dreamed of her late mother-in-law, who looked joyful and told her, "Only someone of profound cultivation, like this Dharma master, can preside over a Dharma assembly and free people from the suffering of the underworld."

(3) A widow whose husband had only recently passed attended both the morning and evening recitation sessions throughout the assembly. Once, she dreamed her husband appeared and urged her, "It's already past four o'clock — get up and go recite!" On the night of the liberation rite, when the lights went out, she dimly saw her husband standing beside the Dharma master. All of it moved her so much she burst out crying.

(4) An elderly Dharma sister said: "I'm well along in years now, and whether I stand or sit for any length of time, my back and waist ache. But during this Three-Period Mindful Recitation, I knelt for a long time — bowing, reciting the Buddha's name, chanting sutras — and not only wasn't I tired, I felt more comfortable than usual. It was truly remarkable."

IV. Entering the Great Vow of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, Sharing in the Joy of Pure Cultivation

I still remember a winter day two years ago, when I went to buy incense from Sister Huang Wuqiao, a fellow Dharma practitioner here in the city. She said to me, “Sister! Could I ask you to chant sutras for a relative of mine? Do you have the time?” I had some free time that day, and I also remembered the years of friendship we shared, plus all the times she’d helped me over the years, so I agreed right away.

She told me more: “My younger sister-in-law had a happy, fulfilling marriage until recently. Tragically, her husband crashed his motorcycle into a tree and died. Since the accident was his own fault, there was no compensation to claim after his death. He left behind several young children, and the situation is truly heartbreaking. There’s a long-standing local custom here: young people who die suddenly aren’t allowed to have merit-making rituals performed for them—they can only be buried quietly. I still think we should arrange a soul-transference ceremony for him, though, so I talked it over with my younger sister-in-law, and she agreed with me. She’s too distraught right now to handle anything, so she’s left all the arrangements to me. Her husband’s family doesn’t practice Buddhism, so inviting monastics to perform the ritual would be inappropriate. You’re the perfect person for this.”

Even though I’d agreed to my sister’s request right away, I couldn’t shake the thought that I’d never chanted sutras for a newly deceased person before. I remember being terrified of the recently passed when I was young—every time I saw a funeral procession on the street, I’d run away in fear. I don’t feel that fear anymore now, but a quiet unease still settled in my chest. Then I thought through the details more carefully: my sister had asked me to chant for the 100-day memorial observance. Since this man died in a traffic accident, we’d need to chant for several days in a row, not just once. A single session wouldn’t be enough. So first, I chanted the Diamond Sutra, the Amitabha Sutra, the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Original Vow Sutra, and recited the Buddha’s name at home for him, dedicating all the merit from this practice to him.

At 7:30 the next evening, my sister and I drove out to the deceased’s family home. We were delayed, and didn’t start chanting the Amitabha Sutra until 8:30. My chanting practice is very simple—I don’t use ritual implements the way monastics do—so I brought a recording of the sutra chant and played it as I read along. I’ve always found my solitary practice brings me right to that clear state: as soon as I hear the sound of sutras and hymns, my mind clears instantly, all worldly cares fall away, and I enter a peaceful, wondrous state.

When we reached the section chanting the Lianchi Sea Assembly, the deceased’s mother suddenly burst into loud sobs. I paused for a moment to comfort her: “Right now the Buddha is coming to take your son to the Western Pure Land, where he will find true peace and happiness. If you keep crying, he may not be able to go after all!” After hearing this, the old woman cried a few more times, then went upstairs alone. I continued chanting the Amitabha Sutra and the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Original Vow Sutra, and we didn’t finish until past 11 o’clock. My sister and the deceased’s wife said gratefully, “We’re so sorry for taking up so much of your time!”

“Not at all, not at all,” I replied. The deceased’s wife then took out a red envelope to offer me, but I shook my head politely: “I’m not a monastic, so I can’t accept this offering. Besides, I’ve made a vow of compassion to dedicate myself wholeheartedly to liberating beings in the afterlife. If I were to act out of greed for personal gain, I’m afraid the ritual would lose its power.”

They were both deeply moved by this. The deceased’s wife said, “Thank you so much! If it weren’t for your help, my husband wouldn’t have been able to attain a good rebirth. Perhaps thanks to your great compassion, I had a dream last night: he was wearing a new suit, looking strong and well, and he told me, “I’m not dead, I’m very happy now. You don’t need to be sad anymore.” When I woke up, I knew this dream was a clear sign that Buddhist sutra chanting really does have profound, tangible effects.”

“I chanted sutras for your husband at home just yesterday, and I never expected to see results this quickly,” I told her. “Your husband must have been very kind and compassionate when he was alive, which is why he was able to receive this spiritual response.” “Yes, he had such a good temper,” she replied. “But can I ask—did you two kill any living beings in your daily life before?” I asked, and she answered, “We did. When I was sick and in the hospital before, he would kill live fish, chickens, ducks and other animals to make nourishing food for me. During festival times, since I had to work, he had more free time for his business, so he would often kill livestock to make ritual offerings on my behalf too.” “The Buddhist sutras teach that killing living beings shortens one’s own fortune and lifespan. Your husband was a kind, good person, but unfortunately it was the karma of killing that led to this tragic end.” “Oh! I had no idea about this principle back then. If I had, I would never have let him kill any living beings,” she said with a sigh. I added, “If you can abstain from killing and release living beings from now on, the merit from this practice will extend to him as well, and bring him even more light and blessings.” “Thank you so much! I will definitely do as you say.” Later, she asked my sister to bring me a piece of woolen fabric as a gift, but of course I couldn’t accept it, so I asked my sister to take it back and return it to her.

The next spiritual response I encountered came from chanting sutras for my son’s fiancée. I still remember one autumn night last year, when I dreamed a young woman came to visit me. Looking closely, it was my son’s girlfriend—they’d been classmates in college, and she’d come here with him on their graduation trip to Alishan. She looked thinner than I remembered, so I asked her, “Why have you gotten so thin? Please come in!”

She stepped inside right away and started talking to me. Strangely, the moment she opened her mouth, she plumped up before my eyes. She said to me, “I’m going to Japan with your son, and I’d like to ask you for some money for a first-class trip, is that alright?” At the time, I seem to have agreed to her request.

But when I woke up the next morning, I thought to myself: she’s a wealthy young lady from Taipei, and I’d heard someone was courting her. How could she possibly be going to Japan with my son? It was a total mystery to me. But this confusion didn’t last long, because soon my son wrote to tell us he’d passed the entrance exam to study in Japan. When I heard the news, I knew for certain the dream I’d had was real.

A little while later, when my son came back from Taipei, I asked him, “Are you still in touch with Miss Fan?” He nodded and said, “Mom, would you be willing to chant sutras and recite the Buddha’s name for her?” “Why?” I asked. “She says her luck has been bad lately. A few months ago, she dreamed she was visiting a temple when she ran into a group of spirits of the deceased asking her for money. She was so startled that she dropped the joss paper she’d brought for offerings and tried to run away, but the spirits said they didn’t want the joss paper, grabbed her hand tightly and wouldn’t let go, and then she woke up. Since then, she hasn’t been able to sleep through the night, and she’s been falling ill frequently.”

After my son finished telling me this, I asked him to write her name and address on a slip of red paper, and place it in front of the Buddha altar so I could set aside time to chant for her.

Not long after, when my son came home again, I asked him how Miss Fan was doing health-wise. He said, “Not only can she sleep through the night now, but her health is much better than it was before. Mom, your sutra chanting really works!”

This news made me think of her request for first-class travel funds in my dream. It turned out she was actually asking me to chant sutras to dispel her misfortunes for her—that was the “premium travel fund” she had asked for in my dream.

A few months later, as expected, she got engaged to my son and left for Japan to study. They came back a week before their departure, and she said to me at the time, “Mom, a few days ago I had a strange dream. I was sitting alone in a dry, barren riverbed, lost in thought, when suddenly a massive flood surged out of nowhere. I panicked, but then a water buffalo rose up out of the water and carried me safely onto a bridge. I don’t know what this dream means.”

I thought for a moment and said, “Life is like that dry riverbed: no one who dwells here can escape the countless impermanent changes that come. When the flood surges, you will be swept away by the raging current. That a water buffalo appeared to carry you safely across the bridge is a very auspicious sign. The Lotus Sutra teaches that the ox cart symbolizes the Great Vehicle (Mahāyāna), while the sheep and deer carts symbolize the Small Vehicle. A water buffalo is strong, and can carry many people. I believe you will come to understand the profound principles of the Great Vehicle in time, and free yourself from the suffering of worldly life on your own.”

After hearing this, she said emotionally, “Thank you for interpreting my dream, Mom! I will definitely make time to study the Dharma and recite the Buddha’s name in the future.”

Then I gave my son an annotated copy of the Heart Sutra and briefly explained its key teachings to him. After hearing this, he understood it immediately. He also brought along the Collected Poems of Hanshan, the Sutra of the Eight Great Awakenings, the Diamond Sutra, as well as audio recordings of the Amitabha Sutra, Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Original Vow Sutra, Buddha recitation practice, and the Universal Gate of Guanyin Bodhisattva to take with him to Japan.

V. Purifying the Challenge of Malignant Spirits, Turning Calamity into Blessing

I still remember last year (the 62nd year of the Republic of China, 1973) my dear friend Dharma Sister Li Yuduan invited me to her family’s ancestral home to recite sutras for her grandmother. Yuduan told me her grandmother was kindhearted, and had practiced Buddhism for many years. Over twenty years earlier, she had fallen ill and undergone surgery, but still felt unwell even then. She was already in her seventies by that point. Whenever she felt unwell in body or mind, she would sigh quietly to herself that her karmic obstacles ran too deep for her to free herself from this suffering. Later, when Yuduan visited her family home, she comforted her grandmother: “I know a Dharma Sister who has devoted herself to deep study of the Dharma. She receives very strong responses when reciting sutras or chanting the Buddha’s name for others. Shall I ask her to come recite sutras for you?” Her grandmother was delighted to hear this, and looked forward to my visit with eager anticipation. My schedule was rather constrained at the time, so it was several months before I could finally make the trip as I’d promised.

That day, I also invited Dharma Sister Suqin from Xiaopenghu to join me. We set out in Yuduan’s factory car at 2 p.m., and arrived at her family home at 4 p.m. Yuduan’s grandmother and her parents welcomed us warmly, and received us with great kindness. As we walked into the living room, we immediately saw a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha enshrined in the hall, alongside a wooden statue of the Sacred Image of Guanyin Bodhisattva. It was obvious at a glance that this was a household of true Buddhist believers. Yuduan said this Guanyin Sacred Image was very responsive—whatever they prayed for would always be answered. For example, the year before, they had prayed that her younger brother would pass the national college entrance exam, and he was indeed admitted.

Her grandmother said: “On the 19th day of the second lunar month, the Bodhisattva’s birthday, we are going to stage a grand opera performance for the Bodhisattva to watch.” She also added: “In the past, an old man used to come here often to teach a group of young women, including me, to recite sutras. Later that old man passed away, and all the other young women who studied with me got married and moved away. These days, fewer and fewer people here practice Buddhism.” Her mother said: “In the past, I chanted the Great Compassion Mantra at least once every morning. Now, all my children have moved to the city, and I’m left to handle the family’s farmland in the countryside on my own, so I have no time to chant anymore.”

Next, I played a recording of the Universal Gate of the Bodhisattva Guanyin Sutra and recited along with it. After that, I played the Amitabha Sutra for us to recite, and we also chanted the holy name of Amitabha Buddha. Her grandmother followed us in bowing before the altar. When we finished, the sun had already set. She told me she felt completely at peace. I encouraged her to chant the Buddha’s name with diligence and sincerity, so that she could free herself from the suffering of worldly life and be reborn in the Western Pure Land. That evening, they served us a vegetarian meal. After we ate, we said our goodbyes and headed home.

That night, for reasons I couldn’t understand, I dreamed I was surrounded by a band of thugs. The leader of the gang was a burly man who said he was their chief. He said to me: “I had a kind-hearted country woman locked up, and she was suddenly freed by you yesterday. Tell me where she is now, or I will lock you up and make you my wife.” I knew exactly what he wanted, and felt no fear at all. I didn’t answer him, only thought to myself: “You say you’ll make me your wife, but my body and mind are already completely pure. How could I ever be yours?”

Even though the thug leader was an evil spirit, he seemed to have supernatural powers. He saw right through my thoughts, and said: “Hold out your hand. I want to read your destiny.” I held my hand out for him right away. He took it and examined it closely, then exclaimed in surprise: “Hey! Why is your hand so pure? There isn’t a single karmic line on it!” “Of course it’s pure. I have no karmic debts at all. How could you ever take me with you?” I said. Then he quietly slipped away.

When I woke, I realized that the day before, when I’d gone to Beigang Town to recite sutras for Yuduan’s grandmother, I’d likely freed her from her many sufferings—and that this had offended the evil spirit. I called Yuduan right away, told her about the strange dream, and asked her to go home and ask her grandmother if she knew this deceased spirit.

Two days later, Yuduan returned to her family home. First she asked after her grandmother’s health. Her grandmother said: “This illness has dragged on for years. Even if I can’t recover my health right away, my mood is clearer and brighter than it’s been in ages—completely different from before. That Dharma Sister is so truly compassionate!” Yuduan said: “She’s a lay Buddhist who cultivates at home. Don’t call her Dharma master—call her Dharma Sister.” She then told her grandmother the details of my dream. She didn’t mention the part about the thugs threatening to lock her up and make her their wife, for fear of scaring her grandmother. After listening, her grandmother thought for a moment and said: “That deceased spirit is probably one of the homeless spirits enshrined in the small Yingong Temple in the countryside. I’ve felt threatened by it for decades, and it’s caused me terrible physical and mental suffering.”

Yuduan also said: “I also suggested my mother donate money to support Buddhism, to sponsor the printing of the Record of Guanyin Bodhisattva’s Miraculous Responses.” Her mother took out 200 yuan and said: “I’d wanted to give more, but last year when we prayed to Guanyin Bodhisattva for my son to pass the college entrance exam, we had to put on an opera performance to thank Her, prepare livestock offerings, and entertain guests. All told, those expenses came to around 10,000 yuan.” After she said this, I asked Yuduan: “This vow offering was made by your family. Do other villagers also take part in the worship?” “Of course villagers join in too. Every time there’s an opera performance, everyone in the village has to kill animals for offerings and host feasts with alcohol for friends and relatives. It’s just the local custom.”

My heart ached when I heard this, and I sighed deeply. I said to Yuduan: “When you pray to the Bodhisattva for something and your prayer is answered, you should make a good vow to repay the Bodhisattva’s kindness. Acts like releasing animals from captivity, giving alms, or chanting sutras and the Buddha’s name all carry infinite merit. How can you repay the Bodhisattva’s kindness by killing animals for a feast, drinking, and making merry? Heaven cherishes all life, and abhors the taking of life. Killing only creates bad karma, and erodes your good fortune and wisdom.” Yuduan agreed at once, and said: “You’re absolutely right. I’ll go home and talk my mother into doing meaningful meritorious deeds instead.”

