From the Depths of Hell to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Ji Chunhua, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon her journey from the depths of suffering to spiritual liberation. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on June 6, 2025.

Lay Practitioner Ji Chunhua speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Ji Chunhua. I bow in gratitude to Practitioner Su; I am so deeply thankful to you. I have now arrived in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am here, sincerely performing prostrations before the Buddha and repenting for my past. I pray that the Buddha will also take away my sentient beings with karmic affinity and my karmic creditors. It is I who have wronged them.

A Daughter's Remembrance

I am so grateful that my dear daughter still remembers me. I have suffered for such a long, long time—I cannot even clearly recall how long it has been. Every day was exactly the same, and the suffering was so intense that I lost track of the years, months, and days in the human world. It did not even matter to me anymore, because I was already dead; my physical body was no longer in the human realm.

After I was rescued by Practitioner Su, I made a vow: when I have the ability in the future, I too want to help sentient beings just as Practitioner Su does. My heart is filled with such profound gratitude. No one else would have known that I was suffering in the hells, and no one else had the capability to pull me out from that darkness. I had long ago lost all hope, believing that I was destined to remain in the hells, enduring punishment until the very day my debts were fully repaid. Who would have expected that, on that day, a golden light would suddenly appear before me, and I would hear Practitioner Su calling my name? To be honest, I did not quite understand what was happening at the time, as I had never experienced anything like it. But my intuition told me that someone had come to save me, and that person possessed an incredibly powerful energy.

The Power of Buddha-Light

It was only later that I realised that this powerful energy was the Buddha-light and the power of the Buddha. Practitioner Su very quickly took my spirit out of the hells and brought me to the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

While in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I listened to the Dharma very attentively. Although I did not understand it at the very beginning—perhaps because I had not yet fully awakened and my head was still aching—the Buddha-light gradually purified me. As time went on, I began to understand more and more, and listening brought me greater and greater joy.

The Weight of Repentance

Eventually, I broke down in tears. I offered a deep, sincere repenting to my karmic creditors because I could finally see them clearly. My illnesses, my temper, and my tendency to view things negatively or think in harmful ways did not arise without cause. Beyond my own inherent personality, I saw that my body had been under the control of many karmic creditors during those years. That is why I could not stop myself from thinking negatively or not cling to attachments; I was simply very stubborn, and I was always in such a rush.

Seeing my own past, I feel that I deserved the suffering I endured. All the pain I went through over these years was justified. I am filled with such deep repenting, and I beg my sentient beings to forgive me. Today, I have decided to come to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, and I also pray that the Buddha will bring all my sentient beings with me, so that we do not have to continue reincarnated in the cycle of suffering.

Now that I am able to speak these words, my heart is filled with gratitude and emotion. I hope that my child will study the Dharma diligently. Regardless of whether you feel you have a connection with the Buddha or not, please start building that connection from this moment on. You must chant Buddha's name, because only by coming to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss can you be free from suffering forever.

Ji Chunhua bows in reverence. Namo Amituofo."