Deliverance to the Western Pure Land: Lay Practitioner Gao Shulan

This is a record of an interview with Lay Practitioner Gao Shulan, the grandmother of Lay Practitioner Xue Meiling. She sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia and now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon her journey of deliverance and her transition from a state of profound spiritual confusion to the clarity of the Buddha-light. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on March 28, 2025.

Lay Practitioner Gao Shulan speaks:

"I am saved! I am truly saved! I am so incredibly grateful to Practitioner Su, so grateful. I have seen Namo Amituofo with my own eyes, and I am filled with boundless gratitude for Him."

A Life Lost in the Fog

"For so many years, I did not even know what I was doing. Every day felt like I was just drifting through existence, yet it was not truly living. It felt as though I was constantly speaking to people, but at the same time, it felt as if no one was there to listen. It was all just me talking to myself in a void. I was completely lost in a labyrinth of my own making. My mind was in such a state of chaos; I had no idea what was happening or what my purpose was.

Back then, I was incapable of clear thought. Only in those rare, fleeting moments of lucidity would I stop to wonder where I was or what I was doing. But those moments were like sparks in the dark—they would vanish as quickly as they appeared, and I would sink back into that familiar, suffocating fog."

Awakening to the Light

"When Practitioner Su first called out my name, I had no idea he was addressing me. I had forgotten my own name; it had been lost in the depths of my confusion. Despite this, I was drawn by a powerful, irresistible force, and I was brought directly to Practitioner Su.

When I first arrived at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, I was still in a state of utter bewilderment. The transition was jarring, and I felt even more disoriented, wondering how I had suddenly arrived in such a bright, radiant place. It was only later, as I began to be purified by the gentle, warm Buddha-light, that I started to regain a sense of clarity. As the fog began to lift, I started to question who I was and what had happened to me. Everything was still blurred, but with each passing moment, the truth became sharper and more vivid. Eventually, I began to chant the name of Namo Amituofo, and as I chanted, my mind became clearer and more focused than it had ever been."

The Weight of Karmic Creditors

"When I finally saw my karmic creditors, I broke down and wept. I saw the immense suffering I had caused them. Many of them had been driven to madness by my past actions, and they were constantly screaming in agony. I wept as I begged them for their forgiveness, though I feared they could not hear my voice. I cried and cried, feeling such a deep, crushing sorrow. I realised then just how heavy my sins truly were.

But the Buddha is so compassionate. He continued to bathe me in His Buddha-light, and slowly, I began to find peace. I made the firm decision that I wanted to go to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, and I prayed for the Buddha to take my karmic creditors with me, so that we might all be delivered from this cycle of suffering.

I am so grateful to Practitioner Su, and I am deeply thankful to my family members who helped me reach this point. I am filled with gratitude. Namo Amituofo."