A Royal Legacy Transformed: The Journey of Princess Wencheng

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Princess Wencheng, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon her life approximately 1,300 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on February 28, 2026.

Princess Wencheng speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. For over a millennium, the people of the Central Plains have known me as Princess Wencheng, and the Tibetan people have affectionately called me 'Gyemoza' for just as long. But today, I am no longer a princess. I am a disciple of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, residing upon a lotus seat in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. I have made a vow to follow the Buddha in my practice throughout my many lives.

A Miracle in the Modern Age

Over a thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye. Today, a truly miraculous place exists in this world: the Western Land of Dharma Nature, established at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. It is a spiritual Buddha-land. On behalf of the people of the Central Plains and the people of Tibet, I wish to express my deepest, most profound gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. Wherever Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su go, it is a time for sentient beings to be saved. The vast Central Plains and even the frontier regions like Tibet are now covered by the Buddha’s presence and the countless manifestations of Practitioner Su. Such a magnificent blessing has never been heard of before, yet it is happening right now to us, the vast multitude of spirits.

The Mission of a Tang Princess

Why do I represent both the people of the Central Plains and the people of Tibet? It is because I am the Tang Dynasty princess who was sent far away to marry Songtsen Gampo in Lhasa. I was personally selected by Emperor Taizong of Tang to foster peace between our two nations. My character has always been generous and reasonable, and I have always held a deep connection to the nation, the world, and the common people. When I first heard the news of this mission, my heart was filled with anticipation and hope. I longed for a closer relationship between our country and the frontier territories, and I prayed for lasting peace and stability for the people of both lands.

As a member of the Li family, I understood that the governance of a nation and its foreign relations are the pillars of the state. The Central Plains had endured centuries of division and countless wars. The Tang Dynasty was not yet stable in its early years, having inherited the unified state from the short-lived Sui Dynasty. Maintaining national stability and frontier peace was no easy task. Since I was fortunate enough to receive such a precious mission, I regarded it as my own responsibility—a heavy burden, yet a long and noble journey.

A Journey to the High Plateau

At the time, Emperor Taizong felt a great deal of guilt toward me. He knew that once I left for that distant land, I would never return. Furthermore, the Tibetan plateau is very high, and the climate is vastly different from the Central Plains; he was deeply worried about whether a young woman like me could handle it. When I learned of this, I was filled with joy and my resolve was set. Emperor Taizong, the descendants of the Li family, and the court ministers all attached great importance to this mission. They prepared many precious treasures of the Tang Dynasty for me to take to Tibet. Among them were a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, scriptures, sutras, various crafts, and seeds for planting. It was a wonderful gift that brought great surprise to the Tibetan people.

I stayed in Tibet for thirty years, until I passed away at the age of nearly sixty. My husband, Songtsen Gampo, was a good man who cared for the people and the country, but he passed away early. We did not have much time together; he was always busy travelling, while I remained in Lhasa, each of us fulfilling our own duties. The Tibetan people were honest folk who believed in Tibetan Buddhism, so I walked alongside them. I learned from them, studying their true culture and various folk customs. At the same time, I promoted the culture of the Han people, which earned me the immense recognition and love of the local people.

The Truth Behind the Snows

I lived a very fulfilling life. I have always been a person who thinks well, looks for the good, and remains steadfast in my heart. Even though Tibet and the Central Plains occasionally had small-scale conflicts, or I encountered people who misunderstood me along the way, I never took those things to heart. The chaos of the world is simply the way it is. No matter what happened, I remained calm and unruffled, because nothing was more important than the peace and stability of our two nations. While learning Tibetan culture, I worked hard to master their language. It was a difficult task, as few Han people understood Tibetan at the time, but I learned it bit by bit through my interactions and daily life.

When my husband passed away, Emperor Taizong hoped that I would return to the Tang Dynasty, but I refused. I was doing well there. Despite the discomfort of cultural differences and the initial altitude sickness, I had a masculine spirit in my bones, and I did not feel it was a hardship. Perhaps this was related to the many storms my Li family had weathered in the early years. Watching my elders build the empire and manage national affairs, I felt that maintaining peace on the frontier was not such a difficult task. Everything should be centered on the people; this was the lifelong lesson my elders taught me.

