A Grandfather's Return to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Zhang Peishou, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and his journey through the ghost realm. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on May 22, 2026.

Zhang Peishou speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Today is truly a magnificent and special day! When I first set foot upon the soil of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, my heart was overwhelmed with emotion. I immediately knelt down before the Buddha, bowing my head again and again, unable to stop. This was my first time experiencing something so extraordinary—a profound, positive, and beautiful transformation.

Whether it was the change in my physical form or the conclusion of that long, arduous spiritual life I endured while wandering in the ghost realm, I have finally arrived at the place that truly belongs to me—and to all sentient beings. This is our ultimate spiritual home, the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This day has finally come!"

A Debt of Gratitude to a Loving Grandchild

"I am filled with such immense joy, and I wish to share this experience—a journey that felt both short and long—with all of you. First and foremost, I must express my deepest gratitude to my wonderful granddaughter, Zhang Yunni. She was so incredibly filial; she took it upon herself to arrange for my Chao Du, even though I had already departed the human world many years ago. Everything in the human world had begun to blur in my memory. Decades passed in the blink of an eye, and the world has changed so drastically. Looking back now, my time in the human body seems like such an ordinary, fleeting existence.

Everything I see here in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss does not shock me, nor does it make me yearn for the past. I feel no negativity, no lingering attachments, and no heavy emotions. This place radiates such immense compassion and tranquillity; it is exactly the state of mind I had been longing for all along."

The Forgotten Path and the Call of the Dharma

"Perhaps I was already familiar with the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss from long ago, but because I did not have many opportunities to deeply understand the Buddha’s teachings in this lifetime, that connection remained buried deep within. Yet, I could always feel that I belonged to such a peaceful Buddha-land.

I am so grateful that my granddaughter created this Causal Condition for me, and that we were able to encounter the true Dharma. Such a precious, magnificent Dharma is nowhere to be found in the human world anymore, except at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. From the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I can see clearly how the state of the Dharma in the human world has withered, which is truly heartbreaking. However, I also believe that this is all part of the shifting nature of Causal Conditions."

Reflections on a Life of Wandering

"From here, I can easily look back upon my many lives and all that I have done. I finally realise why the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss felt so familiar to me—it is because I have been here before. In a past life, I was so determined to return to the human world to save beings that I descended before my practice was fully perfected. In those days, society was simple and kind, and there were no major problems. I became a monk in that human world, and I was able to help many people learn about the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. That was a time of great joy for me.

However, the changes that have occurred since then are profound and mysterious. Later, I took on this human body, known as Zhang Peishou. This life was not as simple or kind as that previous one, but I was not a bad person either; I was just an elder whom people felt at ease around."

The Struggle in the Ghost Realm

"After living for the better part of a century, my time finally came to an end. After leaving the human world, I became a wandering spirit in this vast, empty space, with nowhere to turn. The world of the ghost realm is truly too complex and far too crowded. I desperately wanted to leave, but I found myself struggling, unable to escape. I often wondered, when would these days as a ghost finally come to an end? Some say a hundred years, some say a thousand, and some even say ten thousand years. It sounded like such an unimaginably long and painful existence.

Today, I am incredibly fortunate to have encountered a granddaughter who practises the Buddha’s path—Zhang Yunni. I am so grateful to you, and I am deeply thankful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for giving us, the many suffering spirits, a chance at rebirth. We all understand that this opportunity is not easily won. That is why, while we were in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, we cherished every moment. We chanted Namo Amituofo with such joy and sincerity, never daring to slacken. We look forward to our own rebirth, and we look forward to the day when we can complete our practice here and bring many others to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

A Final Blessing to the Living

"I sincerely bless all my family members who are still in the human world, especially my granddaughter, Zhang Yunni. Thank you for arranging this Chao Du for me. I hope you will share my news with everyone so that they may know I am safe and find peace of mind.

I am doing wonderfully now; it is truly a life of ultimate joy. I silently pray that everything in the human world goes smoothly and that all people there will have the opportunity to learn the Buddha’s teachings. If you have this chance, you must seize it firmly. Let go of all the worries and feelings that bind you to this life. Only after arriving here do you realise that in the world of the Buddha, these things do not exist at all.

If you wish to walk the path of the Buddha, you must cultivate the Buddha’s skills and possess a heart that is exactly like the Buddha’s. You cannot hold onto your old personality or habits. Zhang Peishou sincerely wishes you all the best from here, and I firmly believe that every one of you will have a day where you perfectly accomplish the Buddha-way.

Gratitude to Namo Amituofo, gratitude to Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Zhang Peishou"