This is a record of an interview with Li Qingzhao, the renowned Song Dynasty poetess, who sought Spiritual Deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the . This account reflects upon her life approximately 800 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Hui, on March 30, 2026.
Li Qingzhao speaks:
". A human life can be smooth and prosperous, or it can be a turbulent journey of extreme highs and lows. I am Li Qingzhao. The first half of my life was filled with beauty and harmony, living in peace with my husband. But the second half? It was a descent into darkness. My husband passed away from illness, and I was forced to endure the collapse of my country and the destruction of my home. My heart was heavy with the bitterness of displacement and the crushing weight of loneliness, with nowhere to turn. My father was a renowned writer, and my mother came from a distinguished family; I was born into a life of privilege and learning.
Under such a scholarly upbringing, I immersed myself in poetry and literature from a young age. I was incredibly fortunate to marry a man who shared my deepest passions—the collection of ancient stone inscriptions, rare books, and calligraphy. Before the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, my husband and I lived a life of profound happiness. But when the dynasty collapsed, he fell ill and died. That was the first great blow that shattered my world."
The Burden of Lost Treasures
"The vast collection of antiquities and ancient texts that my husband and I had spent our entire lives gathering were lost or stolen amidst the chaos of war. It was a tragedy that haunted me. After his death, in that environment of constant warfare, I poured every ounce of my remaining strength into protecting his final work, the Jin Shi Lu, along with the few precious artifacts that remained. In my state of isolation and physical and mental suffering, I made the greatest mistake of my life: I remarried. I did not see the man for who he truly was. It was only after we were wed that I realised he was merely coveting my collection of precious artifacts and ancient books. I could not bear such humiliation. Those items were the most precious memories of my late husband; they were his life's work. I would never allow this man to taint them, nor would I let his greedy fantasies become reality. I fought with every fibre of my being, using a fierce and unyielding attitude to find a way out, eventually securing my freedom through divorce. I consider this a stain on my life—a mistake born of desperation when I felt I had no one left to rely on.
In the later years of my life, my existence was one of extreme hardship and struggle. I dedicated every remaining ounce of my energy to my husband's legacy, writing the Jin Shi Lu Hou Xu. In those pages, I recorded the life we shared and the immense price I paid to preserve those treasures. After the fall of the Northern Song, years of grief, the blows of life, and the torture of illness finally took their toll. I passed away in sickness. Even in my final moments, my heart was still clinging to those early, beautiful days with my husband—the days when we understood each other so perfectly, sharing the same aspirations. In that split second of passing, I became trapped within the very book I had written, the Jin Shi Lu Hou Xu. I remained there for over eight hundred years."
A Ray of Light in the Darkness
"Though my life was mostly filled with sorrow, I was incredibly fortunate. I encountered Practitioner Su, who was compassionately saving beings in China. At that time, Practitioner Su brought the light of Namo Amituofo to China, causing it to shine brilliantly. Within that light, I heard a voice calling me to chant, 'Namo Amituofo.' My spirit had been suffering so intensely within the pages of my own book. I longed to return to the past, to those brief, beautiful moments of my life, yet I was imprisoned by my own attachments. It was only when Practitioner Su radiated the , and that golden light pierced the space where I was trapped, that I cried out for help and chanted, 'Namo Amituofo.' I was finally saved and brought to the Western -Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.
Upon arriving in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, my spirit gradually became clear. Under the illumination of the Buddha-light, I felt the wounds in my heart slowly healing. In the Dharma-Nature Land, I looked back at everything that had happened in my life, and my first reaction was to burst into uncontrollable sobs. When I was alive, there were so many times I thought of those sorrows and wept in secret before I could even speak of them; that is how deep the misery in my heart truly was. As I listened to the sutras and heard the Dharma while sitting on my lotus seat, I understood more each day the truth of the cycle of rebirth and the reality of impermanence. Looking at everything that occurred in my life, it was truly a vivid portrayal of the laws of and cause and effect, playing out in my own life in such a visceral way. Everything in life is illusory and impermanent. The deeper you love, the more bone-deep the pain when you lose it. It was just like my relationship with my husband, Zhao Mingcheng. Our union was a match made in heaven; we shared the same ideals. Those days were truly the most blissful, god-like moments of my life. But good times do not last. The subsequent changes were as deep as the happiness we once felt; the blows and sorrows I suffered later were just as profound. It is the same principle as those precious books and artifacts we collected—the ones we sacrificed meals and pawned clothes for, the ones we struggled so hard to keep—only to lose them in various ways due to the chaos of war. The more effort you pour into something, the more painful and regretful the loss. I have tasted every kind of suffering in this life, and my later years were spent entirely in misery. I was alone, with no one to turn to, holding onto nothing but the persistence to complete my husband's Jin Shi Lu."
