An Interview with David Malouf (Australia's Most Influential National Treasure Writer and Poet)

David Malouf:

I am grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for saving my suffering soul from hell. After I passed away in this life, my soul entered the Copper Pillar Hell and the brain-gouging hell, which was extremely painful. In the Copper Pillar Hell, my lower body was constantly being burned, while in the brain-gouging hell, my brain was continuously being gouged out. The pain was truly indescribable; I can only say that the torture in hell really caused my soul to decline more and more.

Fortunately, although the days in hell were bitter, I was quite fortunate. Within about a month after my death, I encountered a turning point for salvation. This turning point was Practitioner Su of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, who very compassionately vowed to perform Chao Du for the world's wealthy and famous, with a particular focus on Australia.

As a well-known Australian writer, I was very fortunate to be saved by Practitioner Su. At that time, Practitioner Su's voice appeared in hell, calling my name: "David Malouf". When I heard this voice, it was as if I had seen a lifeline, and my heart was filled with joy. Subsequently, a burst of golden light shone upon my soul, and I was thus guided by Practitioner Su to the bright and beautiful world where I am now.

I would like to give everyone a brief introduction to this world. It is called the "Western Land of Dharma Nature" and is a Buddha-land established by Practitioner Su. Why is Practitioner Su able to establish a Buddha-land? Naturally, it is because Practitioner Su is already a Buddha who has realised one's true nature and attained Buddhahood. This is indeed very surprising, but it is the truth.

The Western Land of Dharma Nature where I am now is not an ordinary place. I have seen on the Western Land of Dharma Nature that during the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, Practitioner Su's soul manifests into hundreds of billions of incarnations, transforming into countless avatars to go to all parts of the world to save suffering souls. This includes many suffering souls in Australia, such as lonely wandering spirits roaming in Australia, sentient beings in graveyards, and various Australian sentient beings trapped in spaces unable to escape. All these sentient beings have been sent to the Western Land of Dharma Nature due to Practitioner Su's Chao Du. Do not be startled when you hear this; although so many sentient beings have entered the Western Land of Dharma Nature, there is absolutely no issue of it being full. This pure and bright Buddha-land has no size limitations; it is immeasurable and boundless. No matter how many sentient beings enter, it can accommodate them all. This is a very miraculous point.

In the few days I have experienced on the Western Land of Dharma Nature, the most precious thing is being able to see everything happening in the world and being able to hear the content of the classes taught by Practitioner Su. This is most important to me, because as they say, "knowledge is power". As a soul who has just arrived, I am actually still very unfamiliar with the spiritual world. After all, after leaving hell, I came to the Western Land of Dharma Nature, so here, I am facing everything unknown with an attitude of exploration and learning.

Although my soul was actually still very weak when I first left hell and arrived here, I have slowly recovered over these past few days. This is mainly thanks to the Buddha-light that is constantly shining in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Buddha-light has a very special effect on the soul, allowing my soul to recover to a healthy state very quickly.

I have always been very curious about the soul, the spiritual world, and mythology. In the works I have written in the past, I would also mention these concepts from various angles, but that was purely my own personal views and opinions, which did not truly align with the truth. And now, I am a soul without a body, which allows me to personally experience and verify what the world of the soul is really like, and what the secrets within the spiritual realm truly are.

Since it was because of the help of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su that I was able to come to the Western Land of Dharma Nature to be reborn and begin my brand-new spiritual life, then to understand the soul and the conditions of the spiritual world, I must, of course, thoroughly understand these two Buddhas who have shown me such great kindness.

Regarding Namo Amituofo, I actually do not know much. In the past, I had indeed heard that there is a Buddha in the world called Namo Amituofo, but I did not know much more beyond that. And now, I can see that in the sky, on the ground, and in every space around the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, bright golden Buddha-light is shining. This is because Namo Amituofo has not left, Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre for 24 hours, shining brightly in the sky above the temple.

Although I am a writer who has been working in literature for many years, it is still difficult for me to use words and language to describe the moving and shocking nature of this vast scene. If I really had to describe it, I think I would start with the help Namo Amituofo brings to the world, so that people in the world can have a more concrete and clear concept.

