The True Success Beyond Political Power

This is a record of an interview with the late Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and his journey beyond the physical realm. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on June 8, 2017.

Lee Kuan Yew speaks:

"My life was brilliant, yet in the end, I could not escape the suffering of illness and death.

I am Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime Minister of Singapore. I was a Singaporean of Chinese descent, the first leader to guide Singapore to independence. In my world, there was no such thing as 'impossible.' I dared to act, dared to think, and dared to charge forward. My most famous motto was: 'If you know you are right, you don't need to care what others think!' Once I acted, it was correct. I never cared about the opinions of others. I also believed in what political science taught me: one must be a person others fear, because only by increasing your own value can you achieve great things. In this world, all successful people must possess this 'daring' character. Those who are timid and hesitant are destined for failure. My greatest achievement in life was successfully leading Singapore to its national prominence. These were all successes and glories on the surface. So, why have I appeared again today? To tell everyone about the parts that were unknown to the public.

The Truth Behind the Success

I am Lee Kuan Yew, and there is nothing I dare not say. It has been a while since my death. Does anyone believe I have been reborn in the Western Pure Land? I, Lee Kuan Yew, have come to tell you how I achieved rebirth in the Western Pure Land. I am living better now than I ever did before. It turns out that this is the only true success.

Before I died, I spent a long time in the hospital. No matter how powerful a leader one is, at that moment, one is nothing more than an animal waiting to be slaughtered, left to the erosion of illness and the toxicity and harm of medical treatments. To survive, no matter how painful, I had to undergo treatment. When I was strong, I once spoke loudly that if one had to spend their final days weak and helpless on a hospital bed, only gasping for air, it would be better to die quickly. But at the final threshold of death, I, Lee Kuan Yew, was afraid. It turns out I could not overcome the death that everyone fears. But in truth, that 'I' was no longer me.

The Weight of Political Karma

My life was defined by boldness and strong-arm tactics. I was a forceful leader. Throughout that process, the struggle for power, the calculated persecutions—these were all necessary tricks. I discarded the unnecessary to exchange for more beneficial results. These were necessary for the sake of the 'big picture.' During my time in office, there were many suppressed proposals or unjust cases. I believe this is true for every country, even in the ancient imperial courts. This is politics; it is normal and common. But I did not know that this was all creating karma. I, Lee Kuan Yew, was loved by some and hated by others. To make the governance of Singapore more effective and to maintain social order, I set strict limitations and severe punishments. Even spitting on the ground or littering was fined, let alone murder or robbery. These severe and painful punitive conditions made the citizens afraid to do wrong, which resulted in excellent social order. With a stable society, governing became much smoother.

To achieve Singapore's independence, I spent a great deal of effort throughout my political career. I used many methods, both soft and hard, all to achieve the goal of governance, including diplomatic relations with friendly nations. This is politics. Some people are willing to invest themselves in it. It has no joy to speak of; it is often filled with realistic and cruel calculated schemes. But what it does have is the enjoyment of power. A good politician might be able to use this power to create a new life for the nation; a bad one might abuse it and cause destruction. I, Lee Kuan Yew, was neither good nor bad. What I created were correct things because I did not care about the considerations of others. I followed my intuition, and I did not overthink. In life, many times, you only get one chance. This was my style of operation. If Singapore had not been driven by force, it would likely still be merged with Malaysia today, forever incompetent, forever unable to hold its head high. For Singapore's rise and independence, I actively implemented various policies to quickly build our capacity for autonomy. I demanded the people cooperate without rest, applying strong-arm pressure. Singapore indeed leaped forward quickly, and the economy began to take off. I, Lee Kuan Yew, took the burden of being the 'bad guy' upon myself.

