This is a record of an interview with Li Zewei, who sought spiritual deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his transition from a life of profound suffering to spiritual liberation. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on February 7, 2025.
Li Zewei speaks:
". I want to express my deepest gratitude to Practitioner Su for bringing me to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I have been completely transformed, and I find myself unable to stop the tears from flowing. I am simply overwhelmed with emotion because I have truly been saved. I was lost in such a dark place, and now, I am finally free.
There are so many people I wish to thank, though I cannot name them all individually. I am profoundly grateful to those kind souls who helped me. It is only because of their that I had the opportunity to be rescued from the darkness by Practitioner Su today."
The Moment of Departure
"At the very moment my breath ceased, my spirit left my body with startling speed. At first, I desperately wanted to rush back into my physical form, but it was impossible. My body had already turned cold and rigid; it no longer belonged to me. I had become a spirit. I wept and wept, unable to stop. My heart was filled with such intense sorrow and bitterness that I felt I could never find a way out. I had foolishly believed that death would be the end of my suffering, but the moment my spirit emerged, I realised that was not the case at all. I was terrified, and the pain I felt was even greater than before.
I know my family must be heartbroken. I have let them down, and they must think I was so foolish to have taken such a path. But the truth is, the suffering I carried was so heavy that I simply could not go on living. There were so many things I kept buried deep inside, never speaking of them, and often, I did not even know what good it would do to voice them. So, I just kept them locked in my heart. I often wondered what the purpose of living was, just drifting through each day. I once held a glimmer of hope for the future, dreaming of building a family of my own, but in the end, that dream became nothing more than a bubble that burst. I was in such agony, so deeply depressed and sorrowful, that I truly could not see any other way out, which is why I walked down that tragic path."
A Glimpse of Eternal Light
"After Practitioner Su rescued me, the world before my eyes was suddenly filled with brilliant light. I saw the Buddha. I had never truly known the Buddha before in my life. I wept continuously, filled with gratitude that the Buddha had saved me. When I first arrived at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, there was so much I did not understand. I cried for two or three days, but eventually, the tears stopped. I began to calm my mind, listening to the sutras and following along with the chanting of Namo Amituofo. Slowly, I began to feel a change within myself. I even saw glimpses of my past lives, and I must admit, I was truly frightened by what I saw.
It turns out that I am not just Li Zewei; I have been caught in the cycle of rebirth for countless lifetimes, and in each one, I have taken on a different form. In one of those past lives, I was actually a monastic who saved many people. It was because of the Causal Conditions from that lifetime that I was able to return to the Buddha-land today to see the Buddha. It is so hard to believe—even I find it difficult to comprehend."
Finally, I Am Home
"Today, I have made the decision to return to the world of Namo Amituofo—the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I dressed myself neatly as I waited, my heart constantly chanting the name of the Buddha. At first, I remained quite calm, but the moment Practitioner Su guided me into the Western Land, I could not stop the tears. I do not even know how to describe it; I was so deeply moved. I have truly come home!
I have grown taller now, and my appearance is quite different from that of Li Zewei in this lifetime; I look much more like the monastic I was in my past life. I am filled with gratitude—gratitude to Namo Amituofo, gratitude to Practitioner Su, gratitude to everyone who helped me, and gratitude to the family who loved me in this life.
