The Anchor's Awakening: A Journey from the Screen to the Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Gu Guoning, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his life and his transition from the human world. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on May 31, 2026.

Gu Guoning speaks:

"Before my eyes, everything is now filled with a brilliant, radiant light. The dimness and the suffocating darkness that once clouded my existence have vanished completely. The changes I have experienced today are the most beautiful, the most magnificent transformations I have felt in over a year. The Western Land of Dharma Nature is truly a wondrous place! Although I have only been here for a few days, I am certain that this is where I wish to remain forever. I want to stay by the side of the Buddha, learning and growing, starting everything anew from zero!

A New Beginning in the Western Land

To be honest, I do not wish to dwell on the past; I truly have no desire to recall those days. However, I feel compelled to speak, for it was the Buddha who rescued me and brought me to this sanctuary. To repay the Buddha's kindness, I must do my utmost to share my experiences and the absolute truth of my journey. I am profoundly grateful to Namo Amituofo, and I am deeply indebted to Practitioner Su for granting me, Gu Guoning, this precious opportunity for rebirth. I know how incredibly rare this chance is, and I cherish it deeply. There has not been a single moment since my arrival that I have not treasured this beautiful, peaceful time.

My name is Gu Guoning. Perhaps many of my fellow countrymen in China, who frequently watch television news or various programmes, might have seen me before. I was one of the news anchors and hosts at China Central Television. While I may not have been the most prominent figure among them, I certainly appeared on screen many times. If you have ever watched the programmes I hosted or followed certain news reports, you might have seen my face, even if you do not remember my name. I have always considered myself a low-key person, not particularly famous, even though others often held me in high regard.

The Illusion of Control

Of course, since arriving in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, everything I once chased after—all those worldly pursuits—has become like smoke passing before my eyes. It is truly insignificant now. Looking back, I see those things as the karmic causes I created in the past, and my arrival in this world is simply the time to settle those debts. My career as a host, my role as a news anchor, and even my departure from the human world at the young age of forty-six—it was all part of this karmic process.

In my previous life, I did not believe in the laws of karma and cause and effect. I had heard of such things, but I preferred to believe that I was the master of my own destiny. I thought that as long as I took good care of my body, maintained a healthy diet, and lived a disciplined life, I could easily live to be a hundred. After all, we live in an era of advanced medicine, with all kinds of medical equipment, technology, and health supplements at our disposal. I believed that if I just focused on my diet and exercised regularly, I could maintain my health indefinitely.

The Fatal Flaw of Discriminative Thinking

In other words, I placed my faith entirely in what science claimed, rather than in the teachings of the Buddha regarding the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. But now, I must wholeheartedly and completely bow in reverence to everything taught in the Buddha’s teachings, because it has been verified so vividly in my own life. All the fog that once clouded my heart has dissipated; I have no doubts left.

When I was alive, I appeared to the audience as a cheerful, bright young man, and I was professional in my hosting duties. But to be honest, my life was not as satisfying as it seemed. I was not a particularly optimistic person, nor was I truly happy. I had a flaw—I am not sure if anyone else noticed it, but I was acutely aware of it—which is what I call 'the habit of seeing the negative.' This is a term I only learned after arriving in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, while listening to Practitioner Su’s lectures.

I used to evaluate everything I saw. In my mind, I would constantly analyse and dissect, making distinctions between good and bad, right and wrong. The standards for these distinctions were entirely set by me! I became accustomed to this pattern, and I grew used to the idea that everything I saw must be categorised as either good or evil, which in turn triggered my own emotional reactions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. Deep within my heart, this process played out every single day without pause.

The Weight of Words and Karma

As time went on, I didn't think there was anything wrong with this. I assumed that what I perceived was the absolute truth, because I had seen it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears. To decide my next move or how to treat a person or a situation, I would take every piece of information that entered my eyes and my consciousness and subject it to intense analysis. Only by breaking down every bit of information could I find a sense of security and know how to proceed. This was my habitual way of thinking and my personality. I didn't realise it was a bad habit; I thought it was natural and that everyone else was the same.

