From Blades of Grass to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with He Yuyang, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his long journey as a spirit of the grass, culminating in his salvation following the massive fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on December 13, 2025.

He Yuyang speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I was once a blade of grass. I do not know how long I had been a blade of grass; it felt like an eternity. The wind here was quite strong, and I would hum little tunes, dancing along with the breeze. Sometimes, people would step on me, or objects would roll over me, but these were not things I concerned myself with. My spirit was so light, so incredibly light, that at times I was not even sure if I still existed within the grass. Yet, I never left that particular blade of grass—at least, not for as long as I had been in that form. Someone once asked me if being a blade of grass was boring. I did not think so, but I knew I was waiting for something. It felt as if I were waiting for a Causal Condition to finally break free from this grassy form.

A Glimpse of the Light

It is not that I had never encountered the Buddha before. A long time ago, I heard passersby chanting, 'Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo.' That time, I saw with my own eyes that many of my friends vanished instantly because of that single phrase. Where did they go? That was the moment I lost the most friends who were also grass spirits. I felt a bit sad, but I thought that perhaps this was a turning point. They had disappeared, so they must have gone somewhere else. It just wasn't my turn yet. My heart knew of this 'Namo Amituofo,' but at the time, I lacked the courage and the affinity to hold it deep within my heart.

The place where I resided underwent many changes. When I first became a grass spirit, the surroundings were just a patch of weeds. I could see many blades of grass taller than me, and I remained tucked away in a small cluster, with the outside world almost entirely blocked from my view. Later, my friends and I were trimmed to almost the same height. A patch of blue sky appeared above my head, but all around me, there was still an endless expanse of grass spirits just like me. Back then, the sky was a brilliant azure. Occasionally, heavy rain would fall in the afternoon, and we would happily drink in the moisture, each of us wanting to be more nourished, larger, and stronger than the next.

The Arrival of Humanity

A long, long time passed, and we slowly noticed the sky had changed. Although it was still blue, the colour had faded significantly, becoming somewhat grey and hazy. During this time, we were frequently pressed down and trampled upon. It seemed the number of living beings here had increased, and the place had become quite lively. We could gather information; I remember a large tree by the roadside telling us that these things were also living beings called 'humans.' They walked around, so when they passed by you, you might feel pain or sensation.

We grass spirits were rather dull. We lived lives of contentment, not as clever as the big trees, nor as delicate and beautiful as the small flowers. Our 'brotherhood' was vast; we all looked the same, indistinguishable from one another, living a quiet and peaceful life.

The Fire at Wang Fuk Court

Then, after countless days and nights, we noticed the air suddenly becoming hot. We knew it was winter—a time when the air was usually cold—but in an instant, we felt a wave of heat spreading toward us. We were so uncomfortable, and the entire sky became even greyer. Smoke swirled around us, and we felt hot and itchy. Everyone began to roar, as if collectively protesting the environment. But we were only grass; what could we do? This uncomfortable air only dissipated after some time. The big tree told us that a building nearby had caught fire—a massive fire. He had seen it clearly and told us that our lives might be in danger. But we survived that calamity, and every blade of grass remained intact, as if life had returned to its original state.

Each of us blades of grass seemed to vaguely know our own names. We could not speak them, but it felt as if we all believed we had once been human.

The Final Call

Not long after, I heard the sound of 'Namo Amituofo' once again. This time, it was special because it was accompanied by a very bright golden light. I do not know why I began to hesitate. I did not believe I would have another chance to hear this 'Namo Amituofo,' because it held a very special, intimate feeling for me. Once again, I watched as many grass spirits vanished, all of them moving toward the light in unison. Oh, was I going to let my old stubbornness kill me again? I did not rush to leave; I kept clinging to my grassy form, unwilling to try for this chance to escape being grass. I thought I was just used to being a blade of grass and lacked the courage to make any changes.

