A Sister's Journey to Deliverance

This is a record of an interview with Zong Xueshu, 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 subsequent deliverance. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on May 15, 2026.

Zong Xueshu speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Zong Xueshu. As I stand here now in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, tears are streaming down my face. My heart is overflowing with such profound gratitude. I long to speak to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su, and I also wish to express my deepest thanks and moving appreciation to my younger sister, who made it possible for me to receive this deliverance.

The years since I departed from the human world have been truly unbearable. I spent over twenty years suffering through the retributions of the hells. It felt like an eternity, a span of time that stretched far beyond twenty years—it felt like centuries, perhaps even millennia of relentless, crushing agony. Now, having arrived in the Western Land of Dharma Nature and subsequently being guided to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, the contrast is so immense that my heart has finally found a sense of peace and stillness."

A Long, Dark Descent

"I am filled with gratitude and a singular desire to study the Buddha’s teachings. I have come to realise that Namo Amituofo has already descended into the human world and is actively engaged in the work of saving sentient beings. I am one of those incredibly fortunate children who has been granted such a magnificent opportunity.

My younger sister, who is now known as Venerable Shi Siheng, is truly blessed. As a member of the Buddha’s gate, she was able to find the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and accept the teachings of Namo Amituofo. That is a stroke of immense good fortune! Even more precious is the fact that she registered her own family members for Chao Du, allowing us all to be guided by the Buddha to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Such a wonderful, auspicious event is not something one encounters easily in this life. I owe so much to this sister of mine, who still remembered me, her elder sister, even after I was gone. I am so deeply grateful!"

The Invisible Chains of Karmic Creditors

"I once endured such immense suffering, not only after my death, but during my life as well. By the time everyone realised I had left the human world, I had already been unable to control myself for a very long time. My mental state at that time was beyond words; I had completely lost all autonomy. I did not even know how I had reached the point of such a tragic end. It felt as though I was entirely under the control of other beings. This is something I can feel and remember clearly from before I passed away.

I did not understand why I was plagued by such uncontrollable impulses and actions. After arriving in the Western Land of Dharma Nature and listening to the sutras and the Dharma, I finally understood that at that time, my entire body had been seized by a multitude of karmic creditors and demon crowds. My words and actions were not my own; they were dictated by these beings who had taken control. Under such circumstances, how could I have lived a normal life or achieved a peaceful passing?

At that time, I had not received the education of the Buddha’s teachings. One stray thought led to another, and every thought became skewed. That is how I ended up on the wrong path. This is why I say that while living in this world, one must never be selfish. One must serve all beings and think more of others; such a mindset is the only one that is truly clear and bright. Anyone who thinks only of themselves and acts only for their own benefit is ultimately bringing ruin upon themselves. I feel this is a very important warning that I must share with everyone."

A Warning to the Living

"My family members who are still in the world must take my experience and my story as a stern warning. I did not know before that life is meant to be lived for others, not for oneself. Now, I understand it completely. One cannot harbour selfish desires in the heart; this is what the Buddha’s teachings refer to as the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way.

I was completely ignorant of this at the time, simply acting according to my habitual ways of thinking, which is why I ended up in such a situation. Now that I am learning the Buddha’s teachings, everyone should understand the principle of 'giving away one's own body.' Practitioner Su has said this many times, and I have heard it many times in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, only then realising that the price I paid for clinging to this body was far too high. It is such a pity.

If Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su had not come to save me today, I would still be suffering through endless tortures in the hells. After all the beings from my past lives were awakened by my own stubbornness and personality, how could they have let me go? They certainly would not have. They held onto my body tightly to make me suffer the retribution; that was exactly what they wanted to see."

The Path to True Freedom

"Of course, I do not blame them, because this is the karma I created, and it is something I must repay. I also hope that all the sentient beings with karmic affinity from my past can have the opportunity to know Namo Amituofo and the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss as soon as possible. I hope they can truly believe, escape their current suffering, and come into the embrace of the Buddha.

Especially for the many beings in the spiritual realms with whom I have karmic affinity: the Buddha has already arrived here. If you are all willing to accept my sincere apology and are willing to study the spirit and teachings of the Buddha together, then we can all become excellent disciples of the Buddha.

I have shared these words in the hope that everyone will know my story and take a lesson from it. You must listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma, and follow the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, so that you will not be controlled by other beings and will not end up on the tragic path that I walked. If everything is going smoothly for you now, then you have even more reason to come and learn about the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

You never know when impermanence will arrive, nor do you know how your path in this life or the next will unfold. To ensure that you are always following the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, the only path is to listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma, and to slowly grind away your demonic personality traits so that you do not go astray.

Having said all this, I hope that all those with karmic affinity who hear these words will encourage one another. I am grateful to Namo Amituofo, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Zong Xueshu"