First, I can observe that the spiritual world can be roughly divided into two categories. One is lonely wandering spirits; these lonely wandering spirits were originally human, and after death, they lost their bodies, but their souls are still wandering in the world. The second type is sentient beings within spaces. For example, under the illumination of Buddha-light, many sentient beings within the sand of the earth have thus escaped the space of the sand and entered the light; even many sentient beings in the spaces of trees, flowers, and plants have had their spaces opened because of the Buddha-light, and they have joyfully swarmed out to enter the golden light.

What is very interesting is that among the lonely wandering spirits, there is a category that belongs to the local Australian Aboriginal sentient beings, and their numbers are quite significant. In the novels I have written, I once mentioned a concept: that people should have sufficient respect for the earth and the land, and should hold the highest reverence for this land in their hearts, because the land has countless spirits and ancestral spirits, and it is very sacred and inviolable.

I had proposed such a concept in my novels in the past, and now, from a spiritual perspective, as a soul, I can see very clearly on the Western Land of Dharma Nature that within the 400-acre space of the temple, there are not only many Australian Aboriginal souls, but also many souls of flower, plant, and tree spirits. However, here, they do not seem to be called spirits, but are referred to as grass gods, tree gods, flower gods, or earth gods.

These discoveries made me smile to myself; I did not expect that my initial guesses actually coincided with the truth to some extent.

The influence of the golden light radiated by Namo Amituofo on these sentient beings has given me a preliminary understanding of the greatness and compassion of Namo Amituofo. And the greatness of Namo Amituofo does not stop there.

What is very special about the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia is that they have set up three Namo Amituofo billboards on the highway in Brisbane, which feature the sacred image of Namo Amituofo, images of Buddha-light, and some information about the temple. In the eyes of the world, this is just a highway billboard with promotional or advertising functions, but in the eyes of the spiritual realm, it is absolutely more than that.

I can see that the sacred image of Namo Amituofo on these billboards emits huge golden light, and a very large golden light shines in the sky and around the billboards. Many, many Australian souls are very happy to see the golden light. Many souls quickly enter the light to seek help, many souls are pleasantly surprised to see the Buddha-light and rush to inform other spirits of this good news, and there are even many sentient beings in spaces who, because of being illuminated by the golden light emitted by the Namo Amituofo billboard, are able to open their spaces. When they see the golden light, they rush into the light as if they have seen a saviour. Many, many souls have been saved because of these three Namo Amituofo billboards.

And among these souls, many belong to the lonely wandering spirits of Australia. Although the eyes of ordinary people cannot see their existence, I can now tell everyone that the number of these lonely wandering spirits is not only huge, but they are actually filling our daily lives; we just cannot see them.

Many of these spirits are actually living very hard lives, and some are even in a state where their souls are already injured. Many of them cannot get enough energy replenishment, so they look a bit shrivelled and weak.

In short, it turns out that not only do many people in the human world live hard lives, but in the world of souls, there are also many spirits living very miserable lives.

After observing and understanding these phenomena, I can clearly understand that Namo Amituofo is a Buddha, and this Buddha came to the world absolutely to save the suffering people and souls in the world. And now, the help of Namo Amituofo for sentient beings is continuing at all times without interruption.

Just in the 400-acre space around Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and the highway billboards in Brisbane, the number of sentient beings saved by the Buddha-light emitted by Namo Amituofo is already countless. This makes me, who is also a soul, feel very moved and very grateful. I am very grateful that Namo Amituofo was able to come to this world, and I also feel very fortunate that the first stop after Namo Amituofo came to the world was actually in our country, Australia.

Yes, Namo Amituofo is now residing at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Although it is a remote little place, the great Namo Amituofo is present there; this is a point I want to emphasise now.

After having a basic understanding of the compassion of Namo Amituofo, my second step is to observe Practitioner Su and understand what kind of person this human-flesh Buddha who saved me is.

During the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, I clearly witnessed from the lotus seat as Practitioner Su utilised her spiritual powers, her soul manifesting into countless, boundless, and infinite forms of herself. Each manifestation of Practitioner Su appeared as a luminous golden body, radiating a brilliant, sacred light.