Two days later, Yuduan went back to her family home to discuss it with her mother. Her mother said a vow once made cannot be broken. Even though she knew this particular vow was unwholesome, she had already committed to it in her heart, so she had to carry it out no matter what. Once she’d fulfilled the vow, she would follow my advice and do good deeds instead. Hearing this, I knew they were both honest, well-meaning people at heart. But for ordinary people, apart from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who hold great compassionate vows, it is truly no small thing to generate the minds of great loving-kindness, great wisdom, and great courage. There was no need to push them.

Unexpectedly, a few days later one night, I dreamed again that I was surrounded by a gang of thuggish deceased spirits. My awareness was clear throughout the dream. These were the same spirits I’d seen in my previous dream, all gathered at the small Yingong Temple in Beigang Town. But this time they were younger, and looked frightened. They said to me timidly: “Our lives are so hard and destitute. We want to take you and sell you, to make some money.” I replied: “I’m not young, and my looks aren’t much to speak of. Who would want to buy me?” They said in a sorrowful tone: “There are buyers. In our world, there is no physical form, so there is no distinction between looks, beauty, or age. We only value the brightness or darkness of a person’s mind. We saw the beautiful light radiating from your mind. If we take you to sell, we will gain great fortune indeed.” I said: “I’m afraid I have no karmic affinity to fall into confusion with you. My vow is to lead all beings to the pure realm of the Western Pure Land.” As soon as I finished speaking, I woke up.

When I woke, I was deeply shocked. These spirits are so powerful! Because villagers have been making animal offerings in worship for generations, these practices have gradually given rise to these evil spirits. To purify them, we need to rely on the collective power of virtuous, eminent monks and Dharma teachers to succeed.

Later, I called Yuduan again and told her what had happened. Yuduan is a very wise person. When she heard my story, she was shocked too, and said: “I’m so sorry this happened to you. Will these deceased spirits come and cause you trouble again?” I said: “No, they won’t. What matters most now is that I hope your mother will study the Dharma and understand that Guanyin Bodhisattva is filled with great compassion. Don’t use the lives of sentient beings to mark the Bodhisattva’s birthday—simple offerings of incense, flowers, fruit, and plain tea are more than enough. As for liberating the deceased spirits in the countryside, it’s best to invite a few virtuous, eminent monks to chant sutras and perform meritorious deeds, and set up a Dharma lecture hall in the village to spread the Dharma. This way, all ghosts, deities, and deceased spirits will be purified without even realizing it, their good fortune and wisdom will grow, and we will reach the bright state of benefiting both ourselves and others.” Yuduan was very glad to hear this, and passed my advice on to her mother.

Recently, when she came to see me again, I asked her how things had been going at her family home. She said: “I don’t know why, but after that, my mother started feeling unwell. Until this year’s 19th day of the second lunar month, Guanyin Bodhisattva’s birthday, she still carried out her vow: she hired people to put on an opera performance, held a simple animal offering ritual, and entertained guests. Meanwhile, my grandmother has been perfectly well, with nothing out of the ordinary happening to her. I think my mother’s illness is probably because the opera performance led everyone in the village to kill animals for worship, creating bad karma from all that killing.” I nodded and said: “Yes, killing truly does erode one’s good fortune and lifespan. Everyone in this world loves their own lives and the lives of their loved ones. But even though animals can’t speak, their desire to live and fear of death is exactly the same as ours.”

Another account of a miraculous response: There was once a middle-aged man who has since passed away. When he was alive, he lived across the street from me. When he was young, he graduated from high school and easily landed a job at a government agency, where he was an upright, law-abiding young man. Later, he was haunted by the spirit of a deceased girlfriend, which caused him to gradually fall into depravity and become obsessed with gambling. Soon after, he contracted tuberculosis. Later, he quit his job to gamble full-time, which worsened his illness. He had no money to pay for medical care.

One month before his death, I dreamed that he brought a woman to see me. The woman said to me: “I’ve heard you can cure people’s illnesses. Will you treat him? If you can’t heal him, I’m taking him away.” At the time, I thought to myself: “His body and mind are already so far gone. How could I possibly heal him? Go ahead and take him, for all I care.” After they heard me say this, they left. Not long after, he did indeed pass away. Now, looking back, I feel great regret. At the time, I had only just started learning to chant sutras. When I saw him, he was sallow and emaciated, with a sinister look in his eyes. I was frightened, and truly didn’t have the courage to teach him any Dharma. Even though I did not help him achieve liberation back then, two years later I persuaded his mother, sister-in-law, nephew, and others to join the seven-day Buddha recitation retreat and the Three-Periods Remembrance Dharma Assembly at the local Buddhist association, to dedicate merit to him and his ancestors.

Another account of a miraculous response concerns my elder sister, Lin Dengong, who is now 58 years old. She is my half-sister, sharing the same father but a different mother. I remember when I was very small, she was already married. Later, she moved to Luodong, opened a knitwear shop, and taught many students. Her business was very successful. All her children received higher education, and her youngest son has already earned a doctorate in the United States. It was a pity that none of her family had yet entered the Buddha’s path at that time.

Two years ago, a large tumor was suddenly discovered in her kidney. She was sent to the hospital shortly after to have the kidney removed. But after the surgery, she couldn’t urinate, her body swelled with retained fluid, her abdomen distended, and she was so weak she was on the brink of death. After examining her, the doctors said there was no hope for her recovery. At the time, both my husband and my elder brother went to visit her. When they returned, they both told me there was no hope for her. When I heard the news, I cried uncontrollably. I thought of how lively and bright my sister was; she should have had many more years to live. At the time, I wanted to go see her too, but my husband wouldn’t let me.

A few days later, I received a letter from my niece Zhang Fangzhu, asking me to chant sutras for her mother to dispel her disaster. But I thought: her illness was already very advanced—what good would chanting sutras do? Even so, I reasoned that even if chanting sutras couldn’t cure her, it could at least help her pass away peacefully. So I began chanting the Amitabha Sutra for her for two days. Later that night, as I was falling asleep, I suddenly saw her appear before me, transformed into a healthy, lively person. This gave me hope that the sutras I’d chanted might be helping. I never imagined a real miracle would occur: her illness gradually began to improve.

A few days ago, I went to Taipei on personal business and stayed at my sister’s place for a few days. I stopped in to visit her, and she told me about her illness the last time, saying that while she was in the hospital, she saw a woman perform invisible surgery on her in a daze, but couldn’t make out the woman’s face. This happened two nights in a row, and her body gradually recovered. Later, she thought it must have been Guanyin Bodhisattva manifesting to heal her, so she went to Bailian Temple to bring home a wooden Guanyin Bodhisattva statue to enshrine. After that, the whole family began going to Buddhist temples to join Dharma assemblies, and donated money to support Buddhist causes.

After listening to my sister’s story, I said to her: “You’ve accrued too much negative karma from killing sentient beings in the past, which is why you suffered this illness. From now on, you must abstain from killing and release animals from captivity, so that you can increase your lifespan and good fortune.” When I finished speaking, I gave her a string of Buddhist prayer beads, and taught her to set a small daily goal for chanting the Buddha’s name. She took them gladly, and started chanting right away. Later, I went to Taipei on personal business and stayed at my sister’s place for a while. I took the chance to encourage her to chant the Buddha’s name. My sister said: “I know chanting the Buddha’s name is so beneficial, but ever since I recovered, karmic conditions have been pulling me back into trivial busyness every day, so I never have time to chant.” I said to her: “Chanting the Buddha’s name doesn’t mean you have to stop working entirely. The most important thing is to sincerely keep the Buddha’s holy name and kindness in your mind. That way, even while you’re working, you can be aware of the Buddha’s name sounding in your heart. This is what we call keeping the Buddha in your mind at all times.” After I said this, she still looked like she didn’t fully understand.

当时她的孙女（名为张铨姗，十一岁），对她说：“祖母，前天晚上，我梦见观世音菩萨，穿著一件很漂亮的白衣，头上戴著白巾，坐在客厅中，手上拿著一座宝塔，接著梦见罗东家——爸爸、弟弟和妹妹住的地方，有妖怪在作乱，弟弟即将被妖怪捉拿，所以我向观世音菩萨求借宝塔去降伏妖怪，救了弟弟，然后再将宝塔还给观世音菩萨。”家姊听了，显得非常高兴，说：“也许是我现在所敬养的观世音菩萨圣像显灵，托梦给孙女。”我听后，内心十分惊骇，想一定是菩萨无形中加被于我，在我未到以前，菩萨就先来度化他们。

过了两天，家姊邀我到罗东，当时我觉得没有什么急事，便向家姊婉拒，她还是勉强邀我前去。我本来只打算住一夜，不料到达后，突然发生水灾，街上都积满了水，以致于多住了两天。在这段期间，我为她们全家人略谈佛法，并劝大家念佛，还到离她家不远的舍弟家说法，使大家真正生起信仰之心，才离开了罗东。在返回台北的火车上，我和家姊都拿出念珠念佛，自此以后，家姊开始勤诚念佛。

回到台北之后，家姊再介绍一位亲友张英芳女士和我认识，她是一位很温和的人，我向她略说念佛所得的感应，以及世法无常的道理：物质享受只是暂时的，转眼便成空，精神上的充实才是真正的安乐，因为许多问题往往无法单靠金钱解决。她听后，脸上立刻露出深信的神情，说：“我信仰佛教已经许多年了，却未能体会到念佛的功德如此高超。过去，我总是认为念佛一定要跪在佛前，现在听你说后才了解，不管什么地方，不管行、坐、卧都可以念佛，真是非常高兴，回家以后我一定要开始实行。”

数天后，当我正欲离开台北的前一天晚上，她打电话来说要再与我见面，当时正下著雨，家姊说：“天气不好，她大概不会来了。”可是后来，她却来了，还带了她的女儿同来听我分享佛法。萧小姐听我谈话后，说：“昨天晚上，我突然梦见观世音菩萨就坐在这张位置上，使我不禁生出无限欢喜之心，向菩萨礼拜。记得两年前，有一次我也梦到自己在海上，海水非常污浊，恍惚之间，穿著白衣的观世音菩萨浮现在海上，轻轻向我靠近，突然污浊的海水就变得异常澄清。这个梦境让我感到十分安适。想不到今天妈妈突然邀我来这里听佛法，莫非这是观世音菩萨引导我来的？”我听后，非常吃惊感动，对她说：“你一定和观世音菩萨有很深的缘份，请问你平常有没有研习佛法？”她回答：“有的。家里有许多佛书，家人很少翻阅，只有我觉得很有趣，一一看过。”我听了，不禁对这位小姐产生无限敬慕之心，也更明白：若至诚宣扬佛法，观世音菩萨便会于无形中显灵加被，助人成就，我们应该多劝人虔诚念佛。

我祈望大家能够学习观世音菩萨大慈大悲的精神，勤念佛号及菩萨的圣号，如此便能解脱在世所受的诸烦恼，达到无上光明的境界；尚有业障未尽者，亦可带业往生，最终成佛。因为持念佛号，犹如在苦海中登上无比坚固的法船，业障宛若是随身携带的包裹一同带上船，终究能到达彼岸。有一位大专佛教青年也曾前来问我这个问题，他说：“我听过念佛究竟能带业往生西方之说，但我觉得众生的障业十分深重，往生时带走的那些业障不知要如何处理？”我听后，也觉得这个问题非常重要，忽然想起《六祖坛经》里记载了过去七佛留下的偈语，十分微妙，于是找出那本书给他看。他看后，立刻领悟到业障本来是空的道理，便将偈语一一抄下，非常高兴地带了回去。

现在将七佛之偈抄写如下： 毗婆尸佛偈曰：“身从无相中受生，犹如幻出诸形像，幻人心识本来无，罪福皆空无所住。” 尸弃佛偈曰：“起诸善法本自幻，造诸恶业亦是幻，身如聚沫心如风，幻出无根无实性。” 毗舍浮佛偈曰：“假借四大以为身，心本无生因境有，前境若无心亦无，罪福如幻起亦灭。” 拘留孙佛偈曰：“见身无实是佛身，了心如幻是佛幻，了得身心本性空，斯人与佛何殊别。” 拘那含牟尼佛偈曰：“佛不见身知是佛，若实有知别无佛，智者能知罪性空，坦然不怖于生死。” 迦叶佛偈曰：“一切众生性清净，从本无生无可灭，即此身心是幻生，幻化之中无罪福。” 释迦文佛偈曰：“法本法无法，无法法亦法，今付无法时，法法何曾法。”

6. The Bodhisattva Appears in a Dream to a Devout Laywoman to Fund the Book’s Printing

自从去年（民国六十二年六月）我出版这部灵感记后，深受各界大德欢迎，有几位知友表示愿意募款付印，但当时我正忙于办理《地藏菩萨灵感记》的再版，以致于无法进行。不料有一天晚上，观世音菩萨托梦给邻居的一位太太——陈林月娇居士，她是一位虔诚的其他宗教信徒，虽然不是佛教徒，却早已供养、礼拜观世音菩萨圣像数十年之久。她告诉我，那天晚上梦见观世音菩萨穿著一件很漂亮的白衣，万分庄严地对她说：“我要你给这件白衣加油。”她觉得很奇怪，向菩萨说：“这件衣服十分洁净美丽，把油添上，岂不是会变脏吗？”菩萨回答：“不要紧。此衣如果脏了，再换新的就好，请你尽量加吧！这次为了要印行这部愿书，应该多让人加油种福。”她听后，便拿起油瓶，倒一些油在菩萨身上，不敢倒得太多，菩萨见状，说：“你尽量加吧！”随后，她下定决心把油加到菩萨衣上，便醒过来了。醒来之后，她说不出的欢喜，因为这是她第一次梦见观世音菩萨。

听了她所说的梦境，我也觉得非常惊骇，想起再版之事，我在内心里很早就曾计划过，一直没跟别人讲。而且邻居这位太太平常与我有很好的交情，但我很了解她个性倔强，对于她信仰其他宗教，一直都不敢过问，生怕引起不快。现在菩萨托梦给她，我仍然不敢期待她能加油种福，想不到她梦见菩萨以后，自动发心出资，还向知友募款来助缘印书。

不久，她遭遇了三次灾难，都在危险中承蒙观世音菩萨护持，而平安无事。这使她因此坚信佛教，还到寺院购买一串佛珠，开始念佛，至今每天约持念二万声。有时候念佛时，她还恍惚闻到一阵异香，更加精进。此次所获灵感，使我了解：对于一般信仰其他宗教的人也应该加以尊重，不可随意与他们争论是非，以免彼此之间产生嫌隙。因此我们要重视因缘果报，以慈悲之心宽待人，广结善缘，才能获得善果。

例如，过去有一位法师，每次讲佛经给大众听，却没有人愿意听，因而非常沮丧。他的师父对他说：“你讲经没有人肯听，是因为你前生未与大众结缘所致。若你要真正行菩萨道，应该要先与大众结缘才能达成愿望。”他听后，便去买了很多待杀的鸟放生。如此经过二十年后，每次讲佛经的时候，都有很多人来听，而且大部份都是二十岁左右的年轻人。因此他明白，这些听众无疑就是过去所放生的鸟，现在已转为人身，前来听法，以期获得解脱。

另外，有位出家师父专心持念阿弥陀佛圣号，从不间断，不久便了悟：所有修持法门虽然很多，唯有念佛法门才是最容易使一般人解脱的。如果有人能够恒持阿弥陀佛的圣号，最后必能生于西方净土，永离诸恶道。因而他到处劝人念佛，但有善根想念佛的人终究不多。最后，他找到一群小孩教他们念佛，然后分钱给他们。这些小孩看见有钱可领，便十分欢喜，开始念佛。他们在无意中念出佛号，心里已种下无上菩提的种子，以后逐渐会成正果。过去诸大德就是抱著如此深切的大悲心去弘法利生，不顾自己的利养，这种伟大精神，我们应该好好学习。

7. Our Mother's Illness Brought Our Whole Family to the Three Jewels, and Gave Us a Deeper Understanding of and Faith in the Dharma

I was fortunate to grow up in a Buddhist family. I still remember being six years old (1957) when my father had a painted image of the Western Three Saints made, framed in glass, about three feet long and two and a half feet wide. One evening, a pedicab delivered it to our home. From then on, my father's Buddhist friends often came by to chant sutras, and my older siblings and I would trail along after the grown-ups reciting Namo Amituofo. Later, whenever my father held evening practice, we'd round up the neighbor children to join us. As we grew older and started school, the practice kept getting interrupted, until eventually it stopped altogether. Looking back, I can see how heavy our karmic obstacles must have been, and I feel a deep regret.