The Laughter of Realisation
"In the Dharma-Nature Land, I clearly saw every turning point, every laugh, and every sorrow of my life. As I watched the past unfold under the Buddha's light, with a heart that was becoming clearer and calmer, I observed my own joys, angers, sorrows, and happiness, the separations and reunions, and the endless mental torment I had endured. I truly could not help but cry, and then, I laughed out loud. I cried because I was so foolish—in this illusory and impermanent cycle of rebirth, I took everything as real, became attached to it, suffered because of it, and used all my strength to act out this play of karmic pain. And I laughed because this false life, no matter how bitter or how beautiful, was entirely fake. One could say that the very essence of it was suffering.
Under the salvation of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, I have finally broken free and arrived at this Western Dharma-Nature Land, a place of light, pure and free from worry. Here, I am no longer bound by anything in the world. I can begin a new life without any burdens or regrets. Now I know that as long as I sincerely chant 'Namo Amituofo,' I can obtain light and bring that same light to other suffering spirits. This is what I truly want to do now. Because the cycle of rebirth is truly too painful; no spirit should have to continue suffering like this. Although I now know that all suffering was self-inflicted—my own attachments, my own greed for people and things, all of which are called 'personality'—these personality traits caused me to suffer. These are also what we call the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way."
The True Meaning of Life
"Before coming to the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I, Li Qingzhao, truly understood nothing. No one had ever taught me these principles. Yet, this is the most important truth of life that everyone should understand: life is false, the cycle of rebirth is suffering, and karma is intertwined throughout one's life, forming one's destiny. Only by learning the principles of the Buddha's teachings, learning the Great Dharma of Namo Amituofo, reducing one's 'personality' to zero, and chanting 'Namo Amituofo' can one have the opportunity to transcend all this pain. This is far more important than any poetry, literature, ancient books, or artifacts. It is a pity that when I was alive, I did not have the to encounter these teachings. I was so foolish, clinging to my artifacts, my books, the Jin Shi Lu, and my attachment to the beautiful life I once had with my husband. I spent my whole life that way. Looking back now, it truly had no meaning at all. I only see my own ridiculousness, ignorance, and stupidity in being lost within it.
In the society of that time, men were still considered superior to women. Because I came from a good family, I had the opportunity to read widely, which I suppose was a small blessing from my past lives, granting me a good memory and talent, which earned me the title of a 'gifted lady.' At the time, I felt that being able to meet a husband who understood and cherished me, and having the chance to help him complete the Jin Shi Lu amidst our collection of books and artifacts, was a very fortunate and valuable life for a woman. However, seeing Practitioner Su now in the Dharma-Nature Land, even though she also possesses a female body, she is constantly suffering on behalf of all beings. Practitioner Su uses her spirit to manifest in billions of forms, conducting great deliverances in China, saving immeasurable and boundless suffering Chinese beings. She has opened up the space of China's five thousand, or even ten thousand, years of history. Many famous historical figures have been saved because of this, as have countless lonely wandering spirits and beings from various spaces. Countless spirits have been liberated through Practitioner Su's salvation and have arrived at the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This made me realise that this is what a woman should truly be doing. It turns out that as long as one truly understands the principles of the Buddha's teachings, whether one is in a male or female body, there is no difference; all are equal. As long as one can truly follow the teachings of Namo Amituofo, anyone has the opportunity to be like Practitioner Su, to be a true 'great husband' who saves immeasurable and boundless beings."
A Model of
"I saw Practitioner Su in the Dharma-Nature Land. To save the beings in the deep spaces of China, she opened up China's history, and her body paid a very heavy price. This is called 'bearing the suffering of beings.' Even so, Practitioner Su continues the work of deliverance day and night without a moment's rest, feeling filled with Dharma because she can help beings. This capacity of heart makes me admire her. Looking back at my own life of sorrow, I was just spinning in circles of personal gain, loss, and attachment. It turns out that no matter how many words or principles one has, if they are only for the sake of this physical body, they have no value and no real meaning. Only by reducing one's personality to zero, like Practitioner Su, truly transforming karma, and realising one's true nature to attain Buddhahood—that is a life of true value.