Where were these countless spiritual avatars heading? Their destinations reached far beyond Australia, spanning China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States. In truth, her spiritual presence radiated across the entire globe, encompassing every corner of the Earth. I think many people will have the question: "Are there really so many spiritual avatars of Practitioner Su?" I want to tell everyone that the answer is yes. Do not doubt it; this is indeed unbelievable, but the number is so large that it is impossible to calculate.

Upon reaching their destinations, these countless spiritual avatars began to chant 'Namo Amituofo.' These six sacred characters possessed profound, mystical power; as they were spoken, they summoned infinite manifestations of Namo Amituofo. Each manifestation appeared identical to the majestic, towering Namo Amituofo residing above the temple, varying only in size but remaining one and the same in essence. I was filled with immense wonder, realising that not only could a practitioner manifest such boundless forms, but the great Namo Amituofo could also replicate His divine presence endlessly.

The abilities used by these two Buddhas seem to be of the same lineage. Perhaps there is some kind of connection between Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su; this is an impressive thing that came to my mind at that time.

And as I continued to observe what these avatars of Practitioner Su were doing after summoning Namo Amituofo, I discovered that after Namo Amituofo appeared, as countless Practitioner Su avatars chanted the phrase "Namo Amituofo" in unison, the sound was very huge and resonant, sounding extremely compassionate and pleasant, indescribable in words, making one feel a sense of peace and comfort rising from the depths of the soul, feeling very at ease and stable.

As this phrase "Namo Amituofo" was chanted from the mouths of Practitioner Su's spiritual avatars, Namo Amituofo actually shone brightly at this moment. Huge golden light shone wherever every spiritual avatar was, and the range of the golden light was very vast. I could see at that moment that almost the entire Earth was permeated under the golden light emitted by Namo Amituofo. Because the area covered by Practitioner Su's spiritual avatars is the entire Earth, and the area covered by the Buddha-light emitted by Namo Amituofo is naturally also the entire Earth.

The above is entirely what I saw with my own soul's eyes, without any exaggeration. It should be said that what I have described is actually only one-tenth of the scene I saw. Similarly, at that time, the Buddha-light covered countless spaces and corners within the entire Earth. Whether it is the sky, the earth, flowers, trees, or mountains and rivers, sentient beings in countless spaces have had the opportunity to escape from the spaces of all things.

Not to mention the immeasurable and boundless lonely wandering spirits throughout the world; they are like the ocean, so numerous they cannot be described. At that time, countless lonely wandering spirits from all over the world entered the golden light and arrived in the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

Furthermore, I saw that there are actually many dark, gloomy spirits existing throughout the world today. In our spiritual realm, they are called "demonic masses." Compared to other spirits, demonic masses are overbearing and highly aggressive. Their way of survival is to snatch energy from other spirits or to control humans in the world to enhance their demonic power and replenish their energy. They use people's emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, love, hatred, and desire—as well as cravings for wealth, sex, fame, food, and sleep, to control human thoughts and behaviour, thereby achieving their goals. When Practitioner Su performed the Chao Du (spiritual deliverance), I was shocked to discover on the Dharma-Nature Land that there are quite a few such demonic masses existing across the world, causing great interference and influence on human society, especially on many young children. Practitioner Su is extremely compassionate. During the Chao Du process, these demonic masses were one of her key targets. Whenever Practitioner Su discovered where demonic masses were, she would move at an extremely fast speed, using her spiritual manifestation body to bring Namo Amituofo to perform the Chao Du (spiritual deliverance). Practitioner Su's spiritual manifestation body moves incredibly fast; it can be said that in a single thought or a snap of the fingers, she can travel from one end of the Earth to the other. In short, it is indescribably fast.

