Reaching the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss — Wang Niu (Grandmother of Liu Xiaoling)

Interviewer: Venerable Fa Ru

July 31, 2026

Wang Niu:

First, I would like to report that I am safe. I have arrived at the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, which officially marks my departure from my former life.

After passing away, I was in a state of confusion, as if I were still living my daily life, only it felt less clear. Now that I have arrived at the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, everything here is bright, magnificent, and golden; all things are incomparably clear, and I can clearly convey these words to my family.

In truth, this life has been quite long—eighty years—neither short nor particularly long. But having truly experienced it all, I know there are many things I dare not reflect upon too deeply. I feel that although I seemed to have experienced much in this life, I am now more awake and able to see the bits and pieces of the past clearly. Although these are important memories for my family, here in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, I see clearly: no matter how profound the memories, no matter how much one is unwilling to let go of the past, they are all merely invisible tethers.

Throughout this life, I was constantly trying to conduct myself correctly in my interactions with others, seeking my own position and playing my role well in these interactions. From birth to adulthood, and entering family life, my identity was constantly shifting. To many, I was someone easy to approach and get along with. But having played my role well in everyone's eyes, what was the true purpose of this life? I successfully gained the recognition of others and found my place within the group and family, yet I could not find the true meaning of life. I was good at taking care of people and knew their needs because I was skilled at observation.

In fact, whenever I was alone and quiet, I would think about many things. Although I did not necessarily have answers, the question I asked myself most often was: what is the goal of living day after day? Where is the direction? I could indeed sacrifice for my family, but I always felt something was missing. Life is so precious; in this complex puzzle of life, is there not a traceable thread?

Most of the time, I could not fathom this question. It was not until I occasionally heard of the passing of close friends and acquaintances that I was stirred, which led me to start thinking in a direction closer to the answer. Unfortunately, I was not fortunate enough in this life to encounter the magnificent Buddha’s teachings of Namo Amituofo.

After living in the ghost realm for a period of time, one day I received the golden light and entered the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Later, I learned that it was because my family remembered me and signed me up for a Dharma Assembly. Although I know everyone was still half-believing and half-doubting about this, their filial piety toward me was sincere, which is why they were willing to sign me up for the Dharma Assembly. Regardless, Chao Du is always better than not having it; I understand this. It was truly because of this Chao Du that I had the opportunity to leave the space of the ghost realm and arrive at the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss today. All of this is real.

Of course, I am now a spirit and cannot directly interact with my family; I cannot explain this period of experience to them in the way they are most familiar with. But that is fine. What comforts me is that they have more blessings than I did, as they encountered the magnificent Buddha’s teachings of Namo Amituofo before they passed away. Of course, whether one can learn and follow the teachings is a matter of each person's own karma and destiny, and it is something that should be left to take its natural course. But there is always an opportunity, and it is a magnificent Dharma affinity—a Causal Condition I did not encounter while I was alive.

After I arrived at the Dharma-Nature Land, I listened to the sutras and studied every day, participating in the temple's daily routines and courses. Slowly, I understood that the final piece of the puzzle missing from my life was Buddhist education. Perhaps this sounds too abstract, but Buddhist education is the key that allows people to break free from the constraints of their former lives.

I did not have this opportunity while I was alive, but I now understand that if I had learned the magnificent Buddha’s teachings of Namo Amituofo, I would naturally have known how to give more in my limited life and sacrifice myself to serve others. In fact, the true preciousness of this life lies in dedication and serving others.

Living to be over eighty like me, Practitioner Su still has excellent energy today, with physical strength comparable to, or even better than, that of a young person. This is something I truly admire. When I was seventy or eighty, I already knew that death is inevitable, and the departure of many close friends made me sigh at this.

But seeing Practitioner Su, if I could have known him earlier, perhaps my life would have been different. If I could emulate him and follow him in actively helping others, I would naturally have been able to avoid the suffering of sickness and the torment of aging, sickness, and death. This was quite a profound realization for me.

Now, in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, I have truly understood that all of this is quite natural. The more one lets go of the self and the more one helps others, the more one will naturally not have to endure the suffering of birth, aging, sickness, and death caused by one's past karma.

Now all of this has become the past. Although it is a pity that I did not make good use of my precious life in the past, I am very grateful to be able to return to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, and I have no complaints. Everyone has their own Dharma affinity, and I understand that being able to step into the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss today is my own Dharma affinity.

I am very grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for giving me this opportunity to return to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am also very grateful to my family, and to Xiaoling for being willing to sign me up for the Chao Du. In fact, Chao Du is just the beginning; taking good care of oneself, studying the Buddha’s teachings diligently, and helping oneself understand the truth of life is the most important thing.

Life is very limited. Although everyone is still young, if you do not actively study the Buddha’s teachings, another thirty or fifty years will be spent in vain. This is a very serious matter, and I hope everyone can take it seriously.

Namo Amituofo

Wang Niu