This is a record of an interview with Chang Chun-hsiung, former Premier of Taiwan, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the . This account reflects upon his life and his transition after passing away in late 2025. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on June 2, 2026.
Chang Chun-hsiung speaks:
". I am currently at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. The sky here is truly magnificent—a vast, endless expanse of blue. Many of us beings from the Western -Nature Land have gathered here this morning, waiting for Practitioner Su to begin the teachings. Practitioner Su will be lecturing on the Dharma all day, and we are patiently learning to transform and purify ourselves. I am honoured to be one of the many beings here.
I never imagined I would be so fortunate as to have the opportunity to come to this incredibly magnificent world and become a part of it. Now, let me formally introduce myself. First and foremost, I wish to express my deepest gratitude for the of the Buddha, which allowed me to arrive at this place and granted me the opportunity to share my story through this interview.
The Vital Mission of Hsiang Kuang
Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su are truly great Buddhas. They have led so many sentient beings to this place, and they do so for one reason: to find more people to assist the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, to support the next generation of those who have realised their true nature, and to ensure the temple continues to flourish. By doing so, they provide more resources to educate those who will follow. For us, this is of the utmost importance. Without those in the human world who have realised their true nature and attained Buddhahood, we, the many spirits in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, would not have had this chance to be reborn and transformed.
My name is Chang Chun-hsiung. It has been less than a year since I left the human world—I believe it was towards the end of last year. After I passed away, I spent nearly a year trapped within my own space, unable to act with autonomy. It was a space I was very familiar with and quite fond of, but because I still held onto attachments, I found myself suddenly reliving all the good and bad deeds of my life before death. My thoughts remained fixated on the last twenty years of my life, during which I worked as an educator within Taiwan's prison system. I had dedicated myself to helping inmates find balance and healing for their body, mind, and spirit.
The Paradox of a Life's End
That was the most fulfilling and beautiful period of my life. After I stepped down from my political roles in Taiwan, I joyfully threw myself into that work. Consequently, after I died, I found myself trapped in that very space—the prison—continuing to try and help the inmates, especially those on death row. I could not walk out of that prison, nor could I walk out of my own mental space. Ha! To think that my life would end in such a way—it is truly absurd, is it not?
Throughout my life, I was a devout Christian. I believed in Heaven, and I believed in Hell. I thought that since I was a relatively decent person, I would surely go to Heaven. I had deep faith in God and Jesus, and I believed They would come to receive me. That word 'faith' was incredibly important to me at the time, because I believed that without it—without believing in God and Jesus—They would not come for me. I held onto that conviction firmly. Yet, the outcome was this strange, middle-ground existence that left me utterly bewildered, unable to solve the riddle within my own heart.
A Light in the Darkness
Later, while in that space, I felt a beam of light. When it called my name—'Chang Chun-hsiung!'—I was startled and became completely clear-headed. I followed that light directly to the Western Dharma-Nature Land. I never expected that the ones waiting to welcome me would be the Buddhas. Two Buddhas were receiving us with such immense compassion. At that moment, I thought to myself, perhaps the religion I believed in throughout my life was not the right path after all; I should have believed in Buddhism long ago, shouldn't I? I realised that since the Buddha could receive me into this beautiful world regardless of my background, regardless of who I was, or which deity I had trusted, I immediately placed my faith in the Buddha. I have been striving to follow the Buddha's footsteps ever since, purifying myself here and slowly coming to understand everything happening around me.
I must say, the Buddhist education that Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su bring to the human world is truly magnificent and unique. It is an education I had never heard of while I was alive. Because I did not believe in Buddhism, my superficial understanding was limited to the major Buddhist organisations in Taiwan. I thought they were simply very kind-hearted groups that liked to provide funding, manpower, and supplies whenever disasters struck in Taiwan or around the world. My knowledge of Buddhism was limited to the operational models of groups like Fo Guang Shan, Dharma Drum Mountain, or Tzu Chi. I never expected that the Dharma I experience here would be so profoundly different.
The Potential Within Every Being
The Buddha told me that everyone can attain Buddhahood. Here, I am learning the Buddha's skills to eventually attain Buddhahood myself. I was astonished to learn that human nature is truly so kind, and that everyone is a Buddha; we have simply covered up our own original nature. In the human world today, if everyone were to properly follow the Buddha's footsteps and abide by the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, they could reach a state where they do not grow old, do not get sick, and the spirit does not die. Hearing this, my heart grew more and more joyful, because I knew there was a path forward. I finally had an exit; I no longer had to stay in that boring, confusing space, living in a state of bewilderment and suffering, not knowing what to do.
