The Sage of the Western Pure Land

This interview was recorded on April 6, 2025, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. The speaker is the spirit of the ancient sage Confucius, who now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. He recounts his journey from the twenty-eighth heaven to the Western Pure Land, facilitated by the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su.

Confucius speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Kong Qiu. This morning, I was honoured to be called upon by Practitioner Su. When I heard the name 'Confucius,' I knew it was time.

At that moment, I was in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, listening to the teachings of Namo Amituofo regarding the relationship between the Confucian Way and the Buddha’s teachings. Suddenly, a voice echoed through the air: 'Today, we shall interview Confucius.' I couldn't help but smile, for I recognised the voice of Practitioner Su. In the Western Pure Land, the voice of Practitioner Su can be heard clearly; it is not a strange occurrence, but a natural one.

The Absence of Spatial Barriers

The Western Pure Land is a realm, and the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia is also a realm. I have come to know that the Centre is located in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. This place is truly magnificent, for it is the very location where Namo Amituofo, the teaching master of the Western Pure Land, currently abides on Earth.

In truth, whether there is a barrier between spaces depends entirely on the heart. For us in the Western Land, there is no spatial separation between the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; if one wishes to see it, one can see it. It is only because humans perceive levels of space that they feel separated. For those who can transcend these spatial barriers, it is but a single step to arrive.

A Journey from the Twenty-Eighth Heaven

In this account, I shall refer to him as 'Practitioner Su,' as it feels more approachable. To call him 'Buddha Su' might imply a spatial distance that does not exist, though his heart and actions are indeed those of a Buddha. Practitioner Su is able to lead sentient beings from the Western Dharma-Nature Land to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss because, to him, the barrier of space has vanished. This is the attainment of his practice.

That I, Kong Qiu, am now in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is entirely due to the power of Practitioner Su’s practice. When I passed away from the human world, my spirit ascended directly to the twenty-eighth heaven. It was a world of incomparable light, profoundly still and stable, and I remained there for a very long time.

To 'pass away' from the world simply means that Kong Qiu had left the human world; my physical shell was returned to the earth. Once my breath stops, my spirit departed the body without any suffering and was received directly into the twenty-eighth heaven. Within the heavenly realms, the twenty-eighth heaven is the highest level, which reflects the extent of my cultivation while I lived. At that time, I had never heard the Buddha’s teachings. During the Spring and Autumn period, the land was fragmented into small, warring states. There was no peace for the people; life was a constant struggle of chaos and displacement. I served in government for a time, but after leaving the political arena, I returned to the people to teach my philosophy—what one might call Buddhist education.

The Call of the Holy Name

Education is of paramount importance. I understood this even then, so I spent my life sharing my ideals through the questions and answers of my seventy-two disciples. These dialogues were recorded in the Analects, passed down to future generations, and are known today as Confucian thought. I am honoured to be called the 'Greatest Sage and Teacher.'

From the twenty-eighth heaven, it was easy to observe the situations of the world; if I wished to know something, I could simply focus my intent. In that deep meditative state, I had no desires, no wandering thoughts, and no activity. Then, I suddenly heard the Buddha-name 'Namo Amituofo,' and this name itself was teaching the Dharma. This was not some strange or supernatural occurrence; it was the absolute Truth. For those with a pure and good heart, the Holy Name 'Namo Amituofo' resonates, and one can awaken to the meaning contained within these six characters. That is exactly what happened to me.

Approximately ten years ago, while in the heavenly realm, I heard the sound of the name Namo Amituofo. I understood the origin of this six-character name and the magnificence of chanting it. I knew it originated from a place in the human world—a place in northern Taiwan called Shiding. When I wish to see a place, I can see it and know its name instantly. At that time, Practitioner Su was chanting the Buddha-name during a Dharma assembly, and the sound reached the heavens and entered my ears. This Causal Condition was truly magnificent. Consequently, the intention to be reborn in the Western Pure Land arose within me.

Beyond the Limits of Confucian Thought

At that time, many celestial beings were travelling to the Hsiang Kuang room in Shiding, seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land, and their wishes were granted through Chao Du. I descended to the world, and my spirit appeared at the Hsiang Kuang room, causing quite a stir. After all, for the world to hear that Confucius had appeared is truly inconceivable! I told the other beings from the twenty-eighth heaven that this place was a fusion of the Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist paths.

Representing the Confucian tradition, I sought rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Practitioner Su, in his great compassion, immediately led my spirit directly into the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Practitioner Su performed this act in Shiding almost daily. My entry into the Western Pure Land happened in an instant. It was through Practitioner Su’s spiritual visualisation that I was led there, which is why I am able to be interviewed by the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre today.

Confucian thought has had a profound influence on China, integrating the wisdom of the ancestors and compassion into politics, society, and family life. How should one establish oneself? How should one govern? How should one treat others, matters, and objects? By taking 'propriety' as the starting point—treating others with propriety and living with benevolence—China became a land of ritual. This is how we were able to pass down our culture through generations, allowing the people to live in peace. Without propriety, there is chaos; without benevolence, the nation falls, society withers, and the family has no foundation.