Even though our chanting never became steady, my father would often spend his free evenings telling us true stories of cause and effect, and speaking of the conduct of modern masters like Master Yinguang and Master Zhangjia. Through this quiet daily influence, the seeds of Buddhist faith were already being planted in the field of the eighth consciousness. The Dharma is inconceivable, and this is something I have come to know through my own experience. Around ten years ago, my father taught my three siblings and me to recite the Wisdom Mantra of Akashagarbha Bodhisattva, beginning with Namo Akashagarbha Bodhisattva. He told us, "Recite this mantra regularly, and it will sharpen your wisdom and clear all obstacles from your studies." We all learned it on the spot, but none of us kept up the practice. Many years later, when the subject came up, we all recited it silently to one another, and every one of us got every word exactly right. Surely this is the blessing of the Bodhisattva's inconceivable wisdom and spiritual power.

The sutras say, "Human life is impermanent." This is an unshakeable truth. Think about it: what thing, what matter, can escape the press of impermanence? Even a household that feels perfectly whole today will, before long, be touched by parting and death. Two years ago, after decades of child-rearing and toil, my mother suffered a stroke that left her hands and feet weak. A year later, last winter, she had a second stroke, and her memory suddenly vanished. No medicine touched it. After several months (this past June), her condition worsened. She began having strange seizures—convulsions, foaming at the mouth, and fainting (she had never had epilepsy, and neither had any ancestor). Each time it happened, my father and the rest of the family would stand by her side chanting the Great Compassion Mantra and the name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, and she would come back to herself. This has happened several times now, and never once has it failed. Without the great compassionate power of Guanyin Bodhisattva to hold her, my mother would almost certainly not still be here. Truly worthy of praise—the vast, inconceivable, responsive power of the greatly compassionate, greatly merciful Guanyin Bodhisattva, who hears the cries of suffering beings and saves them from their pain.

Faced with her illness, our whole family exhausted our thoughts searching for a way to help her recover, but nothing worked. Through a fortunate chain of causes, a senior member of my school's Buddhist Studies Society (Tamkang College), a student named Li Zugu who was serving his pre-officer military duty in Gangshan, visited our home and told me about a book written by lay Buddhist Lin Chichao, Record of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's Miraculous Responses. Through this connection, after a few letters back and forth, I was blessed to receive a letter from Layman Lin himself. He had cultivated deeply in his chanting of the Buddha's name and had given rise to the supreme bodhicitta, gathering sentient beings through "great compassion with no conditions" and "great compassion that shares the same essence with all beings." Moved by my mother's karmic illness and suffering, he often took time from his busy life to chant sutras and transfer the merit to her, and in mid-October he even came to our home in person to chant the Buddha's name on her behalf, to increase her blessings and dispel her karmic obstacles.

By the inconceivable merit of this sutra-chanting and Buddha-name recitation, my mother's strange convulsive illness has not returned. What's more, her spirits are far livelier than before. All of this is the immeasurable merit of Layman Chichao, for which we are deeply grateful. My mother took refuge in the Three Jewels eighteen years ago, but the rest of the family, lacking the good fortune, had never received the three refuges. Her illness was what brought us all to take refuge with Master Shang Yuehchi this past March. It is said that without the three refuges, one cannot give rise to right faith or enter deeply into the Dharma. That we can now encounter and hear the Dharma is entirely her gift. Layman Li Yiguang of the Gangshan Buddhist Hall (author of A Comparative Explanation of Buddhism and Science) often says to me, "Your mother is a Bodhisattva! If not for her illness and suffering, the seeds of Buddhist faith you planted as children would never have ripened, and you would not have the precious Buddhist family you have today."

Friends! Being born a human being in this life is already rare enough; to encounter the Dharma is rarer still—a chance that comes once in countless eons. As the old saying goes, "A human body is hard to gain, and now we have gained it; the Dharma is hard to hear, and now we have heard it. If we do not cross over in this very life, in what life shall we ever cross?" Impermanence moves swiftly, and the road to bodhi is long. Let us set sail together on this ferry of compassion across the sea of suffering, striving with courage and diligence, crossing the ocean of birth and death, and reaching the far shore of nirvana!

Lü Shengqiang, disciple of the Three Jewels November 29, 1974

8. Another Account of Miraculous Response

They say personal practice can only be realized through one's own sincere heart. These days, families are tangled in endless chores; when there's spare time, there's television, and when the shows run out, there are videotapes. My husband's daily life is just like this—he loves watching TV, so I have to squeeze my practice time in around three in the morning (at first it was exactly three). This means going to bed early every night, or I simply can't get up the next day. After a long stretch of this, whenever sleep tugs at me, it feels as if a Dharma protector is gently waking me. Once, I dreamed the telephone was ringing in the house, and I woke to find everyone else fast asleep in perfect silence. I glanced at the clock: exactly 3:30. I grabbed my beads at once and began reciting the Buddha's name. Another time, I dreamed the clock at home read exactly three, and I woke. When I got up to check, it really was the third watch of the night. So surprised was I that I rose on the spot and sat down to practice. There was yet another time, deep in sleep, when I dimly heard my husband calling at the door. I got up to let him in, only to find his car parked neatly outside and nobody there. Puzzled, I went back inside and saw him sound asleep in the next room—he hadn't called at all. The clock read 2:55 a.m. I didn't dare lie down again, so I took up my beads and chanted the Buddha's name all the way until dawn.

I remember that in 1976, a young stranger came to my home one day. He said he was from Zhuqi Township, worked in Taipei, and his name was You Wubao. He was twenty-five years old and had come to offer to sponsor the printing of my book, giving me NT$500. At the time, I was reprinting an Illustrated Guide to the Contemplation Sutra, so I accepted his kind offer. He seemed gentle and honest, but there was something weighing on him. I couldn't help asking what was the matter. He told me his adoptive mother was forty-seven, stubborn by nature, and had lately been at odds with his adoptive father. He feared she might do something desperate and asked if I could find a way to save her. I told him, "The best thing would be to take your mother to a temple, to bow to the Buddha and stay for a while. It may turn the misfortune around. If you don't know anyone at a temple, I can introduce you." After he went home, a few days later he returned and said, "My mother is deeply devoted to another religion and refuses to stay at a temple. A few days ago, she went to stay at one of their halls." When I heard this, I felt something ominous was about to happen. A month passed and he did not come back. One noon, two local young Buddhists, Laymen Chen Zhongcun and Chen Xinji, came to visit. I told them about the situation and asked them to ride out to Zhuqi to find him. So the two of them set off on a single motorcycle.

Later that afternoon, around two o'clock, I heard my husband, who was napping, suddenly scold someone in his sleep: "Hey, who are you? What are you doing coming in?" With that, he woke up. I asked him, "What happened? Who were you shouting at?" He said, "I dreamed a woman came into the house, so I yelled at her." I asked, "What did she look like?" He said, "About forty-something, very frightening-looking, so I shouted at her." Hearing this, I understood in my heart that You's adoptive mother had passed away. Since I had asked the two Chen laymen to go and look in on her, she had come to me to ask for deliverance. Before long, the two men returned and reported, "You's home is in a very remote spot; we searched a long time before we found it. When we got there, we learned his mother had been dead for two weeks." When I heard this, I wanted to chant for her at once, but chores kept me busy, and it wasn't until evening that I was able to recite one copy of the Amitabha Sutra and chant the Buddha's name on her behalf. Then I went to bed, but sleep would not come. Late into the night, just as I was drifting off, my pillow was suddenly pushed off the bed, jolting me awake. I thought it must be You's mother making trouble; when I had chanted for her earlier, I had not reached a state of single-minded, undistracted mind, so the pressure from the deceased spirit was very heavy. I had no choice but to reason with her in my thoughts: "In past lives I seem to have cultivated the Dharma. Why is she not afraid, and how does she dare to disturb me?" I steadied my mind, and then, without intending it, a ray of light shot out from between my brows, and at last she departed, ascending into a realm of light.

Some time later, You came to see me again. I told him what had happened, and he believed every word without the slightest doubt. He offered to sponsor the printing of more sutras to transfer the merit to his mother, and asked me to help him invite a few monastics to his home to chant on her behalf, because the rites his family had held for her before had been Daoist ceremonies, which left him very uneasy. I went to the Buddhist Association and invited Master Xinran and others to go to his home to chant, and they carried the hundred-day merit-making through to completion.

Not long after, I received another letter from You saying that, through Layman Chen Zhongcun's introduction, he had joined the Taipei Pumen Library Sutra Printing Association and taken part in the Ciyun Compassion Service Team. He often visited hospitals to comfort the sick and regularly attended Dharma talks by various masters. He found it deeply meaningful, and felt he had finally found the path of supreme light. Recently, a colleague of his, Layman Huang Maorong, told me, "You is truly an outstanding young Buddhist. He has bought a home in Taipei, gotten married, and is living a very happy life." Even now, every time I think of this, I am moved beyond words. There are few young people in this world as good-hearted as he is, working to build merit and virtue for his adoptive mother. I believe his sincere filial piety will move the very heavens and win him the supreme reward of boundless light.

9. Guanyin Bodhisattva Lives in the Hearts of All Beings

On the road of life, one often meets with sudden misfortune. If, by some stroke of luck, a benefactor appears and helps one through, the joy is like stumbling into hell and finding a living bodhisattva there. I have met with many dangers myself over the years, and each time I have been fortunate enough to be saved by someone. When my eldest daughter was three, she was pushed into a nearby pond by a neighbor boy's cart. Luckily, an ice-seller in his forties spotted her, leapt in, and pulled her out. By then she had swallowed a great deal of water, her eyes were rolled back, and her face was pale. He held her upside down at once, patting her belly to get the water out, and then sucked at her nose to help her breathe. Before long, my daughter began to cry, and her life was saved. Afterward, though my husband and I thanked him deeply, for some reason he stopped coming around to sell ice before long. Now, thirty years have passed. My daughter is married with children of her own, and even helps me with my publishing work. None of this would be possible without that kind man. To this day, every time I think of it, I long to repay him, yet I have no idea where he has gone—a lingering sorrow. His image, as gentle and kind as Guanyin Bodhisattva, remains forever in my heart, and our whole family holds him in fond remembrance.

On another occasion, in April 1977, I was in Japan staying with my eldest son for a while, and stopped along the way to stay with my husband's elder sister in Osaka. Once, when I was leaving Osaka to return to Tokyo, I was helping my three-year-old grandson into the car. No sooner had we sat down than the little one was off running about, and I was so busy watching him that I left my handbag in the car and stepped out. Suddenly, I heard a woman say in Japanese, "Ma'am, you forgot your handbag." She handed it to me in a hurry. I looked up and saw it was the Japanese lady who had been sitting next to me. So many people were getting off at Tokyo Station that she vanished in the crowd in an instant, and I never had a chance to ask her name or address. Looking back, if she hadn't picked up my bag for me, I might not have been able to get back home, for inside it, along with money, were all my vital documents: passport, plane ticket, and the rest. To this day, her kind face still rises in my mind—serene as Guanyin Bodhisattva, impossible to forget.

Then there was the time my second son, still small, came down with diphtheria. I took him to the clinic in my husband's office to see the doctor, who examined him and said it was just a common cold, nothing to worry about. A few days passed, but I noticed that when he breathed, something seemed to be blocking his airway, and he was struggling for breath. I rushed him to Dr. Tsai's ENT clinic, and only then was the diphtheria diagnosed. By that time, several days had been lost. His mouth, throat, and nose were clogged with the white membrane, his breathing was labored, and his life was in danger. The doctor said, "How could you let it get this serious before bringing him in? I'll do my best to save him. If he gets through tonight, he'll be all right—but I can't promise anything." After the emergency treatment, I took him home and sat by his bedside the whole long night, a night of tension and grief. The next morning I rushed him back to the hospital, and the doctor said, amazed, "It's a marvel—he's out of danger. You truly are blessed!" I continued taking him for treatment until he was fully recovered. Going through that ordeal, I came to see that a doctor of great skill and conscience is, in truth, a Guanyin Bodhisattva who rescues the suffering.

In today's society, crimes like murder, robbery, and assault never cease. Countless police officers risk their lives to keep the peace, throwing themselves into the capture of wrongdoers. How is their spirit any different from that of a living bodhisattva? And then there is the care of a loving mother: in the eyes of her children, one's own mother is a kind and gentle Guanyin Bodhisattva. Take me—when I was small, I was sickly and thin. Every time I lay ill in bed, my mother would sit beside me and say, "I'd gladly take on this illness and suffering for my daughter, if only she could get well soon." Sadly, she is gone now, but her spirit is like the Dharma-body of a Guanyin Bodhisattva, alive forever in my heart, encouraging me along the bodhisattva path toward the light of supreme awakening.

In praise of Guanyin Bodhisattva:

May the sweet dew of Guanyin wash away the dust of the Saha world. Listen closely to the Dharma Guanyin proclaims—and body and mind are freed at last. Chant the holy name of Guanyin unceasingly, and the Lapis Lazuli Land is always before your eyes. Only when the water is still and clear does the moon appear; the golden face of the Buddha manifests within our own hearts. With a single, unwavering mind, set your thoughts on the Pure Land; cultivate all virtues together, and chant the name of Guanyin.

Guanyin Bodhisattva attained Buddhahood countless eons ago, under the title Tathagata of Right Dharma. Now, turning her back on the shore of perfect rest, she has come to sail the ferry of compassion, appearing in the world in the form of a Bodhisattva—greatly compassionate, greatly merciful, saving beings from disaster and distress. She is also honored as the Ancient Buddha of the Sacred Lineage, who has delivered immeasurable numbers of beings.

10. The Undying Radiance of the Bodhisattva Path

The karmic causes and conditions that bring Buddhas and bodhisattvas to manifest in the human world to universally liberate sentient beings are seeds planted across countless eons in the past. Though these seeds fall to the ground and may remain unseen for a time, they will still sprout and grow. I am one such seed, quietly tended by Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the unseen realm: as a child, my mother was a Christian and knew nothing of the common practice of burning incense and worshipping Buddhas. No one could have guessed I would grow up to be a devout Buddhist disciple. Below is a brief account of the karmic connections Buddhas and bodhisattvas cultivated for me in secret in the past.

