A Journey from the Hells to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Chen Enmin, the mother of Sun Fengge, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature and is preparing for her final rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon her departure from the human world fifty years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on May 1, 2026.

Chen Enmin speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Chen Enmin. I never imagined that after being away from the human world for such a long time, I would have the opportunity to receive an interview from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This is truly inconceivable! It is a miracle beyond words.

As a spirit now residing in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I look back at the fact that I once suffered in the hells for several decades. That pain—it was a pain that reached deep into my bones, a pain that tore my heart apart! Every single second in the hells was filled with such intense agony. To think that I actually endured that for such a long time is something I still struggle to comprehend."

The Mercy of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su

"Today, having received such a monumental opportunity for rebirth, I, Chen Enmin, feel a sense of gratitude that is beyond measure. It is the compassion of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su that has granted us, these suffering spirits, the magnificent Causal Conditions to be reborn. Without their intervention, I would still be lost in the darkness.

I have waited in the Western Land of Dharma Nature for a very long time, and now, I have finally made the firm decision to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Watching my family in the human world, and seeing my child perform Chao Du for so many of our relatives, I cannot help but feel immense joy. He is truly a filial and virtuous child."

The Illusion of the Human World

"Although it has been many years—nearly fifty years, yes, that is correct, I have truly been gone from the human world for fifty years—the changes in the world are staggering. The society I see now is quite different from the one I left behind. People in my time were filled with deep anxiety, and while people today are still filled with anxiety, there is a subtle, yet distinct, difference in the nature of that unease.

Everything in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is far more magnificent than I could have ever imagined. Even when I was in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I had contemplated what it might be like, but when I finally made the decision to seek rebirth, I truly saw through everything from my past. I realised that all of it was merely an illusion, and that only the Western Pure Land could provide me with a true home, a true place of belonging."

A New Form in the Western Pure Land

"People should not be overly curious about why beings fall into the hells. I, Chen Enmin, used to think the same way. I assumed that only those prominent figures we read about in the newspapers, those who committed grave and terrible sins, would end up suffering in the hells. At that time, I did not have any particular faith, nor did I understand the laws of karma and cause and effect. I simply assumed that was how the world worked.

But now, seeing the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, where Practitioner Su leads the fourfold assembly in the genuine practice of the Buddha’s teachings, I see that it is no longer about mere form. It is about real, solid practice that begins from within the heart. I have taken this opportunity to transform myself, to reshape the negative personality traits I once held. Coming here, I see that everyone is so pure, and I have worked hard to let go of my own attachments and ego.

Although so much time has passed, I still want to say a few words to my family who are still in the world. I am so grateful for the filial piety and sense of responsibility you have shown toward your old mother. Knowing that I have suffered so much—and in that suffering, I have actually eliminated a great deal of my negative karma—this has been a chance for a completely new beginning. I have returned to my former self, but in the Western Pure Land, my appearance has changed significantly. I have taken on a male form, and I look so dignified and youthful. This came as a great shock to me!"

The Path to Buddhahood

"Everyone here looks much the same. Seeing the faces of many familiar family members here, I am filled with deep emotion. I have come to realise that even though I am in the pure Buddha-land of the Western Pure Land, for those of us from the worldly realm, there are still many layers of confusion and afflictions that we cannot see ourselves. We must remove them one by one to truly walk the path to attain Buddhahood.

You might ask me: Do I want to attain Buddhahood? Or am I just here in the Western Pure Land to enjoy the peace and happiness? I originally thought that coming to the Western Pure Land was simply to enjoy a life of ease. But I did not expect that so many people here are working so diligently and painstakingly to learn and practise, transforming their hearts completely into the Buddha-heart. Only by doing this can one slowly attain Buddhahood here, realise one's true nature, and then return to the human world to save beings. Therefore, after reflecting deeply on my pain, I have made a great vow: I must do this. I cannot live only for myself."

A Final Message to My Family

"This is the Buddhist education that Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su have brought to me and to so many other beings, and I have taken it to heart. That is why today, I was so happy to tell Practitioner Su that I wish to return to the Western Pure Land. This time, the Buddha nodded happily, and in that very instant, Practitioner Su brought me to this place.

Oh, how everything in the human world is like an illusion, fleeting and gone in a flash. My life was short, and I lived through so much illness and suffering that I left the world before I could do much for my family. The only thing I can do to make it up to them is to urge them to chant Namo Amituofo, to improve their personalities, and not to let their own temperaments blind their eyes. Returning to the Western Pure Land is your only true home.

Well, I have shared enough with everyone. I am now a refreshed being of the Western Pure Land, and my heart is filled with nothing but Dharma-joy and gratitude. I am grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, and I am grateful to all of you.

Namo Amituofo."