The Empress and the Pure Land: An Interview with Wu Zetian
An Interview with the Spirit of Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty
Recorded at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre
This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Wu Zetian, who sought deliverance 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 approximately 1,300 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable Hai Yuan, on April 5, 2026.
Wu Zetian speaks:
"Namo Amituofo. I am Wu Zetian. At this very moment, I am accepting an interview from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, located in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, while residing in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
I must first express my deepest, most profound gratitude. It is only because of the grace of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su that every word I speak here can be recorded, allowing all of you to witness the truth of my current existence. This is a testament to the reality of the Pure Land.
The Weight of History and the Path of the Empress
As for my role in history and the deeds I performed—whether they were good or evil, right or wrong—I shall leave that for the world to judge. During the Tang Dynasty, a period when the Buddha’s teachings flourished, I was selected at the age of fourteen by Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, to enter the palace as a talented lady. After the Emperor passed away, I followed tradition and entered Ganye Temple to have my head shaved and become a nun. Later, I returned to the palace to assist Emperor Gaozong, Li Zhi. After navigating the treacherous trials of politics, Gaozong deposed his empress, and I officially ascended to the throne. That period of history was truly heart-stopping, yet it was merely the beginning of my journey.
In the hearts of the people, I am remembered for my political achievements and my contributions to the state. However, the balance between my merits and my faults is not something that can be explained in a few short sentences. From the time I entered the palace at fourteen until I abdicated and passed away at eighty-one, nearly sixty years had passed. I endured humiliation, witnessed the coldness of human relationships, and suffered immensely. History books have offered both praise and criticism regarding my pursuit of power. Once I held the reins of authority, I implemented my ideals and my care for the common people into my governance. The events that followed—the passing of Gaozong and my stewardship of the imperial court—are matters I need not dwell upon here.
Beyond the Imperial Robes
The stories of Wu Zetian are abundant in history books and media; some are factual, while others are fabrications. None of that matters now. What is important is that I am here, in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I have long since set aside my imperial throne and my empress’s robes. The cold, assertive personality I displayed in the palace was a product of my environment. Here in the Western Pure Land, there is no distinction between 'you' and 'me'; everyone is equal. This world has long since made me forget my former identity. No one here remembers me as Wu Zetian; only the people of the human world remember that name so clearly.
I am particularly moved by the Opening Sutra Verse: 'The supreme, profound, and subtle is difficult to encounter in millions of years. Now that I see, hear, and receive it, I vow to understand the true meaning of the Tathagata.' This verse was composed by me when the new translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra was released by the National Preceptor, Venerable Fazang. I was so moved by the vastness and infinite merit of the sutra that I composed this verse in praise of it. Thanks to the kindness of the monastics and the people of that time, it has been passed down and used to this day. I have learned and witnessed here in the Western Pure Land that this verse appears at the beginning of every scripture, which makes me deeply feel that the Buddha’s grace is difficult to repay.
A Foundation of Faith
In truth, I had been exposed to the Buddha’s teachings since childhood, influenced by my mother, and I understood that the transmission of the Dharma is no easy task. The Tang Dynasty was a golden age for Buddhism, so even before I entered the palace, I had already established a deep foundation in Buddhist studies. After becoming a talented lady in the palace, I had even more time to read the scriptures. This immersion in the Dharma gave me the space to cherish the monastics later in life, for I knew that the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings requires the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. This was the foundation of my later efforts to love the people as if they were my own children.
I possessed a heart of empathy and care for the common people, which is why I implemented policies such as tax reductions to benefit them—this is an undeniable fact. My desire to care for the people as my own children did not diminish because I sat on the imperial throne; rather, having that power allowed me to put my into action. I cared for the people, and in return, I was deeply loved by them. The reforms I introduced improved the lives of many. As for the grievances and entanglements within the court and the palace, they are truly endless, and I shall leave them for future generations to judge.
The Light of Deliverance
I want to express my gratitude for what happened over ten years ago. When Practitioner Su returned to Taiwan from Australia, the light radiating from her was different. She opened the space of the Twenty-Eighth Heaven, allowing many celestial beings to witness the conditions of the human world. At that time, everyone in the Hsiang Kuang room was very sensitive to messages from the spiritual realms. The celestial beings knew clearly that Practitioner Su was already an awakened being, capable of leading beings from the spirit realms into the Western Pure Land. Consequently, many great Buddhist masters, residing in the higher levels of the heavenly realms, entered the Hsiang Kuang room directly to request that Practitioner Su lead them to the Western Pure Land.
I was one of them. When my spirit appeared in the Hsiang Kuang room, it caused quite a stir among the practitioners. They thought that because my karmic debt from killing was so heavy, I should have gone to the hells. How could this empress have descended from the heavenly realms and requested to go to the Western Pure Land? It is true that my merits and faults in history are difficult to recount, but the Buddha’s teachings state that the final thought at the moment of death is the most important. Whether it is good or evil determines one's destination.
When I passed away at the age of eighty-one, my spirit thought only of the Dharma, of its vastness and profound depth. Suddenly, a brilliant light appeared before me, and I was directly led into the Celestial Realm. Later, through the compassionate deliverance of Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang room, and with the practitioners chanting the Buddha’s name in unison, I was sent to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
A New Life in the Pure Land
For these past ten years, my life in the West has been extraordinary. My pursuit of the truth and the righteous path of the Dharma, and my desire to seek liberation and leave suffering behind, have not diminished in the slightest; rather, I have become even more diligent and cautious. When I listen to the Dharma before the Buddha, I am often moved to tears. As a spirit without a physical body, my perception of spiritual life is even more profound than before. Everything I enjoy here is so beautiful and magnificent; it is all provided by my Buddha, Namo Amituofo, who has bestowed such a practice environment upon the beings of the West. It is free, spontaneous, and filled with the sounds of the Dharma. This is truly the supreme grace of Namo Amituofo toward all beings in the West.