During World War II, I was still very young. I remember a time when the government was carrying out a campaign to destroy temples and religious statues, so many people hid their statues elsewhere. At the time, my father was the local baozheng (a position equivalent to today’s village head). A man brought a several-foot-tall, flat, beautiful stone and hid it in our home. They said this stone had fallen from a star in the sky, held spiritual power, and was worshipped in a temple as the “Stone Lord.” Because my mother was a Christian, our family paid little attention to the stone. One extremely hot day, my father suddenly noticed the stone was sweating drop by drop, just like a person. It continued to sweat every summer after that. When news spread, people were amazed and came in droves to see it. After the war ended, the stone was returned to the temple, and the miracle never occurred again. Later I understood this must have been the bodhisattva working through the stone in secret to manifest divine power, helping me grasp that subtle, unseen spiritual energy exists in the world.

My father also owned a large fish pond. One year there was a severe drought, and all the water in the pond dried up. Children would run down into the empty pond to play. One night, I dreamed the pond was full of water, and the water had risen all the way to near our home. When I woke, I thought it very odd. Not long after, rain began to fall, and the parched pond filled up seemingly on its own.

Another time during the War of Resistance Against Japan, I dreamed of rows of vendors lining both sides of the street, selling all kinds of food, and the scene was bustling with activity. When I woke up, I thought to myself: This is a time of war, and it is hard to buy anything at all, so how could there be such a street scene? Half a year later, the war ended, and before long vendors were indeed lining the streets in steady numbers. People could buy whatever they wished, and the scene matched the one I had dreamed half a year earlier exactly. I was utterly stunned.

Later, I began studying annotated editions of the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. One night, I suddenly dreamed that my consciousness had somehow fused with a man of roughly fifty, who was talking face to face with another man. At the same time, I heard someone speaking to me, though I could not see their form. The person said: “This dream is the physical form you manifested in a past life. At that time, you specialized in practicing the Chan (Zen) school and attained some accomplishment. It has now been more than a thousand years since then.” After hearing this, I woke up feeling extremely surprised. I did not believe it at first, but after I entered the Buddhist path and studied the profound principles of Chan in depth, my practice progressed very smoothly. This confirmed my certainty that I had practiced the Chan school in a past life, and I felt an unshakable resolve. I made a vow to wake at 3 a.m. every morning to practice meditation diligently. When dawn approached, I would go outside to exercise and breathe fresh air. At that time, I noticed that all the distracting sounds of the mundane world faded away completely, and I entered a state of perfect tranquility in nature. I saw that all phenomena, from a single blade of grass to a single tree, were filled with subtle spiritual energy that could purify the filth in my heart.

At night, just as I was drifting off to sleep, I could feel my consciousness take the shape of a beam of light that left my body, flew up into the sky, and wandered among mountain peaks, until I finally fell asleep. I kept up this practice for three years, and without even realizing it, my body and mind grew remarkably healthy and finely attuned. I never caught a cold or any other sickness.

The above are accounts of how Buddhas and bodhisattvas quietly nurtured my karmic affinity for the Dharma to maturity over twenty years ago, paving the way for me to enter spaces where the Dharma is taught and propagated. Eventually I came to see that the eminent monks and great virtuous teachers in the Buddhist world today, who carry vast compassionate vows to teach the Dharma and liberate all sentient beings, are manifestations of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva. Now, looking back, if I had not entered the Buddhist path and studied the Dharma in depth, I would never have awakened to the profound, subtle principles of supreme, perfect enlightenment.

The practices I follow now are the Great Compassion Contemplation Method, and reciting the holy names of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. They are very simple in form, but their meaning is extremely profound, encompassing all phenomena. I later took up Pure Land Buddha Recitation because, for most people today, living standards have risen and material comforts are endless, but mental burdens grow heavier by the day. Buddha recitation is a far more accessible practice for people with busy lives. Take women, for instance: many not only raise children and manage all household duties, but also work outside the home. If they have a gentle, thoughtful husband, they are fortunate, but if their husband only chases pleasure and neglects his family, the wife must bear the entire weight of the household, and may even suffer verbal abuse and physical violence from him. Recently, many abused housewives have turned to private shrines to have their fortunes told, praying to escape their suffering. Older housewives, meanwhile, not only manage the home and help raise their grandchildren, but if their children and daughters-in-law are unfilial, they are left to live out very sorrowful days. This is why I believe that Buddha recitation for rebirth in the Pure Land is the most subtle, well-suited practice for modern people, especially women.

From my many years of practicing this method, I have found that reciting the Buddha’s name quickly helps you see the Buddha within your own mind. It naturally dissolves all the afflictions and suffering in your heart, restoring your innate purity. This pure state of mind then gives rise to endless wisdom and light that pervades all dharma realms. In short, reciting the Buddha’s name ultimately awakens your bodhicitta (the mind of awakening), aligns your mind with the minds of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas, and generates a vast power that overcomes all demonic influences and leads you to the supreme path of light. The bodhisattva vow is like a Dharma boat on the vast sea of suffering: it carries all sentient beings across the sea of suffering to the Western Pure Land, their final refuge. Without the Pure Land as a destination, it is like rescuing countless beings from the sea but never bringing the boat to shore—they continue drifting on the endless waves, never truly freed.

In the past, many great virtuous teachers practiced the Dharma diligently in life, but never clarified where their consciousness would go after death. As a result, when their lives ended, they were reborn into wealthy families due to their accumulated merit. Enjoying this wealth made them abandon the bodhicitta they had once cultivated, and they created much negative karma. This caused them to fall into the evil realms, where they could not be liberated for eons. For instance, though I have been protected by Buddhas and bodhisattvas in the unseen realm this life, if I had not encountered the karmic affinity of meeting eminent monks and great virtuous teachers who teach the Dharma and liberate sentient beings, I fear even Buddhas and bodhisattvas would not have been able to save me.

Moreover, it is very rare for ordinary people to encounter the karmic affinity of the Dharma being spread. So I believe we should make full use of this opportunity to practice the Dharma, vow to be reborn in the Pure Land, and thus fulfill the bodhisattva vow. Some people spend their whole lives working hard, amassing wealth to leave to their children, assuming their children will perform meritorious deeds for them after they pass away. Little do they know that the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Original Vow Sutra states: when ordinary people perform meritorious deeds for deceased loved ones, the deceased receive only one share of the merit, while the other six shares go to the person who performed the deeds. In fact, the only way to help your loved ones escape suffering and attain liberation is through the power of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva’s vow; there is no easy way to do this on your own. Currently, monastic teachers in all temples encourage people to practice Buddha recitation, vow for rebirth in the Western Pure Land, and regularly take part in the Seven-Day Buddha Recitation Assembly. It is said that taking part in more than seven of these assemblies is equivalent to accumulating the merit of 49 days of uninterrupted practice. When your lifespan in this world comes to an end, you will be guided by Buddhas and bodhisattvas to be reborn in the Western Pure Land, with no need to worry whether your children will perform meritorious deeds for you.

This is the path I have tested and experienced over many years. I never dared to write it down before, but recently I have seen the enthusiastic, devoted spirit of lay followers of other faiths working hard for their religions, and I feel deeply ashamed. I am sharing these insights now. I pray this small book will be widely shared, so that ordinary people who read it will generate the aspiration to practice the Dharma. I also hope all lay Buddhist disciples can become qualified Dharma teachers, and together we can spread the radiance of the bodhisattva path.

In recent years, I have often received letters from eminent virtuous teachers everywhere, asking me to recite sutras for their deceased loved ones to help them transcend suffering, and to pray for disaster relief for them. However, I’m only a lay practitioner, so I truly can’t accept these requests. My own daily practice time is limited, and I simply can’t meet everyone’s needs; even monastic teachers wouldn’t be able to do so. The best way to help deceased loved ones transcend suffering is to take part in Dharma assemblies held by temples, drawing on the power of the group to dispel disaster, practicing the Dharma yourself and accumulating merit. In this way, you will gain far greater Dharma benefits. I hope all eminent virtuous teachers can understand and forgive me.

April 1979 (68th year of the Republic of China) Respectfully recorded by Lin Chichao, disciple of the Triple Gem

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Praise of the Dharmakaya of Amitayus Buddha

The Buddha’s body stands sixty trillion nayutas of sand-immeasurable yojanas high, His radiance glows like a trillion Tushita Heaven realms. His skin is the hue of polished Jambu tree gold, The white curls between his brows curve like five Mount Sumerus. His sapphire eyes are as clear as the four great oceans, Light streams from every pore of his body. His halo outshines even the king of Mount Sumeru, Stretching across a hundred billion great chiliocosms. Innumerable transformed Buddhas emanate from him, His form bears the 84,000 marks of excellence, Each mark holds 84,000 secondary marks, Each secondary mark radiates 84,000 lights. His light gathers all who recite the Buddha’s name, Those who see this light see all Buddhas, And attain the Buddha-recitation samadhi.

Praise of the Dharmakaya of Guanyin Bodhisattva

Guanyin’s form stretches eighty trillion nayutas of yojanas long, His body glows with the color of polished gold. A fleshy protuberance crowns his head, a halo rings his neck, Each side of the halo spans a hundred thousand yojanas. Five hundred transformed bodies manifest like Śākyamuni Buddha, Each transformed Buddha is accompanied by 500 transformed attendants. All sentient beings of the five paths appear within him, His crown is wrought from vaidūrya jewel. A standing transformed Buddha stands within his crown, The curls of his brow hold the seven precious colors. 84,000 lights stream forth from them, Within each light, transformed Buddhas and attendants appear. His radiance is like an infinite red lotus, His hands and feet are adorned with all the marks of excellence, Just as described in the sutras.

Praise of the Dharmakaya of Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva

Mahāsthāmaprāpta’s form matches Guanyin’s in size, His whole body emits light that shines across ten thousand lands. Seeing the light from his pores is the same as seeing the pure, wonderful light of all Buddhas, He uses wisdom light to illuminate all beings, So he is called the Unbounded Light, enabling beings to leave the three evil paths and gain the power of liberation. He is also called Mahāsthāmaprāpta. His crown is adorned with 500 precious lotus flowers, The Buddha realms he manifests are vast and boundless. A fleshy protuberance like a blue lotus crown adorns his head, He holds a precious vase brimming with all kinds of light. When he walks, all worlds tremble, Adorned with precious flowers, he is just like the Western Pure Land; When he sits, the lands of that world shake. The Western Three Sages all gather here.

The above reflects the meaning of the Sutra of the Contemplation of Amitayus Buddha. The Buddha taught that this Dharmakaya is so vast that ordinary people cannot readily grasp it. But we Buddhist disciples, if we can realize that the light of our own nature can encompass all phenomena and pervade the entire void and all dharma realms, will naturally understand that the vast compassionate vow of the Western Three Sages can extend their light-filled Dharmakaya to an infinite, boundless state. We can trust that our Buddha’s words are completely true.

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Master Zhongfeng’s Verse Encouraging Buddha Recitation

Western Paradise, Western Paradise, Who can awaken to the joy of the Western Paradise? Its people and land are all supremely wonderful, Free of cold, heat, and the three evil paths. Beings emerge from the lotus womb, Constantly hearing the Dharma sound and heavenly music. The ground of pure crystal is flawless, free of dust, Palaces built of gold, silver, and all precious jewels. Clothing and food manifest naturally, never running short, Lifespan is infinite, impossible to measure.

Tang Dynasty Master Shandao’s Verse Encouraging Buddha Recitation

Gradually your skin wrinkles like a crane’s feathers, Your steps grow slow and unsteady with age. Even if your halls are filled with gold and jade, You cannot avoid the decay of old age and sickness. No matter how many joys you know in life, Impermanence always arrives in the end. There is only one direct path to practice: Just recite Amitabha Buddha.

Master Shan’an’s First Pure Land Poem

On the crystal ground, no dust lies, Sitting or walking there is pure joy. Leaves woven into brocade line the paths, Towers and pavilions painted in pigments fill the land. Flower rain drifts across all the heavens, Auspicious clouds of incense fill the world as the Great Being arrives. Where did this new child of the Buddha suddenly come from? A lotus bloom has appeared again on the lotus pond. Four-colored lights shine on the jeweled platform, His golden arm reaches out far, his care is deep. Why do sentient beings not think of coming? The sound of Buddha recitation shakes heaven and earth, Knocking on doors and windows to encourage practice. I ask you, why are you so busy? You only fear sentient beings falling into the fire pit.

Master Ming Yiyuan’s Ode to the Western Paradise

Have firm faith in the Western Paradise, do not doubt, Practice Buddha recitation and cultivation without delay. Finite time should be used well, early, How many people know their skulls will one day lie on the ground? Few take the road to the Western Paradise, One phrase of Amitabha is the supreme vehicle. I can pull you by the hand, but you will not come, You can only attain it when you are willing to accept it for yourself.

Youzhai’s First Pure Land Poem

A hundred years of life is rare, seventy even more so, Looking back on the past, everything feels wrong. I mourn: where do all my fellow travelers go? They idly cast aside the Pure Land and do not think of returning. Clouds of incense wind around the agate steps, Spirit birds fly among the coral trees. Once you attain the Dharma body, you will have no illness or suffering, Moreover, you will feast on the joy of Chan and never know hunger.

Youzhai’s Second Pure Land Poem

On the sea of suffering of the saha world, a boat of compassion sails, You can cross from this shore to the other shore without needing to point out the source of confusion: just recite the Buddha. Cross the waves directly, avoid following the current, You will be peaceful and safe for thousands of lifetimes and tens of thousands of eons. The five paths and three evil realms are all ended forever. Even if you are reborn in the lowest grade of the Pure Land, It is better than being a noble or wealthy person in the saha world.

Master Shan’an’s Second Pure Land Poem

Why is the Pure Land pointed to exclusively in the west? Because the mind must have a place to return to. Once you enter this one gate, you enter all gates, When you first lose your way, you are lost step by step. Go directly from the mundane level to the level of sages, Attain enlightenment without leaving behind afflictions. Your precious companions on the lotus seat await you, When will you return, hand in hand?

Verse Admiring Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva

I bow to the inherently pure mind ground, The greatly compassionate lord who stores all Buddhas. In the southern world, fragrant clouds rise, Fragrant rain, flower clouds, and flower rain, Countless kinds of precious rain and precious clouds, Bringing auspicious signs and blessings that fill all worlds. The heavenly beings and humans ask the Buddha: what is the cause? The Buddha says: Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva has come. All Buddhas of the three times praise him together, All bodhisattvas of the ten directions take refuge in him. I have planted good karmic connections in past lives, So I sing the true merits of Kṣitigarbha.

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11. On the Key Principles of Praying for Rain

In recent years, severe droughts have struck metropolitan areas across the island every summer. This year, shortly after spring began, we already faced serious water shortages, especially in southern Taiwan. Part of the bottom of the Zengwen Reservoir, for instance, has already cracked open. More than ten years ago, my hometown (Chiayi) experienced a mild drought one summer. At the time, I recited the Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva’s Original Vow Sutra at home, praying for rain to fall. Sure enough, it poured on the third day, giving me unshakable faith in praying for rain. Since then, whenever drought struck, I would carry out rain-praying rituals, and every time I received a response—until the 69th year of the Republic of China (1980), when the disaster was far more severe.

