Interview in the Western Dharma-Nature Land — Hsu Li-nung (Former Director of the General Political Warfare Department, Ministry of National Defence)

Interviewer: Venerable Fa Hui

June 4, 2026

Hsu Li-nung:

I am grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for saving me.

After I died, my spirit was suffering in the brain-gouging hell, but later I was saved by Practitioner Su and brought to the Western Dharma-Nature Land at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Now I live a fulfilling life in the Dharma-Nature Land; I never imagined such a bright and pure place existed. It is not a secluded mountain or quiet spot in the world, but a world composed entirely of light. Massive golden light continuously nourishes my spirit, allowing the pollution and pain deep within my spirit to fade away bit by bit.

When I first arrived, I was quite dazed because my brain had been repeatedly gouged in hell, leaving my consciousness unclear, and I had even forgotten who I was. Unexpectedly, under the Buddha’s light in the Dharma-Nature Land, I recovered very quickly. By now, I feel that my spirit has regained much of its vitality, and my heart is very stable and peaceful.

There are truly no worldly disturbances here, no interpersonal problems, no competition, no conflict, and no opposition. There are no natural disasters or man-made calamities; there is nothing to worry about. I only wish to sincerely recite "Namo Amituofo"; this is my most precious treasure now.

Regarding war, those who have experienced it know its cruelty. I think everyone should acknowledge that war is a wrong and foolish act. Every war consumes vast financial resources, and more importantly, countless people die in it. Whether it is one's own side or the enemy, no one is truly a winner in war.

From ancient times to the present, the causes of war have always been the differing positions of two parties, which represent conflicts of interest. No war has ever occurred without a conflict of interest. Seeing the cruelty of war, one cannot help but wonder: for the sake of power, status, or personal gain, is it really worth starting a war and making countless people pay with their lives?

I think the answer is certain: it is truly not worth it. Every person's life is precious, far more valuable than any benefit gained from war.

Only those who have truly experienced the era of war can understand the value of peace. For many who have grown up in a peaceful environment, life in times of peace may not seem rare or special. However, for war victims who have suffered the ravages of war, peace is something they obtained at a great price.

I, Hsu Li-nung, am someone who has witnessed the cruelty of war, so I have always been firm in my support for the peaceful development and friendly exchanges between the two sides. I truly do not wish for the flames of war to be ignited again; that is a burden no one can bear.

In this life, I lived to be over a hundred, which is a very long life compared to most. However, in the later stages of life, it was not necessarily fulfilling. After all, when one reaches old age, illness and organ failure cause a certain degree of harm to one's Body-Mind-Spirit.

Illness truly drains a person's will. No matter how strong a person is, under the long-term torture of illness or the obvious aging of the body, the vitality and life force of one's life will be worn away. Now I know that this vitality and life force actually refers to one's own spirit.

Because I received the Buddhist education at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, I understood that the human body is merely a tool used by the spirit; the spirit's right to control and use the body must be maintained by oneself. If one does not properly maintain the spirit's right to use the body, it is very likely that other spirits will seize part of that right, which is a very troublesome matter.

In fact, in my later years, when my illness was severe, my spirit was no longer complete. It could even be said that only a small part of my original, complete spirit remained in my body, while the rest had been kicked out.

This is what I saw in the Dharma-Nature Land: those who kicked my spirit out of my body were the people I had harmed in the past; they are my "karmic creditors."

In this life, I did not have much understanding of the universal principle, the Truth, or the righteous path. Because I did not understand these principles, my mood, my thoughts, my actions, and even the basis and methods of my decision-making were often contrary to the Truth, the righteous path, and the universal principle. The consequences were very serious, causing my spirit to suffer great pain.

The reason I entered the brain-gouging hell after death was that, as a soldier and an official, I had many calculations, strategies, and schemes for the sake of what I believed to be the right things or the right goals. It was precisely because of this complexity that I created sins, laying the groundwork for my entry into hell. Furthermore, the attachment to what I wanted to accomplish—which could be called a stubbornness in my personality—also created sins.

The more deeply I reflect on my life, the more I feel that the path of life is not easy, but it could actually be very simple and smooth. How can one make one's life a bright and flat road? I think the only way is to accept Buddhist education. For the next generation, if they can come into contact with the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre from a young age, I believe it will be of vital help to them.

When I arrived at the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I was very curious about Practitioner Su and the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, who saved me. After learning about it for many days, I understood that this Practitioner Su who saved me has a significant background. He is actually a Buddha who has attained Buddhahood in the human world; although he has a human body, his spirit is already in the realm of a Buddha.

What surprised me even more was that Namo Amituofo is currently residing at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This means that the Buddha has never left this land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre for a single moment; this is truly astonishing! I never thought that a human could actually attain Buddhahood; this is something I had never heard of. After all, a Buddha should be a very great existence; how can a person transform from a human identity into a great Buddha?

After listening to the Dharma talks, I understood that the Buddha’s teachings are truly a great Dharma of equality. What is Buddha-nature or self-nature? To put it simply, it is qualities such as kindness, simplicity, purity, selflessness, no-self, compassion, and cleanliness. These qualities are always in the spirit of every one of us and have never been extinguished.

Now I have a new goal, which is to study the Buddha’s teachings well. Because I saw that after Practitioner Su attained Buddhahood, he obtained the true benefits of the Buddha’s teachings. It was not just what I originally thought—that one could only receive the protection of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas after death or go to a better place; it is that while alive, one can make one's body stop aging and not get sick.

After knowing this, I was shocked for a long time. How many people suffer because of illness? How many people hope not to age, yet grow old day by day? If they knew about the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, I think they would be very pleasantly surprised.

Now, my daily focus is to listen to Practitioner Su’s lectures and Dharma talks, and to recite "Namo Amituofo." Life is very simple, but I am very content and grateful. It seems that here, there are naturally no desires, and all thoughts that arise are good and virtuous. I think this is a special feature of the Dharma-Nature Land; there is a force helping one's spirit to stay away from bias, evil, and pollution.

I was very surprised to discover that the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre has also set up "Namo Amituofo" billboards in Taiwan. In the Dharma-Nature Land, I saw that these billboards have saved many lonely wandering spirits in Taiwan, and many sentient beings in space have also been saved because of this.

I was very moved after seeing this, because although the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is far away in Australia, Practitioner Su has not forgotten Taiwan. To save many spirits in Taiwan, he specifically set up Namo Amituofo billboards there; this heart is truly very compassionate. I think the Buddha is so compassionate; as long as there is an opportunity, he will try his best to help all beings.

I want to tell my wife and daughter that a person's life is very short. Where will the spirit go after death? This is a question mark. And while alive, can one truly be the master and completely control one's own Body-Mind-Spirit? That is another question worth exploring.

Now, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, one can find the answers to all of this, helping people obtain the true benefits of being free from aging, free from illness, and the spirit never dies, and also helping everyone be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I know some people think that many who believe in the Buddha have the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, but based on the situation I have seen in the Dharma-Nature Land, I have discovered that although being reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is simple, it is not that easy. After all, without true Buddhist education to tell everyone what the universal principle and the Truth and the righteous path are, it is indeed very difficult to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Now, the teaching master of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, Namo Amituofo, is at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Coming here, he will be able to tell everyone what to do to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. In short, come quickly; I hope you can come here to meet me. I am waiting in the Dharma-Nature Land to talk to you.

Please help me pass the above message to my family.

Thank you very much, Namo Amituofo.

Hsu Li-nung