The Rebel King's Repentance

This is a record of an interview with Li Zicheng, who sought Chao Du 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 380 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on March 31, 2026.

Li Zicheng speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Li Zicheng, often known to history as the 'Rebel King'. In my past life, I was a man of pure violence, a brute who led a peasant uprising from the west to the east, ultimately toppling the great Ming Dynasty. Such a monumental feat, achieved by such a cruel man—yet today, I sit here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, a completely transformed being, sharing the truth of my life with a heart that has been entirely renewed.

The name Li Zicheng is one that every person in China has likely heard of, though the reputation that follows it is almost entirely negative. My life was a legend, a drama of epic proportions, but the karmic debt I accumulated was truly immense. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I, Li Zicheng, would become one of the beings saved by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su here in the human world. It is truly inconceivable."

The Roots of Ignorance

"It has been roughly three to four hundred years since I departed the human world. At that time, I was a thug who killed without blinking, stopping at nothing to achieve my ends. The fall of the Ming Dynasty was indeed caused by me and my armies. Only now, here in this place, do I realise that the reason I could live such a tumultuous life while creating such heavy sins was, at its core, a total lack of education. I had never received the teachings of the Buddha, nor had I been guided by the wisdom of the ancient sages like Confucius and Mencius.

I was born into a family of extreme poverty, where we often could not even afford a single meal. In that chaotic era, most children in our region received no real education; we were left to develop our lives based entirely on our own limited thoughts and desires. I was no exception. My personality was sharp and headstrong from a young age. I understood very little of the truth, yet I insisted on going my own way, carving out a path that led to a premature end at thirty-nine. I left behind a legacy of heavy killing—a karmic debt so vast that it seemed impossible to ever repay."

A Personal Debt of Gratitude

"Today, Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su have not looked down upon my past. They have treated me entirely like a child, providing me with the finest Buddhist education here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. I am filled with such profound shame. In the short time I have been here, I have completely transformed, shedding the arrogance and the stubborn personality that defined my entire life. When I listened to Practitioner Su giving lectures, I saw such a compassionate Buddha before my eyes, offering me such deep and profound teachings. My heart was completely melted, and tears streamed down my face without pause. I sincerely repented before the Buddha, hoping with all my heart for a chance to start anew. Even without a human body, as a spirit, I wish to dedicate everything I have to the vast regions of China and to all sentient beings. I know the debts I owe are far too many.

If I look back at the life I led, let me briefly share how it began. I grew up living hand-to-mouth. Years ago, I was a postman in our region, responsible for delivering messages at the relay stations. It was a simple job with a modest salary, but it was enough to survive. However, as the Ming Dynasty reached its final days, those of us in such positions were laid off. In my rage, not knowing what else to do, I fell into a life of borrowing and debt. Eventually, I was taken to the magistrate's office and sentenced to death.

I escaped in a fury, killing my creditor first, and then several others in succession. Soon after, with no food to eat and nowhere to turn, I had no choice but to join the peasant uprising, hoping to carve out a future for myself. And carve it out I did. Relying on my extraordinary courage and fierce personality, I eventually became the leader of this peasant army, and everyone began to call me the 'Rebel King'."

The Illusion of Power

"In truth, I inherited the position from the previous 'Rebel King', leading the peasant army further east. Our goal was to demonstrate against the imperial court and declare war on the Ming Dynasty. Such a grand ambition—I spoke it aloud without a second thought, filled with confidence. I was a rough man, lacking foresight, believing that whatever I wanted to do, I could achieve. Having been headstrong since childhood, I carried that same personality throughout my military campaigns.

As we marched, many people were willing to pledge their loyalty and join my ranks, and my team grew larger and larger. I possessed a certain cunning, a way to win over soldiers to fight for me. We cooperated well, capturing city after city. Of course, during this time, I created countless karmic debts. We often left cities completely devastated, with blood flowing like rivers. Populations of tens of thousands would vanish in my eyes in a single night. I once slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people in one night without even blinking.

Now, looking back from the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I realise that I was no longer myself back then. I was completely under the control of infinitely layered demon crowds and my own karmic creditors. Because of my domineering and savage personality, I had awakened countless demons and beings within me from a young age, allowing them to act through me so that I could conquer and win battles so easily. Even when I was near death, I could always find a way to survive, picking up my weapon again to march toward the next city. I could rely on my strategies to make people willing to pledge their lives to me, and despite the fact that we were committing such horrific acts of slaughter, I still maintained the support of the vast peasant army."

Later, after I had truly repented, the King of Hell granted me an opportunity to return to the human world to atone for my past sins. My desire to atone for my crimes was incredibly intense. At that time, the King of Hell told me that the suffering in the human world was ten million times greater than what I had experienced myself or what I had inflicted upon those I had harmed.

When I returned to the human world, I discovered that this was indeed the case. The world at that time was still engulfed in the flames of war, and the people were living in utter misery. Even three hundred years later, the land was still plagued by foreign invasions and endless civil wars. I, Li Zicheng, carried a heart filled with profound repentance, and I risked my life trying to stop all the fighting. Eventually, the wars did subside significantly, and the country gradually entered a state of stability. I have witnessed all the changes in China over these past few decades with my own eyes, and my heart is filled with deep emotion; all these transformations have happened so rapidly.

