The Final Journey of Venerable Master Haixian

This is a record of an interview with the late Venerable Master Haixian, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and his transition from the human world, recorded by the disciple Venerable HaiZe on August 28, 2018.

Venerable Master Haixian speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am the late Venerable Master Haixian. Originally, I was nothing more than an obscure, rural monk who spent his days simply chanting the Buddha-name. I never imagined that through the introduction of Venerable Master Chin Kung, I would suddenly become a model for so many people in their practice, and that my humble, dilapidated place of cultivation would become a site that so many people would scramble to visit.

During my life, I strictly adhered to the single practice of chanting 'Namo Amituofo.' Within the peace and simplicity of my daily life, I received many blessings from the Buddha, experiencing things that were truly inconceivable. Whenever I was asked about these things, I would either speak according to the capacity of the listener or simply laugh it off. This was because I feared that people would become attached to the idea that one must do this or that to succeed. Chanting is meant to be natural—as effortless as drinking water or putting on clothes. It should be in your heart, on your lips, in your eyes, and in your mind. Eventually, your whole body becomes the Buddha, just as if you were soaking in the waters of the Buddha, feeling completely cool, refreshed, and at ease."

A Lifetime of Simple Devotion

"My life was one of coarse tea, simple meals, and plain clothes. I had no afflictions, only long-lasting joy in my heart. I remember the book gifted to me by Venerable Master Chin Kung, titled 'If You Want the Buddha’s teachings to Flourish, Monks Must Praise Monks.' I felt such immense joy upon seeing it that I took a photograph with it; this was a matter of mind-capacity and great strength. To achieve spiritual success in chanting, one must be exactly like this.

I lived for so long simply waiting for those with karmic affinity to appear, for someone who could truly propagate the Pure Land teachings. When I saw that book, I felt at peace. I had chanted the Buddha-name my entire life. On that final day, it was just like any other; I returned from tilling the fields and cleansed myself. That evening, I sat quietly and chanted. For me, this was the most familiar and anticipated moment of all. I chanted until I saw the Buddha-light, and I saw Namo Amituofo coming to lead me! The Buddha-name was continuous in my heart, but just as I was about to step onto the lotus pedestal, the words 'enter the jar' suddenly surfaced in my mind. In that split second, my chanting faltered. The golden light remained, but I was carried to a bright, pure place—yet it was not the Western Pure Land. It was the twenty-eighth heaven of the desire realm."

The Mistake and the Path to Deliverance

"This incident was entirely my own fault. Although my junior fellow monk had entered the jar to preserve his body, which was later gilded and worshipped by others, I had no such intention. My body was naturally born and should have returned to nature; there was no need for such trouble. Yet, at that critical juncture, I allowed that single thought to arise, and I lost my opportunity for rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Fortunately, through the profound skills of Practitioner Su, she called out my name and a beam of light brought me to her Fragrant Light room. Although I had tried to warn Venerable Master Chin Kung that I had failed the Buddha's grace and had not reached the Western Pure Land, I was unsuccessful. Later, amidst the chanting of Practitioner Su and the others, I was given another chance to chant. I saw Namo Amituofo and the Buddha-light once more, and I followed the Buddha to the Western Pure Land, finally fulfilling my life's purpose. This event was known only to Practitioner Su and a few practitioners at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre at the time. Others may have heard whispers of it, but they did not acknowledge the truth of what occurred."

A Final Lesson for Practitioners

"Now that I am in the Western Pure Land, it is truly not easy to recount this past in such a way! Regardless of whether those who hear this believe it or not, I want to tell everyone: honest, sincere chanting is the correct path. However, you must be able to endure hardship, loneliness, and purity. You must chant to be reborn. Perhaps this is another manifestation of my life in the human world—to show that even in those brief, critical moments between the appearance of the Buddha's golden light and the final entry into the Western Pure Land, one must remain focused on chanting. You cannot allow even the slightest, most subtle stray thought to arise. You must not have any thought other than the Buddha-name. Your heart must contain only the Buddha; there can be no other distractions. The chanting must be pure and good, without any mixture. Once a stray thought arises, once you become distracted, the chanting is interrupted, and you lose the opportunity for rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Practitioner Su is building the Mituo Village here, providing a pure place for those who wish to chant and be reborn, and allowing Practitioner Su to guide them to the Western Pure Land. This is truly wonderful! It is a great gift from Namo Amituofo to everyone. Practitioner Su is truly capable of leading people to rebirth in the Western Pure Land; I am just one of them. I hope everyone will believe in this and come to reside there, to complete the great task of returning to our home in the West. Namo Amituofo."

This interview was recorded by the disciple Venerable HaiZe.