The Burden of Loyalty: A Prime Minister's Reflection

This is a record of an interview with Li Gang, who served as a Prime Minister during the Southern Song Dynasty. He sought Spiritual Deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia and now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his life approximately 880 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on April 18, 2026.

Li Gang speaks:

"The descendants of the Middle Kingdom now receive the Buddha's grace, no longer burdened by suffering or sorrow. Having heard the Dharma sounds of Namo Amituofo, I have finally left suffering behind to enter the Pure Land.

I recall the days when the Song and Jin dynasties clashed; my heart was filled with ambitions known only to Heaven. The humiliation of ceding cities and offering gold—how hollow and illusory it all seems now.

My life was a mixture of bitterness and joy. I rejoiced to see the nation endure, yet in my illness, I often contemplated the Buddha within my heart, even as I suffered the bitter consequences of the karma of killing. I could not escape the hells despite my courage in those years, and I wandered through various realms, suffering in turn. Yet, the hatred in my heart has gradually faded; I now understand that the rise and fall of dynasties is but a natural cycle.

A Life Forged in the Fires of War

I am Li Gang, a man of iron and blood. My life spanned the transition from the Northern Song to the Southern Song. Throughout my many travels from north to south, I carried a heart filled with indignation, firmly believing that the Southern Song court would one day reclaim the Central Plains. Day and night, my thoughts were consumed by the hope for national unity and the prosperity of our people. As for the Jin dynasty in the north, I spent my entire life fighting them with gritted teeth, unable to tolerate even the slightest compromise.

In those days, I lived in an era of cowardly monarchs and treacherous officials—a reality that stood in stark contrast to my own ideals. The Song Dynasty was a tragic era; we had weak rulers, but we also had many righteous men like myself who were willing to sacrifice everything to rise up for the nation and recover our lost territories. Yet, every effort we made was constantly undermined by our own people. I could not manifest my aspirations to carve out a path of survival for the nation and its citizens.

The Agony of a Divided Empire

At the time, I believed that war was the only righteous path. To me, the 'peace faction' consisted entirely of treacherous officials who were inciting the Emperor to seek comfort in the south, enjoying themselves while ignoring the life-and-death struggles of the common people. We, the 'war faction,' were determined to turn the tide, to restore the Song court to its former glory, and to unify the country. This was my singular focus. From my youth until my old age, I exhausted my mind and spirit, desperate to prevent the fall of the Northern Song and to see the Southern Song reclaim our ancestral lands.

My most famous achievement occurred before the fall of the Northern Song, in the capital of Bianjing. With the strength of a mere scholar, I organised the army to defend the capital, decisively defeating the Jin forces and preventing their advance. For a time, I preserved the lifeline of the Song court. However, the Emperor repeatedly knelt to negotiate peace—an act I viewed as a betrayal of the nation. Despite the desperate efforts of myself and many other ministers to argue and resist, it was all in vain.

The Weight of My Own Convictions

If you were to ask me what I truly cared about—the nation, the people, or the Emperor—I would say that all three are inseparable; they constitute the very concept of a nation. I believed that only with a complete nation could the people live happy and peaceful lives. Yet, I neglected one truth: in the midst of such fierce conflict, if one fights to the bitter end, the people of both nations inevitably face immense suffering.

My determination to fight to the end was shared by many famous generals of the time. We all acted with the nation in mind, hoping to see it whole and prosperous so that the common people could live well. But were these battles not fought by gambling with the lives of the common people? If we won, it might be justified, but if we lost, we caused immeasurable harm to countless innocent civilians on both sides. Chinese history is composed of one war after another, written in blood and tears.

I must admit that my heart could have been softer, and I could have considered the broader picture more deeply. While advocating for war was done for the sake of the nation and the people, it was not necessarily the righteous path. Throughout history, there have always been many ways to maintain peace between two nations, and negotiation is indeed one of them. Although it may appear as a humiliation or a seed for future disaster, with sufficient wisdom and strategic capability, one might have lowered one's posture and walked the path of negotiation, striving for a greater chance of survival and hope for the people. If the nation was to be situated in the south, would it not have been a blessing to cultivate a peaceful and virtuous society there?

