Awakening from the Dream of Life

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Lay Practitioner Xi Xueling, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon her transition from the human world to the Western Pure Land. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on April 17, 2026.

Lay Practitioner Xi Xueling speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Xi Xueling. To think that rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is truly a matter of a single instant! In the past, I never dared to imagine it; I only knew it must be a magnificent world. But now, having truly set foot upon the soil of the Western Pure Land, I have finally realised how vast and boundless it is. It is vast because the heart-capacity of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su is vast; the Western Pure Land is as expansive as their hearts, just as the Western Dharma-Nature Land is as broad as the heart of Practitioner Su."

The Boundless Nature of the Buddha-Lands

"Up until this moment, one can see that these two Buddha-lands have no end. They are vast, infinitely vast, and wide, infinitely wide. Heavens, it is clear that the hearts of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are truly, truly immense!

I am Xi Xueling. The words I am speaking now suddenly sound as if they are filled with great Wisdom. Of course, I have been purifying myself in the Western Dharma-Nature Land for quite some time now. Naturally, I am no longer the person I once was—no longer that mother who was so deeply attached to her family. My heart-capacity is now very, very large. Although it is not yet as vast as that of a Buddha, I am still working tirelessly, without end, to expand my heart-capacity further and further. I hope that one day it will be as large as the hearts of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and then I, too, shall be a Buddha!"

Seeing Everything as Buddha

"But here, the Buddha already treats me as if I were a Buddha. Everyone here is a Buddha, so now, whatever I look at, I see only Buddha. I can only feel a profound sense of gratitude to the Buddha, to Namo Amituofo, and to Practitioner Su for bringing me to this place, and for bringing so many other spirits like me here as well. Some arrived here struggling in great pain, while others arrived with joy. We all come from different places, and our states of mind vary. But regardless, once we enter the Buddha-land and receive the purification of the Buddha-light, everyone very quickly recovers their original nature.

When I first stepped into the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I was at a complete loss. My mind was still lingering in the space of my home; I was still thinking of my family and everything I was familiar with. But after the Buddha-light shone upon me for a good while, and I was thoroughly purified, combined with my daily practice in the Western Dharma-Nature Land—chanting Buddha's name, performing prostrations, and listening to sutras and hearing the Dharma—the speed of my purification was incredibly fast. In an instant, I found my original self—the self that is not bound by a physical body, the self that has no physical sensations, only the lightness and joy of the spirit. Ah, it is truly so comfortable!"

The Gift of Filial Piety

"I am also deeply grateful to my child, Zhang Yuyu. He is truly so filial. By performing this Chao Du for his mother, he gave me the opportunity to ascend from the space of my home to the space of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Before this, I did not even know that I had passed away. I kept repeating the things I was familiar with in my home, as if nothing had ever changed. Yet, I was puzzled in my heart: why was I always doing everything alone? It felt as if there was a barrier between me and those around me; they could not hear what I was saying, nor could they feel my presence. But I still silently did what I thought I had to do, and in my confusion, I did not realise that I had long since lost this body, that I had already become a wandering spirit. Living in that space was just like being in a dream!"

A Call to Diligent Practice

"After dreaming for so long, I have finally woken up, and the change is truly inconceivable. Now that I have truly arrived in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I want to tell my family: being able to learn the Dharma is your greatest blessing. In the past, I was unable to be like you, and I did not learn the true Great Dharma, which allows one to chant 'Namo Amituofo' to the very end and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. It is truly difficult for people in the world to achieve rebirth by their own power alone. You must not take this lightly while you are still in the world; you must be diligent and practise with effort.

It does not matter when we meet again in the Western Pure Land. What is important is that you must raise this heart of practice in the here and now. If you can listen to sutras and hear the Dharma, and if you know that you have faults or personality flaws that need to be corrected, then you must correct them as soon as possible. Do not keep putting it off! Like me, it was only after I came to the Western Dharma-Nature Land to listen to sutras and hear the Dharma that I was deeply moved and realised that I had many faults. Although they were not major sins, as long as a person has their own attachment, their own ideas, their own likes and dislikes, none of that will work. If you have these, you will be just like I was—unable to attain spiritual liberation and continuing to live your life in a state of confusion."

A Message to My Family

"My family should be very wise! I am grateful to my child. Mother knows that your heart is kind, and since you have learned the Dharma, you must follow the words of the Buddha. That is what will help you the most. You must expand your heart of Goodness further and further. Help those around you as much as you can; you will not suffer a loss. Never keep thinking only of yourself; that kind of life is very painful. You must walk your path with your feet firmly on the ground. You do not need to look back at the past, and you do not need to worry about your mother. At this moment, I am a spirit without a body, which is vastly different from before. I am now filled with Wisdom, because I no longer have to be bound by the sensations of a physical body. Unlike you in the human world, where your thinking, seeing, speaking, and doing are all driven by the body rather than the spirit. Therefore, the 'me' of this moment is no longer the 'me' of the past.

This experience of being reborn and transformed is truly precious, and my heart is filled with gratitude. Here, Xi Xueling says 'thank you' once again to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Words of Xi Xueling."