The Revolutionary Spirit Finds True Liberation

This is a record of an interview with Lin Juemin, one of the martyrs of the Huanghuagang Uprising in China, 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 one hundred years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on February 27, 2026.

Lin Juemin speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Lin Juemin. Upon arriving at the lotus platform in the Western Land of Dharma Nature at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, I have spent several days and nights listening to the profound lectures given by Practitioner Su. Truth after truth has emerged before my eyes—things I had never heard of in my life, and teachings that the vast majority of the Chinese people have yet to encounter. I believe that the Greatly Compassionate Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su will one day plant a seed of light in the heart of every Chinese person, igniting the compassion and goodness within each of them. In the current landscape of mainland China, where the True Teachings are so scarce, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre stands as a ray of hope for the world.

I spent my short life struggling to secure welfare for my country and my people, yet I never knew that the Buddha’s teachings were the true, broad path—the only path that can truly help the Chinese people, and indeed all beings, to transcend the cycle of birth and death and attain eternal life. If the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is the final destination for the spirit, then the Western Land of Dharma Nature is the perfect transit station—a place where people of this world can come to know and understand the Truth."

A Life Dedicated to Revolution

"Before I recount my life story, I wish to perform three prostrations to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. I am filled with gratitude for the Buddha’s compassion and for everything I have received.

I was born during the chaotic final years of the Qing Dynasty, a time when the government was utterly corrupt. I felt deeply that the task of revitalising the nation was a responsibility that every man of integrity should shoulder. Before I was even eighteen, I began participating in various new democratic activities. I had an intense longing for the ideals of the new democratic revolution. I believed that with the nation being carved up by foreign powers and the people suffering in misery, the only way to establish a new China that everyone yearned for—a nation of lasting stability and prosperity—was to overthrow the Qing government and follow the vision of Dr. Sun Yat-sen.

From a young age, I was independent and steady, possessing my own set of principles which I strove to implement. My short life was defined by a heart full of burning passion. Whenever the topic of our lost sovereignty and the suffering of the people arose, I would speak eloquently, discussing the theories of revolution and governance with like-minded martyrs. I was also a man of deep emotion; I had a beloved wife with whom I had promised to walk through life and into a new China. Alas, when I died, our marriage came to an abrupt end, leaving behind two children."

The Sacrifice of a Martyr

"My life was brief, fleeting like a firework. My revolutionary ideals sustained me from beginning to end, and I have no regrets. I knew early on that my revolutionary path would not be long, but I persisted. I insisted that every step I took would serve as a firm foundation for those who came after me, providing a more secure rear guard for future generations. My family tried to dissuade me, but I was convinced that only through revolution could China have a chance at rebirth. I loved my country and my people; this was an unshakable conviction and mission that I carried from childhood. After returning from my studies in Japan, I had a complete plan. I knew I was about to participate in a life-or-death battle where the chances of survival were slim, so I could not bear to tell my family of my plans in advance. Thus, I participated in the uprising in Guangzhou. It was a thunderous strike, and my participation helped ignite a sense of urgency for revolution and national protection in the hearts of many.

During that uprising, I was unfortunately captured. I was quickly imprisoned and, a few days later, executed at a wharf in Guangzhou. I was not even twenty-five years old when I was cut off from the world. In prison, I maintained a spirit of facing death as if returning home, refusing to eat a single grain of rice or drink a drop of water. At the time of my execution, I did not have many personal feelings. I felt that as a man of integrity, to die for one's country and to use one's death to inspire future generations of righteous people to rise up against foreign aggression and engage in revolutionary action—this made my death immensely meaningful."

The Spirit Within the Flag

"After I calmly met my end, my spirit quickly sprang forth and entered directly into the revolutionary flag of the time—the famous Blue Sky with a White Sun flag. My life after death was no different from my life before; I persisted in the revolution to the end, insisting on seeking welfare for the country and the people. The spirit of 'the people first' was just like the brave and pure spirit of that flag; it contained my spirit, Lin Juemin, and it contained my burning passion.

During the years I spent within that flag, I witnessed the flight of the Qing government and the founding of the Republic of China, and I silently cheered for all the revolutionaries. I had no resentment and no complaints. I believed my death was worth it, as so many successors continued to strive for the establishment and peace of China. Although the road was arduous and policies sometimes faltered, this spirit of striving for the people was what I had yearned for all my life. Regardless of who was in power or who was working for the Chinese people, I firmly believed that they must be a truly good leader who served the nation and the people. The Chinese people have suffered too much. The last hundred years under the Qing Dynasty could be called a century of disaster for China. The country was treated by foreign enemies as a place to be trampled and a resource to be plundered at will. I did not want the people to suffer, nor did I want the country to stand in the world without dignity."

A Witness to History

"As a revolutionary flag, I was eventually placed in a museum years later, after the new China was established by the Communist Party under Chairman Mao. I became an exhibit. In my life as a human, I had only twenty-some years, but after death, I spent over a hundred years as a flag, viewed by the masses. No matter how I shouted from within, no one responded. I simply continued to silently promote the spirit of revolution and service to the people. Whether there was a response or not, I just kept doing it.

I was displayed at the Nanjing Museum, which was also an arrangement of fate. I had no power to change my actions. As Nanjing was the site of many massacres, including the infamous Nanjing Massacre during the War of Resistance Against Japan, the people there suffered greatly, and the spirits who remained after death were still in great agony. Many, many of them were trapped in that space, unable to leave. I, Lin Juemin, saw it all with my own eyes, and my heart ached, yet I could do nothing for them."

The Light of Deliverance

"Everything changed when Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su arrived in Nanjing and shone their great light. With this illumination of Buddha-light, I saw the vast numbers of suffering souls in Nanjing one by one being liberated from that space and entering the light. I, Lin Juemin, was the same. Following the light, I arrived at the beautiful Buddha-land, the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Everything became so wonderful. Just as I mentioned at the beginning, while I am filled with awe for Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, I am even more deeply moved that my Chinese nation has finally seen such a day of liberation. This is true liberation, true departure from suffering and attainment of happiness, and the only true Truth in the universe.

I struggled for a lifetime, never imagining that my life as a flag would reach a perfect conclusion at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Following the Buddha, my heart is very steady and very much at peace. The Buddha-light shines upon me constantly, and I have found a new direction for my spirit. Without the Buddha, no one in this world can be saved. This is my latest realisation, and it is the heartfelt message I wish to convey to the vast Chinese people. China today lacks the Buddha’s teachings, and I feel I have a mission to do something about it. The Buddha’s teachings are too important, and the true teachings are right here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, where Namo Amituofo abides. People of China! You must awaken and find your true home and meaning! I, Lin Juemin, did not know the Buddha in my life, but now I know that only the Buddha can save people! This is an absolute truth. Everyone must come to know the Buddha and learn the spirit of the Buddha.

Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su are present in this world now—a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity, difficult to encounter in millions of years. It is a blessing for the people of the world, and an even greater blessing for the Chinese people. Everyone should cultivate a heart of respect and a heart of learning toward the Buddha; your life will inevitably be transformed.

I, Lin Juemin, once again prostrate with a heart of utmost gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo."