The Long Journey Home

This is a record of an interview with Lay Practitioner Huang Wenrong, who sought deliverance 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 spiritual journey and his reunion with his granddaughter, Lay Practitioner Huang Minglan. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on August 9, 2024.

Lay Practitioner Huang Wenrong speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I, disciple Huang Wenrong, am now kneeling before the Buddha. I am filled with such immense joy to have finally returned to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I offer my deepest gratitude to Practitioner Su for her compassionate assistance, to my granddaughter, and to everyone who helped me along this path.

It has been quite a long time since I left the human world—I cannot even recall exactly how long, perhaps nearly thirty years? My spirit had been wandering aimlessly, trapped in a cycle of confusion. If Practitioner Su had not reached out to call me forth, I would still be lost within that dark, repetitive space.

Lost in the Fog of Samsara

Sometimes, I would find myself speaking to others, though I could never be certain if I was addressing my family or some other presence. At other times, I seemed to be drinking, feeling a strange, hollow sense of joy. I realise now that all of those experiences were illusions—a mere space of existence from which I could not escape.

When Practitioner Su saved me, it was as if I had suddenly awakened from a long, deep slumber. Since then, I have remained under her guidance. I have found such profound peace in listening to her Dharma talks; with every word, I feel myself becoming clearer and more awake.

The Awakening of the True Nature

This clarity brings me to tears, for I realise how long I have been a wanderer in this vast cycle of rebirth. It is a deeply sorrowful realisation. Especially during the Dharma assembly, when I could see Namo Amituofo with such vivid clarity, my tears flowed even more freely. I felt how close I have always been to Namo Amituofo, yet I had allowed myself to drift so far away because I had wandered for too long and forgotten the way home.

This time, I have truly and thoroughly awakened! Having been reincarnated throughout my many lives for so long, I had completely forgotten my original nature. The person I was in this lifetime is quite different from the spirit I truly am. As I become more awake, I feel myself distancing from the 'self' of this world, for I am returning more and more to my original, pristine state.

A Message to My Descendants

The Causal Conditions of this lifetime led me to be born into the Huang family, where I shared a deep connection with all of you. I sincerely hope that all my descendants will study the Dharma. Only through studying the Dharma can you find your way back to your original nature, just as I have. Only by learning the Dharma can you truly chant Buddha's name and return to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. In a past life, I was a monastic, which is why I had the opportunity to find my way back so quickly and the Causal Conditions to return to the Western Land.

I am especially grateful to my granddaughter, who is known in this lifetime as Huang Minglan. She was not called by this name in our past lives; she was my disciple, and the bond between us is profound. In this life, she became my granddaughter and even saved me, guiding me back to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am so deeply grateful to her. I hope she will continue to follow the Buddha closely, never allowing herself to be bound by the emotions of this world, and never falling back into the cycle of rebirth. Namo Amituofo."