This is a record of an interview with Fang Xuanling, a renowned Prime Minister of the early Tang Dynasty, who sought Spiritual Deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Nature. This account reflects upon his life approximately 1,300 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on March 27, 2026.
Fang Xuanling speaks:
". In this present moment, the name Fang Xuanling is one that most Chinese people are quite familiar with. It is natural for people to associate me with Emperor Tang Taizong, Li Shimin, and with my colleague, the famous Prime Minister Du Ruhui. In the minds of the public, the Fang Xuanling they imagine is likely a clear-headed, meticulous, and deeply respectful Prime Minister, is that not so?
It has been over a thousand years since I left that dynasty behind. Yet, for me, this millennium feels as if it were only yesterday; it has passed in the blink of an eye. Whether one has endured suffering or enjoyed prosperity, in the end, it all simply fades away. Now, as I stand firmly upon the lotus seat in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, for the very first time, I feel that my body, mind, and spirit are truly at peace. I am completely relaxed, free from the clutter of unnecessary thoughts.
A Prime Minister's Reflection
In my past life, I was regarded by many as the finest of ministers. I cannot deny that I dedicated my entire life to the nation and its people, and I believe I lived up to the heavy responsibilities entrusted to me. I was capable of handling any official duty Tang Taizong assigned, and I possessed a unique foresight and strategy that helped the country navigate many difficult crises. I thought deeply about many things, and most of my actions were motivated by a desire to serve the country and the people. However, I was merely a mortal man, and I would not dare to claim that I was the sage that others might describe.
Now, I intend to set down all my burdens and speak honestly with everyone about the events of those years.
The Bond with Tang Taizong
Tang Taizong, Li Shimin, was a person whom I felt I had known for a lifetime from the very moment we first met. The foundation of our relationship as monarch and subject was actually established long before he became Emperor. At that time, he was the Prince of Qin, a son of Emperor Gaozu. We supported each other like old friends, navigating many unforgettable days together. We were confidants who understood each other's hearts.
Throughout my life, I thought much for Tang Taizong and did a great deal on his behalf. Ha! He actually arrived here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature a little earlier than I did, which is a testament to his own . He was a man of great achievements and also great transgressions, and in that regard, he and I share a certain similarity. In history, to be a truly good Prime Minister is not an easy task. If you serve a wise monarch whose ideals align with your own, your work is relatively light. But if you serve a monarch whose temperament fluctuates, your thoughts and directions will inevitably clash, and the results will surely have their ups and downs.
My life was relatively smooth, and Tang Taizong always treated me with great respect. I was like an old friend to him, as well as a loyal subject. I could speak to him without reservation, yet I could also humble myself completely, following his commands without questioning right or wrong. I would lower myself first to show him respect, and then, step by step, I would guide him toward the righteous path.
The Weight of the Moral Ruler
If you were to ask me if there is anything I regret from my life, or if there are things I feel I did not handle according to the Dharma and wish I could change, I would have to reflect deeply.
Alas, when one faces the end of life, the past inevitably surfaces before one's eyes. You are forced to think about it, forced to look at it, whether you wish to or not. Although my life was relatively smooth, and I was fortunate to have a peaceful end compared to many other founding officials, I must be honest: there was always a lingering concern in my heart, like a small stone pressing against my soul. It was not always visible, but it manifested whenever I walked among the various officials and the Emperor. Perhaps it was because I was overly clever from a young age. Although I remained vigilant, telling myself to serve the country and the people, and using Confucian teachings as my political compass, there were indeed stains in my heart that others could not see.
This is something that no amount of study or doctrine can resolve, and for a long time, I could not truly perceive this state of mind. Very well, let me explain what I was thinking in my heart back then.
From a very early age, even in my teens, I possessed an extremely sharp and profound insight into the state of the world. I do not know if this sensitivity was innate or cultivated, but it made me adept at observing people and the human heart. I was born during the Sui Dynasty, a time when Emperor Wen had unified the world and the nation was flourishing. However, various flaws had already emerged, planting the seeds for the dynasty's eventual collapse. I saw this clearly, yet I dared not speak of it. I focused my energy on the imperial examinations and my own studies. After entering officialdom, I always upheld a sense of justice. I told myself that no matter how the world changed, I would remain on the side of justice.
The Shadow of the Xuanwu Gate Incident
The side of justice, to me, was the monarch I chose to serve—the one who could bring the greatest benefit to the people and lead the country toward stability, prosperity, and peace. You could say that no matter who came before me, I would immediately perceive their heart and their capabilities. If they were truly for the people and the nation, and possessed the necessary talent, then that was the person I would serve. If a person had a good heart but was cowardly and incapable of great things, they were not a monarch I would follow. Conversely, those who harboured evil intentions or were petty men concerned only with themselves were certainly not people I would approach.
