The Calligrapher's Journey to the Western Land

This is a record of an interview with Wang Xizhi, who sought Spiritual 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 approximately 1,700 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on March 8, 2026.

Wang Xizhi speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am the calligrapher Wang Xizhi. It seems that the world's understanding of me is limited strictly to my accomplishments in calligraphy, for which I have been honoured with the title 'Sage of Calligraphy'. Yet, few realise that I was also a great general during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. I must admit, however, that my passion and achievements in calligraphy far surpassed my contributions in any other field. The world has bestowed upon me many beautiful titles, even crowning me as the 'Sage of Calligraphy' and declaring my script to be the finest under heaven. These are accolades I feel unworthy of. I have always been a carefree person, someone who does not dwell on trivialities, and I never actively pursued fame for my achievements. My devotion to calligraphy was a genuine interest that sprouted when I was very young. I could become quite obsessive over every single stroke of the brush. Sometimes, I would become so engrossed that I would forget to eat, driven by the singular desire to complete the characters before me. Looking back, it seems I had completely entrusted my spirit to the world of ink, paper, and brush."

A Life of Privilege and Escapism

"I was born into an era when the Chinese lands were fractured by war and division. As a child, I lived in constant fear of death. I watched as my family and the entire nation gradually declined, eventually forcing us to migrate to the south, while the north fell into the hands of foreign invaders. This was the famous Northern and Southern Dynasties period. We resided in the south, under the Eastern Jin Dynasty. In my youth, I witnessed far too many stories of joy and sorrow. Although my family was illustrious and wealthy, serving as officials for generations, I had little interest in the political machinations of the court. I poured all my energy into my calligraphy, which was, in truth, a form of escapism from the chaos and instability of society. My nature was inherently optimistic and carefree, and I possessed a remarkable ability to adapt. If I encountered difficulties, I would simply move on to a new environment to make life more comfortable for myself. Because my family provided me with such an opulent life, I lacked a profound understanding of the suffering of the people or the plight of the nation. I was only saddened by the troubles affecting my own family, or perhaps, I was simply running away from them."

The Equality of the Buddha's Compassion

"Recently, the Western Land of Dharma Nature seems to have welcomed many historical figures from China's five-thousand-year history. These individuals have all had the opportunity to be delivered to this beautiful world because of the great vow of Practitioner Su here in the human world, who, with the support of Namo Amituofo, has come to perform Spiritual Deliverance. I, Wang Xizhi, am one of them. Looking at the famous figures in the Western Land of Dharma Nature—emperors, prime ministers, and great generals, all heroes and legends of their time—I, a mere calligrapher, seem somewhat out of place! Ha! I never expected the Buddha's heart to be so equal. Regardless of the karma we created in the past or the kind of person we were, as long as the Buddha sees you and you are willing to seek liberation and leave suffering behind, the great Namo Amituofo will surely open His arms to welcome you home. To save one being is to save a Buddha; the Buddha is possessed of such great compassion and vows, and He holds no discrimination whatsoever toward any of us sentient beings."

Small Acts of Kindness in a Chaotic Era

"Since arriving in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I have been diligently listening to the lectures given by Practitioner Su. I know this is a truly precious treasure, and I wish to listen well and learn thoroughly. I was startled to hear Practitioner Su emphasise that his act of guiding the spirits from mainland China into the Western Land of Dharma Nature is only possible because these famous figures themselves possessed some inherent goodness and virtuous thoughts. Looking back on my life, I do not consider myself a great saint, but there are one or two things worth sharing with you all. Although I lived a life of great wealth from my youth through my middle years, and because of my illustrious family background, I was initially ignorant of suffering, there was one thing I understood: I knew I had to help people alleviate their pain. Within my capacity, whenever I discovered an opportunity to do good or a virtuous deed that could assist the civilians and soldiers under my jurisdiction, I would rush to do so without hesitation, never questioning the consequences. I know Practitioner Su constantly emphasises the importance of 'no-self and selflessness', and in this regard, I was able to put myself aside completely to help others. On several occasions, to help the starving civilians and to provide famine relief, I would exhaust all my strength to secure the distribution of grain for them. Although these actions often caused my superiors to be dissatisfied with me, I never took it to heart."

The Illusion of Retirement and the Weight of Self-Interest

"In that era of frequent warfare, many people were driven by the instability of life to awaken their inner compassion, or to manifest various outstanding talents. This was the nature of the people shaped by that era. Although I was a general of high rank, I never harboured any desire to invade the lands of others; I had no ambition or aggressive intent. I knew that the official positions and status I attained were largely due to my family's high standing at the time. For the sons of noble families, if one possessed even a modicum of talent, obtaining an official post was an effortless affair. I rose through the ranks in this manner until I reached the position of a great general. Whether I was engaged in military campaigns or administrative work, I never forgot to practise calligraphy to alleviate the pressure in my heart or the fatigue of my busy official duties. I felt my life was quite ordinary. Aside from my high family status and my own decent talents, which I utilised well, I served the country and the people as a general. I had no illustrious military achievements, nor any spirit particularly worthy of admiration by future generations. I simply did what I loved and lived my life in a carefree manner. Of course, I practised my writing with great diligence, and any achievement I attained was the result of profound, heart-wrenching effort. However, given my family environment, I never felt there was anything particularly special about myself."

