From the Void to Ultimate Bliss: The Testimony of Li Zhenqiang

This is a record of an interview with Li Zhenqiang, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his passing four years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on May 29, 2026.

Li Zhenqiang speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Today, I come to you with a heart overflowing with gratitude, having arrived in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is a joy I never dared to imagine, because this place is infinitely better than the realm I inhabited for so long. To experience such a monumental transformation in my existence—who would have thought this could ever happen to me? It is truly beyond words.

I had heard of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss while I was still alive in the human world, but I had no idea how one actually gets there. I certainly did not know if it was truly possible to be reborn there after death. Looking back, it seems that for those of us living in the world, achieving rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is not an easy task at all. It requires guidance and a path that most people simply do not know how to find.

A Long, Wandering Dream

During the time I have spent here listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma, I have finally understood the vital importance of chanting Namo Amituofo. I have come to realise that only Namo Amituofo can save beings like us, whether we are in the human world or wandering in the spiritual realms. Now that Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su have saved me, I carry a heart that wishes to repay the Buddha's kindness. I am so deeply moved by the Buddha's boundless compassion.

I am also profoundly grateful to my old neighbour, Chen Ruolin. I never expected that I would have the immense blessing of being registered for Chao Du by an old friend. Most of the people I see arriving here in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss have been helped by their own family members who took the initiative to seek deliverance for them. To think that I, of all people, could receive this blessing because my old neighbour cared enough to register me—it is overwhelming. Thank you, thank you, thank you for not forgetting me!

The Miracle of Deliverance

When I left the human world four years ago, I was indeed suffering from illness. After I passed away, my spirit remained trapped in the space surrounding my home. I stayed there, unable to do anything, just spinning around and around in my own confined space. It felt like I was caught in a long, long dream—I wanted to leave, but I could not find the way out. I was just circling endlessly within that dream.

When I think about it now, it is truly miraculous. The Buddha is so incredibly great! He knew exactly where I, Li Zhenqiang, had gone after my death. He was able to accurately open the space where I was trapped and directly guide me to the Western Dharma-Nature Land; and now, from that land, He has guided me here to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This series of changes has left me in such awe of the Buddha. My heart is filled with nothing but respect and admiration.

A Call to the Living

Many people in the world do not know the Buddha, and the people I used to associate with were no different. Now that I have this opportunity to share a few words, I feel the most important thing is to have faith in the Buddha. Without faith in the Buddha, there is no opportunity for salvation. This is a very fundamental truth, and I hope everyone can understand it.

If you find that you truly cannot bring yourself to believe in the Buddha with your whole heart and soul, then at the very least, you must believe this: no matter where you are, the Buddha is truly capable of saving us. That is a fact you can rely on.

The Path of Surrender

The Buddha has allowed me to come from the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss to share what I have learned. I think the most important lesson is learning how to sincerely surrender oneself to the Buddha. When I was in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, that is exactly what I did. I did not dare to hold onto my own thoughts or opinions. Whatever the Buddha said, I did. If the Buddha told me to chant, I chanted. If the Buddha told me to listen to the sutras, I listened.

Under this kind of purification, I progressed very quickly, and my spiritual nature was constantly elevated. So, when the Venerable asked me yesterday if I wanted to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I answered without a moment's hesitation that I wanted to go. This is, after all, the true home for everyone's spirit. I had wanted to go to the Western Pure Land for a long time; I never once wavered.

I also urge everyone who reads this interview to have faith in Namo Amituofo and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Only by having faith in the Buddha can you receive the true benefits from the great and vast Buddha's teachings. The Buddha's teachings learned at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre are not ordinary teachings; they are a form of Buddhist education that teaches people how to truly transform themselves and reshape their lives from within. I hope you will all take the opportunity to learn the Buddha's teachings and change your lives for the better.

Namo Amituofo.

Li Zhenqiang"