Awakening to the Law of Cause and Effect

I lived in a state of stubborn attachment. Looking back now, it is difficult for the world to accept this, as people believe that fighting to the end is the only way for a loyal martyr to act. Now, here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, after my purification, my intense nature has faded. I have come to understand what should be done and what should not. First and foremost, killing should be avoided whenever possible. If it is unavoidable, it must be for the welfare of the many, not for personal pride. Whether it is the life of one's own side or the enemy's, the principle is the same. My thoughts were deeply influenced by the ideals of loyalty and righteousness, and I was filled with grievances, unable to accept a nation weakened by compromise.

It is truly a wondrous thing. Looking back at those circumstances, my current state of mind and perspective are vastly different from what they were then. Although I thought I was acting for the good of the nation and the people, after my purification, I understand through the Buddha’s teachings that all of this is governed by the laws of karma and cause and effect. If a nation cannot bring about true peace through negotiation and must resort to force, it has already sown the seeds of future disaster. In terms of karma, a life for a life—regardless of whose life it is—is the immutable truth.

I did not penetrate this truth at the time. I was obsessed with the idea that the nation must prevail, that we must reclaim our former borders, and that we must possess everything. Thus, I fell repeatedly into the trap of my own stubborn attachments. Throughout the long history of China, many righteous men have been the same. While their ends may not have been as tragic as mine—falling into the hells—many were unable to achieve true spiritual elevation. Because all these actions, though seemingly for the nation, were still inextricably linked to the self. I lacked this awakening at the time. Although I was once close to the Buddha’s teachings and had practised meditation and concentration, when faced with a great enemy, none of these skills could be applied.

Throughout my life, I participated in many wars, large and small. Although I was a civil official, when faced with a formidable enemy, I had to boost the morale of the soldiers and share in their hardships. In this life, I gained the praise of the common people, yet I also earned the alienation of the Emperor and the relentless slander of treacherous officials. I served as Prime Minister, yet I was soon demoted, and then demoted again and again. I was always travelling, maintaining peace in various regions and participating in border wars. From beginning to end, my ambition to serve the world could never be fully realised.

I spent my life in this cycle of promotion and demotion. Finally, with a frail and diseased body, I wandered through various battlefields, sensing that my time was running out. Then, I heard the most painful news: the Emperor had voluntarily submitted to the Jin forces, offering tribute. When this reached my ears, all the pain and indignation of my life were pushed to the extreme. My body, already suffering from illness, collapsed. It was a profound agony of both mind and body. The suffering of the mind came from the shattering of the nation—a grief I could not accept, born of my own stubborn attachments. The suffering of the body was compounded by my anger and resentment, which attracted immeasurable karmic creditors who came to collect their debts, causing my body to collapse further and further. In the end, the pain was unbearable. In my final moments of indignation, I left the human world and went directly to the hells to report.

When the King of Hell saw that I had spent my life serving the nation and the people, and had performed many good deeds, yet had ended up in such a miserable state, he asked me: 'Do you know your sins? Do you understand that the karma of killing you created is a debt that must be repaid?' I could not understand why I, who had dedicated my life to the people, had received such a tragic retribution. In the hells, I recalled the words of the King of Hell many times. The karma of killing circled in my mind. I knew that killing was wrong, but I asked myself, 'I killed the enemy, what harm was there in that?'

One day, I suddenly heard the Dharma sounds in the hells, and I was suddenly enlightened. Although I was suffering the bitter fruits of my actions, because I was not a person of great evil, I was able to gain a moment of clarity upon hearing the Dharma. The Buddha said so much, but I grasped a few key things: I heard the six-character name of 'Namo Amituofo'; I heard the word 'equality'; and I heard the word 'cause and effect'. Especially the six-character name of Namo Amituofo—it began to resonate within my heart. Although I had studied the Buddha’s teachings before, I had long forgotten them. Now, as the name of Namo Amituofo rang in my ears again, it was as if a connection had been made to a part of my soul, and I began to wake up.

