A Mother's Journey to the Western Land: The Testimony of Lay Practitioner Tang Xiao

This is a record of an interview with Lay Practitioner Tang Xiao, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon her transition and her heartfelt message to her daughter, Lay Practitioner Li Fengming. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxin, on May 31, 2024.

Lay Practitioner Tang Xiao speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Ever since I beheld the Buddha, I have not been able to stop smiling. It is because the Buddha is truly, profoundly compassionate. I still find it hard to believe that I have actually arrived in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I simply made a sincere vow in my heart, a wish to go to the Western Land, and I never imagined that I would truly arrive here.

I have gazed upon many different corners of this magnificent realm. Every single place I look is filled with such breathtaking beauty, and everything is radiating a brilliant, golden light. I truly never thought that I, in my lifetime, would ever have the fortune to reach the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

The Illusion of the Physical Body

"After my spirit was guided to this Buddha-land, I have been listening to the Dharma talks every single day with the utmost sincerity. It was only after listening to these teachings that I finally understood: every person who clings so tightly to this physical body is merely playing a part in a grand, fleeting drama. Now, I have finally stepped away from that stage. Since I have already left that play behind, I tell myself: do not cling to it any longer. This is the counsel I give to my own heart.

Practitioner Su has always emphasised in his Dharma talks that 'this physical body is false.' Now, I have come to a deep, personal realisation that everything Practitioner Su said is the absolute truth."

Regrets and Karmic Debts

"When I think back to the time when I still possessed a physical body, I recall how often I was tossed about by high and low emotional fluctuations. I frequently harboured complaints within my heart about the things that happened to me, and whenever I encountered problems, I chose to bottle them up inside. To me, that was a source of immense harm, and it is precisely why I attracted so many karmic creditors. Now, I finally understand the Causal Conditions of it all.

My child, my dear daughter, these words of mine are the most important example I can leave for you. Your mother once believed that everything in the world was real, and I grasped onto it all so tightly. Now, I realise that I could not take a single thing with me, and I left behind so many debts to my karmic creditors that I had not yet repaid. If only I had known this sooner, I would have repaid them much earlier."

A Mother's Final Message

"Now, I am filled with gratitude for the Causal Conditions that allowed me to encounter the Buddha, and I am deeply grateful to my daughter. My spirit is now clear and bright. I know that all of you are currently busy with the demands of daily life, and so often, you are led astray by the needs of this physical body. You must learn to be clear-headed. Your spirituality is what we should care about most; do not be deceived by this physical body. You must strive to be a person who is awake and aware. Knowing that you must seek liberation—that is the most important task in a human life.

I look forward to the day when we shall meet again in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

"Tang Xiao, with palms joined in reverence. Namo Amituofo."