The Scholar Who Found Light in the Ashes

This is a record of an interview with Zheng Chang, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his life approximately 1,320 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faru, on March 3, 2026.

Zheng Chang speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Zheng Chang. I was a scholar—not a great general who traded his brush for a sword, but a man who spent his entire life buried in stacks of books. I lived during the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Originally, I intended to strive for official rank and fame, but whether it was fate or simply a lack of motivation due to my comfortable upbringing, I never quite possessed the drive that others had.

A Life of Leisure and Curiosity

I attempted the examinations several times, but I could not even pass the preliminary tests. I did not feel that achieving fame was an absolute necessity; such an ambitious life felt far too stressful for me. I craved a life without constraints. Only days spent in freedom and ease brought me joy—perhaps this was the typical mindset of a wealthy young man. During the golden age of the Tang Dynasty, people generally did not worry about food or clothing, so the development of entertainment literature was quite common. As a member of the upper class, I took pride in this lifestyle, even looking down upon those who studied diligently. To me, those pursuits were merely opportunities for the poor to change their social standing. Since I was already at the top, I felt no need to occupy those spots or block the path of those below me. I did not have the physique of a warrior, nor could I perform manual labour, but I had a profound interest in strange tales and anecdotes.

Whenever I had free time, I would scour the markets for the most bizarre and curious items, especially rare books. Whenever a storyteller was willing to share a tale, I would listen with rapt attention. I never forgot to patiently ask them which classics they had researched to find such content. At first, they feared I was trying to steal their business, but after a few times, they realised I was merely a collector driven by pure curiosity and that I lacked for nothing. They gradually lowered their guard and even began to share books with me voluntarily. Those days were truly pleasant. I collected so many books—from the Tang Dynasty, from ancient times, and from the borderlands. I gathered every strange text I could get my hands on, and if I heard a story, I would carefully write it down. Gradually, I became somewhat famous for this. Many storytellers and even nobles came to me to purchase books, and I was never stingy about having them copied and circulated. My goal was not to monopolise these curiosities; I simply wanted to know more.

The Hidden Light of the Sutras

Over the years, my collection grew to a significant scale. I would visit my library every day, and I often instructed my descendants not to discard my collection lightly. My library covered many aspects of culture and mythology, including Buddhist scriptures. However, at the time, I did not understand them well and did not pay them much attention. As part of my collection, I kept them well-preserved. Because I had a habit of collecting, I always tried to gather complete sets, and thus, many Buddhist sutras were preserved in their entirety.

My life was unremarkable. During an illness, I passed away in my sleep. At that moment, I was still admiring my collection, feeling quite satisfied, and my spirit entered the library pavilion. I stood within the plaque above my library, watching the people come and go. Most were my descendants. Sometimes, my parents would bring children into the pavilion to pick out books and tell them stories. I was shocked to see that those stories were surrounded by many strange sentient beings. When people read them, these sentient beings would follow the readers' thoughts into their eyes, brains, and hands. This was a situation I had never imagined. Could it be that these books had always been this way? I examined every book and discovered that only the Buddhist scriptures were different. On the contrary, they actually emitted light. Every Buddhist scripture radiated a faint golden light—something I had never noticed before. I began to wonder, what was so special about these books? I had never paid attention to them before and could not understand them. But whenever someone picked one up to read, the sutra would emit an even greater light. If someone recited the words aloud, the light would grow even brighter, so bright that the surrounding sentient beings would watch the Buddha-light in silence, listening carefully to the content being recited. I listened intently as well. At first, I did not understand much, but after listening several times, I gradually realised that these were books meant to help people. My understanding at the time was that any book of Goodness that helps people would emit light, and since the Buddhist scriptures emitted such a brilliant light, they must be the most supreme books of Goodness, designed to help all beings.

