From the Shadows to the Light of Bliss

This is a record of an interview with Lay Practitioner Fan Junxian, who sought Chao Du 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 transition from the darkness of the underworld to the light of the Buddha. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on March 21, 2025.

Lay Practitioner Fan Junxian speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I truly do not know when I became so prone to tears. Since arriving here, the tears have just kept flowing—I simply cannot stop them. It is not out of sadness, but out of an overwhelming sense of relief and joy that I never thought possible. My heart is currently overflowing with gratitude. If it were not for the compassionate intervention of Practitioner Su, how could I have ever been granted the opportunity to arrive in such a magnificent place—the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss? It is beyond anything I could have imagined."

The Radiance of the Western Land

"Everything here is so incredibly bright. There are so many different kinds of light, all shimmering and beautiful. There are so many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas here, too—beings I have never seen before, yet whose presence feels so familiar and comforting. Everyone in the Western Land seems so profoundly happy. Their bodies are radiant, as if they are made of pure light themselves. I have only just arrived, yet I already feel a sense of joy that permeates my entire being. My heart feels so empty, yet so clean and pure. There are no worries, no burdens, and no distractions. There is only the constant, peaceful presence of Namo Amituofo."

"I struggle to find the words to describe how I feel right now. It truly feels as though I am living in a dream, and I can hardly believe that someone like me could be worthy of being here. I am so deeply thankful to my family in this lifetime for helping me to receive Chao Du. It was only through their efforts that I could be saved by Practitioner Su. If it were not for these Causal Conditions, I would still be trapped in the underworld, living a life of grey, suffocating darkness."

Escaping the Cycle of Rebirth

"When I was at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, I listened to many Dharma talks. Practitioner Su was always teaching, and every single time, I listened with the utmost sincerity and focus. It was only after hearing these teachings that I truly realised how terrifying the cycle of rebirth is. I looked back at my own past, and I was horrified to see that for so many lifetimes, I had been trapped in the animal realm, living as many different kinds of creatures. It is so incredibly rare to be born as a human being."

"If I had not been saved by Practitioner Su, I shudder to think what would have happened. Once my life in the underworld ended, who knows? I might have been cast back into the animal realm once again. I do not know for certain, but in the cycle of rebirth, anything is possible. The suffering is endless, and the darkness is absolute."

A Final Plea to My Family

"To be able to come to the Western Land is such a stroke of immense good fortune. I am so incredibly lucky, and my heart is filled with such profound gratitude. I am now practising with great diligence, constantly chanting Namo Amituofo and performing prostrations. I will continue to cultivate my practice here in this beautiful place."

"I only hope that my family in this lifetime will also take this path seriously. Please, I urge you, chant Namo Amituofo with all your heart. You must come to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss; do not let yourselves fall back into the cycle of rebirth. There is no need to suffer any longer."

"Fan Junxian, bowing in reverence."