Then, I died, and I fell into the hells. I was completely bewildered—how could this happen? Could the King of Hell have made a mistake? But since learning the true Buddhist education, my eyes have been opened. I finally realised that this personality of mine was my fatal flaw! This 'fatal flaw' allowed the countless beings within my body to awaken. They harboured deep resentment toward me and had no choice but to express their dissatisfaction. I had no ability to respond to them, nor did I have the merit to repay them, and they remained in suffering. It was only natural that they would seek to settle their accounts with me. Looking back now, the truth is as clear as day.

As a news anchor and host, I was accustomed to analysing all incoming information in the shortest possible time. I had to complete all my analysis on the day the scripts were handed to me and present them to the public. Every detail of the news became an object of my analysis—this was my daily duty. I was sharper and more incisive than others, picking out the most critical points and the most sensational details that would capture the audience's attention. These details were what made the audience listen intently, making them more interested in the 'inside story.' In the world of broadcasting, the more you can capture the audience's heart, the more successful you are. I strove for that success, working diligently at my job.

My superiors often praised me for my ability to extract the most important events from a chaotic stream of news. To the vast audience, this was exactly what they wanted, as they didn't have the time to process so much information. I acted as their filter, presenting them with the 'essence.' This unknowingly reinforced my personality. Perhaps it was because I had this talent—this specific personality—that I was so successful in my career, but while I was doing it, I was constantly creating karma. To be honest, there is no host or news anchor who does not create karma. We use our mouths, our brains, and our eyes—the Six Roots—constantly. We are always in motion, trying to present the best version of ourselves. The operation of these Six Roots is extremely dangerous because we lack true Wisdom to distinguish between good and evil; we judge everything based on our own subjective views. And our subjective views are the perfect targets for beings and demon crowds to control. When our meditative concentration is insufficient and our personality remains unchanged, our karmic creditors within and the demon crowds outside are simply waiting for us to manifest this subjectivity so they can strike. Oh, the truth is so heartbreaking! I am filled with such regret here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. I, Gu Guoning, was no longer truly myself. Looking back at those twenty years, from my twenties to my forties, many of the things I said and the programmes I hosted were controlled by demon crowds, forcing me to say what people wanted to hear. And often, what they wanted to hear was negative, critical, and cynical. Did this not create immeasurable and boundless karma?"

"Now that I know the truth of these facts, I am actually much calmer. I no longer feel the way I did when I first arrived in the hells—that intense pain and struggle, as if I had been wronged, or as if the judgment I faced was somehow inconceivable. That is not the case at all. I would never dare to hold such thoughts again. I now understand the terrifying nature of subjectivity. When a person’s own thoughts become too numerous, the number of demon crowds and beings they can attract into their own body is immeasurable and boundless.

The Agony of the Hells

To be honest, the days I spent in the hells were truly agonizing. If you were to ask me to look back on them now, I would not mind; I am willing to share this with everyone. However, once you hear of this suffering, please just let it go. Do not dwell on it too much. When I left the human world, I was only in my forties. Forty-something is an age where one should have had many opportunities for great development, yet I passed away suddenly. This was the lifespan originally destined for me; I cannot blame anyone else.

But the world after death was even more terrifying—something I had never imagined. After I died, I entered the Eye-Gouging Hell. As the name suggests, in this hell, there are beings who gouge out my eyes, subjecting me to slow, excruciating torture. At the moment I lose all sensation and this spiritual body perishes, I do not know what happens; I simply faint and lose consciousness amidst the violent struggle. Yet, as soon as a breeze blows, I wake up again, my eyes restored to normal, only to be subjected to the same torture all over again, with my eyes being gouged out once more. To suffer such endless, repetitive agony—it is truly bitter.

