, my name is Tang Aoqi. Today, I am accepting an interview from the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia while in the Western Land of Nature. I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. It has been a month since I arrived in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, and I have adapted very well here. Knowing that my life is now vastly different from before, I have been looking forward to the day I could share this good news with my family, my fellow countrymen across the nation, and all my friends in the industry, to share this great of mine.
I left the human world at the end of last year, so it has been nearly half a year. I never expected that after eighty years of life, I would encounter such a different situation. Thinking back now, I am deeply grateful for the of the Buddha or , Namo Amituofo, and Practitioner Su. They allowed someone like me—who had no foundation in Buddhist practice and did not even believe in the Buddha while alive—to come to this Buddha-land, the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Perhaps this is truly my Buddhist affinity!
Today, Tang Aoqi brings a story full of experiences to share with everyone. In truth, there were no great ups and downs in my life, nor anything particularly worthy of praise. My life story is like that of many older-generation entrepreneurs in China: I started from scratch, slowly accumulating through a small business, and eventually built a bright future. My domain was automotive parts; our factory provided various parts for the automotive manufacturing industry, from plastic components to parts made of different materials—all could originate from our company's products.
To be honest, I did not work in automotive parts before, so it was a brand-new challenge for me at the start. We were just a small parts factory; when I first started, I made small screws, small plates, and similar items. Later, through a certain opportunity, I felt I could expand this industry, so I invested all my available capital into more machinery and equipment, slowly developing into the situation we had today.
This industry was primarily founded by my son, Tang Zhihua, and me. We had a very close father-son relationship, and our family lived a harmonious life together. We supported each other, both in work and in life. People often regarded us as a model family. I think this is because my wife and I were both quite pragmatic people. Although the business we managed grew larger and larger, expanding beyond what we could have imagined, we did not dare to have too many wild ambitions or other thoughts as we moved forward step by step. We simply worked honestly on automotive parts. Later, it truly became my interest and hobby; it was something I genuinely enjoyed and studied deeply.
I believe that in one's life, one should focus on doing one thing well, rather than doing too many things. This is the perspective of worldly people, as some believe one should be single-minded, while others believe one should explore different industries. Actually, it does not matter; this is just Causal Conditions. If you ask me what I was pursuing in my life, I did not have such grand ideas at the beginning to manage such a large business. However, as we moved forward step by step, naturally, with our entrepreneurship and innovation, as our accumulated wealth and technology grew, it naturally developed to its current scale and expanded into many overseas markets. Even many famous automobiles, whether from the United States or Germany, had many parts configured by our factory.
This was once something that made me very proud, but now that I no longer have this body, what does all of this have to do with me? I can say it has absolutely nothing to do with me. Without this body, all connections to the human world are severed. The spirit never dies; I only realised this after I died. While I was alive, I had no such perception.
I was eighty years old when I left the human world, which is an age I am quite satisfied with. Moreover, my family was very harmonious, and the distribution of assets between my wife and me went very smoothly. There was total harmony in the family, and no discord occurred. It is only now that I have arrived in the Western Land of Dharma Nature that I feel regret, thinking that although I also managed many charitable causes before, I now realise that what I did was far from enough!
What I mean by far from enough is that most of what I accumulated in my life was left to my children, and I did not teach them to truly practise the word giving. They followed me and knew a little about giving, but compared to the wealth we possessed, the proportion was truly too low. Because of this, I must work even harder today. This letter of mine today is even more important because I want to encourage my children to give away their surplus wealth to build the headquarters of the Pure Land school in China.
This matter is also something I heard Practitioner Su calling for everyone to do after I arrived in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. I was deeply moved at the time because, in my month here, I have seen many things clearly, and I have also seen the design blueprints for the Namo Amitabha Buddhist Hall. We people from different countries gathered in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, and everyone was filled with Dharma joy upon seeing them. We all felt that if such Namo Amitabha Buddhist Halls were not only built in Australia but also across the world, and if there were Those who have realised their true nature to lead many people in the skills of Buddhist practice, how wonderful that would be! Unfortunately, it is not easy to find someone who has realised their true nature in the human world. Now, there is Practitioner Su from Taiwan who realised their true nature and attained Buddhahood thirty years ago and has been saving beings for decades. Besides this, it seems impossible to find a second such person. Perhaps others have realised their true nature, but they are unable to exert such great influence as Practitioner Su.
The reason Practitioner Su can now cause Namo Amituofo to reside here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, and with the direct cooperation of the Buddha's power, save many beings, is because Practitioner Su's own vow and heart are on par with the Buddha—equally great and equally vast. Practitioner Su truly thinks only for the sake of all beings and never for their own sake. Everything done is truly for the sake of all beings, hoping to find a successor to inherit these skills as soon as possible. We are all filled with Dharma joy in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Every day, as Practitioner Su leads the fourfold assembly in prostrations, listening to sutras and hearing the Dharma, or during Dharma assemblies, we watch with wide eyes, observing the situation in the human world and the various of the spiritual realms. While we are moved, we also sincerely hope that a second Practitioner Su can appear soon!
