The Spear and the Soul: A Two-Millennium Journey

This is a record of an interview with He Baonan, who sought Spiritual 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 2,000 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on February 23, 2026.

He Baonan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Today, I, He Baonan, have been sitting upon a lotus seat in the Western Dharma-Nature Land for several days now. From the initial chaos of my existence to the clarity I possess today, I have come to realise that my fate over the past two thousand years has been inextricably linked to the vast land of China. This life realisation is profound indeed. If it were not for the Great Compassionate heart of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, who reached out to save so many of us lonely spirits, who knows? When we finally regained our clarity, it might have been at the time of the next cycle of the world's formation, existence, destruction, and emptiness. I am deeply grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. Such an opportunity is something one could only dream of, and I believe that since I have the blessings to follow the Buddha, I must make the most of it. I must truly awaken so that I can follow the Buddha to help immeasurable and boundless suffering beings."

A Humble Beginning in the Han Dynasty

"My name is He Baonan—'Bao' for treasure, and 'Nan' for the south. I came from a very simple, honest farming family. Yet, in my youth, I encountered the clash between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu. In a state of confusion, I became the male recruit from my family forced into the army. I did not want my father or my elder brother to face danger, and I felt that my own life was not as important as theirs. So, I volunteered to join the army led by Xiang Yu, and thus began my life as a soldier. Before I had even truly adapted to military life, I learned that Xiang Yu had already taken his own life at the Wu River, and Liu Bang had opened a new era—the Western Han Dynasty had officially begun.

As a soldier of the defeated side, I had no other path to follow, so I naturally chose to surrender to the Western Han Dynasty, beginning my life as a career soldier. Liu Bang always cherished talent, and the generals under him largely inherited his style. The arrangements and promotions for both high and low-ranking personnel in the army were handled with great care. Whether I was serving on the front lines or in logistics, I worked diligently and never dared to be negligent. Because of my simple and honest upbringing, I never quite understood the complexities of officialdom. I was just a very honest man, and everyone treated me with kindness. I had no extravagant desires; I only hoped that the new dynasty would last for a long time. Regardless of who was in power, the most important thing was to ensure the country was stable and that the civilians could live in peace. That was my heart's desire at the time. I did not care what others thought of me; I simply knew, in my honest way, that the people must always come first."

The Three-Hundred-Year Vigil as a Spear

"Who would have thought that someone as simple and honest as me would rise through the ranks? Eventually, I even attained the position of a regional commander, and I once personally presented my suggestions to Emperor Gaozu of Han, which were accepted. Gradually, I became a respected leader in the eyes of many soldiers. This transformation caught me completely unprepared, but I continued to work straight-forwardly for the people, always keeping the civilians at the centre of my actions. Throughout that life, until my old age, I felt I had no regrets and departed in peace. After I died, I became a spear in the general's mansion. It was as if my heart remained there, unable to leave, unable to detach itself.

Was I still He Baonan at that time? I do not know. I could not regain my clarity, and I stayed within that spear for three hundred years. During that time, I followed my past mental note, continuing to think about how to make the most of the life of that spear. I did not want to harm any life. So, every time I was taken into battle by the soldiers, I would silently hope that the people I encountered would not be killed by my master. I intentionally made myself dull so that I would not cause too much harm to others. In other words, I was not a sharp blade. This thought was good, and beyond that, I did not have many other ideas."

Reincarnation and the Fall of Jingzhou

"It turns out that this single thought of Goodness allowed me to regain the opportunity to be reborn as a human. Just as my three-hundred-year life as a spear was coming to an end, I was taken away by Cao Cao's army. After their great army defeated Yuan Shao's forces at the Battle of Guandu and unified the northern lands, for some reason, I became a trophy that people in the army vied to see. As for how I ended up in the hands of Yuan Shao's army in the first place, I do not know. None of that matters now. Just as my heart sent out a final thought of Goodness, I regained a human body, born in a small town in the north under Cao Cao's territory. In that lifetime, my name was Lin Youxi.

