The Guardian of the Ancestral Land

This is a record of an interview with Li Kunyang, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life during the Ming Dynasty. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa-jing, on June 21, 2024.

Li Kunyang speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I have truly arrived in the West. It is beyond my wildest imagination that I, too, could one day reach the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I offer my heartfelt gratitude to the Greatly Compassionate Namo Amituofo, and to Practitioner Su, who guided me to this Western realm. I, your disciple Li Kunyang, offer my sincere prostrations and kneel in reverence.

In truth, I had never even heard of the existence of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Because of this ignorance, I remained trapped as a spirit, unable to find a way to liberate myself. I do not even know how many years have passed since I first became a wandering soul.

A Life in the Ming Dynasty

The lifetime in which I was given the name Li Kunyang took place during the Ming Dynasty. I was born into a wealthy and prominent family. Our Li family possessed vast ancestral estates. However, my father eventually fell into the grip of a gambling addiction. He loved to gamble so much that he began selling off the ancestral land, piece by piece. I guarded the very last plot of land we owned, refusing to let my father sell it. It was the final legacy left by our ancestors, and I simply could not bear to see it all vanish.

Initially, I had intended to pass this land on to the next generation. Yet, I never expected that I would spend my entire life without a wife. Because I was quite small in stature and unremarkable in appearance, women simply did not take an interest in me. If my father had not squandered our family fortune, perhaps some woman might have been tempted by our wealth and agreed to be with me. But as it happened, only this single plot of land remained. People often advised me to sell it and use the money to find a wife. I told them it was absolutely impossible. I would rather live my life alone than sell the final piece of our family's heritage.

A Solitary Existence and Eternal Vigil

In the end, I truly did live out my entire life as a bachelor. However, it was not all bad. I enjoyed making friends and loved helping others wherever I could. I was a cheerful and optimistic person, so I never felt lonely. I found that living life on my own was actually quite comfortable and free.

After I passed away, I entrusted this land to a close friend, asking him to look after it for me. Later, he passed the responsibility on to someone else. No matter how many owners this land changed hands through in the human world, my spirit remained here, guarding it. Even now, with a house built upon this very ground, I have continued to stand watch over it.

The Awakening of a Spirit

When this Bodhisattva first offered to help me achieve deliverance, I was initially quite reluctant. I was so deeply attached to the land; I feared that if I left, this property would be taken away or lost. However, after I came to understand the beauty of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss and listened to the teachings of the sutras through Practitioner Su, I finally realised how foolish I had been. To think that I had spent all this time guarding a mere plot of land in this world, nearly missing my chance to escape the cycle of rebirth!

I am deeply grateful to the Bodhisattva who helped save me. This house she possesses is connected to her by Causal Conditions. Whether she intends to sell this house or not, as long as the Causal Conditions have not yet reached their end, this property will belong to her. When the conditions are exhausted, it will naturally pass into the name of another. Therefore, she should not worry about it. It is best to let things take their natural course. Causal Conditions have their own arrangements; the most important thing is to focus on chanting Namo Amituofo."

Li Kunyang, bowing in reverence.