The Final Release: Letting Go of the World

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Li Daojiong, who sought 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 journey toward liberation, recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on September 24, 2021.

Li Daojiong speaks:

"There is nothing you need to think about. Just let go. This is what I want to say to my granddaughter, and it is also what I must say to myself. That is why, today, I have made the firm decision to leave.

I have been listening to the Dharma talks for some time now, and I have changed significantly. I have come to see clearly what the cycle of reincarnation truly is. There is nothing left in this world worth clinging to. Only by letting go can one truly find liberation.

The Weight of Letting Go

When I finally made the decision to go to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I felt my entire being become incredibly light. For me, this was a monumental transformation. It meant letting go of the world that was once so deeply connected to me. I had to let go of the Li family into which I was born, and I had to let go of my descendants who are still living in this world. I had to release it all, returning to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss with nothing but a clear, empty spirit. I told myself: once I reach the West, I must not dwell on the past anymore. It is truly, finally, in the past.

I am not alone in this journey; my wife is here with me as well. However, there is no longer any interaction between us in the way we once knew. We are now simply two spirits, each on our own path. Without a physical body, things are no longer like they were when we lived in the world. So many things have become different. People in the world would find it very hard to imagine, and my family would likely find it hard to believe, but this is the reality. Do not doubt it.

Gratitude and the Path to Purity

I am deeply grateful to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Practitioner Su is filled with such compassion, constantly helping all beings. I thank my granddaughter for remembering me, her grandfather, and for rescuing me. When Practitioner Su called out my name, a vast expanse of golden light appeared before me. I was so overjoyed that I hurried forward, and I arrived at the Western Land of Dharma Nature. There, I have a lotus seat where I can sit, listening to Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks every day and participating in the Dharma assemblies.

Every day in this pure land, my heart becomes purer, and my spirit becomes clearer. I have finally seen clearly that this world has nothing to do with me; it was all just a matter of karmic conditions that brought us together for a time. Now that the body is gone, those conditions should have ended, yet my spirit still held onto memories and lingering attachments that prevented those ties from being completely severed. But these attachments were only obstacles to my spirit. Only by completely letting go of the world could I become truly pure.

A Final Message to the Living

Xiaoqing, everything in this world is illusory. You must practise diligently. Once the physical body is gone, no amount of worldly emotion is of any use. Calculate for yourself how much time you have left to work toward your liberation. It is so difficult to encounter the Buddha in this lifetime—please, do not let this opportunity slip away! Namo Amituofo."