The Fire and the Temple

Good times do not last forever. Decades later, one night, a candle stand was knocked over by the wind. The fire spread instantly, reaching the tables and bookshelves in the pavilion. The wooden library quickly became a sea of flames. The people in the house woke up in a panic, some trying to rescue the collection. Seeing such a massive fire, I should have felt heartbroken, but I already knew these books were not books of Goodness; reading them filled one's head and eyes with strange sentient beings. I did not feel much regret about them burning, but I truly hoped to save the Buddhist scriptures. I used my intention to tell my family to rescue the Buddhist books. Some tried, but the flames were too large, and it was difficult to see in the night. They could only randomly grab a few, so not many were saved.

As the entire building burned to ashes, the plaque also turned to dust. I escaped from it and quickly entered another archival space. This time, I actively searched for Buddhist books. After much wandering, I arrived at the library of a temple. This time, every book here emitted light. I was overjoyed and decided to stay. This temple was large—the White Horse Temple in Luoyang—a very famous temple with a long history. In the temple, I listened to the monks reciting the scriptures. Every book radiated brilliant light, and everyone treated the scriptures with great caution and respect. Did they all know the books would glow? I followed the crowd in reciting the scriptures, and gradually, I understood a little truth. The Venerables in the temple would explain the scriptures, and I learned that the meaning of life is to practice; otherwise, one will be reincarnated, drifting without a destination just as I had. I realised that I had been too attached to the space of my books, and because I had circulated books that were not of Goodness, I had influenced people's character. It seems this was all a matter of the laws of karma and cause and effect.

Deliverance to the Western Pure Land

I was repenting in the library. By this time, I had already left my original space. I could move freely within the temple and had no desire to go anywhere else. Most of the time, I followed the teachings of the scriptures and entered into Meditation in a great hall. I was accustomed to high places, so I would enter samadhi on the high beams of the hall, following everyone in their daily practice, and spending the rest of the time in Meditation. As time passed, I remained in that deep meditative state without emerging.

One day, golden light illuminated the entire hall. I emerged from samadhi to check and saw golden light everywhere. The sound of the Buddha-name resonated throughout the hall. I thought the temple was holding a Dharma assembly, but no one was gathered in the hall, and there were no rituals or instruments being played. I followed along, chanting the Buddha-name, and in an instant, I arrived at the Western Dharma-Nature Land at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. This is a peaceful Pure Land, a hundred times more tranquil than the space within the great hall. It is a world of brilliant, ultimate purity. I wanted to continue my Meditation, but I heard the Buddha’s teachings here, and Practitioner Su was giving a Dharma talk. I listened carefully. This was not the method of Chan Meditation, but the method of chanting the Buddha-name in Meditation. I deeply felt its profound wisdom. I did not continue my Meditation but chose to listen to sutras and hear the Dharma.

After several days on the lotus seat, I quickly understood the problems I had in my past life. I realised that sentient beings are obsessed with illusory anecdotes only because they have no direction in life and are always trying to find a goal for themselves. After death, I entered the library because I still had no direction, continuing to follow the habits and attachments of my life, clinging to meaningless things. Even after entering the temple, I still had no goal, knowing only how to sit in Meditation and pursue a state of tranquility, but I had not truly escaped the cycle of reincarnation. In the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I learned that the destination of the spirit is the West. By being reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, all spirits no longer lack a goal. By knowing Namo Amituofo and chanting this name, one can help suffering sentient beings like myself and eventually return to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Such a life—and such a 'spirit-life'—is full of meaning. All beings can leave suffering behind, and everyone can become a Buddha.

I am grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for saving me and bringing me to the Dharma-Nature Land. I am grateful to the Buddha for giving me this opportunity to learn the Buddha’s teachings. I am grateful for the Buddhist scriptures and all the Dragon and Heaven Dharma Protectors for allowing me the chance to encounter the Buddha’s teachings. Zheng Chang is grateful to all sentient beings with karmic affinity.

Namo Amituofo.

Zheng Chang"