Just now, I mentioned the word giving, and without realising it, I excitedly kept mentioning the establishment of the Namo Amitabha Buddhist Hall. Haha! That is indeed the case.
To be honest, everything I struggled for and managed in my life made me feel as if my heart had been emptied the moment I died. I left the human world with some illnesses; although they were not major, because I had already begun to age, even small ailments made me quite ill.
Later, when I left the human world, because I was fixated on the world of automotive parts I had studied while alive, I immediately entered a space of automotive parts after death. It was as if I had never stopped working, continuing to study everything about automotive parts in that space.
That space was like a dream. I seemed to have been dreaming for over half a year, never stopping work. I was always holding parts of all sizes in my hands, busy finding outlets for them and doing various things. Everything I was familiar with before was re-enacted after my death.
During this time, if it were not for Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su bringing the Twelve Lights to perform Chao Du for us beings, helping me open up that space and leading me to the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I think I would have stayed in that space for a very, very long time without any chance of leaving. That place was truly too hidden, and who knows when the next Buddha would come? If I did not have any major changes there, I would have remained trapped in that space until the next Causal Conditions arrived, perhaps then having a chance to be reincarnated.
Thinking back now, I am very, very grateful. I am grateful for the Buddha's compassion, which allowed me to avoid taking so many detours. Even without having studied Buddhism before, to be able to receive Chao Du under the compassion of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su is truly a rare opportunity!
Now, in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I finally realise the illusory and empty nature of the human world. Although I built my career to a considerable height in my life and obtained everything beautiful—whether it was family or career, it could be said to be a fulfilled life—within this fulfilment, there were many unfulfilled aspects I had never noticed. That is, why must people walk the path of birth, aging, sickness, and death? I had thought about it, but I never explored it deeply. It was not until after I died and arrived here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature that I began to purify and truly know myself.
I also truly began to realise that the human spirit is indeed not born and does not die. There is another path for people to take, which is to live like Practitioner Su, and after attaining Buddhahood, one can reach the state where one does not grow old, not get sick, and the spirit does not die.
This is something most of us Chinese have never thought about, because we believe this body is our everything, our life. With the death of our body, we lose everything. In fact, this is not the case at all, but it is a pity that most people do not know this, spending their whole lives chasing after all the , sensations, and desires of this body. When death arrives, they realise they have too many regrets left here unresolved. But all of this is merely the sensations of .
Without this body, one could say that no matter how wonderful the past was, it is all like flowers falling and withering. Just as I was in that space like a dream, isn't the eighty years of human life also like a dream? Only after I lost everything did I realise that things are truly like this.
In the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I listen to sutras and hear the Dharma and practise very diligently. Because I know this is the only way out, a way to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and a way to avoid continuing to suffer in the six realms of rebirth. Many of us from China are actually the same; not many of us knew about the Buddha’s teachings while alive, but after death, we greatly feel that the Buddha’s teachings are truly excellent, and we also feel it is a great pity that we never had the chance to come into contact with true Buddhist education in our lives. Regarding any religion or faith, I generally show respect but do not follow them. Because I was a firm Communist Party member throughout my life, I believed that everything the Party said was the Truth, and I would not have any connection or involvement with any external religion or faith. Therefore, I missed many good opportunities to learn about Buddhist education.
Now, if my spirit had not received such a special elevation and Chao Du, I would never have imagined that the world of the spirit is so much broader than the human world. Especially in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I have seen too many things; I can see wherever I want to look at any time. Of course, the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is definitely even better, because that is the Buddha-land established by Namo Amituofo after ten kalpas of effort to lead all beings; it is the true, ultimate home for the spirit. The Western Land of Dharma Nature is a transit station established by Practitioner Su under the guidance of Namo Amituofo, leading to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, helping beings in the spiritual realms and the human world to practise diligently and purify themselves at this transit station after death. One day, they can make a vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. All of this is also a natural progression; if everyone is willing to do so, there is a chance to be reborn in the Western Land earlier.
In my life, I always felt very lucky regarding the automotive repair and parts industry I studied, believing that all my success was based on hard work and luck; these two were what I considered the necessary factors for success. But now that I have learned Buddhism, I know that all of this is actually an arrangement within the laws of and cause and effect; there is a cause for every effect. That I was able to manage a successful business was because I had performed great acts of giving in my past life, which led to the immense wealth I had.
But in other words, if one does not understand giving in this life and does not know how to use wealth for meaningful things, but instead continues to place wealth in various worldly enjoyments or lives for oneself, then this wealth will not be able to exert greater power, will not be able to save beings, and will not be able to accumulate any for one's next life. Once the blessings are exhausted, they will naturally be gone; this is the law of cause and effect. Many people do not understand this, so they hold tightly to their status and wealth, thinking this is the mark of success and thinking this can represent everything, but in fact, it is not so. Everyone should have a profound .
