A Father's Journey to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Zhao Shanliu, who sought Spiritual Deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his transition from the ancestral tablets to the Western Pure Land. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxin, on April 22, 2022.

Zhao Shanliu speaks:

"I press my palms together, kneeling on the ground, to express my deepest gratitude to the compassionate Namo Amituofo, and to Practitioner Su. Zhao Shanliu has finally arrived at the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss! That name, 'Zhao Shanliu,' is something I leave behind in the human world. My spirit is now shimmering with brilliant golden light, completely integrated into the magnificent, breathtaking scenery of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am smiling—a smile that is incredibly pure and serene. There are no burdens from the human world left upon me; I feel entirely refreshed, clear-headed, and invigorated.

A Message to My Son

My son, in the human world, I was your father, but now I have become a Buddha in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Son, you must be happy for your father.

Before I arrived at this Buddha-land, I was lingering within the ancestral memorial tablets, constantly concerned about all my descendants. But that kind of concern was limited; I could not truly do anything for you, nor could I protect you. I was merely a spirit, lacking the power or the capacity to be of any real use. Now, although I have reached the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss and have become a Buddha, I still cannot protect you in the way you might think. You see, a spirit must help itself; the Causal Conditions to become a Buddha must be cultivated by one's own efforts.

The Truth of Life and Rebirth

Son, perhaps you feel that I am very different from the father you once knew. It is because my spirit has undergone a profound purification during this time. I have changed, and I have realised so many truths. If one simply spends life day after day, just letting time slip through one's fingers, it is all eventually worn away to nothing. You must constantly remind yourself: what is truly the most important thing at the end of a human life?

Son, thank you for bringing me to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This Buddha-land has allowed my spirit to stop wandering and to escape the cycle of being reincarnated. Please share this good news with the rest of the family. Whether they believe it or not, son, you must use your heart to truly feel the words I am speaking to you. Do not cling tightly to things you cannot take with you when you go; you must look further ahead. I hope that you can be diligent in your practice of the Dharma and help others have the opportunity to know the Buddha and study the Dharma. Only in this way will your life not have been lived in vain.

I truly hope that I can be reunited with all of you in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I send you my deepest blessings." (He smiles.)

Zhao Shanliu, with palms together.