At this time, the fact that Namo Amituofo is residing at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia brings us, the beings of the West, great . It is a ray of hope for salvation for both the human world and the spirit realms. In particular, the Infinite Life Sutra, which was compiled by Teacher Xia Lianju, is extremely magnificent. Teacher Xia’s previous incarnation was the Great Master Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty. I have always held the character of such an eminent monk in high esteem. Because the Master saw the suffering of sentient beings, he manifested and descended into the human world, taking the form of Teacher Xia Lianju to compile this Infinite Life Sutra. This great sutra and its commentaries are ranked alongside the Avatamsaka Sutra as the ultimate scriptures for becoming a Buddha.
The Compassion of Practitioner Su
I have studied this sutra in the Western Pure Land, and its content is truly magnificent. It describes the Forty-eight Great Vows of Namo Amituofo, the supreme dignity of the Western Pure Land, and all the enjoyed by the beings of the West through the empowerment of Namo Amituofo. The beauty of the Western Pure Land is difficult for those who have not entered it to comprehend. Therefore, Practitioner Su, who was the Practitioner Su of that time, has worked diligently for over ten years, moving Namo Amituofo to descend into the human world and renaming the Hsiang Kuang room as the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.
This is truly an incredible achievement that transcends time and space. I hope that those who hear or see this can understand the truth of the human world. Practitioner Su’s spiritual nature is profound—it is the spiritual nature of a Buddha—which is why she is able to save so many beings from the demon realms. The old demons and ancient demons, whose 'demon energy' was once pitch-black, have been transformed into clean, bright white robes after entering the Western Land of Dharma Nature. The great compassionate heart of Practitioner Su, which allows beings and demon crowds to be transformed, is something I, Wu Zetian, truly admire and respect.
A Call to the Fourfold Assembly
My Buddha, Namo Amituofo, has empowered this work, saving countless beings from the spirit realms. Through the deliverance of Practitioner Su’s countless billions of manifestations, the Twelve Lights have entered countless spaces, allowing the spirit realms and the demon crowds to be saved and to enter the Western Land of Dharma Nature to begin a new life. This new life is truly hard-won.
Practitioner Su has vowed to deliver the spirits of the vast land of China, saving immeasurable numbers of beings from the spirit realms and the demon crowds. The sheer number of demon crowds in China is beyond calculation, which is truly astonishing. The spirits of the last five thousand years in China—the lonely wandering spirits, those who died on the battlefield, and those who perished in the palace—are too numerous to count, layered upon one another in space. Fortunately, because Practitioner Su has vowed to save the spirits of China in this lifetime, these beings have the opportunity to enter a place of light and escape their existence in the ghost realm. This is truly the supreme grace of my Buddha’s compassion toward all beings.
The fact that Namo Amituofo is residing at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is known to all beings in the West and in the spirit realms, yet many in the human world do not know it, and some even slander it—which is truly a pity! This is a precious opportunity for one’s own deliverance and entry into the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Many human beings today fall ill and age prematurely, or suffer the agony of the separation of the four elements at death. At the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, one can avoid aging and illness, preserve the spiritual life, and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is only possible because Namo Amituofo is residing there, Practitioner Su is manifesting to save beings, and she can see the suffering of the countless beings within others and resolve their conflicts through deliverance. This is an opportunity difficult to encounter in millions of years.
I, Wu Zetian, offer my deepest respect from the Western Pure Land. Although the Tang Dynasty was a golden age for Buddhism, many military spirits died during the dynastic transitions, and these circumstances have caused many beings in various spaces to continue suffering in darkness. Now, as long as they are illuminated by the brought by Practitioner Su, and follow the golden light into the Western Land of Dharma Nature, both the beings of the spirit realms and the demon crowds can be saved.
Every sentient being possesses a true nature, which is extremely precious. Therefore, I truly hope that the fourfold assembly of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, especially the Bhikshus and Bhikshunis, can grasp this magnificent opportunity for and save more beings who are waiting to be rescued after they have awakened themselves.
Today, my interview concludes here. I am grateful, so grateful, to Namo Amituofo, Teacher Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su.
Namo Amituofo.
Wu Zetian
April 15, 2026
A Question of
Venerable Hai Yuan: "My Buddha, with compassion, may I ask Wu Zetian: why were you able to enter the Celestial Realm instead of falling into the hells? Please, Buddha, provide your compassionate teachings."
Namo Amituofo speaks:
"Wu Zetian is a name known to the world, and she is also a person of great virtue in the Dharma. The world often focuses on her 'faults' due to many worldly rumours, but in truth, she made immense contributions to the Buddha’s teachings. In particular, her support for the new translation of the Avatamsaka Sutra allowed future generations to see the new face of the Avatamsaka, enabling practitioners and readers to receive profound benefits from the Dharma. This is a merit beyond measure, especially with the participation of the Third Patriarch of the Avatamsaka, the National Preceptor Fazang.
As for the events within the palace, they were governed by the laws of cause and effect, and the rumours do not represent the full picture. The Opening Sutra Verse she composed has become a standard verse recited by practitioners before chanting, and its influence is immeasurable. Furthermore, her final thought before passing away was one of goodness, not evil. These factors became the cause for her to enter the Celestial Realm and for her spiritual foundations to mature, allowing her to enter the Western Land. I hope this explanation resolves the doubts of the assembly!
The laws of karma are not empty; the evil she committed while in the world will still be met with retribution when the time is right."
Namo Amituofo."
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