Finding Peace Beyond the Tragedy

This is a record of an interview with Marika Pogany, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon her life and her transition after the tragic Bondi Beach shooting. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on December 22, 2025.

Marika Pogany speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I have been in the Western Dharma-Nature Land for several days now! I have been consistently joyful. When I was alive in the world, I was also a cheerful person, often bringing laughter and warmth to those around me. But coming here, I can feel that this happiness is different—it is a profound, stable power. I feel truly comfortable and completely at ease, as if a heavy weight has been lifted from my soul.

I moved many times throughout my life, but this time, my entire existence vanished, and I was transported to this place. It is truly a miraculous experience, one that defies all the logic I once held so dear.

A Newfound Clarity

I was once a devout Jewish woman. We Jewish people have always been very protective of our faith, and we were taught well; we are good people. I have a child who is now an adult, and I feel at peace, with no regrets left behind. Especially after listening to Practitioner Su give Dharma talks, I felt a sudden, profound awakening. I realised that worldly attachments are all illusions. Here, I am so well that I have almost forgotten the past, but I retain one very strong memory: that I was once a very kind person, and I was always willing to embrace any positive change.

This change, meeting the Buddha, is different from the God I knew as a Jewish person. I see the Buddha described by the words 'compassion,' whereas in Judaism, we focus more on care and love. What moved me the most was when the Buddha called me 'child.' My heart simply melted. The Buddha did not treat me as an outsider just because I was Jewish and not a Buddhist. It is as if the Buddha's heart is so vast, so incredibly vast. I followed the Buddha quite naturally, without feeling the slightest bit of discomfort or hesitation.

Reflections on Faith and Identity

The Buddha I speak of is Namo Amituofo. We originally believed in only one God, but here there are many Buddhas, and one can even become a Buddha oneself. I have come to accept this as well, as it resonates with a truth I had not yet encountered.

I once had a nightmare: 'If the faith I believe in is not the correct one, where will I go?' It is true that I was a Jewish woman, and that I believed in Judaism; that is not a lie. However, I had not discovered a very subtle, uncertain factor deep within my heart. Even though I was a prominent figure in the community I served, deep down, I was clinging tightly to that identity and religion. Today, here in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I finally understand that my faith in the Lord, which I thought was one hundred percent, was not actually that solid. It was so subtle, something I had never felt in my entire life.

I was once a person who suffered greatly, but that suffering does not affect me now. All the experiences of my childhood, by the time I reached old age, had blossomed and borne fruit, turning into joy that I shared with many people. The fate of the Jewish people has been arduous. I have lived to such an age, and I have weathered many storms throughout history. I once thought Australia was one of the safest countries, certainly safer than Europe was in those years. But I never expected that, at my age, I would die in a shooting targeting Jewish people in Australia. If I were the person I used to be, I would certainly be furious. We are always indignant about the harm inflicted upon Jewish people. I am not a person who gets angry easily, but I have a sense of justice, so I would naturally sympathise with the victims.

The Weight of Collective Karma

However, now in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, if you ask me, I am not angry at all. I actually feel deep sympathy for the other party, because here, I see everything clearly. The laws of karma and cause and effect are just like this. Buddhism teaches the concept of cause and effect, whereas our Jewish faith did not have such deep teachings, nor did it have the concept of the cycle of rebirth. It turns out that by following the Buddha's teachings, the heart can be very calm, because there is nothing that is not a result of cause and effect; everything has a reason, so I can accept it all.

