The Scholar's Awakening: Zhu Xi's Journey to the Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Zhu Xi, the renowned Southern Song Dynasty philosopher, who sought Spiritual Deliverance 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 800 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on March 9, 2026.

Zhu Xi speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Zhu Xi. This name should not be unfamiliar to the vast majority of the Chinese people. There were those who once placed me alongside Confucius and Mencius as a great scholar of my era, referring to me as 'Zhu Zi' (Master Zhu). This is an honour I truly feel unworthy of. From the very bottom of my heart, I simply cannot accept such a title.

My life was a mixture of joy and sorrow. At the time, I found great happiness in researching Neo-Confucianism and dedicating myself to the development of education, but I also endured many days of grief, anger, and profound misunderstanding. Especially in my later years, I dragged my exhausted, ailing body through the arduous task of completing my writings. Although I tried my best to fulfil the work at hand, the feeling of being unable to do what my heart desired seemed to consume a portion of my passion. In the eyes of others, I was a dignified scholar of my generation, but I never dared to accept the title of 'Zhu Zi'; I only ever dared to call myself Zhu Xi. Looking back on the past, I realise that I was truly undeserving of the title 'Zi'."

A Life of Duty and Idealism

"The title 'Zi' represents a teacher, a spirit and philosophy revered by the masses, serving as a guiding light and a model for how to live one's life. Only a person of such lofty moral foundations can be called a 'Zi'. Throughout history, we have had Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, and Zhuangzi. It was only after my death that I learned the society and the Emperor of that time had bestowed such a high status upon me, which stands in stark contrast to how I viewed myself while I was alive.

What did I, Zhu Xi, spend my life doing? I worked in politics and education. Education was the cause I championed throughout my life. The education I promoted taught the principles of the 'Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues' found in Confucian thought. I believed the universal principle was that everyone must abide by 'Li'—the principle of reason. Here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I have come to understand that the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way spoken of by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su are essentially the same. However, the scope of the 'Li' I spoke of was far narrower than the principles taught by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Beyond education, I served as an official, striving to govern with integrity and work for the people and the nation. I sought to understand the suffering of the people and help them overcome their hardships. I did not feel proud or satisfied by this; it was simply my duty. The concept of 'duty' was one of my core philosophies. I emphasised that if everyone in society fulfilled their duties, the world would be at peace and life would be free of worry. That was the ideal world I envisioned."

The Burden of Arrogance

"I faced many opponents in the imperial court. My outspoken nature offended many powerful ministers. I held firm to my beliefs and applied them to everyone, especially those in high positions. I worried that their actions would affect the nation's destiny, the direction of the court, and the lives of the people. Therefore, I pursued them relentlessly, even impeaching them before the Emperor with great courage.

The Southern Song Dynasty was a crumbling empire. With constant threats from the north and incompetent emperors, the people suffered greatly, often living in poverty and hunger. I spent much of my time away from the court, working at the local level to help the people. My heart ached for them. I valued 'morality' above all else—to me, morality was 'Li', and 'Li' was morality. I was extremely vigilant about my every move, perhaps even a bit too serious.

Now, I am here on a lotus in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, listening to the teachings of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. It is truly marvellous! The Buddha’s teachings are truly marvellous! It is a pity that in my life, I pursued 'Li' so relentlessly without knowing that the Buddha’s teachings are the 'King of Principles'. The Buddha is the true practitioner of the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. Looking back, a small part of my philosophy was connected to the Buddha’s teachings, but my understanding was limited. I was a mortal, and the world I saw was finite. The Buddha’s selfless, infinite, and boundless nature is beyond anything I could have imagined."

The Missing Piece: Compassion

"I have been weeping before Namo Amituofo, deeply moved as I accept the Buddha’s education. The Buddha has praised me, acknowledging that my efforts were indeed intended for the benefit of the people. Regarding excessive desires, I also advocated for letting go. These moral views are somewhat similar to the 'pure and good' nature spoken of in the Buddha’s teachings.

Why was my life so desolate and filled with illness in my later years? I asked Namo Amituofo why this was so. Since listening to the lectures of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, I have gradually come to a clear realisation. I had worked so diligently, hoping that the people could receive true education and understand true righteousness, but I had truly neglected one very important part.

That is, the promotion of 'Li', the Universal Principle, and the establishment of moral foundations must be embodied by the promoter's sincere heart and a vast, compassionate spirit. Only then can these principles be accepted and passed down to the world. What I lacked was this soft, compassionate heart. My worship of 'Li' was, in part, built upon my own stubborn attachments and arrogance. These subtle personality traits were things I never knew I possessed. I thought the principles I taught were perfect and supreme, but I never realised that this subtle attachment and arrogance caused me to live a life of constant struggle, following the path of karma without any true autonomy. I was just like everyone else—I grew old, I grew ill, and my body failed me. I thought I was accepting everything with a calm heart, but that subtle arrogance and the attachments I had not yet discovered prevented me from transforming my karma. I simply drifted with the tide, just like any other person in the human world."

Without studying the Buddha’s teachings, who could possibly understand these things? The Buddha is truly one who has attained great, thorough Awakening. He knows exactly how each being should be guided and how to educate every individual using different methods. The Buddha possesses this great Wisdom, and this is precisely what I feel I need to learn most right now. The educational philosophy of Zhu Xi is very rigorous. Although every word I spoke was about goodness, my overly high demands on students and my tendency to criticise or point fingers at others only reveal that I had not truly attained the essence of compassion. I lacked the ability to adapt my teaching methods to the different capacities of various beings.

