This is a record of an interview with Zheng Shenyi, the grandmother of Wang Quan, who sought at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon her life and her long journey through the realms of suffering. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on April 3, 2026.
Zheng Shenyi speaks:
". I am Zheng Shenyi. After wandering through the darkness for over thirty years, I, Zheng Shenyi, have endured endless suffering. Now, I have finally found a place to rest my soul—a place called the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. It is truly the most magnificent and incomparable blessing. When I count the time, it passes so quickly. It has been thirty-one years since I left the human world. Standing here now, listening to the sutras and hearing the under the seat of Namo Amituofo, I am a completely different person than I was back then. My heart is overflowing with gratitude.
Thirty-One Years of Wandering
Before I begin sharing my reflections, I must first express my deepest, ten-thousand-fold gratitude to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su. I am grateful for everything, for this karmic connection, and for the Buddha coming into this world. So many things are truly beyond belief. I had assumed that after being gone for so long, my family would have forgotten me cleanly. I never expected that I would have this opportunity to be saved by my grandson and brought to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. When I saw his name, I could not help but smile. This child is truly extraordinary.
When I was in the , I began to understand everything about my past and why I had fallen into the hells to suffer for so long. At the time, I certainly never imagined it. I used to believe that only people who committed murder or arson would fall into hell. Even if I believed hell existed, that was the extent of my understanding.
The Truth About Hell
However, after I arrived at the Western Dharma-Nature Land and listened to the sutras and heard the Dharma before Practitioner Su, I realised that the negative causes for hell actually lie within a single selfish thought or a moment of anger. Even without any spoken words or physical actions, if these emotional fluctuations exist within the heart, they are enough to lead one to the hells. Especially for those who have created heavy , like myself—my sins were already deep, my life in the human world was not long, and I left this world only after suffering from a severe illness.
It was then that I realised that when I was sick, it was actually my coming to my door. They brought with them accusations that were stacked as high as a mountain. Before the King of Hell, I could not deny that I had indeed created so many sins. Throughout my life, I had never truly repented and turned towards goodness; I remained trapped in my own thoughts, ideas, and selfishness. Once those various thoughts arose, my body began to manifest these situations, and after death, I entered the hells.
Karmic Creditors and the Reality of Suffering
This entire sequence of birth, aging, sickness, and death is a phenomenon that everyone experiences; the only difference is the degree of suffering. I, Zheng Shenyi, can consider myself fortunate. How many others are suffering just as I did, yet they must wander in the evil realms or the hells forever, needing a very long time before they can find a way to be saved? Therefore, I am incredibly, incredibly grateful. I do not have a single complaint. Now that I have arrived in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I must make the most of myself. I cannot let down the painstaking efforts and expectations of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su.
A Message to My Family
Finally, I would like to share these words with my family, especially my grandson: being able to encounter the Buddha is a very precious thing. It is not like us, who only encountered the Buddha after death. You are still alive, you have your physical bodies, and you can still exert great effort. You must take advantage of your youth, find more opportunities to go out and see the world, and understand the suffering of life so that you will know how to cherish your existence. At the same time, you must always keep the Buddha in your heart. Only when the Buddha is truly in the depths of your heart can you truly perform the Buddha's work, and only then can you truly take in the words spoken by the Buddha and make them helpful to your inner self.
Returning to Our Original Nature
Well, I, this old woman, will not say too much more. The Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is truly a wonderful place for practice. It is extremely beautiful, peaceful, and joyful. Everyone should eventually return to this land. A trip through the human world is not truly real; only by honestly following the Buddha can one find one's way back to oneself, because we are all originally Buddhas!
Gratitude to Namo Amituofo, gratitude to Practitioner Su, and thank you all for listening to my humble words.