However, my ambition was to restore the Han Dynasty. Even as a child, I held this thought. So, when I began to live independently, I started wandering through the southern regions, hoping to find a lord I could serve. In truth, everything was quite clear; I naturally joined Liu Bei's army, wishing to serve the descendants of the Liu family to restore the Han Dynasty. This time, my mental note was similar to the past—I wanted to protect the people. So, I settled in Jingzhou at the time, joining as a small soldier guarding the city. I viewed the people of Jingzhou as my brothers and sisters, and I guarded this base of Liu Bei with great trepidation. Jingzhou has always been easy to defend and difficult to attack, so defending the city was not too difficult unless we encountered a major force. Unfortunately, Jingzhou eventually fell, due to a mistake by my second lord, Guan Yu. My life also fell into the yellow earth during that battle, meaning I died in defeat. I will not describe that life in too much detail. Life is just like that; I did not have much choice, and I still wanted to protect the people, but my life was taken away once again."

The Golden Light of Deliverance

"After losing my human body again, I remained at the gates of Jingzhou. Although Jingzhou had changed hands, my spirit was still tied to the people of Jingzhou, so I stayed there. I did not have many feelings about who was the master of the city, as long as they could work for the people and the people of Jingzhou could live a good life—that was my only expectation. I stayed in the space of that land, and this time, I guarded it peacefully and never left again.

After nearly two thousand years had passed, I was still staying in a corner of a wall in Jingzhou, watching the people come and go and the changing of the times. I did not have many thoughts, but then, under a sudden illumination of golden light, I began to come alive. There was a light shining upon us here. The first time I was illuminated, I heard the Buddha-name 'Namo Amituofo' within the light. It was the most beautiful music I had ever heard. However, my spirit did not take any action at that time; I only knew that this light must be good and righteous, and it was something I longed for. So, when the golden light appeared for the second time, I seized the opportunity and began to chant the Buddha-name 'Namo Amituofo' loudly, and I even led the spirits around me to chant along with me.

In the next instant, my spirit was suddenly pulled away, and I arrived in a world filled with lotus flowers. I immediately knew that this was the world of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, called the Western Dharma-Nature Land—a Buddha-land. I had never known the Buddha, but I knew that the temples worshipped the Buddha, so I revered the Buddha greatly. I sat on a lotus seat and listened quietly to the Buddha-name 'Namo Amituofo' and the lectures given by Practitioner Su. Along with the other beings here—many, many Jingzhou spirits and soldiers who came with me—we all went from our initial ignorance and anxiety to sudden enlightenment. We only then realised that life and death are not as simple as just being a wandering spirit; we could also come to such a beautiful Buddha-land to learn and practice with the Buddha. This was something we had never even imagined."

A Message to the People of China

"The more we listened, the more Dharma-joy we felt, and the more we understood the truth. One by one, we all began to chant the Buddha-name loudly. This scene was so moving. We saw that there were still many deceased spirits in the great land of China who had not obtained deliverance, and at the same time, we saw that Practitioner Su's countless manifestations had already saved an immeasurable and boundless number of spirits. Such a sight left us all dumbfounded, and we knew that this opportunity to encounter the Buddha was not easy to come by, so we cherished it deeply. I want to tell my fellow Chinese people that Namo Amituofo has truly come to the world, right here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Our country did not have the blessings to have the Buddha abide here, nor were we able to retain the True Teachings of the Buddha. But do not be discouraged; this is the Causal Conditions of the present time, which does not mean the situation will remain this way forever. I hope everyone can follow the Buddha well, believe in the Buddha, and believe that we can stand on our own and work hard to propagate the True Teachings. This is the only thing that truly saves people.

The Chinese people worship heroes and men of virtue, yet few believe in the Buddha. People do not know that all of this is formed by the combination of short-lived good causes. Why not look at the Buddhist education? That is the True Teachings that can truly help us escape the sea of suffering of birth and death; it cannot be compared to the actions of a short life. The Buddhist education is built upon the traditional virtues of China; it is an education for a perfect life. It can help us know where we come from in life and where we go after death. Such great Wisdom (Prajna) is waiting for everyone to develop together, to open a gate of immortality for the Chinese people. I think this is a small message I, a new Buddhist disciple who has arrived in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, can give to everyone."

Namo Amituofo.

He Baonan"