But after that time, I truly regretted it. I thought about how much I had yearned and hoped when I heard 'Namo Amituofo,' yet why was I still such a coward, choosing the grass over the light? I did not understand why I was like this, and I could not control it. But after that, I truly made a vow. I told myself that no matter what I would become, no matter where the light took me, I would go. I really did not want to be grass anymore. This is not something an ordinary blade of grass would think of, because there is nothing inherently wrong with being grass, and grass does not know what the outside world is like, so grass spirits are generally quite dull. After being illuminated by that light, I began to become clever. It was as if I knew more about what I could do. Besides being a small blade of grass, I could follow along and chant this 'Namo Amituofo.' Although I did not understand what it meant at the time, after my spirit became clear, I knew it was a very special and precious phrase. So, I began to understand what it meant to 'chant the Buddha's name.' I would hum these six characters just like I used to hum my little tunes. It was so comfortable—much more comfortable than those messy tunes I used to hum!

Rebirth in the Western Pure Land

Slowly, I became even clearer. I had a profound feeling that I was truly not grass. I was not originally grass; perhaps I had once been a human? Like those living beings walking around, had I once been that tall? As I continued to chant more 'Namo Amituofo,' this feeling became deeper and deeper. Even the small and large blades of grass around me were infected by my spirit. It seemed we could all chant the Buddha's name together. We chanted from a whisper to a loud voice, and the power grew greater and greater. It spread from one to ten, from ten to a hundred, and our voices eventually shook the entire field!

Soon, we encountered that light again! This time, the light shone for a long, long time. We had even more grass spirits this time, and because we were all chanting the Buddha's name loudly together, we collectively evaporated and entered the light. We had waited for so long, and this time, our wish was finally fulfilled.

The moment we entered the light, all of us—so many of us—suddenly found ourselves sitting on lotus flowers. For every blade of grass, there was a lotus flower! It was an astonishing moment. We slowly realized that it was Namo Amituofo who had brought us to this new world. Looking at ourselves, we were no longer grass! Each of us had regained a human form—the way we looked before we became grass. It had been a long, long time; I had been grass for at least several hundred years, and some even longer. I hung onto a name: He Yuyang. That was the name I had when I was human. Although that name felt very distant, I could see my former self working and playing in the grass. I was often covered in the scent of grass, and at that time, I was carefree, living alongside the sky and the earth. The land was filled with lush, fertile grass.

A Debt of Gratitude

From He Yuyang to a blade of grass, and today, standing on a lotus flower in the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, these few hundred years of deep affinity with the Buddha have passed in the blink of an eye. I marvel at how lucky my spirit was to have wandered and finally found its home. Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su have brought two Buddhas to the human world, and there is also Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju in the temple, who is also a great Buddha. In the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I learned how the Buddha saves people, which is the reason why I and so many of my companions were saved. It turns out the Buddha has no 'heart' of discrimination; He does not distinguish which beings can be saved and which cannot. The Buddha simply shines His light with such a great, expansive heart. Another very important factor is that there is a person in the human world called Practitioner Su. Every time he sends out the thought to save sentient beings, Namo Amituofo responds, again and again, allowing more and more lotus flowers to bloom in the Western Dharma-Nature Land.

I must study hard now. Having understood so many truths, I am going to become a Buddha. I can then save more people, more grass, and any other sentient beings I encounter. Namo Amituofo!"

Disciple Fa Ning asks He Yuyang: "May I ask, do you know where you were located when you were a blade of grass? Have you heard of the massive fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong?"

He Yuyang:

"I was one of the blades of grass that felt the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong! It was so hot, so very hot. We were all very uncomfortable, and our entire bodies (the whole grass) shrivelled up because there was a strange smell in the air. After that fire, there was a light, but I was not taken away yet. It was only after the second time I tried hard to chant the Buddha's name that I finally waited for the Buddha-light to take me away! Later, upon arriving at the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, we grass spirits realized that it was Namo Amituofo who had come to the fire to lead the beings affected by the blaze. We grass spirits were also a group of spirits lucky enough to be saved. I am so grateful for the compassion of Namo Amituofo! I am so grateful for the compassion of Practitioner Su! On behalf of all the grass spirits, I express my gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su!"

Namo Amituofo.

He Yuyang