A Golden Light in the Darkness

Not long ago, while I was wandering around my hometown in Shaanxi Province, I suddenly encountered Practitioner Su, who arrived in my vicinity radiating a brilliant light. The surrounding area was filled with a dazzling golden light. In the space where I existed, there were countless souls like me; one after another, they looked toward the golden light and began to step into it. At that moment, I thought for a moment and then, without hesitation, followed them into the light. The result was a completely new life. It is precisely because of this that I am now able to report everything to you from the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

Haha, this life-altering transformation truly made me, Li Zicheng, widen my eyes in disbelief. I looked around and never expected to see so many Buddhas before me. At that time, I did not even know that Practitioner Su was called Practitioner Su; I only knew that he was an incredibly compassionate Buddha. In the space where we reside, immeasurable and boundless Buddhas are present, bringing immeasurable and boundless beings into this world called the Western Land of Dharma Nature. I am one of those fortunate children who arrived in this place in an instant. At first, I could not truly adapt because it was simply too wonderful. For so long, I had never seen such a beautiful world. It was not just the dignity and beauty visible to the physical eyes; I could also feel that the habits of my entire life—my overwhelming arrogance and selfishness—had been completely shed upon arriving here. I felt like a new person, and my entire being felt so much lighter; those old habits and personality traits were simply gone.

The Reality of the Buddha

Once my entire being softened, I truly immersed myself in the life here. In the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I listen to sutras, hear the Dharma, chant Namo Amituofo, and perform prostrations to the Buddha every day. These are things I had never even considered before. As a common man, although I knew what a Buddha was, it was only when the true Buddha was right before my eyes that I completely believed that Buddhas truly exist in this world. The shock brought to me by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su—the way they perform all these acts of saving beings so selflessly and with no-self—formed a sharp contrast with my own past. Furthermore, in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, one can witness the skills of Practitioner Su in performing Chao Du. Every move Practitioner Su makes at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Center can be seen by us with absolute clarity. We can also feel the compassion, goodness, and warmth in Practitioner Su's heart. We, the sentient beings in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, can fully experience the peace of mind and stability that this Buddha brings to us.

Practitioner Su's countless manifestations are constantly performing Chao Du across the vast land of China, just as we were saved in the beginning. At this very moment, Practitioner Su's countless manifestations are still in every corner of China—whether in high mountains, lakes, forests, or deep underground—continuously saving sentient beings. The longer Practitioner Su performs Chao Du, the older the beings who are saved become. Beings from thousands, or even ten thousand, twenty thousand, or thirty thousand years ago are slowly emerging. I have seen this, and I feel very comforted. Many of the soldiers and civilians I innocently killed back then must also have this opportunity. I sincerely hope that Practitioner Su can help them, giving those numerous soldiers and civilians a chance to be saved once again, so they no longer have to live the painful life of the six realms of rebirth.

A Call for Buddhist Education

I believe that this world-shaking act of saving the world should be known by all the people of China! Looking at the regions of China where I once stayed, the hearts of the people are much more complex than in the era I lived in. Although everyone's life has generally improved and they are free from worries about food and clothing, they are so impoverished in spirit—not quite the same as my situation back then, where there was no food to eat and the spiritual world was empty. Such a world is in dire need of Buddhist education! It was precisely because I lacked Buddhist education and the education of cause and effect that I grew up to be someone so devoid of compassion! I could commit murder and arson without any restraint. Now, I can only hope that all the children of China will not follow my old path; Buddhist education is truly too important!

Furthermore, if everyone had the opportunity to know the high technology of the Buddha's teachings, and to know that if one can realise one's true nature and attain Buddhahood, one can save so many beings! The carpet-style Chao Du that Practitioner Su is currently conducting in China is truly miraculous to those of us souls witnessing it all from the Western Land of Dharma Nature! This so-called carpet-style Chao Du means that we can see, when Practitioner Su performs the deliverance, layers of beings like waves suddenly emerging from underground, all being swept into the golden light. Such a method of deliverance is surely something no one has ever seen or even imagined. The reason Practitioner Su can invent such a miraculous method of deliverance is because Practitioner Su's heart of compassion truly exerts the greatest vow. Coupled with the fact that Namo Amituofo is always bestowing blessings and fulfilling Practitioner Su's vows, no matter what the method is, as long as Practitioner Su makes this vow, there is definitely a way to achieve it. Of course, this is only possible because Practitioner Su possesses such complete skills and has perfected his virtues and merits.

A Message to the Living

The person I am now speaks completely differently from the person I was before. From a crude man to someone who has listened to the sutras and heard the Dharma for a period of time, I can say that I am truly and genuinely convinced of the Buddha's teachings and everything Practitioner Su has said; I have not a single doubt. Because I have seen everything with my own eyes, I am completely integrated into it.

Having said these words, I hope that all the Chinese people who see my interview manuscript can believe that the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is real and not an illusion; this is the truth. As long as you search online, you can learn about the stories of all the historical figures who have been saved by Practitioner Su; they are very spectacular! We have all lived for ten, a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand years, and regardless of our status or position, the world after death is fair to everyone.

It is just that now, everyone has been saved by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to the Western Land of Dharma Nature, and we all have a very peaceful and equal heart when looking at everything that has happened to us. There is no longer any distinction between high and low; we are all single-mindedly wanting to bring this joy that the Buddha's teachings have given us to all of you who are still in the human world. I hope you will not take the detours we took, and I hope you can truly understand the Buddha's teachings as soon as possible, walk the true Buddha's path, and truly leave suffering behind to gain happiness, so you no longer have to suffer. This is my, Li Zicheng's, sincere wish.

Namo Amituofo.

Li Zicheng