The Story of Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre

A Journey of Sincerity and Truth

The journey has been filled with twists and turns, swaying and stumbling until reaching the West. The Western Pure Land has finally appeared, and all gather in the hall of Namo Amituofo.

Healing the body and curing the physical form depends entirely upon the quality of sincerity. To heal the heart and soothe the spirit, one must rely solely upon the truth. If you wish to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, you must resolve to end the cycle of rebirth once and for all. By doing so, you will leave all suffering behind and find only true happiness.

The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre originated from the sincere vows of individuals who were truly dedicated to the path. It was this immense power of sincerity that allowed the centre to attract the assistance of all Buddhas and the power of Goodness. In its early days, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre was merely a humble, unknown gathering. Perhaps the members were chanting Namo Amituofo, perhaps they were listening to lectures on the sutras, reciting the sutras, or perhaps they were engaged in walking meditation. It appeared to be a group of like-minded practitioners, supporting one another in group cultivation. At that time, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were already aware of this location, though the vows and the strength of the group had not yet fully aligned.

The Path of Practitioner Su

The leader who guided this journey was a woman of extraordinary character. Although she was known as a lay practitioner, she possessed the spirit and dedication of a monastic. She walked the path of practice with steadfastness, strictly following the teachings of the Venerable and chanting Namo Amituofo with a truly honest and pragmatic heart. Her background was humble, yet her courageous will led her to establish a successful jewellery business. She was a woman of great blessings, earning a substantial income each month. However, once she encountered the Buddha’s teachings, she realised the true value of life. Like many who are blessed with deep karmic roots, she chose to let go of everything and resolutely followed the path of the Buddha. This woman was named Practitioner Su, whom many later affectionately called Sister Su, and whom the children eventually came to know as Grandma Su.

In the year she began her formal study of the Buddha’s teachings, she made the difficult decision to leave behind her husband and three young daughters to study under the guidance of a Venerable. She was often away from home. While her children were at an age that required the presence of both parents, Practitioner Su chose to dedicate her life to the Buddha’s teachings and to the salvation of all sentient beings. As a strong, independent woman, she closed her business without warning, which invited ridicule from many acquaintances. Yet, her heart for the Buddha was firm, and she felt no fear. She had once been a connoisseur who loved fine food and travelled the world in search of the best delicacies. However, when the conditions were ripe, she perceived the scent of decay in meat and immediately ended her consumption of animal products, turning to a vegetarian diet. For many years, she lived away from home, focusing entirely on her practice and serving the Pure Land bodhimanda. She never sought fame or profit, donating all her wealth and selling her finest properties to support the centre. She worked without seeking reward, giving her all to the temple.

Cultivating the Mind and Body

With her keen sense of taste, she cooked delicious meals for various centres, using her skills to form positive connections with the public. She took on the tasks that others were unwilling to do, never allowing a single complaint to arise in her heart. She knew that as a strong-willed person, she had a temperament that was difficult to tame. She understood that learning the Buddha’s teachings required gentleness. To refine herself and eliminate her habits and personality flaws, she became extremely careful with her body, speech, and mind. She trained herself to exist in a state of 'no-mind,' eventually finding true freedom. She realised her true nature, becoming all-knowing and all-capable. She successfully used her personality as a tool for Awakening, firmly believing in the Western Pure Land and proving its existence.

Despite being uneducated in a formal sense, she listened to the sutras with a sincere heart, understanding every word and sentence clearly. Today, she can explain the profound teachings of the sutras in simple, accessible language. To introduce and spread the Buddha’s teachings, she shared the benefits she had received with those who were eager to learn. She did not charge for her teachings, providing food and accommodation for those who came to study. She established a small Buddha hall in her home, offering opportunities for group cultivation. She welcomed anyone who came to learn, regardless of their background, treating all with equal compassion. She never held back the Dharma. Because she had achieved Awakening, she hoped that everyone could do the same. She saw all beings as the Buddha, remaining humble and modest, and dedicated her life to spreading the Pure Land Dharma Gate. She focused exclusively on the Infinite Life Sutra, which describes the Forty-eight Great Vows of Namo Amituofo. She taught that as long as one undergoes purification, one can truly attain this state.