This clear distinction between good and evil, and the internal ruler I used to measure it, accompanied me from childhood. This persistence was influenced by my ancestors, who had served as officials for generations, and by my study of Confucian virtues such as benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith. I believed I saw good and evil clearly, and I dared not violate the words of the sages.
You can likely see what the shadow in my heart was, can you not? It was this very ruler I used to measure the world. This ruler did not affect others, but it placed immense demands upon my own heart. No matter what strategies I devised for the country, I used this ruler as my benchmark.
The world says I was an open-minded man who knew how to employ the talented and treated my subordinates and colleagues with a broad heart. This was indeed something I could do with ease, and I do not consider it an achievement worthy of praise; as a son and a subject, it was my duty to share the burdens of the nation, the Emperor, and the people.
The ruler in my heart was put to the ultimate test during one specific event. At that time, I served the Prince of Qin, Li Shimin. I saw at a glance the absurdity and corruption of the Crown Prince, Li Jiancheng, and his fourth brother, Li Yuanji. They could never be wise rulers for the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, standing on the side of what I perceived as justice, I desperately longed for the Prince of Qin to succeed to the throne, to lay the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful future. This was the achievement I yearned for most in my life.
Thus, once I was certain of my position as a key advisor to Li Shimin, and having established deep trust with him, I boldly suggested that to secure the throne, one must strike first. The implication was that we had to find a way to remove the Crown Prince and the fourth prince from the system entirely. Although I did not dare to explicitly say we must kill them, my attitude and the firm tone of my reports to the Prince of Qin made my intentions clear. My thought at the time was simple: as long as they remained in this world, Li Shimin's claim to the throne would never be secure.
I am a man who understands the importance of timing and boundaries. I knew the Prince of Qin was a brave monarch with bold strategies, and I followed him with great admiration. While I did not explicitly command their deaths, the thought of removing these two key figures occupied my mind countless times. I may have even mentioned it to Li Shimin, though my memory of the specifics is hazy. Yet, this burden pressed upon my heart for many years, causing damage to my body and mind that I did not perceive at the time.
Later, the Prince of Qin launched the well-known Xuanwu Gate Incident. He forcibly seized the throne from his father and had the Crown Prince and the fourth prince killed. Such a massive coup is viewed with mixed opinions in history. It had a profound impact on the Tang Dynasty, completely altering the course of the empire. If viewed from the perspective of the greater good for the nation and the people, one could argue it was a necessary event, unfolding according to Causal Conditions.
However, in doing so, Li Shimin instantly became a man of great unfilial conduct and lack of brotherly love. He killed his own siblings and harmed his father, Emperor Gaozu. Gaozu was not a weak emperor; his mistake was failing to name Li Shimin as the Crown Prince, instead choosing the mediocre and incompetent Li Jiancheng. This caused great psychological imbalance for Li Shimin and those who supported him.
Yet, after this coup, the killing Li Shimin created, along with the karma of harming his family and failing in filial piety, would accompany him for the rest of his life—and it would accompany all of us who helped him plan it. I, Fang Xuanling, was inevitably among them. Many such events continued to play out throughout my life. At the time, my heart was not clear, and I did not know if my actions still upheld the ruler I once cherished, or if I was still honouring the moral Truths of the sages I so deeply respected."
This left me feeling incredibly anxious at the time. Because the 'greater cause' was right before me, I felt compelled to move toward what I believed to be the 'greatest righteousness.' Yet, in doing so, I also created negative karma that I could never repay! Was I truly right to encourage the Prince of Qin to launch that coup, or was it a mistake? I had no answer in my heart. The event had concluded, but it left behind evidence of the negative karma I had created, which caused a dull, persistent ache in my soul. I was like a child terrified of being punished; although I appeared calm and composed on the surface, the internal scale I used to measure my actions would sometimes tell me that what I had done was wrong, while at other times, it would insist that it was an unavoidable necessity.
I did many good deeds throughout my life. To have become one of the most vital ministers to the formidable Emperor Taizong of Tang, and to enjoy such high honours after death, shows that I was truly diligent and hardworking. I spent my entire life striving for the country, the imperial court, and the people, never daring to slacken for even a single second. I frequently presented new proposals and insights for the Emperor to consider, and for the most part, he was full of praise and magnanimity toward me.
The Transformation of Fang Xuanling
Well, there are simply too many events from my life to recount them one by one. The Fang Xuanling of today is no longer the Fang Xuanling of the past. Back then, I was a man of meticulous thought and bold strategy, and the shadows that created in my heart were, in truth, quite significant.