One might ask, what kind of karma have we Jewish people created that we have been hunted or killed by the masses for the past century? In truth, we Jewish people are quite arrogant; that is a collective memory brought from past lives. We were once a large group of famous scholars, and throughout many lives, we have 'killed with our words.' Our speech had great influence and persuasiveness. Since the ancient Roman Empire, it has been this way. We held power, we had everything, and we stepped on many beings under our feet. This is what I see. Here, I have learned that this is called 'Collective Karma.' We were too clever, and even now, it is the same. It is just that this cleverness now brings us marginalisation—we are one group, and others are another. This truly exists in the Jewish world. But I consider myself a very kind person; I do not have much discrimination. I simply speak or act for the vulnerable. Seeing these things now, my heart bleeds, because our pain was earned by harming many people throughout many lives. It is not an injustice at all. If I could do it all over again, I would not want to be Jewish. Even without knowing the Buddha, I would just want to be a human being on Earth. No identity, no titles—that would be much more at ease. Although I loved my identity and it brought me many conveniences to do good deeds, which made me happy, I was not in love with fame or wealth; I simply had a certain attachment and a certain pride in that identity.

A Message to My Son and the World

I am also a kind old grandmother. I look a bit cute, like a cartoon character, and people find me very approachable. I love to laugh, and I cherish the times I can laugh, because I have experienced the kind of suffering where one cannot even smile—that is something many elderly Jewish people like me have experienced. In the Western Dharma-Nature Land, everyone is laughing, and the Buddha is always smiling, so I was immediately certain that I belong to this world. This is a truly equal world. The Buddha does not look at our past at all, so we have no burden whatsoever. It is truly light and free. I do not need to belong to any side to gain a sense of security. I am here alone with the Buddha, and it is so natural. A lot of the 'self' that I used to have has faded away.

I thought I was already the happiest person, with no regrets and nothing to be dissatisfied with in life, and I always thought of others. I thought these were the reasons I was happy while I was alive. But I never imagined that this world—which did not originally belong to me, the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre—this world of the Buddha, heavens! Oh my god! I never imagined it could be this good. Sometimes I feel that whether it is Practitioner Su's Dharma talks or the lotus flowers here, they are like mirrors reflecting me. I am comfortably reflected, and all my secrets, everything in my heart, are placed before the Buddha. I do not need to hide anything; I just naturally relax.

Having said all this, I can only say that having lived this long, this is truly the thing I am most grateful for! I am grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for giving me this opportunity to come here and tell my story to everyone, so that they may know what the true Buddha's teachings are. It is not what the world says it is, nor is it about worshipping puppets or superstition. It turns out that the Buddha's teachings are such a real thing! I used to have no concept of Eastern religions at all; they felt very distant, and I did not like the idea of worshipping many Buddhas or gods. That is what I thought back then. But now, the Buddha tells me that every person is a Buddha. Wow! I was truly shocked, but upon reflection, I feel that this is what is truly logical! This is true equality!

Sometimes I feel I have so much to say to those I worked with in the past, so many things. We understood so little of this world! Coming here and seeing this world, I realise how narrow my world was before, only looking at one side of things. But we cannot blame ourselves; we Jewish people are also wonderful, but a part of us was blinded, which led us to bear this part of the karma, as well as the karma brought from past lives. We did not know these things before. We only hoped to be happy and joyful in the present. We also had Dharma joy, but it was not the same feeling as the Buddha's teachings.

I see here that many people are sad for me. They are my brothers and sisters, people who stood on the same side as me, and they are all good people. My death is actually nothing. If you could know where I am now, in the world of the Buddha, if you could feel even a little bit of it, you would be happy for me! You do not know how well I am doing now. My task in the world is finished, and what should have been done has been done. I hope you do not feel regret for me. Life always has this moment, and birth and death are naturally like this. I consider myself the luckiest, to be able to come to this world filled with the fragrance of flowers and lotus flowers! You cannot even imagine it!

My son! You are a good child; you are a lamp in my life! If you remain in the world, you must continue to shine and illuminate many people. But mother also silently hopes that you can come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. It is not far, right here in Australia. This is where mother lives now. You cannot see it, but you can feel it. Everything here is different from the outside. If you are willing to come, perhaps you can have a few words with me. Practitioner Su is here, and he can answer anything for you. Then, tell everyone for me that this place is wonderful. You might as well open your hearts to accept a different education and culture, because everyone will have a day to leave the world sooner or later. I still hope you can know the Buddha and accept everything I see now. It is truly, genuinely such a beautiful world.

Namo Amituofo.

Marika Pogany"