These words may seem distant in the modern environment. However, the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way never change. Confucian thought exists under these universal standards; therefore, a Confucian is also a person of benevolence. Later, the Buddha’s teachings entered China. To be honest, the scope of Confucianism is limited to governance, interpersonal relationships, social norms, and Ethics and Morality.

The Buddha’s teachings, however, transcend these boundaries, reaching into the boundless Dharma Realm and encompassing all sentient beings. The concept of the true self is incredibly precious. By practicing Confucian thought, one may become a sage, but one remains within the six realms of rebirth. The twenty-eighth heaven is the highest level of samsara. The Buddha’s teachings go further; they can break through the heavenly realms, enter the Buddha’s path, recover one’s true self, and liberate one from the cycle of birth and death. This is of the utmost importance! This is why I, Kong Qiu, could not break through while in the twenty-eighth heaven and had to ask Practitioner Su to lead me into the Western Pure Land.

The Illusion of Time and the Power of the Present

There is no fixed Dharma, nor is there high or low, but there is a standard to follow. I offer this view so that people may choose their path based on what they observe and contemplate. Although Confucian thought is vast and profound, the Buddha’s teachings are boundless—they cannot be contained by the words 'vast and profound.' The path of the true self, without the education of the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Teachings, and the Sangha Community—is something that people cannot discover through the limited education available today. This is the importance of Buddhist education.

I must also mention that when I travelled to various states, my seventy-two disciples followed me, receiving the knowledge I imparted. I hoped that through teaching, I could cultivate sages who would allow the nation to enjoy long-term stability and the people to live in a peaceful society. Thanks to the compassion of Practitioner Su, the names of these seventy-two disciples were recovered, and with the help of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, they were saved one by one. From the Spring and Autumn period to the present, it has been about two thousand five or six hundred years, has it not? In truth, time is an illusion. Although we use numbers to make it easier for the public to understand, in the life of a spirit, the existence of numbers varies according to the space one occupies. Over these two thousand five or six hundred years, although the spirits of my seventy-two disciples had received my education, they had not escaped the six realms of rebirth; they were still drifting within the six realms. The karmic connection between teacher and student was strong, but after that life, everyone went their separate ways. Some were reborn as humans, some entered the animal realm, and some the heavenly realm—always cycling through the six realms. This is the reality of spiritual reincarnation. Only by being reborn in the Western Pure Land can one truly end the cycle of birth and death and no longer suffer the pains of birth, aging, sickness, death.

The way of nourishing life is mentioned often in Confucian thought, but it does not escape the six realms. I must emphasise this, as it is the greatest difference between Confucianism and the Buddha’s teachings. Even if my seventy-two disciples were those who cultivated their character, they could still fall into the animal realm or even suffer in the hells, remaining in bodies bound by karma for life after life. Even if they purified themselves again and again, they did not realise their true self. Even if they transformed their karma to become sages, it is unknown which realm they would enter in their next life, or if they would even have the opportunity to receive Confucian education again.

Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt—along with wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep—will lead one according to their karma if they have not received education and the cultivation of the Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist paths. Spiritual life is without beginning or end, and within this, life proceeds according to karmic conditions and the causes and effects, which is incredibly complex. What is important is this very moment.

In the Western Pure Land, I have heard Practitioner Su’s lectures, where he mentions that the baggage of the past is too heavy and hinders one’s current practice. Therefore, he teaches the fourfold assembly: there is no past, no present, only the Buddha-name chanted to the end. Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo—chanting it one by one. This is truly an excellent method. In this very moment, remove impurities and attain purity; remove the defilements of the past, and in this moment, use the name Namo Amituofo to purify the entire body, so that even the sentient beings within one’s cells are saved. This is truly vast! The mysteries of the human body are fully realised here, in the Buddha’s teachings and through Practitioner Su. Many things unheard of before are happening here. People may find it hard to believe, but what we see and hear in the Western Pure Land is so natural; it is truly so!

Here, I, Kong Qiu, express my gratitude to Practitioner Su for the grace of leading me into the Western Pure Land, and I also thank him on behalf of my seventy-two disciples. I hope that the fourfold assembly of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, under the guidance and education of Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su, will be able to recover their true self, and in turn, benefit and educate more people, allowing them to rediscover their original face before their parents were born through the education of the Buddha’s teachings.

The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is a truly magnificent place. If you have the opportunity to hear what Kong Qiu has said, come and see for yourself. Namo Amituofo is residing here. We, the beings of the Western Land, are happy to see that beings from the human, heavenly, asura, hell, animal, and hungry ghost realms can all be saved because of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

Practitioner Su has saved so many demon crowds; even ancient demons with ten thousand trillion years of spiritual life have been subdued and entered the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This is truly magnificent! We, the beings of the Western Land, rejoice to see people leave suffering behind and gain happiness, and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

This is what Kong Qiu has to say. I hope all will believe it, for you will surely attain tremendous blessings."

Namo Amituofo.