The Fang Xuanling of this moment has truly become a transparent, clear being from the inside out, from beginning to end, because I have finally achieved true liberation. I have arrived at this place called the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Although it has not been very long—and I do not know how many days or nights have passed—in the human world, none of that matters anymore. However, my state of mind now is vastly different from what it was back then; this is entirely the intangible purification brought about by the Buddha’s teachings. Under the guidance of the Dharma, I have found a sense of groundedness and satisfaction that I never knew before.
I want to say that the Buddha’s teachings are truly something that everyone should encounter, study, and integrate into their daily lives—they should be a part of one's very existence! Back then, I did not know the Dharma, nor would I have taken the initiative to approach it, because I felt my life was already going quite well. The 'scale' I used to measure my life—that internal standard I had not yet let go of—did not actually allow me to live according to the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way as described in the Buddha’s teachings. I was far, far away from that.
The Limitations of Human Morality
After all, the Buddha’s teachings are the Buddha’s teachings, and the Buddha is one who has fully penetrated the Universal Principles. The Confucian thought I studied was merely a moral standard for the human world—and it was a standard I had defined for myself after studying and digesting it, no longer the pure words and deeds of the ancient sages. This is why I was so gravely ill before I died, and why my son later proved incompetent and rebelled, leading to his own destruction. Although these things were no longer under my control, the laws of karma and cause and effect are unfailing; the Fang Xuanling who died of a severe illness still had to report to the hells to suffer retribution.
Most of the strategies I devised for Emperor Taizong of Tang were for the benefit of the country and the people, but beneath this 'good,' there was always the reality of killing. Did the Xuanwu Gate Incident I planned not create immense sins? Of course, I often advocated against war, hoping that Emperor Taizong would show for the suffering of the people and avoid unnecessary conflicts. I did many such things, but karma is unfailing; merits and demerits cannot simply cancel each other out.
That is why I say that Emperor Taizong of Tang was a man of great merit and great demerit, and I, Fang Xuanling, was the same. I followed him diligently and served him throughout my life, doing everything for the country and the people, and to help him consolidate the political situation and the hearts of the people during the Tang Dynasty. Yet, there were innocent people who were harmed or killed, both directly and indirectly, because of my actions.
The Shadow of Strategy
At the time, the scale in my heart told me that under the 'greater cause,' many 'lesser causes' had to be sacrificed, but this caused great damage to my Body-Mind-Spirit. When I was unable to discern the absolute Truth, every strategy I devised left an indelible shadow in my heart that I could never speak of. This is why there was such a stark contrast in my image before others and behind closed doors. Of course, only I knew what I was like in private—that lingering bitterness, that heavy, inescapable feeling I could not let go of. Yet, I truly tried my best to embody the concern for the world and the broad-mindedness advocated by the great sages. This was something I could do naturally, having been influenced by such ideals since childhood.
After I died, I quickly went to report to the heart-gouging hell and the brain-gouging hell. All the good and evil I had done through my scheming were clearly written out in stacks of petitions. King Yama did not show me any favouritism; he simply issued a verdict based on the petitions and ordered me to suffer retribution in hell. In hell, I did not have a single complaint. I knew that what I had done and what I received was only natural; this could be considered a way for me to truly cleanse my sins. I also knew that when I was devising those strategies, countless lives were lost because of my plans. As a wise monarch, Emperor Taizong of Tang created much killing, so as one of his key ministers, I certainly could not escape such a fate.
A Choice Beyond Rebirth
Fortunately, my time suffering in hell was not long. Compared to many others, I was only there for a little over a hundred years. This was because, when I devised strategies, I often used the lives and interests of the civilians as a starting point to advise Emperor Taizong, hoping he would consider the people more.
Furthermore, my initial intention was truly righteous and Good; it was not for myself, but so that the people could live long and prosperous lives. Therefore, without any complaints, I left hell quite quickly. King Yama looked at me and originally intended for me to be reborn as a human again, but I thought about it: at that time, I was looking at everything happening in the human world, and it was already after the height of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty was gradually declining, and one could see warlords and regional governors constantly causing chaos in society. I knew I did not want to return to that Tang Dynasty. If I were to start over as a human, I did not know how much more negative karma I would create. So, I chose to become a wandering spirit! I did not mind being a ghost; as long as this ghost could still do some good for the human world or the spiritual realms, why not?
When I returned to the land of China—the territory of the Great Tang—as a ghost, I was a spiritual being with quite high intelligence. I could wander everywhere and know what people were thinking in their hearts. This was the same as when I was a Prime Minister; that keen awareness and the ability to sense things before they happened were still present.
I am not sure if I am a ghost or a deity, but I know that there are still many people in the world who worship the name of Fang Xuanling in temples and ancestral halls. My name has always been a good example for future Prime Ministers, and I did indeed return to the land of China after my death. Over these past thousand years, I have done many good deeds. Throughout the various dynasties, whenever there was a good official who sincerely worked for the country and the people, I would silently provide them with strength. This 'strength' means that as a being of the spiritual realms, although I could not provide much material help, I could help them shift their mental notes, help them reduce some interference from the spiritual realms, and allow them to focus on doing good deeds for the country and the people.