The Greatest Blessing in Centuries

Today, I, Zhu Xi, have the immense blessing of being able to follow Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to learn the true Buddha’s teachings—the true Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. This is the greatest and most wonderful thing that has happened to me in several hundred years. Studying the Buddha’s teachings has allowed me to realise, completely and thoroughly, that I had not yet achieved the unity of heart and action. It turns out that human karma and habits, without the education of the Buddha’s teachings, are incredibly heavy. They are often buried deep within the heart, hidden away where they cannot be seen.

The vision held by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, and the compassion they manifest, are examples that I, Zhu Xi, must learn from for the rest of my existence. I once believed that there was a natural 'Principle' operating in the universe, and I placed all things good and virtuous within the framework of this 'Principle.' Yet, it seems I had boxed myself in, and in doing so, I had also boxed in those around me. Regardless, I believe that the integration of all the principles I wrote down—the concepts of propriety, righteousness, integrity, shame, benevolence, and wisdom—must have been helpful to future generations and could not have been harmful. On this point, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

A Peaceful Departure

When I was bedridden with illness, I actually knew that my time was short. I told those around me very calmly that I would soon be leaving the human world. To have attained such a peaceful and calm end, I am already deeply grateful. After all, throughout my life, although I did many good deeds both as an official and as a teacher, there were still areas where I did not act in accordance with the Dharma. For instance, I did not do well enough in changing my personality traits, and that is why I fell ill. I did not do well enough, or perhaps I should say I did not do things thoroughly. The things I cared about and valued only reflected what I thought was 'right' within my own heart, rather than the full picture of reality; therefore, my perspective was not deep or broad enough.

After leaving the human world with a calm heart, I remained in the ghost realm, or perhaps I should say, in a different space. I cannot describe it clearly, but I continued to exist in the human world as a spirit. My world was grey and dim, much like the state of my eyes before I died—nearly blind, unable to see the direction ahead. After death, I was just as lost, unable to see the path forward. However, I did not mind. My spirit seemed to naturally continue doing what I had always done, continuing to research how my 'Principle' should be implemented. I would also engage in spiritual exchanges with beings who had karmic affinities in the world of souls. But there were truly not many spirits interested in understanding the 'Principle' I spoke of. This spiritual realm is not as clear and bright as the human world, so others could not truly absorb what I was saying.

Awakening in the Light

Actually, when I became a spirit, my personality was much the same as it was when I was alive; I was a spirit willing to share my philosophy with others. It was just that at the time, I felt a bit like a hero with no battlefield to fight on. I just drifted along like that for several hundred years. The good deeds I performed in the spiritual world were, as I later learned, a way of accumulating merit and virtue. Because of this, my spirit seemed to become lighter and lighter, gradually shedding some of the initial turbidity, and the vision I saw began to become broader and clearer. Aside from that, as a spirit, my life did not change much.

It was only recently that a world-shaking change occurred. This was when Practitioner Su, accompanied by Namo Amituofo and the Twelve Lights, came to our vast Chinese region to perform Chao Du for all the spirits. Only then did I suddenly wake up from that space. Looking at this warm light, I was naturally drawn by it to a world called the Western Land of Dharma Nature. I mentioned quite a bit about the Western Land of Dharma Nature earlier; in fact, here, everyone sits equally upon a lotus flower. Beside me are my Chinese compatriots, all of whom are people who, like me, were trapped in that space for many years—some even for tens of thousands of years. As long as one is a spirit, one will be sent here.

Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su are the Buddhas who constantly abide here. This time, it was because of the Ultimate Vow of Practitioner Su that so many of us Chinese spirits had the opportunity to be saved. Such a thing was something I never even imagined when I was alive. I thought the Buddha’s teachings were just as the world described: awakening to one's true nature and becoming a Buddha. But what I did not know was what the world is like after becoming a Buddha, nor did I know that one who has become a Buddha could have such great influence and such immense power to help beings leave suffering and gain happiness.

The Ultimate Education

Becoming a Buddha is the most perfect education that can truly help oneself and others. Although the education I advocated in the past was also good and virtuous, the education of the Buddha’s teachings is so ultimate and complete—something a mortal could never imagine. It is a truth that can only be penetrated through a state of complete purity.

I, Zhu Xi, used to study the 'Principle.' Although I spoke only of good things, I had too many thoughts. I loved to research, to study how the 'Principle' should be implemented, and to study the essence of every matter; yet, I never knew that a pure heart and a compassionate heart are the foundation of all things. It is this compassionate and pure heart that makes it possible to become a Buddha and to understand the truth of all facts in the midst of emptiness. The Buddha’s teachings are truly too vast and too great. I did not have the opportunity to study the Buddha’s teachings in my short life, but to be able to come here now, to be close to the Buddha, I truly have no regrets.

I, Zhu Xi, advise the people of the world: no matter what you are learning, you must be down-to-earth. The most important thing is to take the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way as the premise for learning all things. Without the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, all other learning is just empty talk. My heart is now filled only with peace and gratitude; there are no more distracting thoughts or worries.

I am grateful for the compassion of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, and I am grateful to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia.

Namo Amituofo.

Zhu Xi