From a Martial Arts Plaque to the Western Pure Land

This interview features Hong Zhengkai, a martial artist from Taiwan who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. After being liberated from a long confinement within a wooden plaque, he now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on February 19, 2026.

Hong Zhengkai speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su. It is only because of the compassionate salvation of these two Buddhas that I, Hong Zhengkai, was able to escape the confines of the plaque space. Now, I sit upon a lotus seat in the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma. Every word and every sentence that Practitioner Su speaks feels like a precious treasure to me. I never imagined that such a profound Dharma existed in the world. It is something I had never heard of or seen before in my entire life. The Buddha’s teachings are truly immeasurable and boundless.

A Life Dedicated to Hung Kuen

My name is Hong Zhengkai, and I was a martial arts master in Taiwan during the Republic of China era. I practised Hung Kuen. Although firearms already existed during my time, I remained steadfast in my belief that the skills I had mastered still had their place. While many of my peers had already changed professions, I persisted in teaching Hung Kuen. Fortunately, there were still some people at that time who were willing to learn from me, and for that, I am truly grateful. I did my best to teach them everything I knew. I did not want these students to be like me—clinging to Hung Kuen until they grew old. Instead, I hoped that through learning this martial art, they would gain positive benefits for their character and their physical health. I knew well that I was not some legendary martial arts grandmaster. Indeed, in the martial arts world, there are those who possess true attainment and can perform feats that defy common sense, but that was never me.

The Lessons of a Turbulent Era

I did not achieve anything grand in my life, but I was unexpectedly blessed with a great number of students who came to learn boxing from me. This was truly a delightful surprise. I never married, so I treated each of them as if they were my own children. Beyond martial arts, I taught them that a person's abilities must be used to help others for it to have any real meaning. Otherwise, no matter how skilled or powerful a person is, they will eventually face death, and all that talent becomes useless. This is a reflection I have carried through the turbulent years I lived. So many talented and extraordinary people have been buried by history; who remembers them now?

Trapped Within the Plaque

After I passed away, my spirit entered the space of a plaque—a wooden sign that hung in the martial arts school I had founded. It was inscribed with the four characters 'For the Country, For the People.' These were the words of advice given to me by the teacher who first taught me Hung Kuen. I knew I had never truly lived up to those words, and because of that, I could not let go of the thought. It was this lingering attachment that drew my spirit into that very plaque. I remained trapped inside for a very long time. Later, because the plaque was made of precious wood and the calligraphy was written by a famous master, it was eventually purchased and kept as a collector's item.

The Golden Light of Salvation

On a day when the sun was shining brightly, the owner decided to take the plaque out to admire it. The moment I was exposed to the outside, I felt an immense, brilliant light. It was the golden light radiating from a Namo Amituofo billboard in Taiwan. My spirit saw the words on the billboard: 'Always chant Namo Amituofo.' I followed the instruction and chanted it once. In that instant, I was released from the space within the plaque. That is how I came to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to seek Spiritual Deliverance.

A New Path in the Dharma-Nature Land

After Practitioner Su sent me to the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I began listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma here. Only then did I slowly come to understand what it truly means to help beings. It is not enough to just help people; one must also help those in the spiritual realms. More importantly, one must ensure that everyone has a good destination to go to. This is the profound Dharma that Hong Zhengkai had never heard of before. I am so grateful for all of this. I continue to chant the Buddha's name here in the Dharma-Nature Land to purify my spirit, and I hope that one day, I too can be like Practitioner Su, saving immeasurable and boundless beings.

Many people in Taiwan today are still as simple and kind-hearted as they were in the past. However, having a kind heart does not mean one is exempt from suffering. The cycle of rebirth is incredibly painful—this is something I observed clearly when I was a spirit. I truly hope that the people of Taiwan will have the opportunity to come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to seek the Dharma. They have the chance to learn the skills to be free from aging, free from illness, and ensure their spirit does not die. There is a Practitioner Su here who is Taiwanese; he has already attained this, and everyone else can learn it too.

Namo Amituofo.

Hong Zhengkai"