The Poet's Awakening: From Tang Dynasty to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Wang Changling, who sought Spiritual 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 life approximately 1,200 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on March 30, 2026.

Wang Changling speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Wang Changling, a poet well-known in the history of the Tang Dynasty.

Throughout my life, I always hoped to dedicate my talents to the service of the imperial court and the nation. To contribute my abilities for the sake of the country and its people was the aspiration held by many scholars of my time. The concept of serving one's country was a deeply ingrained conviction for the people of that era. My life witnessed the extreme rise and fall of the Great Tang; I personally experienced the transition from peace into the fires of war. At the time, I held firmly to the ambition of serving the nation, with a single-minded desire to do something meaningful. Seeing the frequent unrest on the borders of the Tang Dynasty—unlike the long-standing peace and prosperity in the interior—I wrote the lines: 'If only the flying generals of Longcheng were here, they would not let the Hu horses cross the Yin Mountains.' These verses expressed the deep emotions I felt witnessing the constant turmoil on the frontiers and the longing for peace among the border civilians.

The Shattered Myth of the Tang Dynasty

Before the An Lushan Rebellion, the national power of the Great Tang reached an unprecedented peak. However, after the rebellion erupted, the entire empire was plunged into the flames of war. This unprecedented conflict, which no one had anticipated, swept across the nation, shattering the myth of the Tang's golden age. Many were left in a state of profound shock.

During this upheaval, I resigned from my post to seek refuge. While fleeing, I was killed by a local prefect, and thus my life came to an end. After death, I became a lonely wandering spirit, and in that state, I drifted for over one thousand two hundred years.

A Ray of Hope from the Golden Light

It was not until recently that a powerful golden energy appeared in China. This energy was emitted by one person: Practitioner Su, who, with great compassion, brought Namo Amituofo to China. Using countless manifestations, he saved us—suffering souls who had been unable to find liberation throughout Chinese history. It is truly magnificent. I was very fortunate to be saved by Practitioner Su, and I am now at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, beginning my new life upon a lotus seat. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to start anew.

I left behind many famous poems during my life and enjoyed a good reputation in literary circles, where I made several close friends. However, I never expected that my life would end by being framed and murdered. When my dear friend Meng Haoran once held a banquet to welcome me, he drank wine and ate seafood despite not having fully recovered from a serious illness. After I left, he soon fell ill and passed away. Upon hearing this, I felt a deep sense of melancholy. I greatly admired my old friend's poetic talent and character; I never imagined his life would end in such a way. It was, in a sense, a very 'Meng Haoran' way to die, so while I was saddened, I sometimes could not help but smile when I thought of it. Little did I know that my own death would be even more absurd.

The Weight of Personality and Karma

To avoid the chaos of war, I changed my route several times. Finally, when I was not far from my hometown, I was killed by a local prefect simply because I offered him some blunt, honest advice. Such a death was certainly not something I had anticipated, but looking back on my life, it was not entirely inconsistent with my own style of conduct.

At the time, I thought that perhaps my old friend Meng Haoran and I both died because of our own personalities. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say that we both insisted on our own life principles, following our natural temperaments, and that is what shaped our lives. Right now, in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I can see my friend Meng Haoran. Like me, he is listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma upon a lotus seat in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. He looks very different from before. While my friend used to give the impression of being open-minded and detached, living a pastoral life, he now appears even more 'see through' and 'let go.' I have never seen him smile so happily. When my friend saw me, he joyfully chanted, 'Namo Amituofo.' Hearing this, I was deeply moved. I rejoiced for my friend Meng Haoran, who had undergone such a positive and miraculous transformation.

I know that all of this is the result of the transformation brought about by the Western Land of Dharma Nature—this pure, bright, and beautiful world. Here, I feel the Buddha-light shining upon me constantly, and my heart is no longer tangled. Regarding everything in the world, I am slowly letting go, naturally dissolving these unnecessary dusts of the past. Only now do I understand that the various tastes and experiences of life—whether right or wrong, no matter how much logic one finds within them—are actually all false, like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, or a shadow. One cannot take anything with them; there is only a body full of sorrow, suffering, grief, and karma. This is the true realization of Wang Changling.