The Need for True Buddhist Education

The people of Tibet are very simple and kind, but from ancient times to the present, they seem to have never learned the true Buddha’s teachings. Although I went there with the intention of forming a Buddhist affinity with them—much like the Nepalese Princess Bhrikuti who also married Songtsen Gampo—we both shared the same aspirations and mission. The Tibetan people still believe in Buddhism today, specifically Tibetan Buddhism. However, their Buddhist education lacks the foundational moral training for children and the essential roots of practice—such as changing one's personality, thinking well, looking for the good, and speaking well. Instead, it has become somewhat formalistic, focusing more on the chanting of mantras and other methods of cultivating the mind. This is the truth that I, Princess Wencheng, now see from the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This is also the reason why so few Tibetan people are able to achieve liberation from life and death, truly reach a state of no aging and no illness, ensure their spirit never dies, and be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

A Vision of the Western Land

Today, I sit peacefully on a lotus seat in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Everything in the world feels like it happened only yesterday. Just as I stayed in Tibet after my death, sitting peacefully in the Jokhang Temple where the Tang Dynasty statue of Shakyamuni Buddha is enshrined, waiting for future generations to pay their respects, I am now here. Princess Bhrikuti is also with me, and we have been guarding the Tibetan people who come and go. The Western Land of Dharma Nature is an inconceivable place. The Buddha-name of Namo Amituofo flows through the space, and Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks provide us with constant opportunities for purification and mind-cultivation. The lotuses here are very fragrant, and everyone here has become young and dignified, looking completely different from people in the world. I see the Tibetan people looking bewildered; most of them do not know of such a place as the Western Land of Dharma Nature, so they cannot believe that the world before their eyes is truly the world of the Buddha. I smile and nod at them, showing them that they are truly blessed.

The Salvation of the Mountain Spirits

In the vast Tibetan region, the snow-capped mountains, lakes, and grasslands are filled with spirits waiting for salvation. There are also many animal spirits among them. They often die only to be reborn as the same animal. I have seen many Tibetan antelopes that, upon dying, are reborn as antelopes again, life after life. They have a deep attachment to the Tibetan land and cannot let go of their physical bodies, believing that such a life is all they have. Of course, they know nothing of the principle of chanting the Buddha’s name to seek rebirth. The Buddhist education in Tibet needs a real change to truly help the Tibetan people end the cycle of birth and death. This time, Practitioner Su’s massive Chao Du has brought a light of the Buddha, the likes of which have never been seen, orbiting the plateau. Many spirits were overjoyed to see it. They are in the space, in the earth, in the bodies of animals, and under the vast snow-capped mountains, which are pressing down on countless demon crowds. When I saw this, I was shocked. It turns out that our majestic, snow-white mountains are filled with demon crowds suffering their retribution. The average height of the Tibetan mountains is over 6,000 meters, with many reaching over 8,000 meters. Mount Everest, the highest in the world, is half-located within the borders of Tibet, China. The number of demon crowds here is countless, layered upon one another in a way that makes one dizzy.

Gratitude for the Buddha’s Compassion

Seeing the countless demon crowds and sentient beings saved by Practitioner Su—so many who had been suppressed for who knows how long—was deeply moving. We were dumbfounded. I deeply admire the spirit of Practitioner Su, who has such vast perseverance and compassion to sacrifice his own body to save so many demon crowds and sentient beings. I have been pressing my palms together to express my gratitude to Practitioner Su. Having been a Tang princess and later a part of Tibet, I have a deep connection to both the Central Plains and the frontier, and I know the suffering of the people, especially the suffering of having no one to save them. Now, all these sufferings are dissolving under the great compassion of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, and the bathing in Buddha light.

With a heart full of gratitude, I bow to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to thank them for their grace.

Namo Amituofo.

Princess Wencheng"