Television and newspaper reports at the time said a heatwave had struck the United States: rivers had dried up and cracked at the beds, crops withered, the disaster was severe, and more than a thousand people died as a result. Taiwan also suffered serious damage, and the people were in great distress. The government tried artificial rainmaking, but it was no use. They could only hope a typhoon would come and bring rain, but when the typhoon arrived, it only brought wind and sand, and even caused seawater to back up, creating even greater losses. At the time, I recited the holy names of Amitabha Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva every day, praying for rain. But after a long time there was still no response, and I grew very anxious. Staring at the scorching sun, I even felt anger rise in me. Soon after, a fire broke out on the street opposite my home, and I was filled with remorse. I thought to myself: Praying for rain requires the utmost sincere patience. How could I have let such unwholesome anger arise?

After this lesson, I continued reciting the Buddha’s name, but when household chores piled up, I often could not quiet my mind to a pure state. Not long after, my youngest daughter invited some friends to travel to Alishan, so I went along. I stayed for three days and two nights, focusing wholeheartedly on reciting the Buddha’s name to pray for rain. On the first day, I woke at 3 a.m. and began reciting. I joined the other tourists on a hike to Zhu Mountain, and when I saw the surrounding peaks, my mind felt even more open and clear. After watching the sunrise from the Sun Viewing Peak of Zhu Mountain, I hiked down the mountain alone, reciting Amitabha Buddha’s holy name with every step. The weather was very cold, and the hand holding my prayer beads went numb. But seeing the lush green trees around me and the white, auspicious clouds filling the sky, I felt as if I were in the Western Pure Land, and my body and mind were filled with joy.

On the second night, I stayed at Ciyun Temple and continued reciting. It rained heavily that night, but after I returned home, the rain stopped. So I kept reciting, and every time I saw the sky fill with dark clouds that looked like rain was about to fall, it never did, leaving me deeply disappointed. Later, after some time had passed, I was reciting in the backyard when I thought to myself: “To pray for rain, I vow to recite 20,000 Buddha names every day in practice; if household chores are too busy, I will still recite at least 10,000.” I never expected that as soon as this thought arose, it began to rain. It rained for several days straight, and the drought was completely alleviated. This experience made me realize that unseen Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and the eight classes of heavenly beings and deities must have been encouraging me to practice reciting the Buddha’s name diligently and sincerely every day, so that I could gain supreme Dharma benefits.

My experiences over more than ten years have taught me that praying for rain is not something you can get just by asking for it whenever you wish. Once, I went without eating or sleeping, reciting the Buddha’s name with utmost sincerity until I was completely exhausted, and finally it poured. In the end, I realized that if you practice reciting the Buddha’s name with utmost sincerity, the merit you accumulate unknowingly will build up over time, until you finally achieve your wish. Recently, I have found that when praying for rain, it is best to go to bed early at night, wake around 2 a.m. to recite the Buddha’s name, and never doze off. Each name must be recited very clearly. In this way, you will unknowingly develop inconceivable samadhi and wisdom power in your mind. By dawn, your mind can still hold a deep, subtle state, so no matter how busy you are during the day, you can be free and at ease, unshaken by worldly distractions. This is the most effective practice method.

The reason I received these responses in the past is that I was silently blessed and empowered by Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all heavenly deities. I hope the Dharma benefits I have received can inspire everyone to generate the same aspiration: when you encounter such disasters, all of us can sincerely recite the Buddha’s name to pray for rain, and I believe the results will be even greater. Today, science is highly advanced, but many truths passed down by Buddhas and bodhisattvas have gradually been forgotten. When real natural disasters strike, they cannot be averted by the power of science alone. This makes clear that worldly material comforts are only temporary, vanishing in an instant. Only the truths passed down by Buddhas and bodhisattvas are eternal and imperishable.

Respectfully recorded by Lin Chichao, disciple of the Triple Gem

12. The Buddha Saves Those with Affinity

Decades ago, one of my neighbors was Mrs. Zhuang, a mainland Chinese immigrant, as was her husband. Her husband and my husband were colleagues at the Yushan Forest Management Office, and the two families grew very close. Later, her husband was transferred to work at the Alishan Welfare Center, their only son earned a spot at the Taipei Military Academy, and Mrs. Zhuang was left alone at home. She had long struggled with poor health, living with heart disease and asthma.

Back then, my son was in high school, cramming for his university entrance exams, and he studied very hard. The Zhuang couple took very good care of him. One day, Mrs. Zhuang asked my son to find two honest, hardworking classmates to move in and keep an eye on the house, no rent required. So my son invited two classmates from the countryside to move in, and he went to her house every evening to study with them. Because all three studied so diligently, Mrs. Zhuang formally took them on as her godsons. Mrs. Zhuang was incredibly kind, and often made snacks for the boys; to everyone’s surprise, her own health improved a great deal during this time.

She was a Catholic, and a priest often came to her home to pray and hold services for her. The priest was very gentle, and all the neighbors respected him deeply. He usually visited around 3 PM each day. I often cut fresh flowers from my backyard to bring to her for her worship of Jesus. One night, I had a vivid, strange dream: Mrs. Zhuang and I were standing outside, gazing up at the sky, where a swath of bright white auspicious clouds drifted, and a towering Buddhist pagoda floated in their center, high above the ground. When I woke up, I couldn’t make sense of the dream. A few days later, as usual, I went to my backyard to pick flowers to give her, but when I arrived at her house, no one answered the door. I assumed she had stepped out, so I brought the flowers back home.

It was not until evening, when the boarder living with her came home from school and my son went over to study with him as he usually did, that we realized something was off. Around 6 AM the next morning, my son rushed over from her house and told me, “Mom! Go check on your godmother (Mrs. Zhuang) right away! She seems out of it, keeps saying she’s boiling hot and wants to take off her clothes.” I hurried over immediately, and found her already unconscious. There was a burnt egg still sitting in a pot on the stove; I guessed she’d been cooking as usual that morning when her heart disease suddenly flared up again. Soon, many neighbors came to help, and we called a doctor right away. This doctor had treated her many times before, and we all assumed he would be able to save her. But after examining her, the doctor said her heart disease had taken a turn for the worse and there was no saving her. I begged him to do everything he could. The doctor said the condition was untreatable, and only agreed to administer a cardiac stimulant as a last resort. After a while, there was no response at all. The doctor left, the neighbors filtered out one by one, and only Mr. Ye and I remained. I asked Mr. Ye to help me sit her up a bit higher, but he left soon after, leaving me alone with her. I called out to her, “Mrs. Zhuang, wake up! Don’t go!” It seemed she heard me, and she forced her eyes open long enough to murmur a quiet “Mm” in response, before closing them again immediately. I kept calling to her, and she answered with a few more soft “mms”, but she was clearly still fighting to hold on. Finally, she let out a foul breath, and passed away. Her husband and son arrived soon after, and I left the house. Since she was a Catholic, she was laid to rest according to Catholic rites, and I thought I had done everything I could for her.

I never expected that six nights after she passed away, I dreamed she came to my house, standing at the door calling my name. I was startled out of my wits, thinking, She’s already gone. Why is she looking for me? I asked her, “I heard that people who believe in Jesus go to heaven after they die. Did you go to heaven?” She replied, “I did not go to heaven. I have come to worship the Buddha.” I saw she was holding a small bundle of incense in her hand. The plump, fair-skinned woman I’d known was now thin and withered, and my heart ached for her. Then she stepped closer to me, and I was terrified. “Don’t come any nearer,” I said, my voice shaking. “I’m scared. Please go.” When I woke up, the kids were still at their books. They asked me what terrible dream I’d had, why I’d been yelling in my sleep.

The next morning, I went straight to the Zhuangs’ to tell their son about my dream. I explained that the local Buddhist association invites respected monks every July to lead soul-release ceremonies for the departed, and urged him to sign his mother up for the rite. His son agreed immediately. But Mr. Zhuang shook his head: he’d never believed in any religion in his life, he’d already done his duty by her while she was alive, and he saw no need to have Buddhist monks release her soul after her death—especially since his wife had never practiced Buddhism herself. He put his foot down, and the plan was canceled. After that, Mr. Zhuang dreamed of his wife almost every night. He couldn’t sleep, and drank himself into a stupor every day, but nothing eased his pain. A few days later, a lay Buddhist neighbor told me she’d dreamed Mrs. Zhuang came to her and said, “I’m so hungry, can you please buy me some rice?” She even handed her five dollars to pay for it. The neighbor said Mrs. Zhuang looked so thin, it broke her heart. I realized then that Mrs. Zhuang’s spirit had nowhere to go after her death. She seemed to have caught a glimpse of the Buddha’s light, but without a physical body, she could no longer care for herself the way she had when she was alive. I wanted to help release her from her suffering, but I was powerless—Mr. Zhuang had refused to let anyone intervene.

At the time, I’d only been practicing Buddhism for a year, and didn’t yet have a deep understanding of the Dharma. Now, looking back, I was the only one with her at her deathbed. If I’d recited the Buddha’s name for her then, maybe I could have saved her life, and even helped her achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land. But I hadn’t yet learned the practice of Buddha-recitation, so there was nothing I could do for her. She kept coming to me in dreams to tell me different things. Once, I dreamed she said to me, “A soul-release ceremony is being held out in the suburbs, but I can’t attend. When they hold one in the city center, I’ll be there.” Later, I learned from the Buddhist association that Shuangfu Mountain in nearby Minxiong Township was the site of frequent car accidents, with many deaths and injuries, so a group of devoted practitioners had vowed to invite monks from local temples to hold a 49-day soul-release ceremony for the accident victims there.

Another time, I dreamed she brought a small stove and a cooking pot to set up under the eaves of my house, lit a fire, and cooked rice—a sign she wanted to make my home hers. A year later, Mr. Zhuang remarried a young woman from the countryside who was a little older than the usual marriage age, and she had a very gentle, kind temperament. Some time later, she appeared to me in another dream to tell me she would soon be reborn. I asked her where she would go, but she didn’t answer. In a haze, she vanished, transforming into a small child. I took this to mean she would be reborn as a girl. Not long after, Mr. Zhuang’s new wife gave birth to a daughter. The baby didn’t look like her biological mother at all, but all the neighbors said she was the spitting image of the late Mrs. Zhuang.

A few years later, Mr. Zhuang also passed away from liver disease. At the time, I was staying with my eldest son in Japan. Perhaps because my son was his godson, and this karmic bond was at play, I dreamed after he died that he wore a crisp new suit, looked hale and hearty, and had a joyful expression—but he didn’t say a word before vanishing. When I woke up, I was puzzled. He’d suffered from liver disease for years before his death, his body had grown sallow and emaciated, he had no religious faith, and he often killed living beings. How could he look so happy after passing on? When I returned home, I went to visit his wife and asked, “How did you handle your husband’s funeral after he passed?” Mrs. Zhuang replied, “I cremated him, and his ashes were placed in a stupa at a temple. The whole funeral was conducted according to Buddhist rites. Every year on the 7th lunar month, my daughter and I go to the temple for soul-release ceremonies and Buddha-recitation gatherings.” Hearing this, I finally understood: after he died, he had entered the Buddha’s fold and been bathed in the Buddha’s light, which allowed his spirit to manifest such a wondrous, auspicious sign. The power of the Buddha’s teachings is truly vast and inconceivable.

Years have passed so quickly. Mr. Zhuang’s daughter is now studying at the Buddhist-run “Chih-Kuang Industrial and Commercial School” in Yonghe, Taipei. She and her mother still go to the temple every July for soul-release ceremonies and Buddha-recitation gatherings. Sometimes I give her Buddhist books to read, and she loves them. Even now, when I think of the Zhuang couple, I am deeply moved. They never practiced Buddhism while they were alive, yet they were still able to appear to me in dreams after their deaths, showing me the wondrous karmic state they had reached through the Buddha’s grace. That said, this kind of affinity is rare and special. The scope of the Buddha’s teachings is vast, encompassing all beings in this life, future lives, and even across infinite eons. But Buddhism teaches that affinity is everything: for beings who refuse to turn toward the Buddha in their hearts, and would rather walk down dark, unwholesome paths, there is no karmic affinity for them to be saved.

Many people in the world believe that when a person dies, everything ends. So they indulge in pleasure without a second thought: why bother doing good deeds? They do not know that a person’s spirit lives on after death. Even when the physical body is gone, the spirit will pass into different realms, drawn by the karma they created during their lifetime. Therefore, Buddhism teaches us that all the pleasures we enjoy in this world are temporary, and we will eventually be swallowed by the sea of karmic suffering that is the cycle of birth and death. While we are still alive, we should recite the Buddha’s name diligently, free ourselves from all suffering, and attain a state of pure light. If we wait until after death to seek the light, or rely on our family members to release our souls for us, it will be much more difficult.

13. My Daughter-in-Law’s Karmic Connection to Buddhist Practice

About eight years ago, I went to Japan to visit my son, who was living there at the time. The second I walked through his door, he told me Tokyo had been shaking with frequent earthquakes lately, and we’d already packed a bag of daily supplies in case we needed to evacuate. A few days before that, though, my daughter-in-law had a nightmare: a crowd of rough-looking men was chasing her, and she was paralyzed with fear. Then a voice told her, “Don’t be scared! Your mother-in-law is right behind you.” She turned around on cue, and there I was, just as the voice had said. The men took one look at me and ran off as fast as they could. After that dream, the earthquakes tapered off and stopped altogether. After he finished telling me the dream, he showed me the bag of supplies he’d packed: flashlights, extra clothes, non-perishable food, and other basics.

At that moment, I realized the karmic conditions for them to take up Buddhist practice had finally ripened, and that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas had been working quietly behind the scenes to guide them toward the Dharma. From that point on, I set aside time most evenings to share the Dharma with them, and they slowly built up unshakable faith in the teachings. A few years later, my son started making regular business trips between Japan and the US for his trading work. Every time he was stateside, he’d head to Hsi Lai Temple to listen to Dharma talks by monastic teachers, pay his respects to Venerable Master Hsing Yun, and take refuge in the Triple Gem. He told me he made a habit of reciting the holy names of Amitabha Buddha or Guanyin Bodhisattva every time he got behind the wheel.

Back in Japan, my daughter-in-law woke up every morning and started her day by reciting the Universal Gate Chapter of Guanyin Bodhisattva and chanting Guanyin’s holy name, before heading to her trading company for the day. She received many clear spiritual responses as a result.

Last September, my daughter-in-law flew back to Taiwan from Japan and shared all the spiritual responses she’d experienced through her practice with me. She told me that as an expat, her days were nonstop: she handled all the housework, cared for her kids, and managed a heavy load of trade work from sunrise to long after sundown. Whenever her children got sick or things didn’t go smoothly, she felt overwhelmed with distress. So she made a firm commitment to wake up at 5:30 every morning to practice: she’d recite the Universal Gate Chapter of Guanyin Bodhisattva and chant Guanyin’s holy name for a while before diving into her workday.

Sometimes when she was too exhausted to drag herself out of bed, she’d hear a faint knocking at the window, and it would rouse her enough to sit up and start chanting. When she came to fully, she was confused: she lived on an upper floor, so who could possibly be knocking at her window from outside? She was sure it must have been the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, or Dharma protectors, waking her to keep her practice commitment. Another time, she was working at her office and so exhausted she was dozing off at her desk, when she saw Guanyin Bodhisattva appear in a profoundly majestic Dharma form, descending from the air into the room.

