A Mother's Return to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Lin Zhiji, the mother of Lay Practitioner Xie Qunjing, who sought Chao Du 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 life and her journey to the Pure Land. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxin, on January 3, 2025.

Lin Zhiji speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Lin Zhiji. I am filled with such profound gratitude for the Buddha’s infinite compassion. It is only now, having returned to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss and standing before the Buddha, that I have finally realised the truth: I was once a disciple of the Buddha, but I had been wandering in the cycle of rebirth for far too long. Everything I see now—this clarity, this peace—it is all because I have finally come home."

The Fleeting Nature of Life

"For me, the events of my life in the human world still feel as though they are unfolding right before my eyes. It all happened so quickly. I felt as though I had barely begun to live, and then, in the blink of an eye, my life had already come to an end. The beginning and the end were separated by such a short, fleeting moment! It is only now, from this vantage point, that I truly understand how incredibly brief and fragile human life really is."

"Coming here to the Buddha-land has fundamentally changed who I am. In the past, I was always so focused on protecting myself. I wanted to win every argument, to be seen as superior in front of others. I foolishly believed that by fighting for these things, I would gain the upper hand and make others acknowledge my worth. I spent my life chasing these empty victories, though I could not even tell you why. I achieved some of them, yes, but I eventually realised that everything I gained was destined to be lost."

The Weight of Karma and the Path to Repentance

"It is only now that I have truly awakened to this reality. In the process of chasing those worldly desires, I caused harm to others, and in doing so, I caused even greater harm to myself. In the past, I would never have admitted to these faults. But today, I speak of them openly because I am truly repenting. I have paid the price for my past actions through the suffering I endured after death. It was a heavy burden to carry."

"Having experienced the intense pain of death, I have finally woken up. I now understand what is truly worth doing and what must be avoided. However, I also know that in the human world, surrounded by the environment and the heavy influence of karma, it is truly not an easy path to walk."

A Mother's Final Guidance

"I am deeply grateful for the Causal Conditions that allowed me to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. If it were not for my daughter, Xie Qunjing, who helped me by arranging for my Chao Du, I do not know how much longer I would have been trapped in that cycle of suffering. I hope that my life serves as a mirror for all of you—a lesson from which you can learn. We all carry too much of our own personality and ego, but now that we have the Buddha’s teachings, we must strive to be clear-minded and awake."

"My daughter, you are a person of great capability, and you possess a sincere heart that wishes to achieve great things. You must learn to start from the smallest details, and you must be willing to open your heart to accept and embrace everything. Listen to your mother’s advice: truly let go of your ego. Only then will you be able to avoid unnecessary detours and be more effective in helping those you wish to save."

"All connections in the human world are ultimately illusory. I have full confidence in you, and I hope that once you have truly awakened, you will help even more of our family members and others in need. Please thank Practitioner Su on my behalf for his guidance. I will continue to follow the Buddha and study diligently, and I urge you to follow Practitioner Su and study with the same dedication."

"Namo Amituofo."