The Truth of the Ghost Realm

For over one thousand two hundred years, as a spirit without a body, I wandered everywhere across the land of China. My death was not a pleasant one, yet I held no resentment at the time, for there are always too many helpless situations in life. My straightforward character and blunt nature, in the context of the An Lushan Rebellion, led to my being killed without cause; in truth, it was my own 'way of seeking death,' caused by my own personality. I have no complaints about that. However, after becoming a ghost, my body was not in a complete or healthy state; instead, I endured feelings of injury and unbearable pain. In that state, I witnessed every bit of China—the joys and sorrows of the human world, the rise and fall of officials, and the waxing and waning of dynasties. Over these twelve hundred years, I have seen it all. I can only say that being human is truly suffering! One spends a lifetime pursuing what one deems important or necessary, or holding onto a principle, or chasing wealth and official power. No matter the pursuit, I saw people suffer greatly because of it, and after death, many became spirits without bodies, just like me—lonely wandering spirits. What is the meaning of such a life? This is a question that often flashed through the mind of Wang Changling during those twelve hundred years in the ghost realm.

It was not until I was saved by the compassion of Practitioner Su and began listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma in the Western Land of Dharma Nature that I finally understood: the essence of being human is suffering. A human life is meant for repaying debts. Every person has created immeasurable and boundless sins in the past, waiting to be repaid. What shocked me even more was learning that within the human body, there are immeasurable and boundless sentient beings waiting in the cellular space of the body for the opportunity to seek revenge. This is not a theory; it is what I have observed in the Western Land of Dharma Nature regarding the condition of human beings. It is indeed the truth.

Heavens, such a factual truth! When I was alive, no one ever told me this, and I never understood it. Even though I occasionally heard of the Buddha's teachings back then, I had never heard of such a shocking reality. No wonder Practitioner Su says, 'How can one come to the human world?'

The Illusion of Life and the Path to Liberation

When I was alive, I often traveled long distances between two places, or sometimes went on long journeys. The main reason was my repeated demotions; perhaps it was because I did not understand the so-called 'way of being an official.' Regardless, while I was alive, although I accepted these experiences, I often felt a sense of sadness and melancholy in my heart.

Now that I see the truth of the human body, I realize that compared to the karma I created, the suffering I endured at the time was only a tiny fraction! In the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I see that there are still too many people who are suffering in even more miserable and painful ways, repaying the bitter fruits of the sins they deserve. It turns out that a human life is conducted entirely within the realm of karma, and there is truly no day when such vast amounts of karma can be fully repaid.

The conclusion I reached after listening to Practitioner Su's Dharma talks in the Western Land of Dharma Nature is this: if one is not here to save the world, one really should not come to be a human. Yes, one really should not come, because life is extremely bitter. What is unexpected is that this suffering has no end; there are still too many sins waiting for us to repay. My experience in the ghost realm for over twelve hundred years gave me a very profound realization of all this, but I never saw that ray of hope that would allow us suffering souls to escape from this endless, repetitive cycle of reincarnation and pain.

Now, in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I have finally received the opportunity to be reborn. This is because Namo Amituofo abides at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, this pure and sacred land. Because of Practitioner Su's compassionate vow to save sentient beings, he attracted Namo Amituofo to reside here, and we suffering souls finally have the chance to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This makes Wang Changling very grateful; I cannot help but shed tears of repentance and gratitude. I repent for my past ignorance of the facts, the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. I actually created so many sins and did so many meaningless things that harmed others and myself. I was attached to creating karma during my life without realizing it, wasting my precious human body. I am grateful that I had the blessings to meet Practitioner Su, who brought Namo Amituofo to China to perform Chao Du, saving my hopeless soul from the long, winding road of reincarnation.

Joining the Salvation Team

Now, in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I am filled with Dharma joy, just like my friend Meng Haoran. All the experiences of my past life—fame and merit, ups and downs, right and wrong, the artistic conception and value of my poems—are no longer important. Wang Changling is willing to completely let go of all of this and entrust myself entirely to the Buddha, happily chanting, 'Namo Amituofo.' I only hope that one day, when I regain a human body, I will know how to make a true vow—to initiate the Ultimate Vow to save sentient beings. That is what I should truly do, because that is exactly what my idol, Practitioner Su, is doing right now. This task is called 'saving the world.' Now, Wang Changling also hopes to join the salvation team of Namo Amituofo and contribute even a tiny bit of effort to saving the world.