One of my daughter-in-law’s former classmates from National Chengchi University lived near her in Japan. The classmate had had surgery for an enlarged thyroid, and after the operation her heart grew so weak she could barely draw breath. My daughter-in-law went to check on her and told her that if she recited the Universal Gate Chapter of Guanyin Bodhisattva and chanted Guanyin’s holy name, she would definitely receive a response. But the classmate said her husband was Japanese, didn’t believe in that kind of practice, and worked full-time at a company, so she didn’t have a convenient way to practice. Seeing how hard this was for her, my daughter-in-law went to her house on her days off, recited the Medicine Master Dharani 108 times, and taught her how to practice reciting the Universal Gate Chapter of Guanyin Bodhisattva and chanting Guanyin’s holy name.

On her walk home from the classmate’s house, my daughter-in-law suddenly saw a towering Buddha image appear above her head, following alongside her. She was filled with overwhelming joy, and every street she passed looked brighter and more beautiful than usual, as lovely as the Pure Land itself, filling her with immense happiness. The great Buddha stayed with her the entire walk home, and only vanished once she’d reached her door. Not long after that, the classmate told my daughter-in-law her heart had fully recovered, and said the Buddha’s power was truly vast and inconceivable. Her husband was also extremely grateful to my daughter-in-law for her help.

After that, the classmate learned to recite the Universal Gate Chapter of Guanyin Bodhisattva and chant Guanyin’s holy name on her own. Every morning, she’d bring a copy of the sutra to work with her, and use her lunch break to recite and practice. My daughter-in-law also said that life in Japan was so busy for her, she sometimes forgot to stock up on household necessities when work piled up. But whenever she ran into a problem, neighbors or friends would drop off what she needed, and sometimes even lend a hand with chores.

She also told me that this past year, her grandson took the entrance exam for a top private junior high school in Tokyo. Before that exam, she dreamed she was trying to board an Odakyu train, but the doors closed right as she reached them, and she couldn’t get on. Sure enough, her grandson didn’t get into that school. Later, he applied to another excellent private junior high, and this time she dreamed the Western Three Sages descended and bathed the area in brilliant light. Her grandson was accepted to that school. After that, every weekend she’d call her three kids to sit in front of the Buddha altar, teach them to pay respects to the Buddha, chant the Buddha’s name, and share simple, age-appropriate explanations of Buddhist teachings with them, so they all learned to practice on their own.

She also told me about one dream where her birth mother was being chased by a group of men for no clear reason, and was about to be killed. She cried out, “Guanyin Bodhisattva, please come quickly and save my mother!” The second she finished speaking, Guanyin Bodhisattva appeared right in front of her mother, and the attacker’s gun was pointed straight at Guanyin instead, so her mother was completely unharmed. My daughter-in-law said she felt heartbroken seeing Guanyin Bodhisattva take on that suffering in her mother’s place. I comforted her, saying, “Guanyin Bodhisattva made the vow to respond to the cries of all suffering beings and save them eons ago. She doesn’t just take on suffering for your mother—she does it for countless other people as well.”

That was all the spiritual responses my daughter-in-law shared with me. A few days later, she traveled to the US for a two-week business trip, and took the chance to visit Hsi Lai Temple to pay her respects to Venerable Master Hsing Yun and take refuge in the Triple Gem. She and my son were deeply grateful to Master Hsing Yun for his immeasurable kindness in establishing such a magnificent Dharma center in the US, giving them the chance to study the Dharma even while living so far from home.

After studying Buddhism at Hsi Lai Temple, my son didn’t just bring the Dharma back into our family—he also used the two or three months he spent on US business trips to share some Buddhist teachings with his sister-in-law and two younger brothers, who live in Los Angeles, and took them to Hsi Lai Temple to listen to Dharma talks. They’d never had any interest in Buddhism before, but after visiting Hsi Lai Temple, they saw how magnificent the Fo Guang Shan temple was, and how much spiritual benefit people could gain from being there. They developed real faith in the Dharma, and now often go to Hsi Lai Temple to join Dharma assemblies and have taken refuge in the Triple Gem. Sometimes when my son was doing business in the US, Americans would ask him about Buddhist principles, and he’d explain them in detail. They were all deeply moved after listening, and said the principles of Buddhism are profound and subtle, far more wonderful than anything they’d encountered in Christianity.

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14. A Dog-Killer Abandons Evil and Turns to Good

More than 20 years ago, my family had a very gentle, well-behaved white male dog. One day, he vanished without a trace. I thought he’d run off to explore somewhere, and searched everywhere for him, but there was no sign of him.

A few days later, a neighbor told me a man from the mainland who lived across the street from her kept several female dogs, which he used to lure other people’s male dogs into his house. He’d tie the dogs to a tree, bludgeon them to death with an axe, then drop them in hot water, carry them to a nearby pond to pluck their fur and rinse them off, and cook the meat to eat. He always killed the dogs before dawn to avoid being caught.

When I heard this, I guessed my dog had probably met the same fate, and I felt devastated. Not long after, the man’s three-year-old son was playing by the pond one day when no one was watching, and accidentally fell in and drowned. The man was beside himself with grief, and beat his chest in anguish. Not long after that, his other son suddenly fell ill and died too, leaving him even more shattered.

After that, his wife often came over to my house to chat, and told me about all the disasters and suffering her family had been through. I felt terrible for her, and wanted to find a way to persuade her husband to stop killing dogs. One day, I asked her, “Your husband has killed dogs before, hasn’t he?” She looked very embarrassed as she replied, “We used to kill dogs in the past, but it wasn’t my husband who did it—it was his friend.”

I told her, “Dogs are incredibly intuitive, empathetic animals. Most people are terrified if they accidentally hit and kill a cat or dog while driving, afraid something unlucky will happen to them. How much worse is it to kill one on purpose? That will definitely bring disaster. Decades ago, during World War II, a relative on my mother’s side used to kill dogs to make dog meat dishes all the time. One night, he was on his way home when he got caught in an air raid and was killed by a bomb. His daughter later went mad and wandered the streets homeless.”

After she heard this, she was horrified, and realized her young sons’ accidental deaths were karmic retribution for the dog-killing. When she got home, she told her husband everything, and he too understood the disaster his own dog-killing had caused. From that point on, he turned over a new leaf and never killed dogs again. After that, when the local temple held a Dharma assembly, I invited the couple to come join us for Buddha worship and a vegetarian meal, and they happily accepted.

Not long after that, her husband went to a Buddhist supply shop downtown and bought a hanging scroll of Guanyin Bodhisattva, which he enshrined in their home and offered incense to every day. At that time, I had only recently taken refuge in Buddhism myself, and didn’t yet have a deep understanding of the Dharma, so I didn’t explain any Buddhist principles to them, nor did I give them any Buddhist books to read (since they were illiterate). But one day, when I stopped by their house, I was shocked to find her husband listening to a Buddhist radio program hosted by a monk. He told me he listened to Buddhist programs every single morning without fail. After that, his wife went on to have two more sons, who are now grown and working to support themselves.

15. Paying Homage at Ciming Temple — Miraculous Responses from Guanyin Bodhisattva

My neighbor, an elderly lady named Qiu Shanwang, is now seventy-three years old. She has kept a strict vegetarian diet for several decades and often visits various temples to worship and make offerings. A few years back, swayed by others and with her resolve wavering, she converted to a different faith and drifted away from Buddhism. Toward the end of the fifty-ninth year of the Republic, she fell seriously ill and was confined to bed. The doctors were at a loss; they saw no hope for her recovery.

She later learned that I would be going to Ciming Temple in Taichung at the start of the following year to pay my respects to my teacher, Venerable Shengyin, and to help with some Buddhist affairs. She then prayed to Guanyin Bodhisattva and made a vow: if her illness were cured, she would come with me to Ciming Temple to pay homage to the seven-zhang-tall Guanyin image and to the Guanyin enshrined in the Yuantong Treasure Hall. A few days later, a miracle happened — her body recovered rapidly. On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, in high spirits, she set out with us for Taichung's Ciming Temple.

On the morning of departure, around three in the morning, while she was still fast asleep, she suddenly caught the fragrance of something being fried. She woke her daughter beside her at once and said, "That must be our neighbor Cichao getting up to make spring rolls, right? We'd better get up too." After rising, though, she noticed there was no sound of cooking coming from my kitchen. When I got up around five to prepare breakfast, she asked, "Did you get up around three to fry spring rolls or cook anything?" "No, not at all," I replied. She looked puzzled: "That's strange — why can I smell fried spring rolls?" I, too, was baffled. We had gone to sleep late the night before, and I had only just gotten up. Where on earth could that fragrance be coming from?

That day at Ciming Temple, she took refuge in the Three Jewels and commissioned a Guanyin Bodhisattva statue. She stayed at the temple for five days before heading home. On the night of her return, just before sleep, she smelled fried spring rolls once more. When she told me about it, the meaning was clear: Guanyin Bodhisattva had been manifesting a miracle so the old lady would know. She keeps a Guanyin Bodhisattva enshrined at home too, and honors it daily with incense rings and fresh flowers. If the Bodhisattva had chosen some other fragrance — say, the scent of incense or flowers — the old lady might never have noticed. As she put it, "I smelled that fragrance both going to and coming back from Ciming Temple, as if the Bodhisattva were manifesting her power to lead me there and bring me safely home."

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Dharma sister Xiao Mei, now fifty-three, lives in Beishewei, Chiayi City. She and I share the same teacher and are close friends. A few years back, she confided a worry to me: her daughter-in-law had been married for many years, was gentle and virtuous, and the couple got along well — and yet, sadly, they still had no children. She had gone from temple to temple praying for a child, but had received no response, and didn't know what else to do. I suggested she go to Ciming Temple to pray. "I believe you'll get a response there," I said. "I've heard others speak of how wonderfully responsive the Guanyin Bodhisattva at Ciming Temple is. There was a young blind masseur, for instance — a devout Buddhist who often went there to worship Guanyin. Such was his sincerity that the Bodhisattva was moved. One day he asked his master to chant sutras for him, and gradually his sight returned. He can even ride a bicycle now. Isn't that extraordinary?"

A few days later, Xiao Mei invited me to go with her to Ciming Temple in Taichung to pray to Guanyin Bodhisattva. After generously contributing toward the cost of a jeweled canopy, she explained her intention to the master. With a smile, he teased her: "Oh! You want to become a grandmother as soon as possible, is that it?" "Yes, Master. What should I do to make it happen?" The master took out a necklace inlaid with an image of Guanyin Bodhisattva and said, "Take this home and have your daughter-in-law wear it. Next year she'll give you a boy." Xiao Mei did exactly that — she brought the necklace home and gave it to her daughter-in-law to wear. Strangely enough, the following year her daughter-in-law gave birth to a lovely boy, who is now four; after that she had a second son, equally adorable. All of this has only deepened my sense of the unfathomable power of Guanyin Bodhisattva and the profound virtue of my teacher.

The Ultimate Destination

According to eminent monks and great teachers, Chan Master Huangbo had been ordained for thirty years and had attained considerable realization. Yet his mother never grasped the truth of the supreme path, and her longing for her son was so intense that she cried herself blind. Her son had a mole on the sole of his foot, so whenever she met a monk, she would invite him home, draw water, and wash his feet — hoping that one day, by feeling for that mole, she would find her child. After a long search with no result, she was deeply disheartened. When thirty years had passed, Chan Master Huangbo returned home. He had assumed that after so long his mother would no longer think of him, but nothing had changed. Realizing that her attachment would likely keep her from seeing through worldly conditions and escaping the suffering of birth and death, he dared not reveal his identity.

That night, his mother drew water and washed his feet. He let her wash the same foot twice, so she failed to notice anything amiss. The next day, when he was about to leave, a neighbor saw him and told his mother. She ran after him, but blind as she was, she couldn't see the path; she chased on until she reached the river and fell in. Chan Master Huangbo saw her fall and turned back to save her, but it was too late — she had already drowned. Overcome with grief, he spoke at that moment:

"When one son leaves home, nine generations ascend to heaven; if they do not ascend, the Buddhas' words would be false."

Later, as he cremated her body and lit the pyre, he spoke again:

"My mother lost sight of her true nature for many years; now the blossoms open in the bodhi forest. If in years to come we meet at the three assemblies, we take refuge in Great Compassionate Guanyin."

This means that his mother was caught in the cycle of birth and death because she had lost sight of her true nature; now the blossoms have opened in the bodhi forest, and if they meet again at the three Dragon Flower Assemblies of the future, they will take refuge together in Great Compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva. As soon as he finished speaking, his mother appeared in the sky, her body transformed from female to male, and rose into heaven.

These events are worth pondering deeply. Cultivating the Buddhist path is not something one attains in a day. In society today there is a religion that preaches enlightenment in this very body. Yet I still believe that in our age of the decline of the Dharma, apart from practicing the nianfo (Buddha-recitation) method and praying to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, hoping merely to become a Buddha in this body is unlikely to be realized. Moreover, Chan Master Huangbo's mother — with only ordinary fleshly eyes — could not see the Buddha's light. It was only after her death that she saw the light of her son's innate wisdom, and the blossoms of the bodhi forest had indeed opened.

As for his words — "If in years to come we meet at the three assemblies, we take refuge in Great Compassionate Guanyin" — this can be understood as follows: if an ordinary person wishes to attain Buddhahood, they must ensure that their ancestors, relatives, family, friends, and even past karmic creditors all have a chance to be saved. Only then can the pure karma of the supreme path be fulfilled. So we must devote ourselves to the great compassionate vow of Guanyin Bodhisattva, cultivate the same vast compassion, apply great wisdom to walking the bodhisattva path, and heed the cries of suffering to offer relief. When this stage is reached, one can ferry sentient beings across, free them from karmic retribution, and arrive at the supreme state of luminous awakening.

Guanyin Bodhisattva possesses the wondrous merit of the thirty-two responsive bodies. She can sow seeds of the bodhisattva nature in the field of the eighth consciousness of all sentient beings. Watered by the sweet rain of the Dharma, these seeds gradually sprout and grow; when conditions ripen, they become emanations of Guanyin Bodhisattva. At that time, all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, along with the hosts of heavenly deities, will watch over them unseen and aid them in spreading the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings. Clearly, Guanyin Bodhisattva's great vow is for everyone to become a living bodhisattva, building a pure and majestic Pure Land.

Furthermore, Guanyin Bodhisattva's dharma body pervades every corner of the world. The many charitable groups in society, for instance, who devote themselves to relieving the world's suffering — their deeds are no different from the emanations of Guanyin Bodhisattva. So too are devout lay practitioners who protect the Three Jewels' monasteries and encourage others to take refuge. Yet when Guanyin Bodhisattva manifests in the human world, she does so for those with affinity; those without must be cultivated further, or saved through the great vow-power of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Hence the monastics of our time who hold vast vows, spread the Dharma, and work to liberate beings are themselves emanations of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Today, many such monastics have vowed that through countless eons to come, lifetime after lifetime, they will be born into the human world, appearing in the pure and majestic form of the sangha, to deliver sentient beings, free them from karmic retribution, and reach the supreme state of luminous awakening. Hard and long though the bodhisattva path they tread may be, its accomplishment surpasses that of all other bodhisattvas. Each time such a bodhisattva is born into the world, the Buddhas, the bodhisattvas, and the gods of the eight classes of celestial beings protect him, turning danger into safety and helping him fulfill his vow to liberate beings. Moreover, in ages past Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva received the devoted entrustment of our teacher Sakyamuni Buddha to carry on the Dharma. For instance, at the ceremony of laypeople taking refuge in the Three Jewels, the officiant declares, "From this moment you have taken refuge in our teacher Sakyamuni Buddha as your guide." This shows that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva devotes himself entirely to assisting Sakyamuni Buddha, at any cost.

