The Sage's Journey to the Western Pure Land

This interview was recorded on August 23, 2018, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. It features Confucius, the Great Sage of China, who sought deliverance through the compassionate efforts of Practitioner Su. Having been guided to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, he reflects on his journey from the heavenly realms, the reunion with his seventy-two disciples, and his ongoing practice of purification under the guidance of Namo Amituofo.

Venerable Haize: "Namo Amituofo. Let us chant the Buddha's name ten times. We respectfully invite Confucius from the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

Confucius speaks: "Yes. I have arrived!"

Venerable Haize: "May I ask, Confucius, you are revered as the Great Sage of China and have contributed immensely to Chinese education. Why is it that in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, you reside in the Upper Grade of the Land of Sages and Commoners?"

A Transition Beyond the Human Realm

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful to Practitioner Su for guiding me to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Looking back at the circumstances of my passing, before I left the human world, I was in a dream-like state. I was still wandering between states with my disciples, teaching them and engaging in deep dialogue. Yet, my physical body was in a state of deep slumber. Shortly after I awoke from that dream, I passed away. Immediately, a brilliant, golden light manifested before me, and I was taken to the twenty-eighth heaven. It was a place of great peace, yet it was not the ultimate destination I had sought in my heart. The heavens are vast and filled with light, but they are still within the cycle of reincarnation, and I felt a lingering sense of incompleteness, as if I were waiting for a call that had not yet come."

The Call of Compassion and the Reunion

"I do not know how much time passed—in the heavens, time is not counted as it is on Earth. Suddenly, I heard a call from the human world: 'Confucius, Confucius!' A beam of light transported me to the Fragrant Light Chamber. I spent some time listening to the Dharma in the Dharma-Nature Land. During this period, thanks to the immense compassion of Practitioner Su, my seventy-two great disciples were also invited. After more than two thousand years of wandering through the cycle of rebirth—trapped in the hells, the animal realm, the ghost realm, the human realm, and the heavenly realms—they were no longer the people I once knew. Each had been suffering according to their own karma. It was a heart-wrenching sight to see how the passage of time and the laws of karma had changed them. They were weary, burdened by the weight of their own actions over two millennia. Yet, they all received the compassionate Chao Du from Practitioner Su. And I, too, was guided by Practitioner Su to the Upper Grade of the Land of Sages and Commoners in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. To see them again, to see them finally find peace, was a grace beyond words."

The Nature of Worldly Wisdom

"When I was in the human world, I was fortunate to study the sacred teachings. My disciples came from all walks of life—some from noble families, others with nothing but their desire to learn. I taught them according to their individual capacities, blending the wisdom of the ancient sages with my own observations. My disciples recorded these teachings, which were passed down to future generations, forming the foundation of Confucian thought and the educational systems that guided people in their conduct, their relationships, their families, their nations, and their connection to the physical world—the mountains and rivers of our land. However, these teachings were ultimately worldly. They were rooted in personal cultivation, in the 'self'—my thoughts, my views, my desires. While these ideas were profound and influential, they were still bound by the concept of 'I'. I taught the way of the gentleman, but I had not yet fully transcended the ego that defines the human experience. The very structure of my teachings, while noble, was designed to navigate the world of form, not to escape it entirely."

The Path to No-Self

"Because I was still a spirit carrying karma, I was reborn into the Upper Grade of the Land of Sages and Commoners. I must continue my studies and purification under the guidance of Namo Amituofo in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Only by reaching the state of 'no-self' can I elevate my lotus grade and transcend to the higher realms of the four lands. I am learning that the true wisdom is not in the intellect, but in the complete surrender to the compassion of the Buddha. Every day, I practise the art of letting go, of dissolving the 'I' that I once held so dear. It is a process of refinement, a shedding of the layers of identity I built over a lifetime of teaching. I am grateful for this opportunity to continue my education, not as a teacher of men, but as a student of the Buddha, seeking the ultimate truth that lies beyond all worldly systems."

Venerable Haize: "Indeed. Thank you, Confucius, for accepting this interview. Namo Amituofo."