The Awakening of Cao Pi: From Ancient Struggles to Pure Land Peace

A Life of Hidden Shadows

I am the eldest son of Cao Cao, a man known to history as a formidable warlord. While the world knows my father well, few truly understand the man I was. To the public eye, I appeared humble, courteous, and refined. Yet, I lived a life of deep inner turmoil, and my heart was never truly open. In my desperate quest for my father's affection and recognition, I harboured intense jealousy toward my brothers—a fact well-known to history. My entire life was consumed by the pursuit of self-interest, which caused me to lose the precious opportunity to understand the suffering of the people or the true nature of the world.

The Long Journey Through Darkness

After I passed away eighteen hundred years ago, I descended into the hells before long. I endured unimaginable suffering, followed by a millennium of wandering in the dark, lonely spaces of the ghost realm. It was only recently, under the brilliant illumination of Buddha-light, that I entered the Western Land of Dharma Nature of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. To my astonishment, the Practitioner Su before me felt so familiar—I realised that he is none other than Liu Bei, Liu Xuande, who once contended with my father for the empire!

The Clarity of the Right Way

For the first time in eighteen centuries, I have experienced true happiness and joy. As I look back upon the events of the past that led to my present state, I have not only unravelled the mysteries of the ages but also deeply realised the importance of Buddhist education and the power of our mental notes. Whether our hearts are inclined more toward others or toward ourselves—this is where the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way reside. Today, with a renewed spirit, I know that following the Buddha is the only path to true liberation.

This interview was conducted with Cao Pi from mainland China, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia and now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This occurred approximately eighteen hundred years after his passing.

Interview Chief Writer: Fa Ning

March 4, 2026

Reflections on a Turbulent Era

Cao Pi: The world knows my father, Cao Cao, and many have heard of me, Cao Pi, but few truly understand who I was. As the eldest son of a formidable warlord, I lived a life unlike any other. The Three Kingdoms was an era of extraordinary figures. Everyone was either a master of martial arts, a brilliant strategist, a paragon of loyalty, or a literary genius. I felt ashamed, for in my father's eyes, I was not the most outstanding. I was merely the eldest son, known for my outward grace, yet I lived a life of profound frustration. I was always hiding in a small corner of my own heart, occupied with my own calculations and plans. Although I was the son of Cao Cao and treated with outward respect, I could never find my true place. I wanted to be a good son, but I did not know if that was the path I was meant to walk.

My first taste of true joy began when I stepped onto the lotus in the Western Land of Dharma Nature at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Namo Amituofo is so compassionate, and Practitioner Su is so familiar. I realised that Practitioner Su is the very same Liu Bei who once vied with my father for the throne.

Reunion in the Western Land of Dharma Nature

I remember Liu Bei as a man of benevolence and righteousness. My father had hoped to employ him, along with Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and even Zhuge Liang, but their ideals differed. They walked separate paths, striving for their respective people and lands. I watched it all from my youth, knowing who was good and who was bad, yet I remained lost regarding my own purpose. Seeing Practitioner Su's compassionate face, I realised that eighteen hundred years had passed, and I had suffered for all that time. Meanwhile, Practitioner Su's practice has flourished to a level I could never have imagined.

A Gathering of Heroes

It is incredible to see so many figures from the Three Kingdoms era here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre! It is a gathering place for heroes and great practitioners alike. Through the karmic affinity of the laws of karma and cause and effect, everyone now has the opportunity to hear the True Teachings. I am so grateful and moved to be a member of the Western Land of Dharma Nature! I no longer need to live a life of caution, walking on thin ice. Under the purification of Buddha-light, I have come to understand so much. Many things that once troubled me have become clear through the influence of Buddhist education. I have learned that one must not be selfish and that one should live for the sake of all beings.

The Difference Between Suffering and Liberation

In the Three Kingdoms era, we were all caught up in wars for power and territory, creating heavy negative causes. Why is it that some suffer for thousands of years, while others can quickly begin a new life on the path of reincarnation, find a good destination, and even encounter Mahayana Buddhism to return to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss? The difference lies in compassion and mind-capacity. The Buddha's mind-capacity is boundless and infinitely compassionate. Those who think of others and the people are those who are in sync with the Buddha. This is also a matter of personal blessings and the karmic affinity of good and evil. Ultimately, noble character is defined by living for others rather than oneself.

The Burden of a Narrow Heart

Did I, Cao Pi, have such a heart? No. I was not a person of broad mind. My life was filled with suffering because my mind-capacity was narrow. My jealousy toward my brothers, especially Cao Zhi, was known to all. I was a man of talent, but the fear of being replaced occupied my heart. I was constantly thinking of how to gain my father's praise, how to consolidate my position in the Cao family, and how to succeed him to unify the world. My life was spent in self-service, and because I relied on the empire my father built, I lost the chance to understand the suffering of the people. I was trapped in a cycle of protecting myself, unable to resolve my inner knots.

Deliverance from the Hells

After I died, I fell into the hells—the heart-gouging hell, the brain-gouging hell, and the fire-wheel hell. I suffered for hundreds of years. I did not dare to complain, for I knew the weight of my own calculations. I simply endured the pain with a spirit of repenting. Because I did not argue or resent my fate, I was released from the hells earlier than expected to live a grey existence in the ghost realm. I wandered the dark spaces of northern China for a millennium until last week, when I was finally illuminated by the Buddha-light and entered the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Many of my fellow countrymen have been saved here. We are overjoyed to know that we have the chance to chant Namo Amituofo and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Our hearts have been opened, and our wisdom is gradually manifesting.

Following the Teacher

Practitioner Su, the former Liu Bei, is the embodiment of perfect Goodness. He is a great practitioner with tremendous blessing, a manifestation of a Buddha or Bodhisattva. His ability to save countless suffering beings across China and his willingness to endure physical pain for the sake of all beings are beyond my reach. He is our best teacher, and we all kneel in gratitude before him. Many others from the Three Kingdoms era, including Sun Quan and my father Cao Cao, are also connected to Practitioner Su. We are all connected by karmic affinity, sitting at the feet of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to hear the Dharma. Whether we are in human form or as spirits, we all have deep Buddhist affinity. One small shift in a thought—a moment of selfishness versus a moment of helping others—leads to vastly different karmic results.

A Renewed Soul

I have unravelled the mysteries of the past and deeply felt the importance of Buddhist education. The core of the Buddha's teachings lies in whether our hearts are for others or for ourselves. I will not dwell on my past, though I once became an emperor and a significant figure in literature. Those worldly achievements pale in comparison to the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way I have found here. Though it took eighteen hundred years to understand the vastness of the Dharma, it was worth it. I am deeply grateful for this magnificent affinity. Following the Buddha is the only way. I will no longer think of myself or what I might gain or lose. My renewed soul knows that only by following the Buddha can I one day, like Practitioner Su, save all boundless suffering sentient beings.

Namo Amituofo

Cao Pi