At that time, I saw a very interesting scene on the Dharma-Nature Land. In a very short time, countless spiritual manifestation bodies of Practitioner Su instantly covered the locations where demonic masses were present across the world. Simultaneously, by chanting "Namo Amituofo," she summoned the compassionate and great Namo Amituofo. Under the massive golden light emitted by the Buddha, the demonic masses seemed to have met their nemesis. The black demonic light and demonic energy on their bodies, which were originally so intense and frightening, rapidly dissolved under the illumination of the Buddha-light. In an instant, the demonic masses illuminated by the Buddha-light were directly sent into the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

I could see some of the demonic masses saved by Practitioner Su appearing on lotus seats, and I happily greeted them. Because in my mind, Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su are so compassionate, since everyone has arrived in this bright and beautiful world of the Western Land of Dharma Nature, we should all be able to be good friends and no longer need to do bad things. I saw many demonic masses who were initially confused about what had happened, but soon they slowly realised that they had been saved by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. They began to show joyful and grateful smiles; some even could not help but kneel on the lotus seats and weep, shedding tears of repentance.

Seeing these scenes, I, David Malouf, felt very moved. What could be more joyful than seeing evil spirits turn back from their misguided ways? From this, one can clearly know that Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su are truly extraordinary! They are beings who truly have the ability to save countless suffering spirits and humans in the world, and truly have the ability to help everyone walk out of the wrong path and return to the bright, righteous path. I said to these demonic masses: "Everyone, quickly chant 'Namo Amituofo'. The Buddha is very compassionate and will surely save us!" Some of them listened to my words and also began to chant: Namo Amituofo. In that moment, I felt that these demonic masses were actually no different from me. This made me understand a little of what Practitioner Su said in class: in fact, all sentient beings are Buddhas.

I believe that throughout the long journey of the soul, we may all take the wrong path and commit actions that we later find detestable. Yet, no matter what happens, that inherent kindness, compassion, and light deep within everyone's soul will never truly fade.  I witnessed this on the Western Land of Dharma Nature. However, although so many demon crowds were saved by the golden light of Namo Amituofo, I only saw a portion of them appearing in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This made me have a conjecture: perhaps the Western Land of Dharma Nature is not a single-dimensional world. In the past, while writing novels, I had learned about the concept of "multidimensionality." I think perhaps the Western Land of Dharma Nature is a multidimensional world, or even a world more multidimensional than that. After all, this is the Buddha-land established by Practitioner Su. Since it is the world of a Buddha, I think it should not be that simple; there must be deeper mysteries within it. However, this is not something I can understand at the moment.

Through the above observations and understanding of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, I have basically gained a more comprehensive and preliminary understanding of the spiritual world. From the salvation actions of these two Buddhas towards all spirits, it is clear that the Buddha is so compassionate and great, and possesses such magical and powerful strength to save suffering souls. I am deeply impressed by the fact that both Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su can manifest immeasurable and boundless spiritual manifestation bodies. I kept wondering in my heart if there was any special relationship between these two Buddhas.

Later, during Practitioner Su's lectures, I learned from the class that the relationship between these two Buddhas is truly significant. Because Practitioner Su is actually a student of Namo Amituofo, by practising the teachings given to her by Namo Amituofo, she has step-by-step elevated her own spirituality, transforming from a human identity into a Buddha with magical powers. In the process of mentioning his own attainment of Buddhahood, Practitioner Su kept emphasising this phrase "Namo Amituofo," which made me highlight this name in my heart. This means that these six characters are the most important of the important; I must never ignore this key. So now I have a further understanding of this phrase "Namo Amituofo." I know that this Buddha-name is so precious, so I dare not forget to chant it for a single moment. I hope that I can also obtain the ability to save sentient beings like Practitioner Su.

As mentioned before, the vast number of souls saved by the golden light of Namo Amituofo have now become residents of the Western Land of Dharma Nature, living very happily and peacefully in this bright and beautiful world. I think we will all become students of Namo Amituofo later, after all, it was the Buddha who saved us; and here, we can hear the Buddha's lectures every day, so we naturally become students of the Buddha. I never thought that I, David Malouf, while alive, was neither a Christian nor a Jew, and certainly not a Buddhist, but after death, I would have such a magical experience, which naturally made me a student of the Buddha.

This is truly a wonderful thing; one can only say that worldly affairs are truly impermanent and ever-changing. In terms of my great literary achievements while alive, descending into hell after death should belong to the downward, bad side of impermanence. And if we talk about being fortunately saved from hell by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to the "Western Land of Dharma Nature," a bright and beautiful world, from this perspective, I think this corresponds to the upward, good side of impermanence. This makes me feel deeply: not only life, but even the life of the soul, is spent in impermanence. So how can one find a stable balance point in the cycle of life's ups and downs and the changes of good and bad? This is also a question in my heart.