Therefore, as Buddhist disciples, we should support the monasteries of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva — the pure sangha communities which are also the Dharma halls of the Three Jewels. Guanyin Bodhisattva's task, for her part, is to protect these halls so that the pure waters of the Dharma continue flowing on, and to encourage people to practice nianfo and seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Her home is, after all, the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss — she is the great bodhisattva at the side of Amitabha Buddha.

It is therefore mistaken to think that simply giving money to help others accumulate merit is enough. True, donating with such a mind may bring wealth and status in the next life, but once wealthy, one often forgets to keep cultivating merit, and may even misuse power to do evil. Some fall into the hells and are unable to escape the round of rebirth. In short, what Guanyin Bodhisattva truly hopes for is that everyone will practice nianfo and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss — that is the true ultimate destination.

Reprinted in the fourth month of the 82nd year of the Republic (April 1993)
Recorded in reverence by Lin Cichao, lay Buddhist disciple and recipient of the Bodhisattva Precepts

Record of Miraculous Responses from the Guanyin Seven-Day Dharma Assembly

Yuanfu Temple, my local temple in Chiayi, holds a grand Guanyin Seven-Day Dharma Assembly every year during the second lunar month to mark the birthday of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. The tradition is now ten years running, and I have attended every year, staying overnight at the temple to set aside all worldly concerns and chant the holy name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with full sincerity. I have received a response every time, and I will briefly record these experiences below. The assembly runs from 5 a.m. on the 13th day of the second lunar month through the 19th.

I remember my first year, ten years ago. After we circumambulated the hall chanting “Namo Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva” for a time, we returned to our seats, sat cross-legged on our cushions and continued chanting the holy name of Guanyin Bodhisattva before entering the formal period of silence. Right then, I saw a bright red light, radiant as the sun, appear before my eyes. My body and mind felt utterly clear and pure, and the vision lasted for quite a while.

Another time, at the 7:30 p.m. assembly, I saw that the Dabei Hall (where we held the assembly in earlier years), though small, was packed with tens of millions of attendees. After a while, they lined up and filed out of the hall, crossing a footbridge to leave.

Meals during the assembly, both breakfast and lunch, were formal monastic-style meals, so we recited the Offering Mantra before eating. As we did, I saw countless people in the dining hall wearing haiqing (traditional lay Buddhist robes), seated as if they had come to receive the offerings.

These were the responses I received at my first assembly, and I took them as a sign that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions, along with the devas, nagas, and gods of the Eight Legions, had all come to bless and protect the Dharma site.

In later years, when I returned to the assembly, I no longer saw the sun-like red light. Instead, a round white light would appear before me, spinning steadily as we chanted the holy name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Inside the light were countless people, all wearing haiqing. This wondrous vision lasted until we entered the period of silence, ended the silence, and continued chanting for a while longer before fading away.

In recent years, when I attend the 5 a.m. first incense session of the assembly, I see a water realm like the ocean appear before me, perfectly clear without a single hint of impurity. My heart feels profoundly cool and refreshed, as if I am standing in a world of lapis lazuli. This vision only appears during the 5 a.m. first incense session, and never at other times. Over time, I came to understand that this must be the sweet dew water flowing from the precious vase in Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s hand. I also see it as the merit water generated by the collective practice of the head monk, all the Dharma masters, and the many Lotus Friends in attendance, for the power of group practice is far greater than that of individual practice.

This year (the 82nd year of the Republic of China), I had planned to skip the Guanyin Seven-Day Dharma Assembly. My husband retired from his civil service job two years ago, and his body and legs have grown stiff, making it hard for him to get around; his condition made it impossible for me to leave to attend the assembly. Fortunately, Zhang Ruifeng (36) of Ruifeng Rice Shop, his mother Zhang Zhengmei (55), his wife Lin Chunxiu (31), and their neighbor Zheng Ali (43) all offered to help me so I could participate. Every day at noon, when the morning session ended, they would drive me home to prepare lunch and take care of other errands, then drive me back to Yuanfu Temple for the afternoon sessions.

But I could see they were all busy running their businesses during the day, and they also had to attend the 5 a.m. first incense session and the 7:30 p.m. assembly, so I tried to turn down their offer. They refused to take no for an answer, though, and said they wanted to sit next to me during the assembly to push themselves to practice more diligently. Touched by their sincerity, I finally agreed, and stayed at Yuanfu Temple alongside Zhang Zhengmei for the duration of the assembly. After that, Lin Chunxiu and Zheng Ali accompanied me to all the morning and evening sessions, while Zhang Zhengmei stayed with me during the day. Their support let me focus even more intently on my practice, and immerse myself in Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s pure vow realm. As a result, I was still able to see the Bodhisattva’s light and sweet dew during the assembly, just as I had in past years. They took turns driving me to and from the temple every day.

On the fourth morning of the assembly, around 4 a.m., Zheng Ali ran up to find me on the third floor of Yuanfu Temple, breathless with excitement. “Last night I dreamed of you, Auntie,” she said. “You were wearing a beautiful dress and a blue headscarf, looking radiant and graceful, drifting like a celestial being. You came into my room and called, ‘Ali, get up quick!’” I jolted awake immediately when I heard her, looked at the clock, and saw it was exactly 4:10 a.m. I got dressed quickly and went to Yuanfu Temple for the 5 a.m. assembly.

I was shocked to hear her story, too. I wondered if the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and Dharma protectors had reached into the unseen realm to rouse her, so she would understand what a rare and precious assembly this is: one that helps us end the cycle of birth and death and transcend the three realms. Human life is full of suffering, empty and impermanent — it is no different from a stormy sea. Turning back to the Dharma is the only shore.

Zhang Ruifeng’s mother, Zhang Zhengmei, practiced diligently throughout the assembly, chanting the holy name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva constantly. I first met her about two years ago, when I invited her to help at Yuanfu Temple. She came to clean and organize the dormitory rooms and assist with various tasks, and never turned down any work. She worked quickly and energetically, so the monastics at the temple always welcomed her. She had never stayed overnight at Yuanfu Temple before, and told me she hoped she would get the chance to stay for the assembly if it was held again in the future.

Time passed quickly, and the assembly was drawing to a close. I had barely rested in days, and had been getting up around 3 a.m. each morning to go to the dormitory corridor to chant and practice, so I was growing increasingly tired. Still, I did not slacken my practice. Once, during the 9:20 a.m. third incense session, when we had all entered the period of silence, I suddenly noticed a young Dharma sister holding a bowl of mixed vegetables. She used chopsticks to pick up some longevity greens and placed them into the bowl I held, then vanished in an instant. When I looked down, I saw my bowl was already filled with several different dishes. After that, five or six more young Dharma sisters appeared one by one, each carrying a bowl of vegetarian food, walking over to add more to my bowl. I did not recognize any of them. This wondrous vision lasted until we ended the period of silence and finished chanting the holy name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, then faded away.

That evening, Zhang Ruifeng came to join us as soon as he was able. He explained that his business had been too busy for him to attend earlier in the week, but since the Three-Period Contemplation Dharma Assembly was scheduled for the next afternoon, he had closed his shop early to come. His wife Lin Chunxiu had arranged for his seat to be placed next to mine. He had been praying for Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva to sprinkle purifying sweet dew on him. As we sat in silence chanting the holy name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, a vast, ocean-like water realm appeared before me, breathtaking in its scale.

After the assembly ended, Zhang Ruifeng turned to me and asked, “Auntie, did Guanyin Bodhisattva sprinkle purifying water for me? You must have seen it.” I told him about the wondrous vision I had witnessed during the period of silence, and said, “You have already received the purifying sweet dew from Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.” When he heard this, he said he was overjoyed, filled with Dharma bliss.

Later, I asked Ali and Chunxiu if they had had any special experiences. Ali said: “When everyone was sitting quietly chanting the holy name of Guanyin Bodhisattva, the lights in the hall were suddenly turned off. Then I saw a bright beam of light shining directly onto my head, leaving a warm feeling on my forehead. Later, during the period of silence, my body and mind felt like they were floating in mid-air. It was very comfortable, but I also felt scared that I might fall suddenly, so I started trembling without meaning to.”

I asked her again, “Did you see a pure water realm at the time?” She shook her head. “I only took refuge in the Three Jewels less than two years ago — I haven’t been practicing long enough to see something like that. But Lin Jinxing, who lives near me, attended several sessions of the assembly. Later she told me that when the lights were turned off during the sessions, she saw patches of golden light shimmering and flickering, until the whole Dharma hall seemed to glow from the light.”

These are all the responses I have received from attending the Guanyin Seven-Day Dharma Assembly. Finally, I offer my deepest, most heartfelt thanks to Abbot Yiyan of Yuanfu Temple, all the Dharma masters who organized this rare and precious assembly for us, and the many Lotus Friends who offered their help and encouragement. I extend my gratitude to each and every one of them.

Recorded in April of the 82nd year of the Republic of China, by Lin Cichao

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“The Sutra of the Prophecy Bestowed upon Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva”

“Countless, incalculable kalpas from now, after Amitabha Buddha passes into nirvana, there will be sentient beings who never see the Buddha. But there will be bodhisattvas who attain the samadhi of Buddha-mindfulness, and who see Amitabha Buddha constantly. Even after the Buddha’s passing, all the precious treasures, bathing pools, lotuses, and rows of jewel trees will continuously teach the Dharma, no different from when the Buddha was still present. When the True Dharma is on the verge of disappearing, in the middle watch of the night, just as dawn breaks, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva will attain unexcelled, perfect enlightenment, and take the name Samanta-prabha-aisvarya-parvata-rāja Tathāgata (King of the Mountain of Merit and Light). The splendor and adornment of his Buddha-land cannot be fully described even if all the Buddhas spoke of it for as many kalpas as there are grains of sand in the Ganges. The splendor of the Golden Light Lion Land cannot compare to the Buddha-land of the King of Merit Mountain, which surpasses all measure. In that Buddha-land, there are not even the names of shravakas or pratyekabuddhas — only bodhisattvas fill the land, which is named the ‘Realm of All Jewels and Adornment.’ When Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s lifespan reaches its end, he will use his spiritual powers to cause all gathered there to see countless Buddhas of the ten directions, each of whom will bestow a prophecy of enlightenment upon him.”

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The Vow Verse of Manjushri Bodhisattva

“May all obstacles be dispelled when my life ends, that I may behold Amitabha face to face and be reborn in the Land of Peace and Joy. Born in that Buddha-land, all my great vows will be fulfilled, and Amitabha Tathāgata will bestow the prophecy of enlightenment upon me directly.”

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Ancient Worthies Said: “Chanting the Buddha’s name, every person can become a Buddha; whether busy or at leisure, active or at rest, do not let your practice waver. When your chanting reaches the state of one-pointed, undivided mind, the home of sentient beings becomes the home of the Dharma Kings.”

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The single phrase of Amitabha is the king of all Dharma; even if scattered thoughts fly about, it is no hindrance. Ten thousand miles of floating clouds may veil the red sun, yet light still spills over the human world in abundance.

Do not cling to this world of suffering and forget your true home; awaken quickly and prepare provisions for your journey. If you wait until King Yama sends his summons, it will be too late to think of practice.

When your lifespan ends, the light of your life fades; all the splendor before your eyes vanishes in an instant. Do not greedily chase the five desires on this dangerous path; Amitabha waits day and night for his children to return to him.

Do not cling to this foul, decaying body as if it were your true self; you are made of all sorts of impurities — what is this thing you call ‘self’? If serious illness strikes like an arrow piercing your body, when all the pains of suffering gather together, how can you bear to sleep?

If you do not practice diligently in this life, you are like a tree without roots; pluck flowers and set them in the sun, and how long can they stay fresh? Human life is the same: impermanence arrives in a single fleeting moment. I urge all who walk the path to practice diligently, to seek the supreme, true way.

The river of desire has waves a thousand feet high, the sea of suffering has waves ten thousand fathoms deep. If you wish to escape the suffering of samsara, chant Amitabha without delay.

Wealth and honor for your children and grandchildren are for them to seek; do not waste your life as a beast of burden for their sake. Half a lifetime of toil, half a lifetime of suffering; one year of business, one year of worry. The karmic offenses you accumulate pile up like account books; all your scheming wears you out and turns your hair white. If your children and grandchildren do not grow into good people, not even ten thousand mu of fields and gardens will stay in your family.

1. Two things are hard to come by in this world: reaching heaven is hard, and asking others for favors is even harder.
2. Two kinds of suffering exist in the human world: goldthread grass is bitter, but poverty is even more bitter.
3. Two perils exist in society: the rivers and lakes are perilous, but the human heart is even more perilous.
4. Two things are thin in this world: paper is thin, but human feelings are even thinner.

If a person is willing to become a Buddha, and holds the thought of Amitabha in their mind, the Buddha will manifest in response right away. This is why I take refuge in him. Whoever mindfully remembers this Buddha gains immeasurable power and merit, and will immediately enter samadhi. This is why I chant his name constantly.

“If you have Chan practice but no Pure Land practice, nine out of ten practitioners will lose their way. When the dark realms of the afterlife appear before them, they will follow them in an instant. If you have no Chan practice but have Pure Land practice, ten thousand practitioners will all be reborn in the Pure Land. Once you behold Amitabha, what worry is there that you will not awaken? If you have both Chan and Pure Land practice, you are like a tiger with horns: a teacher to humans in this life, a Buddha or patriarch in the next. If you have neither Chan nor Pure Land, you will face iron beds and copper pillars in the afterlife, with no one to rely on for ten thousand kalpas and a thousand lifetimes.”

The Western Pure Land cannot be attained by casual, scattered good deeds. The suffering of birth and death that lasts for ten thousand kalpas cannot be escaped through laziness and indolence.

“Prosperity and wealth are like a dream in the middle of the night; riches and honor are like the frost of the ninth month. Old age, sickness, and death — who can take these from you? Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy: you must bear every taste yourself. Delicacies from mountain and sea, how much can you eat in a day? Mansions with a thousand rooms, how much space do you need to sleep at night? In the end, when it comes to your own birth and death, who can take your place?”

“Do not wait until you are old to learn the Way; most lonely graves belong to the young.”

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The Transmission of Faith

The Buddhist Affinity My Mother Planted in Me

When I, Nishihara Yuichi, was in grade school, my mother, Lin Cichao, had already taken up a lifelong vegetarian practice. For every festival and major household worship, she offered only clear tea, fruit, and vegetarian dishes, living a quiet, unadorned life. At the time, though, the faith she practiced was not yet Buddhism. She first encountered the Dharma when she and a few neighbors went to the local Buddhist association to hear a Dharma Master lecture on the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch.

