Interview in the Western Land of Dharma Nature — Chen Wan-chen (Former Legislator, Senior Political and Historical Worker)

Interview Chief Writer: Fa Ning

June 4, 2026

Chen Wan-chen:

My name is Chen Wan-chen, and I am currently in a place called the "Western Land of Dharma Nature". Here, a Venerable from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia is conducting a spiritual interview with me. I hope to say a few words to my family, as well as to everyone who knows me and perhaps those who are interested in the Taiwan independence movement and know of my existence.

My life has been turbulent and magnificent; I have experienced many things, and it is quite sorrowful to speak of them. Throughout my life, I believed I was defending democratic rights and hoping for Taiwan's independence, always using bold, headstrong, and extreme methods to defend Taiwan's democratic movement. To be honest, I feel very ashamed now.

I truly did not know that the Western Land of Dharma Nature where I am now—this Buddha-land—is so magnificent, and it does not quite match what I did in my life. I have been wondering, how could someone like me be qualified to come to such a wonderful place? I cannot fathom it, but it is indeed the truth.

I have been gone from the human world for a year, and during this year, I have been a very miserable ghost. I lived in the ghost realm, constantly being oppressed and treated in various forceful ways. I do not know why I fell into such a state. I was once a brave female warrior defending democracy with a very strong personality, but after death, I found myself unable to control my fate, ending up in a dark world, always being a pitiful ghost, bullied by others.

Now I finally understand; after arriving at the Western Land of Dharma Nature, what I have learned is true Buddhist education. This is an education that can truly help people understand the Truth of the universe and life. I am now speaking to the world in a spiritual way, hoping that everyone can listen to everything I have said.

When I was alive, I was skilled at defending democracy and freedom of speech. All these methods were very intense and did not follow the universal principle and the righteous path of Truth as stated in the Buddha’s teachings, which is why I lived such a miserable life after death. It turns out that everything that has happened in the human world is recorded in the ledger of the laws of karma and cause and effect. There is nothing done well that does not receive a reward, and nothing done poorly that does not have retribution. It turns out that the Buddha’s teachings I knew before were too superficial, merely perceived as a religion that brings comfort to people's Body-Mind-Spirit. But now it seems that the Buddha’s teachings are a true education, teaching everyone to recognise the Truth.

Here, I can see everything in the human world very clearly, including the current appearance of Taiwan and the hearts of its people. The Chen Wan-chen of the past truly no longer exists; I do not know what image people imagine or shape me into today, and whether it is good or bad does not matter. I only want to steadily transform myself; this is the most important thing now.

Besides this, I believe that if the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, this very magnificent place, could be promoted, that would be the best thing. Why do I now believe so much in the Buddha’s teachings, and specifically in the Buddha’s teachings from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia? Let me tell everyone, this temple truly has Buddhas present. Namo Amituofo resides right in the temple; I can see it very clearly, the Buddha is always emitting light.

Practitioner Su in the human world is the same; although most people do not know him, I must introduce him to everyone. Practitioner Su is a Taiwanese who, thirty years ago, already achieved Awakening and realised his true nature to attain Buddhahood, and came to Australia to establish the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Because he made an Ultimate Vow to save many, many beings, he moved Namo Amituofo to come to the human world to help Practitioner Su save the beings of the human world and the spiritual realms together.

I, Chen Wan-chen, am one of the luckiest. At that time, Practitioner Su struck the large singing bowl and called my name, "Chen Wan-chen", and I was instantly saved from that world where I was oppressed until I was unrecognisable. My body was broken and ruined, but my spirit was very clear when I arrived in this Buddha-land. Under the Buddha’s light, I was purified a great deal, and very quickly my whole being became very different. I am no longer that miserable Chen Wan-chen in the dark world, but have changed into a clean white garment, returning to my youthful appearance from the past. And I am no longer the Chen Wan-chen with the strong personality from before.

Everything in the Western Land of Dharma Nature is so peaceful and harmonious, and my heart has also become tranquil, without any afflictions. I only know that the Buddha’s teachings are the Truth, and the Truth is the Buddha’s teachings; I really will not care about anything else anymore. Because no matter how much one strives for in the human world, whether for oneself or for others, it is all within the laws of karma and cause and effect. If one conducts everything in an intense way, it is actually a violation of the universal principle and the righteous path of Truth. These things should not be done.

If I had been able to keep to my duty at that time, not letting all these things spread, I would not have had to exhaust my Body-Mind-Spirit for the sake of fighting for freedom of speech. When I was in the human world, I experienced many hardships, whether it was being detained and arrested, or in my old age, suffering from cancer for ten years, which tortured me for a full ten years before I left the human world. All this suffering was caused by the fact that people in the human world have not received true Buddhist education. People could actually have avoided getting sick; this is something Practitioner Su has always emphasised.

I was shocked to hear this; I saw that everyone around me left the human world under the suffering of illness, and only a few left due to accidents; it seems hard to find anyone who does not get sick. But Practitioner Su says that not aging and not getting sick is entirely possible. Moreover, the spirit is inherently immortal; it is just that this body is gone. After the body is gone, one's spirit can be elevated, and after elevation, it can go to a much brighter space. Just as Practitioner Su very compassionately helped us come to this world, teaching me all these true facts of the universe, and teaching me the principles of being a human.

Now my heart has opened up a lot, and I know that nothing in the human world should be held onto, nor should it be recalled. Let all the things that create karma pass; do not keep them in the present, obstructing one's own practice and the growth of the Body-Mind-Spirit.

Of course, I hope that after my family sees this article, they can personally visit the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, understand what this temple is actually doing, and understand the true Buddha’s teachings. Being here is truly a very magnificent thing. Besides helping people grow spiritually and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre has both Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su exerting Buddha-power to help solve many difficult problems in the human world.

I can see very clearly here that inside the human body, there exist many "beings" to whom we owe debts from the past. They seek revenge on our bodies, which means that the debts we owed in the past must be repaid, and in the process of repayment, it is naturally painful.

This is why, when I was a pitiful ghost in the ghost realm, I was oppressed by so many beings. That is because I owed them debts from the past, and combined with my strong personality in this life, my debts could never be repaid, and I even created more new karma. I sincerely repent here; I set a bad example for the world, making everyone think that one must fight to the end for everything and treat everything with a hard heart, which is actually something that should not be done.

Now, I am very grateful for this magnificent opportunity, because I know this is a rare chance. A person who once made mistakes is repenting here, and also expressing gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. I am grateful for this opportunity, which allows me to understand the true facts of the universe and learn the highest wisdom of the Buddha’s teachings.

I want to say to my family who are still alive: you must believe in and get to know the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Although you may not understand yet and feel that all the things I am saying now make me seem too different from my former self, please do not worry; this is how I appear after my spirit has been purified, and it is a very natural thing.

I am still the spirit of the Chen Wan-chen from before, only I have left that body and no longer have those former temperaments and feelings. Now, as a spirit, I have talked to you about everything I have learned, and I hope you can understand my current situation.

Believe in the Buddha’s teachings, believe in the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Why not start by searching online for the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia and see everything that is done here. No one can predict which temple truly has a Buddha residing in the world, capable of saving so many beings. This is my very special, very special experience to share.

Gratitude to Namo Amituofo, gratitude to Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo

Chen Wan-chen