From Wandering Knight to Pure Land Practitioner

Chen Linliang, a spirit who once wandered the human world as a knight-errant and later served as a celestial guardian, sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on December 16, 2025.

Chen Linliang speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Chen Linliang, often called 'Elder Bodhisattva Chen' by others. I truly do not feel worthy of such a title. Every time I hear a living person call me that, I cannot help but dodge to the side, quietly slipping away while reciting 'Namo Amituofo' under my breath. This title did not fall from the sky like a free meal; I, Chen Linliang, was simply a man recognized by everyone as a 'good person.' But being a good person is one thing—I grew up eating from the communal pot, and as I grew older, I learned to give back to everyone. It was as if I came into this world empty-handed, and everything I encountered along the way, I simply passed on, keeping nothing for myself. How cool and free that felt! The monks on the road would say, 'Dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth.' When I was alive, I had long forgotten my age or where my home was. In any case, I never had a fixed place to stay. A man of integrity finds freedom in making the whole world his home, though during the winter when snowflakes flew, I had to hide at the local Earth God shrine to escape the wind and cold.

Day after day, year after year, people said I made a living by upholding justice and chivalry. But I knew that my own set of skills could also earn me half a bag of grain; daily survival did not rely solely on the name of a 'knight-errant.' Alas, the reputation of my youth as a knight never faded. Even after I had settled down for many years, and even when I had seen through the vanity of the world and taken the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as my teachers, old friends would still shout, 'Knight Chen!' It was only in my old age that I finally earned the title of 'Elder Bodhisattva Chen.'

The Burden of Chivalry and the Path to Truth

That era was a period of stability following long years of war. People had finally enjoyed a few days of peace without conflict, only to be met with plagues, famine, and other natural disasters. The life of 'Knight Chen' entered a period of large-scale action. By 'large-scale,' I mean that in areas severely affected by famine, I would perform acts of justice, petitioning local officials to grant amnesty for the people's taxes for a year. Everyone would ask: 'Where does Knight Chen get the virtue and courage to move a seventh-rank official appointed by the Emperor to grant amnesty to the world?' This was something the world did not know and remained full of suspicion about. The truth is, Knight Chen had a silver tongue that could talk the moon down from the sky, and since the local magistrate was already a man praised by all, the matter was easily accomplished.

I once had an adopted son who came to me when I was just entering old age. The boy was nine years old, literate and skilled in martial arts, yet because he lacked a family and maternal love from a young age, he had lost all self-confidence. He looked completely destitute, yet hidden within him was a sincere and kind heart, along with great skills and a sharp mind. I felt that Heaven had bestowed this son upon me. If I could keep him by my side and pass on my skills and my open-minded nature, we could walk the world together, making helping others our life's work—what a great future that would be! The boy's surname was also Chen, but he had long forgotten his given name. People called him 'Little Chen.' He was respectful, humble, and polite to me—a truly good child!

Awakening to the Dharma

Later, after ten years of prosperity and peace, the land of China was plunged back into misery and chaos overnight due to a political coup. At that time, I realized that the name of a 'knight' and the deeds of a 'knight-errant' were not the righteous path. While they could help alleviate the disasters of a region and settle the hearts of the people, what the people truly lacked was not just external change, but the removal of the deep-seated habits that had existed within their hearts for so long. Regarding these 'deep-seated habits,' I had been reading Buddhist sutras at the time. The words 'Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt' and 'wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep' immediately surfaced in my mind—what the Buddha called the root of all afflictions. At that moment, I suddenly saw the light. It was the Buddha's teachings! Although I had performed good deeds my whole life, I had not truly found the righteous path to settle my life. At that moment, I found the light of the exit.

I was over seventy years old then. In those war-torn years, it was hard to find anyone of my generation; most had died of illness or in battle, or were frail and elderly. Yet, I felt more spirited than ever. The joy of entering the Buddha's gate was indescribable, so I took my adopted son to study the Dharma together. The boy had great good roots and karmic affinity; at ten years old, he recited the sutras with such clarity, as if a wise old man were hidden within him, possessing wisdom accumulated over thousands of years. We found a head monk and begged him to accept us as disciples. We set aside the sutras for a time, focusing on serving the public—scrubbing floors and washing dishes. The temple kitchen was short-handed, so we joined in, chopping wood and fetching water, practising diligently every day.

