A Grandmother's Journey to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss

This is a record of an interview with Lay Practitioner Chen Yang A-gui, the grandmother of Lay Practitioner Chen Jinfeng. She sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on December 8, 2023.

Lay Practitioner Chen Yang A-gui speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Chen Yang A-gui. I truly have such immense blessings to have been able to follow others to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Seeing how incredibly beautiful the Western Land is, I have only now realised just how much suffering there is in the human world. It is truly beyond words.

I am filled with gratitude for the great compassion of Practitioner Su, who reached out and guided me, A-gui, to the Western Land. I am so deeply thankful, though I hardly know how to express my gratitude to such a great Buddha. Right now, I am kneeling before Namo Amituofo, bowing my head in reverence, and making my vows. Having arrived here in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, I will certainly listen to the sutras with all my heart and diligently practise alongside Namo Amituofo. If I have the ability, I also wish to help other beings, for I know all too well how much they suffer."

The Truth About My Final Years

"I also want to thank my granddaughter in the human world for arranging the Chao Du for me. In truth, I had already drifted far away from them long before I lost my mental faculties. My spirit was already wandering aimlessly, while my physical body had been occupied by my karmic creditors. Because that body still held my memories and my primary soul, my family still believed it was me, but in reality, it had long ceased to be me—the grandmother they once knew.

The human body is an incredibly complex vessel. Since being saved by Practitioner Su, I have been able to see every day how many people's bodies are being used and manipulated by spirits. It is absolutely terrifying! I never knew it was like this before. If I had known earlier, I would have held onto the Buddha-name tightly and never let these ghosts enter my body. It is such a pity that I did not understand the importance of chanting Namo Amituofo. My body had long been filled with these spirits, which is why, in my old age, I was no longer myself."

A Message to My Descendants

"I do not remember much of the past, nor do I wish to dwell on it. It has all passed, and there is no meaning in bringing it up again. I only wish to tell my descendants in the human world: you must chant Namo Amituofo. You must! But do not chant out of mere superstition; you must truly change your personality traits.

Looking back now, I realise that everyone in our family has such strong personalities. Each person is so attached to their own views and their own ideas. Oh, it is truly a source of such great suffering; every one of their bodies is 'sick' with these attachments. I hope they will stop overthinking things. Life in the human body does not last long. Please, just chant Namo Amituofo, do more good deeds to help others, accumulate merit, and follow the Buddha—that is the only right path.

Namo Amituofo. Chen Yang A-gui bows in reverence."