From Canine Rebirth to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss

This is a record of an interview with Amu Wangzai, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land 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 December 22, 2024.

Amu Wangzai speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Amu Wangzai. I am filled with such profound gratitude to Practitioner Su for his compassion in saving me. It is only because of his intervention that I have been able to arrive here in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, where I now kneel before the Buddha, repenting for all my past transgressions.

The Regret of a Lost Human Life

I have been weeping uncontrollably, my heart heavy with regret. I deeply lament that I did not cherish the precious opportunity of having a human body in my past life, which ultimately led to my descent into the form of a dog. Fortunately, my owner, Wang Hong—whom I have called 'Mother' throughout this entire life—arranged for my deliverance. It was through her efforts that I was rescued by Practitioner Su. Because of this, I no longer have to endure the life of a dog; I have returned forever to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss of Namo Amituofo.

Although I was born as a dog in this lifetime, I had actually studied the Dharma in the past. When I was brought by Practitioner Su to the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I was able to see my own past. It was only then that I realised I had once been a monastic myself.

A Karmic Connection Across Lifetimes

In that lifetime when I was a monastic, the teacher I relied upon was none other than my owner in this life, Wang Hong. What a miraculous and mysterious Causal Condition! When I witnessed this past, I could hardly believe it. It turns out that my owner was also a monastic in the past, who guided many disciples in diligent practice. I was one of those disciples, and I was always very obedient to my teacher. However, in that lifetime, I failed to return to the Western Land and fell back into the cycle of samsara.

Life after life, I drifted through the cycle of rebirth. Eventually, due to the karma I created, I fell into the lower realms, becoming an animal and remaining in that state until this very life, where I lived as a dog.

The Terrifying Nature of Samsara

The terror of samsara lies in the fact that one has absolutely no control over where one will go in the next life. A single incorrect thought, a single mental note that one fails to let go of, can send a being into an unknown and dark destination. After that, it is just another lifetime after another, trapped in an endless cycle of rebirth without any cessation.

My heart is filled with such deep sighs of lament, yet I also feel an immense sense of fortune—the fortune of finally being saved in this lifetime. If not for these Causal Conditions, which allowed me to meet my teacher from a past life, and if my teacher had not happened to learn the Great Dharma and come to know Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, I would certainly still be trapped in the cycle of rebirth, continuing to suffer.

A Final Message of Gratitude

I truly love the name 'Amu Wangzai.' I will remember it forever, and I will keep the kindness and grace my teacher has shown me deeply engraved in my heart. I sincerely hope that my teacher will remember to chant Buddha's name more often, reduce her delusions, and that we shall meet again in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Namo Amituofo.

Amu Wangzai bows in reverence."