Rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss — Dong Chengcai (Zhang Ying's father-in-law)

Interview: Chief Writer Fa Ning

June 19, 2026

Lay Practitioner Dong Chengcai:

I am currently in this Buddha-land of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and I feel very joyful. Coming from a place of extreme suffering to a world of ultimate bliss is a tremendous transformation!

In the Western Land of Dharma Nature, that was already a world of ultimate bliss. I originally thought I would stay there for a long time and would not want to leave, because I thought the Buddha-land was already so wonderful. I did not expect that the Buddha would keep counseling us that we must be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. At that time, I gradually developed the vow to be reborn there.

Later, when a Venerable from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre asked me if I wanted to be reborn, I readily agreed, feeling that I should listen to the Buddha. The Buddha teaches us to chant Buddha's name to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss for a profound reason, which is not something I can guess with my subjective thinking. Especially after I had been purified in the Western Land of Dharma Nature for a period of time, I truly felt the Buddha's compassion, and everything the Buddha said is truly the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. Therefore, although I did not understand the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I still decided to listen to the Buddha.

Just today, six other companions and I arrived in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss from the Western Land of Dharma Nature. We all came from different places, had done different things in the past, received different endings, and suffered retribution and were reincarnated in different places. But at this moment, under the guidance of Causal Conditions, we all have the opportunity to leave suffering behind and gain happiness. We are all very grateful; we are grateful for the compassion of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, which allowed us to have the opportunity for rebirth.

I see everyone so happy they are about to cry. Thinking that everyone could be liberated from such a painful place is truly not an easy thing. In the long twenty-plus years after my death, I had been drifting and living the life of a ghost realm being with nothing to rely on. The ghost realm, as the name suggests, is a state where I was hungry for a long time, unable to eat, and once I could eat, I had to suffer all kinds of torture. All of this was the result of my own personality during my lifetime; I cannot blame anyone. I used to have firm attachments and deep greed. When I got something, I felt it was not enough and wanted more, so I attracted such evil consequences and fell into the ghost realm to suffer retribution.

To be honest, I think I am lucky; at least I do not have to suffer retribution in hell like many others. Although the ghost realm is very painful, hell is even more painful! This human life seems to have no real value. I only know now that if one does not encounter the Buddha’s teachings, not many people can go to the good paths after living a whole life; almost everyone goes to the evil paths. This is the sorrow of the human world, because everyone does not know the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, nor do they know that Buddhist education is very precious, and they just live according to their own temperaments. In fact, everything one thinks is not necessarily correct; many times it is wrong, which is why one mistake leads to another, and one falls into the evil paths to suffer retribution.

I, Dong Chengcai, can be considered lucky! When I was in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I learned that it was my daughter-in-law, Zhang Ying, who signed me up for the Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, which moved me very much. Thank you, and thank you to my daughter-in-law, Zhang Ying. Being able to encounter the Buddha’s teachings is your tremendous blessing! You must cherish this opportunity now. Like me, without a physical body, to learn the Buddha’s teachings, I can only rely on the guidance of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. I have no way to resolve the conflict with the beings in my own body; this can only be done when one has a human body. When I was in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I saw the human body very clearly and knew that the human body is truly a burden; it is not even being used by oneself! Looking out at the human world, there is not a single person around who is truly using their own body. Now, I am stating this to everyone in the form of a spirit. Everyone should understand that the "me" from before was not the real me. Please, family members, let go and welcome this real me again—the me who has already arrived in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is the one who truly exists in the world in the most sober way.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to my family with a sincere heart, especially my daughter-in-law; I also want to say to everyone who knows me: I hope everyone can come to know the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Although many people do not know it, I now see it very clearly as a spirit; this is the only way out in the human world.

I sincerely hope that everyone I know will not live a life of suffering like I did. If you want to stop suffering, only by truly knowing Buddhist education can you have the opportunity to gain liberation. Please believe that this is what I, the spirit of Dong Chengcai, am saying to everyone. Moreover, my spirit has been purified quite a bit, so my words should have a touch of purification.

I hope everyone can accept this "me" who has started a new life, and give yourself a chance to know the true Buddhist education; this will bring a great difference to everyone.

Gratitude to Namo Amituofo, gratitude to Practitioner Su for his compassionate guidance, gratitude to everyone!

Namo Amituofo

Said by Dong Chengcai