Everything we experience in life, whether it be enjoyment or hardship—for our previous generation, it was mostly hardship; for most people in China today, life is quite good, so they spend their lives in a relatively comfortable environment. Regardless of the environment, one can always maintain a compassionate and kind heart, a heart that helps others.
Today, Namo Amituofo has come to the human world and is residing at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Regarding this matter, no matter who you are, where you come from, or whether you are rich or poor, as long as you have the heart, you can contribute your strength. Whether by providing financial support or physical effort, you can actively contribute to this cause. The most important thing is to convey the Buddhist education to the people of our country in various ways.
This is because, given the current situation, although the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre has many excellent Words of Namo Amituofo and lectures by Practitioner Su, or various interviews presented in electronic files, it is truly not easy to spread and circulate them within mainland China! The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre produces various types of books for circulation, hoping they will be passed down for generations. However, in China, printing such books is not easy. This is because of the various restrictions in our country, which force us to always propagate the Dharma in a very conservative manner.
But I have always believed that this is not a difficult matter. Taking myself as an example, I run an auto parts factory. Our factory has thousands of employees, and some people have factories with tens of thousands of employees; this is very common in China. I have seen other interviewees say that their factories have thirty or fifty thousand people, which is also quite normal. If we have factories of this scale, we can transmit our spiritual interviews to China, let key people see these words, and at least in many cases, we can still carry out some internal circulation. Although limited, at least through word of mouth—one telling ten, ten telling a hundred—we can exert great power, allowing many people to recognise the Buddhist education taught by Namo Amituofo is residing here.
Such education cannot be found anywhere else in the world, nor in any temple in China. This is the Words of Namo Amituofo personally taught to people by a Buddha who has truly come to the world. One might ask, which temple in the world has a real Buddha residing in it? This is truly difficult, is it not? That is correct. However, looking at the current situation, we must still seize every opportunity to propagate the Dharma and not let the Dharma be cut off in China; that would be a great pity.
Although there are not many people in our generation who know or believe in the Buddha—taking myself as an example, I am a member of the Communist Party, so it is impossible for me to have any other religion. However, in reality, people's deep inner desire to explore the spiritual realm is real and very common. How to make good use of this curiosity to help them understand how to achieve a state where the spirit never dies—I think this can stimulate a lot of inner interest, as well as the inner desire to pursue a state where one does not grow old, not get sick, and the spirit does not die.
Especially the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss established by Namo Amituofo—this ultimate and perfect Buddha land should be known to everyone. Otherwise, everyone rushes through a lifetime without knowing there is such a place to return to, and they have to continue to reincarnate in the six realms of existence; that is truly a pity.
Therefore, Practitioner Su always says that if you can save one, you save one. This is what I, Tang Aoqi, now consider to be a very important matter. As for me now, I once again advise my family members, hoping that you will see my interview transcript soon and contact the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia sooner, so that you can truly understand the preciousness of the place where I am now.
Looking around, many people in China go to the hells to receive retribution after death; I am one of the luckier ones. I am just continuing to circle in space and have not suffered too much pain. This may be because I was a simple and honest person in the past, focusing my whole life on the auto parts business, without too many schemes or thoughts, moving up step by step, and eventually reaching the scale I had. Because of this, I was able to leave the human world with a relatively calm heart and enter space to continue to reincarnate.
And too many people suffering in the hells are actually all the same; because they have not received true Buddhist education, they do not know what is right and what is wrong, so it is easy for their thoughts and ideas to go astray. The so-called "going astray" means being selfish and thinking only of oneself, which makes it very easy to go to the hells to suffer.
I sincerely hope that my family can visit the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, especially my children, who can bring my wife over. Everyone can come here to experience the preciousness of a Buddha truly coming to the world. It will also let you know that I am now in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, which is actually one with the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. When everyone comes here, you can communicate with me through the interviews conducted by the people at the temple.
Well, I have said enough. Having said so much, it is my sincere hope that the fact that Namo Amituofo has come to the forefront can truly happen, and the Chinese people should also stand up and work hard for this matter.
The Buddha’s teachings once flourished in China for thousands of years, and many eminent monks and virtuous ones appeared here, leaving behind many wonderful Buddhist stories and classics, all of which should be passed down. Most importantly, the Words of Namo Amituofo from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia and the teachings of Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju should be widely circulated in the world. Let the next generation and even the descendants throughout your many lives know the preciousness of the Buddha coming to the world; this is my heartfelt wish. I will also do my best in the Western Land of Dharma Nature to cooperate with everyone and help everyone work together to bring the fact that Namo Amituofo is residing at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to the forefront.
Finally, I express my gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su with a sincere heart!