The thing I loved most in my life was participating in the education and spiritual counselling of prison inmates during my later years. It was something I was very good at and found great in. As a Christian, I believed that one must be rooted in Goodness, and I did not dare to hold any selfish motives; I was single-mindedly focused on helping those people.
The days I spent helping those children and adults in prison were heavy, yet filled with a sense of mission. When I looked at them, I saw my own children. I knew they were not born wanting to do evil, nor did they want to commit acts of violence; they simply lacked education. Now, my perspective is actually quite similar to what Practitioner Su says about people lacking education! Practitioner Su always says, 'At the beginning of life, human nature is inherently good,' and it is only because of a lack of education that people go astray.
A Deeper Understanding of Education
Of course, the scope of education I perceived at the time was quite limited, and not quite the same as the education Practitioner Su sees. Practitioner Su is a Buddha—a Buddha who has realised their true nature and attained Buddhahood while in the human world—which is why we have the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. The perspective Practitioner Su holds is far deeper and broader than that of us ordinary people. Practitioner Su wants to help us truly leave behind the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death, and truly reach the realm where the spirit does not die. Because I had not learned the true Buddhist education, I only wanted to help them escape their immediate predicament. I could not see the causes and consequences of people's lives, nor could I explain the deeper reasons behind them.
So, why they ended up that way involves many Causal Conditions that I could not clearly articulate. But that does not matter; I truly did my best to help those I was meant to help. I think I have had a fulfilling life with few regrets.
Having said all this, I have forgotten to speak about myself. What I am most known for is having been the Premier of the Republic of China. Perhaps because so much time has passed, I have no interest in the trivialities of politics. I feel that I have done what I could, and I have no desire to remain in the muddy waters of politics. That is why I retired early and threw myself into the charity and volunteer work that I loved; that is my true home. I do not enjoy wielding power; I believe everything should be left to the next generation to develop. We elders should focus on doing what we can, which is also a wonderful thing.
The Unresolved Questions
Although I lived a fairly good life, there were always some knots in my heart that I could not untie. Regarding the path of life, I was always a bit lost as to where the end truly lay. Even as a Christian, I believed in the words of the Lord and Jesus, but there was always a voice that made me feel uneasy. I never expected that all of this would truly be verified! In the space I inhabited after death, although I was doing the work I was familiar with and loved, I could always feel that sense of unease.
The Buddha helped me untie all of this. The Buddha helped me break through that space, led me to this Western Dharma-Nature Land, and gave me a chance at rebirth. I also learned that those who sincerely learn from the Buddha and master the Buddha's skills can possess such profound abilities—far beyond what people in the human world could ever imagine. Therefore, everyone must believe in and respect the Buddha! Without the skills of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, we would not have the opportunity to escape the sea of suffering.
The Power of Skillful Means
Beyond this, I believe the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre must be spread throughout the world; this is a matter of great importance. This is a bodhimanda with a Buddha, so it can truly help people's body, mind, and spirit move toward the path of liberation. I think the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre will gradually become familiar to people in Taiwan! In addition to the many promotions on the website, with interviews and reports on spiritual matters for the world to see, many Taiwanese are also paying attention to this. Furthermore, there are several large billboards of Namo Amituofo in Taiwan, right on the highways. If people are passing by, they might want to take note of them. I know of one in Kaohsiung, one in Tainan, and one in Taichung. When people pass these places on the highway, they can also ask around to see where these large Namo Amituofo billboards can be found.
These are not ordinary billboards, you know. They can emit light and shine, leading many spirits from the spiritual realms to the Western Dharma-Nature Land. I have seen countless Taiwanese spirits arrive here. This is the compassion of the Buddha and the compassion of Practitioner Su, using different 'skillful means' to help immeasurable and boundless beings leave suffering and gain happiness.
Finally, I sincerely thank all these Causal Conditions. Although I was a Christian in my previous life, I have now become a practitioner of the Buddha's teachings. I believe in everything Namo Amituofo has said, and I believe that one day I, too, will be able to chant Buddha's name and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I look forward to that day and will report the good news to everyone then! Gratitude, Namo Amituofo.
Thank you all for your compassion. Thank you all, Namo Amituofo.