The Dharma Master was speaking about the time before Bodhidharma, the Twenty-Eighth Patriarch, left home to practice: he had been the third prince in the imperial palace. One day, the Twenty-Seventh Patriarch came to the palace. He first asked the eldest prince: "What do you think is the most precious thing in the world?" The eldest prince replied, "I believe gold, silver, and material treasures are the most precious, for with them one can enjoy every comfort and luxury." The Twenty-Seventh Patriarch then asked the second prince, who gave the exact same answer as his elder brother: gold, silver, and treasures were the greatest treasure. Only when he turned to the third prince did he receive a different reply: "I think the most precious thing in the world is human wisdom." The Twenty-Seventh Patriarch pressed him: "Why is that?" The third prince answered, "For only with wisdom can one assess the true value of gold, silver, and treasures, and give rise to all phenomena." Hearing this, the Twenty-Seventh Patriarch passed him the robe and alms bowl, and he became the Twenty-Eighth Patriarch.

Later, Bodhidharma traveled east to China. Hearing that Emperor Wu of Liang was celebrated for his deep virtue and high standing, he sought to transmit to him the essence of the True Dharma Eye Treasury. But Emperor Wu’s first question to Bodhidharma was: "In my life I have performed many good deeds. How much merit do you suppose I have accumulated?" Bodhidharma replied, "None at all. The good deeds you have done bring worldly blessings, not true merit." The Emperor pressed: "Then what counts as true merit?" Bodhidharma said, "The perfectly luminous, still nature of your own mind — that is true merit." Emperor Wu could not grasp this meaning, so Bodhidharma left right away. A true Patriarch’s cultivation must reach the state of spontaneously radiating the bright light of innate wisdom, so as not to delay the critical work of liberating sentient beings from birth and death. Doing good works is certainly worthwhile, but we must go further: deeply study the profound essence of the Great Vehicle Bodhisattva path, work to liberate all beings, and guide them to full, final liberation.

This was the teaching my mother first heard upon entering the gateway of Buddhism, and she was deeply moved. Before long, she took refuge in the Three Jewels and became a disciple of authentic faith. Later, my mother often went to the Buddhist association to help with all kinds of tasks, working alongside her Dharma friends to organize activities for spreading the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings. She helped found a Buddhist Youth Association, set up a Buddhist library, and ran ongoing Buddhist lecture series. For her tireless enthusiasm, she was elected deputy head of the Youth Association and a board member of the Buddhist association.

After that, my mother often chartered buses with her Dharma friends to travel to Fo Guang Shan, where they would stay overnight and join Dharma services. Each time, she experienced extraordinary miraculous responses. She also took joy in participating in ceremonies at Fo Guang Shan’s branch temples. For example, when Hsi Lai Temple in the U.S.—a Fo Guang Shan branch—held its opening ceremony and the Three-Platform Full Precept ordination, my mother stayed at the temple for 35 days. In addition to helping with daily temple tasks, she used her time to attend various ceremonies and received the lay Bodhisattva precepts. During one ceremony, she saw a vast sphere of circular light appear before her eyes, spinning continuously. Within that radiance were countless people in black haiqing robes, standing in neat rows to take part in the ceremony. My mother understood that this was the gathering of beings from all dharma realms: through the auspicious conditions of this grand ceremony, the various spirits and lonely souls had received the blessing of liberation and been reborn in the supreme pure land of light. She had these wondrous visions not only at Hsi Lai Temple, but also at Fo Guang Shan, Chiayi’s Yuan-Fu Temple, and Taipei’s Pu-Men Temple whenever she attended ceremonies there.

Years passed in the blink of an eye. More than twenty years had gone by since my mother first started going to Fo Guang Shan for ceremonies, and in that time she had countless miraculous responses, far too many to recount in full. For over twenty years, my mother’s daily practice was to wake at around 3 a.m., during the quietest hours of the night, and recite the Buddha’s name with single-pointed focus. She would keep going until just before dawn, then head outside to exercise while continuing her recitation. Whenever Taiwan suffered a drought, my mother would intensify her Buddha recitation to pray for rain. Sometimes she would stay overnight at Yuan-Fu Temple, reciting through the night without sleep, and her prayers were always answered. When torrential rains caused flooding, she also used the power of her recitation to pray for the rain to stop. My mother said, "Praying for rain is the hardest thing. A drought is like an invisible fire — you can only put it out with the cool, merit-filled waters of the Buddha Dharma."

Two years ago, when war was looming in the Middle East, my mother prayed with deep grief and concern. But the war broke out anyway. She kept waking at 3 a.m. to recite the Buddha’s name and pray for peace. After two or three days, though, she suddenly came down with chills, fever, and diarrhea, and grew so weak she could not even get out of bed to practice. She realized this was not something she could resolve through her own efforts alone, so she stopped her prayers. But from TV reports she saw the war growing more and more devastating: bombs had set fire to countless oil wells, and if the fighting continued, it would throw the global economy into chaos. My mother gathered her courage and tried again. Instead of rising at 3 a.m., she began waking at 1 a.m. to practice. She would sit in meditation and recite the Buddha’s name until dawn, never feeling drowsy. She kept this up for more than 30 days, and each morning she saw golden auspicious clouds fill the sky, slowly turning to white. Only when she heard the war had ended did she finally feel a little at ease.

Having grown up under Japan’s education system, my mother could not read Chinese at all at first. As the verse goes: "I take refuge in the Dharma, vowing that all sentient beings may deeply enter the Sutra Treasury and gain wisdom as vast as the ocean." After encountering the Buddha Dharma, she went anywhere she could to hear Dharma Masters explain and expound on the sutras. She also shared whatever small pieces of Dharma understanding she had with relatives and friends. Whenever she had a spiritual experience, she would try to write it down, but at first she struggled to write in Chinese and had to ask her children to edit her essays. I was in middle school at the time, and I found editing her work extremely difficult. I often put it off, but I eventually managed to help her get her writings published as books. Those that sold over 100,000 copies included Miraculous Responses of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Miraculous Responses of Guanyin Bodhisattva, The Eternal Radiance of the Bodhisattva Path, and Miraculous Experiences in Learning Buddhism. My own foundation of correct understanding and right view of Buddhism was built through editing her articles. As my mother immersed herself more deeply in the Sutra Treasury and opened her wisdom, her writing grew so polished it no longer needed any edits. With no more of her work to revise, I had to turn to studying the Sutra Treasury myself. But during my nearly 20 years living in Japan, Fo Guang Shan had no temple there, and I had barely any opportunities to hear the Dharma.

But as the old saying goes, "Where the mind is focused, even metal and stone will yield." Eight years ago, my work required me to travel frequently to the U.S. for business, and I lived in Los Angeles on and off for several years. My greatest joy was being able to attend the Sunday group practice services at White Stupa Temple. When I occasionally had to travel to other states for work, I always tried to schedule my trips for days other than Sunday. But starting four years ago, my U.S. business trips grew less and less frequent, and so did my chances to hear the Dharma. I talked with my wife, Nishihara Chiga, about finding a larger home with a small room where friends and family could come to pay homage to the Buddha on weekends and holidays. As soon as this wish arose in our minds, we found a plot of land near Eifukucho Station in an upscale Tokyo residential neighborhood.

My wife happened to be in Los Angeles on business when Hsi Lai Temple was hosting a Dharma talk by the Grand Master. She raised her hand and volunteered to ask that Fo Guang Shan open a temple in Tokyo. The Grand Master replied immediately: "You are very important. Please leave your name and address." After the talk, having lived in Japan for years, she did not know that the Grand Master’s refuge ceremonies in Taiwan drew tens of thousands of people — she thought taking refuge was a small, one-on-one master-disciple ceremony. She actually asked the Grand Master personally to give her refuge, and to her surprise, the compassionate Grand Master agreed right away, and performed a refuge ceremony for her alone on the spot. When I explained the situation to her afterward, she was deeply moved and vowed to devote her whole life to serving Fo Guang Shan.

Early last year, I read in the Awakening the World weekly that the Grand Master had founded the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) in Taipei that February. Chapters soon opened all over in response. My wife kept urging me to go to Fo Guang Shan to ask the Grand Master to set up a BLIA chapter in Japan. I thought to myself: every time the Grand Master returned to Taiwan, he was busy traveling to spread the Dharma, with thousands of people at every event — how could he possibly have time to meet with me? But to my surprise, last August I went to Fo Guang Shan and shared this wish with Venerable Yi-Yao, who reported it to the Grand Master that same night when he returned from Taipei. The Grand Master immediately instructed that he would see me the next day during a break in the Sangha offering ceremony at Manjushri Hall. At the time, he was the guest of honor at an event with over 2,000 monastics in attendance. On the spot, he promised that when he came to Tokyo that October at the invitation of the Asahi Shimbun to give a Dharma talk, he would formally establish the Tokyo BLIA chapter, and told me to start preparing right away.

Living in Japan, my daily work mostly put me in touch with Japanese circles, and I had few connections to overseas Chinese or student groups. I didn’t even know where to start. Fortunately, Ms. Meng Ziyan, who worked at the Association of East Asian Relations, introduced me to a network of kind supporters: Ms. Wu Shu-e, vice president of the Overseas Chinese Women’s Association; Ms. Liu Xiu-ren, vice president of the Chinese United Association; Mr. Chen Yi-min, president of Shangteng Trading Company; Mr. Ye Guo-rong of the Zhongshan Society; Ms. Xie Zhang-fang of China Airlines; Mr. Lin Jia-tian, head of the Tokyo branch of Tatung Corporation; and many others. With their generous help, I learned about the current landscape of the overseas Chinese and academic communities. I also received tremendous support from Venerable Yong-chuan, then studying at Komazawa University, and Venerable Yong-zhi, then studying at Taisho University. They helped put up posters, address envelopes, and hand out notices at the National Day celebration and the Chinese school’s garden party. Within about a month, we got everything organized, and successfully held the inaugural ceremony of the Tokyo BLIA on October 27, presided over personally by Venerable Master Hsing Yun.

Today, the Tokyo BLIA has 150 full members and nearly 500 associate members. Every Sunday, we hold group practice services led by Venerable Yong-lun. We also run a Fo Guang nursery, children’s English classes, flower arrangement classes, Japanese classes, and Chinese classes. A chanting support group made up of several dozen young bodhisattvas has already assisted with two chanting sessions. On October 10, they went to a Japanese devotee’s home to support a chanting for the deceased, and the responses and Dharma joy they experienced are something only participants can truly understand. In regular group practice, Buddha recitation is just one part of our routine. But during chanting support, we must help the departed being reborn in the pure land of light in a single session. Being able to establish this orthodox Buddhist center in Tokyo is, I know, thanks to the guidance of Fo Guang Shan’s Venerable Master Hsing Yun and his great vow power. The Buddhist path places the highest value on the tangible record of cause, condition, and effect. My mother’s years of devout practice and steadfast support of Three Jewels temples have been a huge influence, but without the Grand Master’s great vow to embrace this effort, my wish could never have been realized. I offer my most sincere, deepest gratitude to Venerable Master Hsing Yun and all the Fo Guang Shan Dharma Masters who have spared no effort to come here and spread the Dharma.

Japan, too, once had a golden age when the entire nation was devoted to Buddhism. The following Buddhist-related historical events are recorded in Japanese middle school history textbooks:

(1) During the reign of Prince Shotoku, he issued the "Seventeen-Article Constitution," the second article of which instructed people to sincerely make offerings to the Three Jewels — the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha — to attain immeasurable merit.

(2) In the Muromachi period, the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu ruled the country and built Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion), a majestic temple covered entirely in gold leaf. Later, when Ashikaga Yoshimasa took power as shogun, he built Ginkaku-ji (the Silver Pavilion), leaving behind a magnificent temple covered in silver leaf for future generations.

(3) During the reign of Emperor Shomu, the emperor noticed that many monks in Japan wore the robes of renunciants outwardly, but had no true spiritual aspiration and their conduct had degenerated. Many farmers and poor people even took monastic vows just to avoid taxes and forced labor. The root of the problem was that Japan had no formal Three-Platform full precept ordination system at the time. The emperor therefore sent several monks to sail to Tang China to study, with the primary goal of finding a virtuous precept master to come to Japan and transmit the precepts. It took them nine years before they finally met Venerable Jianzhen (Ganjin), who agreed to travel to Japan to give the ordination. The journey from China to Japan required crossing vast open seas by boat, and many people had unfortunately perished at sea along the way. The Chinese government had even banned its people from making overseas voyages, and since Venerable Jianzhen was a revered high monk considered a national treasure, the government refused to let him risk the dangerous journey. Under these circumstances, they had no choice but to attempt a secret crossing. This failed five times, and Venerable Jianzhen lost his sight in both eyes. But his resolve to go to Japan and transmit the precepts remained unshakable. He attempted a sixth secret crossing, and finally fulfilled his wish, arriving in Japan. He was warmly welcomed by both the Japanese government and the Buddhist community. A precept platform was then established in the Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji. Emperor Shomu was the first to ascend the platform and receive the Bodhisattva precepts, followed by the empress dowager, and more than 430 monks received the full monastic precepts. From that point on, the government no longer recognized anyone as a legitimate monk who had not formally received the full precepts, and such people were expelled from monasteries. Through Venerable Jianzhen’s tireless efforts to travel to Japan and transmit the precepts, he rescued the degenerate Japanese Buddhist community and restored its true character. From the time of his first failed voyage to his final arrival, twelve years had passed. During that time, 36 of his companions lost their lives, and more than 200 dropped out along the way. In the end, only three people remained by his side to the very end. Venerable Jianzhen finally passed away peacefully in his quarters at Toshodai-ji, facing west, bringing to a close his life of turbulent waves. He was 76 years old.

In the 10th century, a monk named Genshin wrote The Essentials of Rebirth, in which he taught: "In the age of declining Dharma, anyone who recites the holy name of Amitabha Buddha will, at the time of death, be welcomed and guided by Amitabha Buddha and the assembly of sages to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss." This teaching was widely embraced by the nobility, and many devoted themselves sincerely to Pure Land practice.

These historical accounts show just how deep and far-reaching the karmic connection is between Japan and Chinese Buddhism. Sadly, in modern times, the rise of many other religions in Japan has made it impossible to recapture the former vibrancy of Buddhist temples. Many overseas Chinese living in Japan now hope to see a traditional Chinese Buddhist temple built there, where the solemn Three-Platform Full Precept ceremony can be held, giving them and Japanese devotees the opportunity to enter a Chinese monastic setting and learn the authentic teachings of Buddhism.

Transfer of Merit Verse

May I be free of all obstructions at the time of my passing; May Amitabha Buddha come from afar to welcome me. May Guanyin sprinkle the nectar of compassion upon my head, And Dashizhi set my feet upon a golden dais.

In a single instant, I shall leave the five defilements behind; In the time it takes to bend and stretch an arm, I shall arrive at the Lotus Pool. When the lotus bloom unfolds, I shall behold the Compassionate One, And hear the Dharma face to face, clear and unobscured.

Having heard it, I shall awaken to the patience of non-arising; Without leaving the Pure Land of Peaceful Nurturing, I shall return to the Saha world. With skillful means and wisdom, I shall liberate all sentient beings, And skillfully turn worldly toil into Buddha-work.

May the Buddha know this vow of mine, And may I ultimately attain full accomplishment.