A Father's Journey to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Lay Practitioner Zheng Yueding, the father of Lay Practitioner Zheng Yaqin, who sought Chao Du 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 and his new life in the Pure Land. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on April 10, 2026.

Lay Practitioner Zheng Yueding speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. My name is Zheng Yueding. I have been in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss for several hours now, and it is finally my turn to be interviewed. I am filled with such joy, and I am sure that all of you can feel it, too.

The Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is the place I have longed for day and night ever since I arrived at the Western Dharma-Nature Land. Although I knew that this day would eventually come, now that I am truly here, my heart is still surging with emotion. The most remarkable thing is that after arriving, the restless anticipation I once felt instantly transformed into a state of profound peace and tranquility. It turns out that the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is truly a wondrous place; it allows everyone to exist without the burden of excessive thoughts or complex emotions. Everyone here is truly pure and good. We think only of Namo Amituofo, and we see only Namo Amituofo. We are all Buddhas, and we are all here purifying ourselves, hoping that one day we will all realise our true nature and attain Buddhahood. We no longer have the endless stream of thoughts and feelings that we once had in the human world.

A State of Profound Stillness

I have only been here for a short while since coming from the Western Dharma-Nature Land, yet I feel that my entire being has become much more stable and grounded. I constantly express my gratitude to the Buddha. The first thing everyone does upon arriving here is to prostrate and offer thanks to the Buddha. When I prostrated, the Buddha-light shone upon my entire body. That feeling is truly indescribable; those of you still in the human world could never imagine it.

After arriving at the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I began to listen to the lectures given by Practitioner Su, and only then did I understand many truths—truths that I had never heard in all my ninety-plus years of life. Having lived for such a long time, I have witnessed too many of the joys and sorrows of the human world, the rise and fall of lives. I understood the impermanence of life better than many others, yet when it was truly my turn to face it, I was still caught unprepared. That is only natural, I suppose.

The Blessing of Filial Piety

There is another person I must express my deepest gratitude to: my daughter. When I saw that she had registered my name on the Chao Du list, my heart was filled with immense gratitude and comfort. I am comforted because she now knows Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. This means she has a true refuge for this lifetime. She does not need anyone to worry about her; she can manage her own life independently and return to the Buddha-land in the future. This is truly inconceivable. In a family, as long as one person learns the Buddha’s teachings, everyone has the chance to share in this magnificent Dharma affinity and gain the opportunity for liberation. I am that lucky father! Haha, I am laughing heartily now, and I sincerely pray that she can continue on her own steady, righteous path.

I am truly blessed, and the gratitude I feel toward my family is beyond words. I feel that because someone in my family began to understand the Buddha’s teachings, recognised Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, and understood the preciousness of this place, they were able to register me for Chao Du. Honestly, how many people in the human world can rely on their own ability to practise and attain rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss? It is a rare and difficult opportunity to encounter.

The Illusion of the Human World

Compared to the purity of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss where I reside, the defilements of the human world are vastly different! Everyone in the human world must cherish their human body while they have it. If you can understand this truth, you will realise that everything in the human world is actually illusory and false. Just as Practitioner Su often says in her lectures, one should not be overly attached to this physical body. Otherwise, you will all soon find yourselves walking the same path to the underworld as I did.

However, I am luckier than most, for shortly after my passing, I arrived in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss without having to suffer too much pain or helplessness. The world of spirits is extremely complex. There are layers upon layers of densely packed sentient beings that we can see at this very moment. The human body itself is also a very complex universe; the number of beings within it is so vast that I do not know how many Earths it would take to describe them. There are simply too many.

A Heartfelt Hope for Humanity

I have now let go of the past—I have let go of almost all of it. I do not intentionally recall the events of my former life because I know deeply that I am no longer connected to that past. Now, I only move forward, following Namo Amituofo, walking firmly and steadily. Only then is it possible to one day attain Buddhahood here and help many other sentient beings. This is my heartfelt hope, and it is the hope of all those in the Western Land. We look at everything happening in the human world and feel deeply pained. We never expected that the human world would change so rapidly, and that there would be so many changes in the human heart and human nature. This is vastly different from the simple, honest era in which I grew up.

Instead of sighing here, it is better to diligently engage in chanting Namo Amituofo and performing prostrations. If I can achieve success sooner, the people on Earth can be saved sooner. Practitioner Su works day and night, striving to save beings; this kind of skill and spirit is something I truly need to learn.

In the human world, I thought that many of the things I did were good and that I was helping many people. But in truth, all these worldly affairs are transient and not long-lasting. Only by achieving true spiritual liberation can one truly help others. This is my greatest realisation at this moment. I hope that all of you can become independent, rely on your own ability to change your karma, draw closer to the Buddha, and find your way back to your original nature.

Namo Amituofo.

Zheng Yueding"