A Mother's Journey to the Western Land

This is a record of an interview with Lay Practitioner Sun Pingshan, the mother of Lay Practitioner Li Hanhao. She sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia and now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon her transition from the suffering of the ghost realm to the peace of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on August 18, 2023.

Lay Practitioner Sun Pingshan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I, your disciple Sun Pingshan, kneel and bow before Namo Amituofo. I kneel and bow before Practitioner Su for allowing me to arrive at the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss today. I truly do not know how to express my gratitude or how to thank you enough. All I can do is continue to kneel and bow, offering my deepest thanks to the great compassion of the Buddha.

During this time, my spirit has undergone a profound purification. The Western Land of Dharma Nature is an incredibly pure and serene place. Every single second, the radiant Buddha-light shines upon me. The energy here is so powerful and transformative; I feel as though my entire being has changed. There is no more sickness, no more pain, and no more afflictions. Everything that once burdened me is gone. There is nothing left but the single, continuous recitation of Namo Amituofo, which flows through my heart constantly.

The Illusion of the World

Since passing away, I feel as though I am separated from the human world by an immense, unbridgeable distance. I am aware that my family from this lifetime is still alive, but we now exist in two completely different worlds. My perspective is entirely different from when I was living. I reflect upon the Causal Conditions of this lifetime, watching over my children and my family, and my only wish is that they can all live well. More than anything, I hope they can learn to let go of their attachments and stop clinging so tightly to the greed and desires of this world.

I see it so clearly now: this world is entirely an illusion. When I was alive, if someone had told me this, I would not have been able to comprehend it. I had a family, I had a physical body, and those things felt so real—they were right there beside me every day. But once I died and found myself all alone, I finally realised that it was all a dream, all a fabrication. Every day, I lived in the grey, dim, and gloomy ghost realm. I was not even truly aware of what I was doing; my mind was dull, hazy, and confused. I just drifted through one day after another in that state.

The Path to Deliverance

Back then, I did not even think of my family in the human world. I simply assumed that I was destined to live in the ghost realm forever. It is truly mysterious how the mind works in that state. It was only when Practitioner Su reached out to guide me, bringing me up and sending me to the Western Land of Dharma Nature, that my spirit slowly began to awaken. My mind became clear, and my head felt light for the first time. Only then did I realise that I had been trapped in the cycle of rebirth, suffering all that time.

If my child had not saved me this time, if he had not allowed Practitioner Su to guide me out of that darkness, I do not know where my spirit would have ended up. My heart is filled with such profound gratitude. I truly hope that all my descendants in this lifetime will study the Dharma. Right now, studying the Dharma is the only way to save yourselves. Please, I beg of you, do not fall back into the cycle of rebirth. If you do, I will not be able to find you. Let us all practise diligently so that we may eventually reunite in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."