Soon, I was released from the hellish space and returned to the land I had cared for so deeply. But after such a long time, the dynasties had changed; the Song Dynasty was no more, and the Qing Dynasty had arrived. I calculated that over five hundred years had passed. My past karma, the karmic force that needed to be repaid, had finally come to an end. In that space, I could see the affairs of the nation clearly. In the late Qing Dynasty, there was still endless war, just as in my time. But the wars I witnessed then were not internal conflicts, but invasions from far-off nations—not merely wars between neighbouring states. Wandering in that space for a century or two, I saw the coldness of the world. Past events were vivid in my mind, and I came to realise even more deeply that the two words 'cause and effect' are indeed the standard, the truth, and the righteous path of the universe."

Namo Amituofo.

"Although I had not yet encountered the true, profound Dharma, I had long heard of the Buddha and the six-character name 'Namo Amituofo.' Deep down, this gave me a sense of foundation and stability. The calming power brought by this six-character name is truly not to be underestimated. Having heard it only once or twice, it provided such strength that it kept me from falling into lower realms or suffering further agony while I remained in that space, silently guarding this land with a peaceful heart.

The Light of Deliverance

Then, one day, in this era of modern prosperity, a brilliant light suddenly appeared in the sky. This was no ordinary sunlight; it was the light of the Buddha, which I recognised at a single glance. Practitioner Su arrived at the place where I was, accompanied by Namo Amituofo, and the light shone brilliantly. Many other spirits who, like me, had been trapped in that space, entered the light as well. It was truly inconceivable. In an instant, I arrived at the Western Land of Dharma Nature. I saw many other beings like myself, who had come from the vast spaces of China, all having their spirits elevated. My heart was filled with deep emotion; I knew for certain that the Buddha had come.

Indeed, Namo Amituofo has truly come to this world. Although not residing permanently in China, He is still within the bounds of this Earth, and the Buddha has begun a vast, expansive Chao Du for the entire world. Only one who has attained the state of an awakened being, like Practitioner Su, can evoke Namo Amituofo to descend and abide in this world, and move the Buddha to accompany Practitioner Su in saving immeasurable and boundless suffering beings across every dimension.

A Heart Overflowing with Gratitude

I am one of those fortunate beings, and my heart is filled with a gratitude that words cannot express. Having encountered this great turning point, I sincerely hope that more beings who are suffering as I once did will one day attain liberation. Only when the Buddha abides in the world can such power of salvation exist; it is a realm that ordinary practitioners simply cannot reach. My understanding of Amitabha Buddha and Practitioner Su has become much clearer and more profound.

Of course, the education of the Buddha’s teachings is the same. I never imagined that the scope of the Buddha’s teachings for humanity would be so thorough and perfect, not limited to the one nation or one family I was so attached to. I originally held a deep attachment to my own country and people, but I had not truly realised the profound meaning of 'oneness' as taught by the Buddha. This concept of oneness is so vital! If people across the world could implement the Buddha’s education in their daily lives, letting go of the discriminations and attachments between nations and ethnicities, and realising that all peoples of every race and country are one, then the world would finally achieve true peace and stability.

The Clarity of Cause and Effect

At this moment, I have a thorough understanding of why I fell into the hells. If I had not harboured such resentment and injustice toward the people of the opposing side, I would not have created such heavy killing karma, nor would I have been forced to repay those laws of karma and cause and effect. Even if I had spent my whole life serving my country and its people, I would not have fallen into the hells to suffer for so long. The principle of 'a life for a life' is clear and simple; it is merely a matter of whether the retribution is received at this time or another.

The stability and peace of mind that the Buddha brings us is truly magnificent. In the short time I have been here, I have deeply realised the wonders of the Buddha’s teachings. It turns out that everyone can attain the state where you do not grow old, not get sick, and the spirit does not die. This is the greatest difference between the Buddha’s teachings and other religions: it is a truly unified, equal, and supreme, perfect education that gives people genuine peace of mind, ending the suffering of the cycle of rebirth forever.

A Vow to Save All Beings

At this very moment, sitting peacefully on a lotus, my heart is filled only with gratitude and joy. There are no other messy thoughts; there is only the silent practice of chanting Namo Amituofo, listening to sutras, and hearing the Dharma. I vow that one day I will attain Buddhahood and be able to save immeasurable and boundless suffering beings. My focus will not be limited to the civilians of one region or the people of one country; I will expand my mind-capacity further and further, reaching out to immeasurable and boundless beings, perfecting a mind-capacity just like that of the Buddha.

Namo Amituofo.

Li Gang"