When I raised this question in my heart, the compassionate voice of Namo Amituofo unexpectedly echoed in my heart at the same time. The Buddha told me that I should chant this phrase "Namo Amituofo," make a vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and listen carefully to Practitioner Su's lectures; in doing so, I would find the answer I am seeking. I was very surprised and happy; I did not expect the Buddha to care about me so much and to give an answer to my question so quickly. I am very grateful to the compassionate Namo Amituofo, so I followed the Buddha's guidance and listened very seriously to what Practitioner Su was teaching in class. I then discovered that what was taught in class was exactly the answer to this question: if one can follow the universal principle and the righteous path of Truth, one can be the master of one's own soul.

Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su are practitioners of the universal principle and the righteous path of Truth; they have both attained Buddhahood. If I can also be like them, making my mental notes and even my words and actions completely in sync with the universal principle and the righteous path of Truth, then I too can attain Buddhahood like them. Besides this, I also learned the importance of being reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Here, I must explain a little bit about why being reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is so important. After all, in Western culture, this is a rather unfamiliar concept. The Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is different from the heaven mentioned in Christianity; it is a world of a higher level and more perfect than heaven. According to my current understanding, the biggest difference between the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and heaven is: the souls that enter heaven still have a lifespan limit, although it is extremely long, there is eventually a day when the lifespan ends. And as long as one is reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, one will have an infinite spiritual life there. From then on, there is no need to worry about the soul wandering in the six realms of rebirth; instead, one can truly purify the soul and elevate one's spirituality in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss without any worries. It is a world without suffering, only happiness.

It turns out that if a person, or a soul, does not want to experience the suffering of impermanence, they must chant the Buddha's name and make a vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Having obtained this answer, I am very joyful, so now "rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss" is my wish. I hope that after I arrive there, I will no longer be tormented by the impermanence and changes in the long spiritual life. Regarding why I went to hell, I didn't really understand it at first, but later I realised it was because of the novels I wrote.

Although the content in the novels was fascinating, and many people discussed the content or entered the world described in the novels and enjoyed it, the content of the novels always contained some negative concepts. Or perhaps I should say, the content mentioned in the novels I wrote was not all good, kind, positive, healthy, or bright and in line with moral foundations. Once anyone developed wrong concepts or was negatively influenced because of reading the novels I wrote, I, as the creator of the novels, had to bear the karmic responsibility for it. This is also the unchanging principle of the universe, which is the Law of Cause and Effect. It took a lot of brainpower to write so many wonderful novels. Many of the plots, including the entire background setting of the novels, the portrayal of characters, and the design of the plot, were all carefully conceived by my brain, which is why I entered the "brain-gouging hell" after death. As for why I entered the "copper pillar hell," it was because although I never married in my life, I still did not truly eliminate the craving for love between men and women from the depths of my heart.

 I have some messages for my sister, Jill. I am now living a very happy life in the Western Land of Dharma Nature at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia; it can be said that it could not be better. I feel like I am the happiest person in the world. Of course, I no longer have a human body now, but am purely in the identity of a spirit. One day, you will be like me and no longer possess this body. I discovered the antidote to the three problems of human aging, illness, and death at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, which is to accept the education of the Buddha's teachings at Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. By practising the teachings of Namo Amituofo, one can obtain the benefits of not growing old, not getting sick, and the spirit does not die. I am not exaggerating! I have witnessed this in my benefactor, who saved me from hell—Practitioner Su. Practitioner Su has truly been freed from the suffering of ageing, illness, and death, and is completely at ease in this world, helping sentient beings. A person's life can be said to be very long, but it can also be said to be very short. In any case, one should also make plans early for where the soul will go after death. Jill, I hope you can come here to see. You can first look at the information about Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre on the internet, or you can go to the highway in Brisbane to see the Namo Amituofo billboard of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. In short, I hope you come here to meet me soon; I am waiting to talk to you on the Dharma-Nature Land.

David Malouf