A poet must be able to write verses that others cannot, verses rich in artistic imagery. This requires not only imagination but also life experience and a keen sensitivity to the power of words and the heart. As a poet, I observed that I and several of my close friends, such as Li Bai and Meng Haoran, all shared this trait. We poets actually have this ability to project our feelings and thoughts into our verses, achieving a power that resonates with the human heart. Miraculously, I have discovered that we literati who have achieved some success in the path of poetry often have our own unique temperaments. Now, listening to the Dharma in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I finally understand that this is called 'personality.' Personality runs through our entire lives and even determines the direction of our lives and the way we eventually die. Meng Haoran and I are excellent examples of this.

In the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I see that several great literati and poets of the Tang Dynasty also had this situation. Several of them later became suffering souls in reincarnation, just like me, waiting for the opportunity to be saved. I discovered that because of this Chao Du performed by Practitioner Su in China, they were all saved to the Western Land of Dharma Nature, and I am very happy for them.

The Ultimate Education

Now Wang Changling knows that while poetry might resonate strongly with the human heart or express the principles of the nation, the ambition to care for the world, and the concern for the country, no matter how good the poetry is, it is ultimately a product of reincarnation and is of no help in escaping the cycle of rebirth.

The Buddhist education I am receiving now on the lotus seat in the Western Land of Dharma Nature is the teachings given by Namo Amituofo, explained to the public by Practitioner Su through the sutras. Such profound yet accessible truths are what suffering beings in reincarnation—whether human or spirit—truly need. Because such truths allow the listener to truly initiate the heart to escape reincarnation and know how to resolve conflicts and depart from the cycle of rebirth amidst the debt-seeking, debt-repaying, and gratitude-repaying of karmic creditors. Now, Wang Changling is very grateful that there is a sacred place in the world called the 'Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre,' which allows the public the opportunity to receive such a great Dharma. As long as one truly initiates the heart to save sentient beings, faces everything with a positive mental note, and chants this 'Namo Amituofo,' one can achieve the salvation of sentient beings. This is truly inconceivable; it is what I have personally witnessed in the vow and actions of Practitioner Su, who saves sentient beings without a moment's rest.

After listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma, I realized that no one had ever taught Wang Changling such an important thing before: that one must absolutely not have a 'personality.' For people of the world, they often have their own unique temperaments and are even proud of them, insisting on acting accordingly. Through Buddhist education, I learned that in reincarnation, every bit of personality will attract the manifestation of karmic creditors, causing them to awaken and seek revenge, making one taste unbearable evil consequences and bitter fruits.

At the time, I was killed without cause by the prefect of Haozhou; that was the manifestation of my karma. The reason for this was my own personality—I had not changed it. Changing one's personality is rarely mentioned or emphasized in the history of Buddhist practice. Now, the Buddhist education at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre has truly let the world know this simple yet real truth: only by changing one's personality can one truly reverse one's karma and resolve conflicts with sentient beings. This is the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. All of this is possible because the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre has a teaching staff consisting of Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su. Such a sacred place does not mythologize religion but truly starts from the root. In terms of education, it is a precious and rare treasure land, allowing those who come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre—those who are truly determined to save the world like Practitioner Su—to receive teachings that are in accordance with the Truth and the situation. Under the illumination of the Buddha-light and the teachings given by the masters, their tightly bound personality habits, wrong concepts, wrong views, and wrong behaviors are loosened.

In the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I witness the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre operating day and night to save the world and sentient beings. The leader is Practitioner Su, who has truly personally verified the wonderful function of the Buddha's Dharma—that the spirit does not grow old, does not get sick, and does not die. In this pure Buddha-land, I have truly witnessed what is meant by the Buddha's compassion; what is meant by the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way; and what is meant by the power of compassionate education. The education of Namo Amituofo, the true Buddhist education, gives people at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre the opportunity to be reborn and gain a new life. This bright power truly moves me. For over a thousand years, I have never seen such power, nor did I know that the power of education could be so filled with compassion and light, so in sync with the human heart, allowing the heart to be transformed from the root and emit the bright power of saving the world and sentient beings. All of this is possible because Namo Amituofo is residing at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

The human body has turned thousands of times, laughing and crying in dreams.

I expressed my heart throughout my life, but how could I know the dream of reincarnation?

I am grateful for the salvation of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. Now, Wang Changling only wants to chant this 'Namo Amituofo' well, forget everything of the past, and make a vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I hope that one day in the future, I will also be able to propagate Buddhist education in the human world like Practitioner Su, bringing the power of true hope to humanity.

Namo Amituofo.

Wang Changling"