From Knight to Bodhisattva

A few years later, Little Chen had grown up and gained a profound understanding of the Dharma. He was dignified and compassionate. After bidding farewell to his old foster father, he became a monk, taking the Hongyuan Temple as his place of practice for life. Under the influence of the Dharma, I gradually realised that I was merely residing in a false physical shell. There was nothing outside, and the deep-seated habits within had yet to be eradicated; only my original Buddha-nature awaited to shine. I stepped out of the temple, deciding to wander the world as a lay Buddhist. Although I still mistakenly thought I was acting as a knight-errant, I was actually walking the world with a compassionate Buddha-heart. It was during this time that the title of 'Knight Chen' gradually transitioned into 'Elder Bodhisattva Chen,' as I recited the Buddha's name with every step, leaving a lotus flower in my wake.

A few years later, I felt my time was running out. Although my breath was still steady, I faintly heard a calling. I once thought it was the Buddha calling me home, but although I had done good deeds my whole life and knew the preciousness of the holy name 'Namo Amituofo' upon entering the Buddha's gate, I was not received by the Buddha to go West at the end of my life. Instead, I entered the Celestial Realm as a deity. Even in the Celestial Realm, I still held a lingering attachment to the earth, the people, the flowers, the grass, the bricks, and the trees I had walked upon my whole life. I had not seen through it all. Thus, I became a spirit of the grass, trees, and flowers, wandering freely across the earth and sky, truly becoming a guardian spirit of the land. I was a flower spirit among the flowers and a tree spirit among the trees. Just as I had lived a life of freedom without a fixed home, I had now truly returned to dust and earth.

The Call of Namo Amituofo

However, a message once circulated in the air about Namo Amituofo coming to the human world. As a guardian spirit, I pricked up my ears to listen. Although I did not know where this message came from, in the spiritual realms, there are many spirits with great power. Without much effort, we discovered that Namo Amituofo was residing at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, and that the Western Dharma-Nature Land within the temple was a Buddha-land created by Practitioner Su through her physical body. This news shocked the entire spiritual realm, from the celestial beings above to the dust of the earth below. We realised the goodness of chanting 'Namo Amituofo,' and one after another, as celestial and spiritual beings, we began to chant the Buddha's name again, stepping on lotus flowers with every step, hoping that one day we could send each other back to the West.

The spiritual world is truly magical. Every day, we emitted seeds of pure goodness, chanting 'Namo Amituofo.' We all felt a force in the air guiding us to head East. The destination of this direction was not yet clear, but based on past experience, there must be a Buddha-event happening there that could help sentient beings. So, without overthinking, we headed straight East. Before long, we arrived at a place called 'Hong Kong.' Although I did not know the karmic conditions at the time, I continued to chant the Buddha's name, stepping on lotus flowers, knowing that there would surely be a harvest! We drifted to a place called the Tai Po district, where high-rise residential buildings stood in rows. We settled nearby and continued to inquire about news in the spiritual realm.

The Fire and the Deliverance

Not long ago, a massive fire broke out in a residential building. Without needing to ask, I knew this was the 'Wang Fuk Court.' At that time, celestial deities, spirits, and countless beings from the spiritual realms gathered upon hearing the news, standing guard nearby. Among them were also those who fanned the flames—the demon crowds. We, in our spiritual forms, chanted the Buddha's name, sending forth the holy name and thoughts of goodness through the layers of space. Day after day, one day, the sky shimmered with brilliant golden light. We looked up and saw Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su arrive simultaneously, radiating immense golden light. Countless spirits were drawn into that light. This event occurred repeatedly over the following days. It was then that we escaped into the Buddha-light, forever leaving behind the heavenly realms and the saha world, stepping into the pure land of the Western Dharma-Nature Land.

Haha! I, Chen Linliang, am no longer a deity of the heavenly realms, nor a guardian spirit of the earth, flowers, or trees. I am now a disciple in the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Lotus flowers bloom everywhere, and the golden light is brilliant. Namo Amituofo's majestic golden light is felt by all, bringing peace day by day. We often listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma while sitting on lotus seats, chanting the Buddha's name and making prostrations. After hearing the Great Dharma of Amitabha, everyone is moved to tears. Spirits who have existed for a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand years all recognise their faults and understand the truth: without the blessing of Namo Amituofo and the Ultimate Vow of Practitioner Su, the Western Dharma-Nature Land could not have been established, and sentient beings would have no place to return to. I, Chen Linliang, do not wish to waste this life of encountering the Buddha. Having heard the Dharma that saves the world, I vow to follow Amitabha Buddha until I return to my old home in the West—the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Namo Amituofo.

Chen Linliang"