Lay Practitioner Li Yunzhen’s Journey to the Western Pure Land

Lay Practitioner Li Yunzhen sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She has since attained rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This interview, recorded by Chief Writer Fa Ning on February 19, 2026, captures her reflections on her transition from the human realm and her transformative experiences in the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

Lay Practitioner Li Yunzhen speaks:

"Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to you both. Today, I have arrived in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Not long ago, I first arrived in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. The sequence of events has been so profound, and the transformation has been so incredibly beautiful! I never could have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would possess the good fortune to arrive here in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. However, I did not come here with the intention of merely enjoying blessings. I came with a sincere heart, wishing to cultivate diligently, to learn the same capabilities as Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, and to return to the human world to save beings."

The Importance of Hearing the Dharma

"In my past life, I had no idea what it truly meant to save people or to save beings. But after arriving in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I listened to the sutras and chanted Namo Amituofo with absolute sincerity. I realised that this is the most important thing of all. Whether one is in the human world or elsewhere, chanting Namo Amituofo, listening to the sutras, performing prostrations, and reading the sutras are all vital. These are the only ways to truly help oneself and those around one to gain the opportunity for liberation. My previous days were spent just like anyone else, living a mundane, worldly life. To put it another way, it was a life of selfishness. Compared to the selfless life of Practitioner Su, who only wishes to help others, the difference is vast."

Awakening to the Truth of Suffering

"However, after this period of listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma, my heart has become increasingly open and expansive. It is no longer confined to just my own family and children. Here, I have seen the suffering of the human world—the suffering of families, the suffering of daily life, the suffering caused by impermanence, and the suffering of separations and reunions. I do not wish to live such a life ever again. Therefore, at this moment, I am so grateful to the Buddha, and I am grateful to my family for performing Chao Du for me. I know that they are learning the Dharma, and that is the most wonderful thing possible! It is a way to save themselves and to save other beings as well!"

The Reality of Karmic Creditors

"In the past, I did not understand that illness was simply my karmic creditors waking up and coming to find me. Now, looking back, it is truly the case. I see that when my health was failing, it was actually because these beings had found me. After I passed away, I became a wandering spirit in space. They, too, had nowhere good to go. They were suffering, and I was suffering. We did not know each other, but when the time came, they naturally came to seek revenge, finding one another to continue the unpleasant relationships of the past. Ah, this is how human life and the six realms of existence truly are! If one does not come to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, how could one know that their previous life was not something they could control or master? Looking at it now, it is clear—people are often just puppets, and there is nothing worth clinging to."

The Precious Opportunity of Human Life

"However, Practitioner Su is right: 'Only when one has a human body can one truly practise. One can turn around their karma, compensate these karmic creditors, and help them all be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. You must seize this opportunity! You possess a human body, which allows you to practise. Start by cultivating this heart of yours. Stop thinking of yourself at every turn; do more good deeds and think of others instead.' This principle sounds simple, and Practitioner Su speaks of it often in the Dharma talks, but to truly 'let go of the self' is not easy at all! This is exactly where one must put in the work! If I had known all of this before, I would not have needed to wander through the six realms of existence and suffer so much."

A Heart Dedicated to the Buddha

"Now, there is no need to say much more. Being able to arrive here means that I am a child who possesses sufficient good roots, blessings, and Causal Conditions. Therefore, I cherish this immensely—I cherish it so very much. I do not want to give myself any excuses to be lazy. As long as I follow the Buddha with a single-minded heart, I am on the correct path. Well, your mother has said so much, but my only hope is that my family will not walk the same path I did. You must learn from my spirit at this moment—the spirit of being single-mindedly devoted to the Buddha. If you can seize this golden opportunity, you will certainly be able to achieve great things. At this moment, I have become so full of Wisdom—haha, this is truly the power of purification, the purification that took place in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Now that I have arrived in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, my progress will be even greater, and I will be able to help beings even faster. Namo Amituofo."