From the Ant Hill to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Li Guangren, a spirit who sought spiritual deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Having been liberated from his existence as an ant, he now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This testimony, which reflects upon his past lives and his recent transformation, was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxi, on January 1, 2021.

Li Guangren speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Who is moving our home? Who is destroying our kingdom? I see them! I see them! It is those wretched humans again. They are destroying the kingdom we worked so hard to build. As a high-ranking minister in the ant kingdom, I cannot let these humans get away with this. I swear I will fight them to the death!"

A Desperate Struggle for the Kingdom

"I scrambled with all my might, climbing onto their bodies, biting down with every ounce of strength I possessed. I wanted to pierce their skin, to take revenge for the harm they had inflicted upon our people. I managed to land one good bite, but they quickly shook me off and threw me to the ground. In that moment, I died. But when I passed away this time, I did not continue my cycle as an ant. Instead, I found myself in a place of brilliant light.

Where am I? I looked around, bewildered, and finally realised that I was sitting inside a massive, radiant flower. Someone told me it was a lotus. As I gazed at it, a faint memory stirred within me—I felt as though I had seen such a flower before."

Dreams of a Forgotten Past

"While I was still in a daze, I drifted into a deep sleep. In my dreams, I saw many stories unfold, and in every one of them, the protagonist was me. I saw myself wearing so many different faces, living so many different lives. As I watched these scenes play out, my heart suddenly ached with an unbearable pain. I woke up with a start, only to find my face drenched in tears. I did not know why I had such dreams, nor why I was here in this lotus flower.

It was not until I began to hear the sound of the Buddha-name that my tears started to flow again, uncontrollably. I still did not understand why I was reacting this way. Then, the chanting stopped, and a voice resonated through the space: 'Namo Amituofo! May the assembly pay respects to the Buddha three times. First bow, second bow, third bow...' I looked toward the source of the sound and saw a brilliant, shining Buddha sitting before a vast crowd, expounding the Dharma. At first, I could not grasp the meaning of the Buddha's words, but as I focused my mind, the voice became clearer and clearer. I began to understand. As I sat quietly and listened, a profound sense of familiarity washed over me. The sound of the Dharma talk brought me immense comfort and settled my heart."

The Awakening of a Lost Practitioner

"I had not been in this lotus for long, and I was not yet fully awake to my true identity. It was only today, when a beam of golden light pointed toward me and commanded me to tell my story, that I suddenly snapped into clarity. I am not an ant! I am a practitioner who once held the status of a Venerable. How did I fall into such a wretched state?

Before I took on the identity of Li Guangren, I had been a practitioner for many lifetimes. Yet, I never achieved spiritual success. The reason lay in my own mind-capacity—it was never fully cultivated. I remained selfish, thinking only of myself rather than the greater good of all beings. Because of my many lifetimes of practice, I had accumulated significant blessings. When I was reborn as a human again, I was born as the only son of a wealthy businessman: Li Guangren."

The Trap of Greed and Ignorance

"My father came to Australia early on to build his fortune, and our family business flourished. From a very young age, my father groomed me to take over the company. At the age of twenty, I successfully took the reins of his paper manufacturing business. However, because our factories often involved logging, we faced a severe ant infestation that began to impact our operations. I did not want the company to suffer losses, so I used ruthless methods to eradicate these ants from our timber yards. I was obsessed with the success of my work and lacked the mind-capacity to share or coexist with other beings. Gradually, my body began to change, though I did not notice it at the time.

I was incredibly diligent in my work. The company expanded, and I built many more factories, but I never shared the profits with others. Every extra cent the company earned went straight into my own pockets. I spent every waking moment working, consumed by the business. Then, one day, I suddenly collapsed and died. In my final moments, my mind was filled with the image of the ants swarming over my factories. And so, I became an ant."

A Sincere Repentance

"I lived as an ant for over a hundred years, and only today have I finally awakened. What kind of incredible power could help me regain my clarity? I am so moved; my tears flow again without my permission. This is my most sincere repentance. It was because of my past ignorance that I fell into the body of an ant. I did not know how to wake up. I am filled with shame and remorse.

I am deeply grateful to Namo Amituofo for compassionately opening up space for me. I am grateful to Practitioner Su for her compassion, which gave me the chance to escape my suffering. I, Guangren, kowtow in gratitude to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su. My former Dharma name was Shi Weiyun. In all my past lives of practice, I failed to achieve success because my mind-capacity was too small. Later, due to the blessings accumulated from those many lives, I was born into a wealthy family with a sharp mind for business. But because my mind remained narrow, I ignorantly spent my life chasing wealth. When I had exhausted all my blessings and was shackled by my spiritual obstacles, I died suddenly.

I hope my story serves as a warning to all practitioners in this world: the most important part of practice is cultivating the heart. Your mind-capacity must be vast, or you will find it difficult to achieve success. A single wrong thought can lead to endless cycles of rebirth. You must be cautious.

I am profoundly grateful for this awakening today. I am grateful that the Buddha is so compassionate that He does not abandon a single being. Li Guangren offers his endless gratitude. Namo Amituofo."