The Establishment of the Centre

In Australia, because of the fellow practitioners who supported the Dharma along the way, the group purchased four hundred acres of land. They made a vow to build a hall for chanting Namo Amituofo, naming it the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. In Taiwan, her home was known as the Hsiang Kuang Room. Initially, the number of people participating in group cultivation was endless. The magnificence of the lectures, the joy of the Dharma, and the ability to settle the mind allowed many anxious practitioners to find peace and clarity. Because Practitioner Su understood the heart, she understood the hearts of everyone present, allowing her to share the Dharma in a way that benefited every individual. After each lecture, she would personally cook, with her famous braised noodles being particularly praised. She insisted on using natural ingredients and never added MSG. Drawing on her years of experience as a gourmet, she satisfied everyone’s appetite. Many practitioners chose to stay, while others visited on weekends, forming a united community of practice.

To provide practitioners with a true environment for purification and to help them find their true selves, the centre recognised the need to be far from the noise of the world. Therefore, they resolved to lead the public in closed-door retreats, engaging in daily study, prostrations, and recitation of the sutras. Although they were a group of lay practitioners, they did not fall behind the monastic community. They rose early for morning services, and at that time, fifty or sixty people lived and practised together. Their diligent purification attracted the inconceivable power of the Buddhas and the arrival of Dharma protectors. This led to phenomena rarely seen in the world today, such as the invitation of spirits. Through diligent purification and cultivation of the heart—a practice rarely seen in this Age of Dharma Decline—they reached a state of deep compassion. Many practitioners regained their innate abilities, including the ability to communicate with spirits, as purification allowed them to see what was previously hidden.

Facing the Karmic Creditors

The first instance of this ability occurred with the appearance of the Ancestral Master Hanshan, which startled the public. He appeared with compassion to teach the necessity of inviting spirits, as obstacles from karmic creditors are inevitable on the path of practice. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are inseparable from the demands of these karmic creditors. Initially, the invitation of spirits frightened the public, as the spirits attached themselves to the practitioners and spoke of past acts of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying. These sins were presented truthfully before everyone’s eyes. The karmic creditors were filled with deep resentment and had no intention of letting go. Everyone was afraid; at that time, they were truly terrified. No one had ever had the courage to face their past, yet these things were undeniably real.

Under these circumstances, many people left, and some even slandered the centre for what they could not understand. When Practitioner Su returned to Taiwan from Australia, her centre had lost many people, leaving only a few followers. However, Practitioner Su never slandered those who left. Instead, she felt a deep sense of regret for them, not wanting them to leave the Buddha’s path. She resolved to practise even more diligently to save these people so that they would no longer wander in the cycle of rebirth.

The Truth of the Dharma

At that time, the internet, telephone calls, and letters were filled with slander regarding the topic of supernatural abilities. However, Practitioner Su remained clear in her heart. She examined herself, weighing right and wrong within her own mind, and believed that this was truly the Buddha’s will. She understood that 'supernatural ability' was a crude term; in reality, it is an innate ability. It is the ability to connect upward to the Western Pure Land and downward to the hells. When the spirit body and the physical body are in sync, this is a result of one’s skills. Through practice and purification, one can attain this state. As the information came naturally, Practitioner Su and her fellow practitioners gradually opened up infinite spaces, saving countless spirits. Because they were astonished by these inconceivable events, they interviewed various spirits and deities one by one.

Physical illnesses are also manifestations of karmic creditors. Many compassionate Ancestral Masters, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas appeared to provide guidance and save the world. All illnesses can be resolved as long as one reconciles with one’s karmic creditors. Many people’s illnesses were completely cured without the need for medication. They began to move away from medical treatment, relying instead on the power of the Buddha’s teachings and sincere repentance. When the karmic creditors were willing to be reborn in the Western Pure Land, these obstacles naturally vanished. Everyone went from disbelief to having no choice but to believe. The responses from the invited spirits were felt in their own bodies, and as they continued their purification and practice, their appearances changed. Those with clear eyes could see this immediately.