Practitioner Su has truly achieved a state where she does not grow old, does not get sick, and her spirit does not die; she is a wonderful disciple of Namo Amituofo. Seeing this, a true longing arose in my heart: I hope to be like Practitioner Su, to let go of all burdens, to truly elevate my spirit for the sake of all beings, and to break through and save them. Every bit of this represents the countless suffering souls, just like me, who have been given the chance to be reborn and transformed."
The Path to Liberation
"'Seeking and searching, cold and desolate, miserable and sorrowful.' These are the words I wrote when I was alive, expressing the bitterness in my heart. Now I know I was wrong—wrong to an outrageous degree. There is nothing in life worth pursuing. Whether it is ancient books, artifacts, poetry, love, or family matters, they are all illusory. Seeking them only brings greater suffering. What one should truly pursue in life is the method to escape the cycle of rebirth and the Great Vow to save all beings. In the Buddha's teachings, this is called the 'One-Body View.' All beings are one with oneself. So many suffering beings are just like me, enduring such intense pain. Being able to save them from suffering is, in fact, saving oneself from suffering. One should make a Great Vow to save all beings; only then does one have the chance to be saved. If it were not for Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su explaining this in the sutras, I would never have been able to realise this.
The true pursuit in life should be this name, 'Namo Amituofo,' because this name carries the supreme meritorious power and majestic power of Namo Amituofo, which can be used to save beings. Practitioner Su uses this name at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to deliver spirits, saving so many suffering beings, and I, Li Qingzhao, am one of the very fortunate ones. I never expected the answer to life to be so simple. But if this were not explained by a sage who has already transcended everything, how could anyone understand these principles? Therefore, the Buddhist education at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is truly a ray of light for humanity. Only by receiving this education can people truly understand these principles and know how to act and how to behave to save their own suffering spirit and the immeasurable and boundless suffering beings."
A Call to Action
"Practitioner Su says the most important thing is to first save oneself, and the way to do that is to reduce one's 'personality' to zero. Only then can one resolve the conflicts with the immeasurable and boundless and cellular beings within this body. Such a simple, direct teaching—if it were not for the fact that Namo Amituofo is residing at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, no one would be able to reveal the truth. The composition of the human body is so complex, and one should not have even a shred of personality. What exactly is personality? It is so complex, with thousands of variations; how can one change it? All of this can only be understood by continuously receiving Buddhist education at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, with Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, such good teachers, constantly providing teachings. Fortunately, Namo Amituofo tells everyone that by chanting 'Namo Amituofo' with a sincere and earnest heart, one has the chance to change one's personality, dissolving it within the meritorious power of this Buddha-name. This makes me feel so happy and filled with Dharma joy here in the Dharma-Nature Land. If I had known these principles while I still had a human body, my life would certainly not have been spent in such pain, nor would it have had such a tragic ending, and I would not have wasted this precious human body without any value.
I, Li Qingzhao, am now a completely different spirit in the Dharma-Nature Land, and I owe all of this to the compassionate Buddha's blessings of the Western Dharma-Nature Land. I want to tell everyone who knows Li Qingzhao that life should have a greater pursuit: to save all beings, which is the only way to truly save oneself. I also want to tell everyone that one's life should not be spent in suffering, and one should not be like Li Qingzhao, living a life of misery at the mercy of karmic destiny. Life, whether bitter or sweet, is essentially very painful. But none of this is real; it is all a fleeting dream, a bubble, a shadow. Even though the pain of loss is often unbearable, now that we have encountered Namo Amituofo residing at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, everyone should seize the opportunity to come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, to respectfully seek the Dharma, to obtain the true Great Dharma that can help oneself and others, and to understand the true meaning of life. This is the true hope that the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre brings to people. Those who are connected by karmic affinity should come quickly without any hesitation or delay. The sooner you recognise the truth of the cycle of rebirth, the sooner you can see Namo Amituofo and listen to the teachings of Namo Amituofo, and thus, the sooner you will have the chance to truly wake up and escape this life of pain. If you have even the slightest understanding of this painful life, do you still want to continue living it? If not, then you should set off for the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre this very moment. Namo Amituofo is waiting for everyone here, ready to tell you how to be free from suffering and how to live out the true value of life.
To Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, I have infinite gratitude. Thank you, Buddha, for lighting up my dim and lightless heart, and in turn, illuminating the light of my spirit. Now, I have only 'Namo Amituofo' as the sole faith in my heart.
Gratitude to Namo Amituofo, gratitude to Practitioner Su, and gratitude to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.
Namo Amituofo."
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