This is a record of an interview with Alanglang, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his past lives and his recent transformation. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on January 13, 2023.
Alanglang speaks:
". I want to express my deepest gratitude to my owner for the care she has provided me over these many years. I have now regained a human body; I am a tall, well-built man, and I am no longer a dog. I am so thankful to the compassionate Practitioner Su for leading me to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss today. When I look back at my past, there is truly only one word that comes to mind: gratitude. I am grateful to Namo Amituofo, grateful to Practitioner Su, and grateful to my most beloved owner."
A Bond Beyond Words
"My owner and I shared such a wonderful bond. Every time I saw her, my heart would fill with . Although I was a dog, I was much more fortunate than others. I had an owner who cherished me, I lived a comfortable life, and most importantly, I was able to follow my owner in learning the . It is only because of this that I have the opportunity to be here in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss today.
When I reflect on the past, I realise that I have been a dog for more than just this one lifetime. It was only when I met my owner in this life that she saved me, giving me the chance to finally shed this canine form and escape the cycle of being a dog forever. The Causal Conditions between my owner and me span far beyond this single life; we had already formed a deep, positive connection in two previous lifetimes, which is why we were destined to meet again in this one."
The Factory and the Mercy of a Stranger
"In one of those past lives, I was a stray dog. I had stolen some cured meat from a family, and in their rage, they beat me until I was covered in wounds. They would not let me go; they were determined to kill me, shouting that I was a 'death-defying dog' that had to be destroyed. My right hind leg had already been broken, but I kept running, limping as fast as I could, just to save my own life.
As I fled toward a factory, someone gestured for me to hide inside. I listened to them and scrambled into the factory, which is how I escaped that brush with death. That benefactor who saved me was my owner in this present life. He was the owner of that factory. Seeing my pitiful state, he took me in and let me live in the back courtyard. He cared for me until I died of old age, never once abandoning me. After I passed, he even buried me and erected a small tombstone for me. My heart was filled with such immense gratitude that my spirit kept waiting for the right Causal Conditions to repay that kindness."
A Shared Path Through Time
"In yet another lifetime, we were fellow practitioners under the same master, and my owner in this life was my junior fellow student. He had only recently entered the Buddha’s gate, while I had been practising for a few years longer. Because of this, I was able to help him with many things. No matter what mistakes he made or what he did not understand, I was always more than willing to teach him, and for that, he was deeply grateful to me in his heart.
However, I did not practise well enough in that life. I failed to truly transform my own heart, which is why I eventually fell ill. After my junior fellow student cared for me for several years, I departed from the human world."
A Final Plea to My Owner
"Seeing these past lives, I am filled with so many emotions and reflections. Throughout your many lives, if one does not reach the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, one remains trapped in the cycle of being reincarnated—being a human, being a dog, I have been everything. What is there left to be attached to? I want to tell my owner: you are such a kind and wonderful person. In this life, you must reach the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am waiting for you here so that we can return together, become disciples of the Buddha, sit before Him to listen to the sutras, chant, and live the most joyful life of practice imaginable."
"Alanglang, with palms joined in reverence. Namo Amituofo."
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