The Mission of Saving Beings

The centre held Thrice Yearning Ceremonies every week to save these suffering spirits, never complaining of fatigue or pausing. With the highest sincerity, they respected the Buddhas, the deities, and all beings, making sincere visualisations to help them be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Through these conditions, they also saved the family members of the practitioners, helping them all be reborn in the Western Pure Land. Many practitioners only then realised that their own family members were still suffering in the ghost realm or wandering within the six realms of existence. They understood that the only way to reach the Western Pure Land is through practice. However, the power of the human realm can lead spirits to a direct flight to the West. More and more spirits were drawn by the Chao Du to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. The accumulated merit and virtue attracted the support of all Dharma-protecting dragons and gods, as well as all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

To spread the Pure Land teachings to the world, as the truth became clearer and the purification skills matured, the spirits of politicians and business leaders with sufficient blessings and karmic conditions were also reborn in the Western Pure Land. Many eminent monks from history were also saved. The power of the Hsiang Kuang Room was no longer just that of a room; by the will of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, it was renamed the Hsiang Kuang Buddha-land. Because the Buddha truly abides there, protecting the bodhimanda, the Hsiang Kuang Buddha-land became the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This allowed spirits to reside peacefully upon lotus flowers, without disturbing the quiet retreats of the centre. The number of practitioners remained steady at around twenty. Everyone practised and purified themselves diligently, maintaining no contact with the outside world. They remained completely closed and did not open to the public unless there was a karmic affinity. To awaken the true nature of others, they actively invited spirits, but one must be brave enough to face one’s own past and reconcile with one’s karma. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas appeared frequently, offering extensive teachings to help everyone realise their true nature. The more the practitioners saw the root of Bodhi in their hearts, the more they wished to generate the thought of Bodhi, so that they could lead others to understand this path rather than resorting to slander.

The Eternal Sanctuary

The Buddha’s words directed the establishment of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, building a unique Buddhist holy site to promote the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. They taught outsiders to change their hearts and natures, to find themselves, and to realise that humans need not be sick or die, provided they can master themselves and their own destiny. For this mission, young students were inspired to become monastics, establishing a monastic community and working actively at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas responded at all times. The Master of the West, Namo Amituofo, truly abides here, and the Buddha-light shines upon them daily, purifying their hearts and Awakening their minds. Spirits have rushed to come forward, and countless beings have been saved.

Inviting spirits is truly important. Mental confusion, erratic thoughts, heart ailments, and physical illnesses are all manifestations of karmic creditors. The sole vow of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is to spread the Dharma and benefit beings, helping them be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. They do not touch the dust of the world, focusing entirely on the study of the Pure Land, remaining pure and perfect. As for the current preparation for building the temple, they follow the conditions and wait for the right time. As long as one has the skills, there is no fear. This is the only door to immortality. The true power of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is now known to the world. The Buddha’s teachings must not be allowed to perish. In a world without the Buddha’s teachings, it is hard to imagine the scene; how could there be an end to the six realms of rebirth?

The establishment of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is vital. It provides peace of mind, saves the heart, heals the heart, treats the body, saves the body, and protects the body. It allows the Body-Mind-Spirit to be truly autonomous, free, and filled with the joy of the Dharma. This is the true Truth. One can become immortal and ageless. Practitioner Su is the best example of this. A true practitioner does not age or become ill; the difference lies in karma and in finding oneself. Where is the self? It is found in purification and seeing one’s own heart. Practising with true, steadfast effort is the direction in which everyone is working together. They are busy, all to present this to the world. To spread the Dharma and transmit the Dharma, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre must flourish, because the suffering of beings is immeasurable. Only the rise of the temple can save them. The efforts of the public, the response of the Buddhas, the door to immortality, the West is here, Namo Amituofo is here, the Pure Land is here. The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is about to be revealed to the world. It is not just the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings; it is the transmission of the Dharma within the heart and the cultivation of the mind. This silent power is about to be spread far and wide. This is the true word of Namo Amituofo.

Healing the body and curing the physical form depends entirely upon the quality of sincerity.

To heal the heart and soothe the spirit, one must rely solely upon the truth.

If you wish to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land, you must resolve to end the cycle of rebirth once and for all.

By doing so, you will leave all suffering behind and find only true happiness.