Reflections from the Western Pure Land: An Interview with Professor Fang Dongmei

This interview was recorded on January 5, 2020. It features the spirit of the late Professor Fang Dongmei, a renowned scholar and teacher who, having been saved from the ghost realm by Practitioner Su, now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. In this profound testimony, he reflects on the true nature of Buddhist practice, the state of the Pure Land teachings, and the vital mission of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia.

Professor Fang Dongmei speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Fang Dongmei. Practitioner Su, you have worked so hard! From here in the Western Pure Land, I see everything with absolute clarity. If it were not for your unwavering patience, your extraordinary persistence, and your profound filial heart dedicated to the transmission of the Buddha's teachings, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and the community of monastics we see today would not exist. The title of 'Practitioner Su' is one you have truly earned!"

A Debt of Gratitude and the Path of Practice

"Practitioner Su, it is difficult for me to accept the title of 'Grandmaster' from you. Firstly, if you had not rescued me from the ghost realm and guided me to the Western Pure Land while you were at the site of what is now the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, I would still be trapped by my attachments to my worldly achievements. I would still be wandering in the ghost realm, clinging to my former teaching career, and would never have had the opportunity to be here in the West. Secondly, my student, Venerable Master Chin Kung, once brought me great comfort. He took the propagation of the Pure Land teachings as his life's mission, leading many connected beings to chant the Buddha's name and vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

However, based on what I see now, my heart is filled with sorrow. How many of his followers and disciples are truly capable of attaining rebirth in the Western Pure Land? Furthermore, his current state of extreme frailty is certainly not the appearance one would expect of a Venerable who has spent sixty years lecturing on the sutras. Venerable Master Chin Kung should be very clear in his own heart about this. Has he ever reflected on where the problem lies? He has left the matters that require confrontation and repentance untouched, and as a result, the signs of physical decay have manifested."

The True Meaning of Health and Realisation

"I truly do not wish to remind him again, but I must ask: why is the body aging? Venerable Master Chin Kung previously stated that those who truly practise and chant the Buddha's name will not age or suffer from illness. Where is that promise now? Looking around, who dares to uphold his words about being free from aging and illness while propagating the great Pure Land Dharma? It is Practitioner Su! This is because Practitioner Su has followed the teachings of Venerable Master Chin Kung, practising step by step, honestly chanting the Buddha's name, and has thus achieved the realisation of the Dharma Body! Through the deliverance of the Dharma Body and the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, she has already guided immeasurable and boundless suffering beings to be reborn in the Western Pure Land.

One of these beings, Venerable Wufan, was a disciple and attendant of Venerable Master Chin Kung. She, too, was delivered to the West by Practitioner Su. Venerable Master Chin Kung is aware of this. He should have taken pride in his student's achievement, yet the result was the opposite! This contrary reaction led him to distance himself and even block others, causing many Dharma protectors and virtuous people to turn away from Practitioner Su, thereby losing their own precious opportunity for rebirth in the Western Pure Land in this lifetime."

The Courage to Save the World

"Practitioner Su's realisation of her true nature is a beautiful accomplishment. As her teacher, Venerable Master Chin Kung should have protected her, allowing her to carry out her mission of saving the world without worry. Who would have thought that he would act in opposition, cutting off external support and leaving Practitioner Su to stand alone in the world, walking with caution and not daring to slacken for even a second on the Buddha's path? This is the mark of a true practitioner. We in the Western Pure Land see this situation and cannot help but applaud Practitioner Su's mission to save the world! She has endured what others cannot endure and accomplished what others cannot accomplish. Practitioner Su has done it!

Fortunately, we have received the compassionate response of Namo Amituofo, who now resides at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Through the Buddha's words and the 'Explanations of the Buddha's Teachings,' she helps educate the world. Through the Buddha's actions, the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies are led by Namo Amituofo himself, guiding beings throughout the vastness of the Dharma Realm to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. Through the Buddha's vows, she cultivates and assists the monastics and lay practitioners of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in their purification, opening up space, understanding the suffering of beings, and receiving messages. Combined with Practitioner Su's power, she resolves the suffering of karmic creditors and delivers them to the West. This ability is a natural manifestation after purification, yet it is accused by those who do not understand as 'playing with supernatural powers.' This is truly unjust! Could it be that Venerable Master Chin Kung is among those who do not understand, which is why he now suffers from such an aged and frail body? Do not blame me for speaking harshly; I see things clearly, and I must speak plainly."

A Final Plea for Clarity

"Venerable Master Chin Kung, as long as you still have a breath, it is not too late to turn back. The one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it; you must restore Practitioner Su's reputation. I hope that you can see this message. If there are obstacles preventing you from seeing it, then that is a matter of karmic affinity—without the affinity to see, one lacks the fortune to receive. Everything is within the Law of Cause, Condition, and Effect.

Practitioner Su, the world does not know of your dedication to sentient beings or the great kindness you have shown in sending them to the Western Pure Land. But for those of us in the Western Pure Land—the many so-called Venerables, lay practitioners, and famous figures who have been sent here by you—we are all endlessly grateful. The title of 'Practitioner Su' is one you have truly earned! That the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre can have Namo Amituofo as its abbot, with Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta as the managers, and with Sangharama Bodhisattva, Skanda Bodhisattva, and many external Bodhisattvas from the cosmos as Dharma protectors, is a status you truly deserve!

The Buddha's grace is difficult to repay! Here, I, Fang Dongmei, look forward to the day when the headquarters of the Pure Land School at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is built in this world, to save more connected beings, to ensure the Pure Land Dharma lineage flows far and wide, and to keep the sacred name of Namo Amituofo spreading without end.

Namo Amituofo!"

Spoken personally by Fang Dongmei from the Western Pure Land. Recorded by the disciple Venerable HaiZe.