This interview was recorded on February 6, 2026. Lay Practitioner Hou Yunrui, the father of Lay Practitioner Hou Juli, shares his profound journey of deliverance. After enduring the immense suffering of the hells, he was saved through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia, eventually finding his way to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.
Lay Practitioner Hou Yunrui speaks:
"Hahaha! Right at this very moment, I, Hou Yunrui, am stepping on clouds—no, I am actually sitting upon a lotus flower, having arrived in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss! Is it true? Have I truly arrived in such a magnificent place? Is all of this real? I have looked around, and I know for certain that I have reached the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, this most beautiful of worlds.
Back when I was still in the Western Land of Nature, I heard and Practitioner Su speak of this Western Land of Ultimate Bliss during their Dharma talks more than once. At that time, I thought the Western Land of Dharma Nature was already incredibly beautiful. I wondered, could the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss really be that much different? It truly is quite different! The journey I took from the hells to the Western Land of Dharma Nature was one that left me filled with deep emotion. To go from a world of extreme, unbearable suffering to suddenly being elevated into a world of the Buddha—at that time, I wept bitterly. I never imagined I would have such an opportunity to turn my life around.
The Grace of Deliverance
Everything here is so wonderful. After I sat down in the Western Land of Dharma Nature and allowed myself to settle, I began to understand the causes and consequences of my past. It was only then that I realised it was my good child, Hou Juli, who had discovered the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. It is because Namo Amituofo abides there that such a thing is even possible. It is because Practitioner Su has realised her true nature and attained Buddhahood that she has the ability to lead deceased spirits into the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. It is through her that the Western Land of Dharma Nature was established, providing a place for us to go when we are lost.
My child, descending into the hells is truly so painful, so incredibly painful! Those days where you cry out to the heavens and receive no response, where you call to the earth and find no solace—that was all due to the negative causes I had planted in the past, which led to such bitter . Regarding this, I have nothing to say in my defence. When I possessed a human body, I did not know how precious it was, nor did I understand the laws of and cause and effect. I did not know what was permissible and what was not. Therefore, the mistakes I made in my youth were irreversible. They accumulated within my body, and from the moment my began to demand their due, I fell ill, and then became gravely ill. Looking back now, everything is clear at a glance.
A New Beginning in the Dharma
It was only after I reached the Western Land of Dharma Nature that I began to listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma. I learned the importance of chanting Namo Amituofo, I learned of the preciousness of the Buddha’s teachings, and I understood how difficult it is to obtain a human body. But at that time, having lost my physical form, I focused my heart and mind entirely on chanting 'Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo.' As I chanted aloud, I began to feel a profound Dharma . I realised then: 'Oh! If only I had known Namo Amituofo earlier, how wonderful that would have been!'
So, my child, you must cherish this opportunity you have. Your father has no road back to the human world, but to have arrived here in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is already a blessing beyond measure. I have no complaints. I have endured the suffering that was mine to endure, and I have experienced what I was meant to experience. This very moment is the perfect time for practice. Having seen through all of this, I cherish the causal conditions that brought me to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss even more. Although there is little I can do right now, I believe that as long as I practise diligently, one day I will be able to return to the human world to save beings, or follow closely in the footsteps of Namo Amituofo wherever He goes, so that I, too, may save many beings.
A Father's Final Advice
My child, believe your father's words. Remember that chanting Namo Amituofo and correcting your own personality are both very important matters. If you can do these things well, you will not leave any regrets in this life!