The Weight of Influence

I only now understand what King Yama said when he sentenced me to this hell. He said that because everything I saw and expressed throughout my life did not bring positive thoughts to the public, I had to descend into the Eye-Gouging Hell. Looking back now, his words were truly accurate. It was precisely because I viewed everything through my own eyes and interpreted it negatively, filtering it through my own distorted thoughts and perspectives, and then broadcasting it on news programs watched by the entire nation, that I created such immense karma. The karma I created was vast because it involved so many people; for every person who watched my reports, that many people were harmed by them.

Therefore, the more influential a person is in society, the more they need to understand the true Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. Otherwise, the negative impact produced is truly detrimental to the world. Looking back on all of this now, I sincerely know that what I did was wrong, and I sincerely repent to everyone who ever watched my programs. I hope that everyone can learn the Buddha’s teachings so that you can discern Goodness from evil, understand the truth of the facts, and avoid straying from the righteous path.

The Subtle Creation of Karma

Many of us who work as hosts are prone to using clever words, or even calling black white and white black. Although I did not reach that extreme—as my work was more like reporting rather than forcefully promoting personal views—my choice of words and manner of expression were already mixed with many personal biases. This is something I had never realized before. Perhaps my gaze once made the world feel that certain things were terrifying or bad. In truth, do not underestimate these subtle actions; they are all ways of creating karma.

I created karma for over twenty years, and I know I cannot repay it. But at that time, I did not know I would have to go to the hells to suffer the retribution. Later, my body began to show signs of trouble; I was diagnosed with cancer. Knowing that my health was declining, I resigned from my position as a host and turned to teaching, hoping for improvement during my treatment. At the time, I did not think about continuing as a host; I only thought that with the influence I once had, I could provide some inspiration to others through education. That was indeed what I thought at the time.

The Value of Spiritual Elevation

Looking back on all of this now, leaving the human world early was not a bad thing, because what I had done in the past was not good. Staying in the human world for one more day meant creating more karma for one more day. Perhaps leaving earlier meant I could mislead fewer people, giving them a chance to encounter better education.

It is a pity that looking back at China today, it truly lacks Buddhist education. Many excellent teachings that emphasize Ethics and Morality, as well as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, are gradually disappearing. Nowadays, not many people pay attention to moral cultivation; everyone is more concerned with material pursuits, the amount of money in their pockets, or their social status. These are the things that are generally valued.

If Buddhist education could let all of China know that this body itself is false, and that spiritual elevation is the most important thing, I believe many people would be willing to understand the truth and subsequently achieve spiritual elevation. I used to be just like everyone else, believing that as long as one was well-fed and clothed, and had a decent career, one was a winner in life, with no special pursuits. Looking at it now, I was truly wrong.

A Path to Buddhahood

Here, I once again offer my sincere repentance to everyone. I am living too well in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Here, while listening to sutras and hearing the Dharma, I have new realizations every day, and every day I want to change my ways. Now, after learning the true Buddha’s teachings, I realize that when a person becomes a Buddha, they can save so many beings. Take Practitioner Su, who is an awakened being in the human world, for example—this is exactly what she does. The true Buddha’s teachings are actually like this: they teach everyone to walk the same path toward becoming a Buddha, and one can truly understand the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way without needing to create karma or suffer retribution.

Today, the Buddha has specifically called upon me, and I must honestly account for everything I have seen. Everything is so clear. What I see now is the true Buddha-land, and everything I see will never again be analyzed by me into polluted content, nor will there be any hidden matters.

I only now know that speaking directly about everything is what is most important, without any of my own thoughts or views mixed in. Now that I, Gu Guoning, have been nurtured by this Buddhist education, I believe that everything I express will be more positive and upright, without any of the incorrect thoughts and feelings from the past.

I hope that these words I have spoken can reach my family and the general public. My former wife and I have divorced and no longer have any relationship, but I hope that everyone can convey this message to those who were very close to me in my work! They know me very well, and they know the things I have said; they are more willing to listen.

I am grateful for everyone’s help. I am grateful to Namo Amituofo. I am grateful to Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Gu Guoning"