All these realisations are truly inconceivable. It is only now, after having left the human world for so many years, that I have finally encountered the Buddha’s teachings as expounded by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. Only now do I truly understand the state of my own heart and character. In the eyes of the world, I was seen as someone who was elegant, carefree, and unconstrained by trivialities. These are beautiful words, and they sound pleasant to the ear, but they were not the expression of a sincere, awakened heart. Looking back on it all now, I have no regrets. The Causal Conditions of that time were as they were, and my karma was as it was.

The Long Wandering in the Ghost Realm

After I passed away from illness, my life in the ghost realm began. I had not committed any grave negative karma, so I was spared from having to suffer retribution in the hells. However, my own greed, my possessiveness, and my selfish heart meant that my existence in the ghost realm was filled with misery. This misery was not a sudden, sharp pain, but a persistent, gnawing state of being. In the ghost realm, I did not have a physical body, but my spirit remained in a state of illness and unbearable suffering. It never improved; I spent a very long time—perhaps at least a thousand years—drifting in a cycle of confusion and repetition. I remember it clearly; it was indeed that long.

Eventually, I returned to the human world. Once back, I discovered that as a spirit, I seemed to have no purpose, no matter where I drifted. I could inhabit any object, or I could jump out of the confines of those objects, wandering everywhere, living the life of a displaced soul with no fixed abode. Naturally, the attachments I held during my life kept me anchored to the space between the ink, the paper, the brush, and the inkstone. I never truly departed. Just as I had done when I was alive, my mind was constantly occupied with every stroke, every dot, the weight, the speed, and the rhythm of how to apply the brush. These things, which I cared about most, became the very things that defined my spiritual life for such a long, long time, trapped within the body of a calligraphy brush.

A Brush Guided by Goodness

This repetitive existence had no direction at all. However, I did have one saving grace: I was extremely particular about the meaning of the characters written by the brush I inhabited. If the words were virtuous and beneficial to the people, I would ensure the calligraphy was exquisite. But if the words were harmful, malicious, or detrimental to others, I would prevent the user from even holding the brush properly or writing well. I would even go so far as to ruin the characters entirely, ensuring they could not be passed on for others to see.

At the time, I thought I was simply being mischievous, but it was actually this seed of Goodness that eventually gave me the opportunity to be guided by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to the Western Land of Dharma Nature. I have been in this place for several days now. From here, looking back at the human world, I can see everything with perfect clarity. I have come to realise that so many deceased spirits trapped in various spaces are just like me—burdened by their own attachments, interests, and hobbies—all of which keep them locked within their own confined spaces, unable to break free.

The Ultimate Deliverance

If it were not for Practitioner Su, who today brought Namo Amituofo and the Twelve Lights to our Great China region to perform the Chao Du, I would never have been able to emerge from the space of that brush. As I have said, I could move freely within that space, and I could indeed step out of it, but I had no way to escape the state of living within such a confined existence.

Now that I have arrived at the Western Land of Dharma Nature, my heart has finally found true peace. My life of drifting for over one thousand seven hundred years has finally reached its end. To be at peace, to be calm, and to chant Namo Amituofo and listen to sutras and hear the Dharma with joy in my heart—this is what I shall do from this day forward. Many people know the name Wang Xizhi, but they may not know that I, too, paid a heavy price for the things I loved. Such things may seem ordinary, but in truth, no one can escape birth, aging, sickness, and death, and no one can escape the cycle of rebirth and karma. As someone who was considered to have a relatively kind heart and no evil thoughts, I still had to suffer and wander simply because of the attachments I held throughout my life.

The High Technology of the Dharma

One can only imagine that without the education of the Buddha’s teachings, people are destined to be lost in the cycle of rebirth. The social climate of the world will only continue to decline, spiralling downwards without any hope of recovery. As I have come to understand more and more of the Buddha’s teachings as expounded by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su—that is, as I have gained a deeper understanding of the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way—I have truly realised the profound nature of the Dharma. I have come to understand the truth that the Dharma is the ultimate high technology. I, Wang Xizhi, deeply admire how the Buddha can view all sentient beings with such thoroughness and clarity, and how He knows the stories of our causes and consequences. This is truly something that fills one with immense admiration. Now, I will follow the Buddha and practice diligently, right here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, and I shall go nowhere else.

Namo Amituofo.

Wang Xizhi