The Light of the Buddha
Time passed quickly. I witnessed Chinese history slowly transition from dynasties ruled by Emperors to the modern way of governing, and I witnessed China's economy go from decline to its current prosperity. The changes were truly moving, touching, and unbelievable. In any case, all sorts of strange and wonderful things happen on the land of China. I have been very active on the surface of this land.
Recently, I heard news that the highest Buddha of the spiritual realms—Namo Amituofo—and a flesh-body Buddha named Practitioner Su were conducting a great deliverance for the many sentient beings and demon crowds on the land of China. When I heard this, I pricked up my ears. So, such a thing was happening! As I listened, I deeply believed that the Buddha had truly come to the world. A subtle change occurred in my heart: I began to believe in the Buddha, truly believing in the existence of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. Perhaps I truly have a deep Buddhist affinity; I do not know what happened in the past, perhaps I had formed a connection before. At this very moment, when I encountered the traces of the Buddha again and was able to connect with Him, I felt a sense of groundedness in my heart. This was a sense of stability I had never felt in all my years as a Prime Minister, or even as a wandering spirit in the spiritual realms.
Meeting the Buddha at this moment, I began to have expectations. I knew people said that when the Buddha comes to the world, it must happen once, twice, or three times; surely there would be a time when I, Fang Xuanling, would encounter Him! I sincerely believed that all of this was about to happen. Indeed, not long ago, the land where I resided—the city of Xi'an, known to the ancients as Chang'an—once again encountered Practitioner Su, who brought the Twelve Lights and countless manifestations to shine brightly here.
With my keen eyes, I knew immediately that this light came from Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. Sure enough, my heart was filled with , and I was instantly drawn into the light, completely detaching from the world and arriving at a place called the 'Western Land of Dharma Nature.' Everything here is very similar to what I had imagined. I truly did not expect that I would connect with the Buddha at this very moment; this is a magnificent and precious opportunity. Namo Amituofo.
If I could reach out to the vast population of China today, I would sincerely implore you to read these interview transcripts with the utmost care. China boasts five thousand years of history, yet how many figures from our past have been granted this incredibly precious opportunity? We have found the path to liberation from birth and death, and we have finally uncovered the truth behind the human body and the true meaning of life itself. I truly hope that you can find it in your hearts to believe what we are sharing. We, this group of ancients, are truly individuals blessed with tremendous blessings. Though many of us have been deceased for centuries, or even millennia—some of us even dating back over ten thousand years—we are now gathered here in this magnificent Buddha-land. At this very moment, our hearts are in complete alignment. We have all clearly seen our true faces from when we were living in the human world, and it was only then that we realized that those identities were not our true selves. Now, as beings in the spiritual realms, having finally found our true home, we look back upon our past lives with a clarity that was impossible before. We are finally able to understand the 'why' behind every event, every joy, and every sorrow.
Beyond Superstition: The High-Tech Truth
Many people mistakenly believe that the Buddha is merely a product of superstition. In China, it is common to view the Buddha, the deities, and the spiritual world as relics of feudal superstition, but this is a profound misunderstanding. Have you ever stopped to consider the process of birth, aging, sickness, and death? It is a cycle of immense suffering, yet people seem to accept it as if it were perfectly normal. Why do you not feel any sense of dissonance? Why do you not question this? In truth, one does not have to live such a life. One can reclaim one's original Buddha-nature—the original, true face that existed before all the conditioning of the world. You have the potential to master your own life, rather than being a slave to the suffering of illness and the inevitable decline of . This is the true Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. Only by understanding the true Buddha’s teachings—and by realizing that the Buddha’s teachings are, in fact, the highest form of technology—can you begin to grasp the profound principles that govern our existence.
A New Beginning in the Western Land
Having shared so much, I hope that you can feel even a fraction of the truth I have come to know. From this day forward, I, Fang Xuanling, will no longer live a life of aimless wandering. I have committed myself to learning diligently from Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. In the Western Land of Dharma Nature, a place of such brilliant light and integrity, becoming a Buddha is the singular goal I wish to pursue. While it may not sound easy, I know that every great journey must have a beginning. I am currently working hard to purify myself, with the fervent hope that one day I will be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. There, I will fully achieve the Buddha's path, and then I will return to save all beings who are connected to me by karmic affinity.
I offer my deepest gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for everything they have brought to us.
Namo Amituofo.
Fang Xuanling.
IN THIS COLLECTION
More from Twelve Rays Deliverance to China (Chinese Historical Figures)