The Illusion of Love and Power

My greatest achievement in life was Singapore; it was my only achievement. Of course, behind every successful man, there must be a great woman. My wife, Kwa Geok Choo, and I had a very deep relationship. We met in university, fell in love, and registered our marriage behind our parents' backs. Throughout my political career, my wife was always my greatest assistant and support. We were almost inseparable; even when I went abroad for parliamentary talks, my wife would always accompany me. Since we met, we were the best of companions. My wife had a deep mastery of literature, and many times she helped me through bottlenecks. She was also the best emotional regulator, always helping me soothe my worries. Our love story was passionate and never faded. She was the most important woman in my life. If she had not appeared, Lee Kuan Yew might not have appeared before you all today. My wife left this world before me, which caused me great pain, but I am grateful for her lifelong companionship. I declared to the Lord that I wished to meet my wife again, to know her, and to love her again. That is what I said at the time, but now I know that such a sensational love was also an empty illusion. After my wife died, I had no news of her. I was left to live my days alone, and I could not find her, nor did I know where she had gone. In the end, my wife suffered an accidental stroke during a conference in London. Although we sought active treatment, there was no improvement. After a second stroke, she not only lost the ability to speak but was bedridden for a long time. Seeing this in my heart was truly painful. Every time I returned from abroad, I could not tell her of the passions in my heart, and I could no longer hear her gentle voice. No amount of status or wealth could save my beloved wife. At that time, it was the first time I felt the powerlessness of life. My wife had always been my assistant in political decisions, but now I know she was the pusher of our collective karma!

The Reality of the Spiritual Realms

Promoting politics inevitably involves fighting and sacrifice. This karma naturally rests on the decision-maker. For the sake of building Singapore's map and the revolution of independence, these schemes and calculations were unavoidable. This cause and effect caused me to constantly suffer retribution, including my wife. Because of our collective karma, the consequences of these strategies caused my wife to suffer the retribution first. Her brain was filled with these external forces, causing a cerebral hemorrhage and stroke. Her ability to speak was lost due to the excessive scheming. This was a rapid, immediate retribution. It is terrifying. Only after I, Lee Kuan Yew, died did I understand that these were all retributions coming for revenge. There were also past grievances. We believed in Christianity, and we also believed in every religion. This was my consistent style in life: not to cling to any single color, so I never believed in these details. I had read about 'karmic creditors' in the sutras, but I never understood them. I thought that as a leader, I could rule, but I could not defeat the governance of the spiritual realms. I was not as successful or glorious as I thought.

The Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss seemed familiar, but I never understood it. After my wife died, I hoped she would reach heaven, or at least a world of happiness. After she died, I never had any news of her. I was also very old. Having spent my life in politics, I had exhausted my energy. By my fifties or sixties, my brain was already being interfered with. At that time, I often thought it was just overwork, dizziness, or sudden blanks in my mind. These situations became more frequent and lasted longer. Because of my status, I had a fixed medical team and routine full-body checkups. They once discovered suspected symptoms, but they were minor, so we only monitored and prevented them. Those symptoms were in the brain; later I realized they were changes in the surroundings and the heart. Special illnesses took hold. Chronic diseases made my life in old age quite difficult. Special neurological changes spread throughout my body, and special cardiovascular diseases affected my blood flow. This forced my medical team to be cautious. At that time, I slowly became unaware of worldly affairs; I began to lose control of myself. Now I know that my soul was empty. In the Chinese world, this is called the 'three hun souls and seven po souls' scattering. Around the age of seventy, I lost complete control, and another consciousness took over. You could see it all in my eyes; it was not my soul. It was more suspicious and volatile. My entire system was diseased, and I was suffering retribution in the hells, enduring endless pain. The pain of the Avici Hell is something many people cannot imagine. My wife was also there, but we never met. I went there to suffer retribution at seventy. At that time, I still had a soul consciousness, but it was no longer solid. By my eighties, I lived in a state of confusion. Everyone thought it was normal for an old man, and they only knew to take care of me. They did not know I had these terrifying experiences: the pain of whipping, amputation, heart-digging, brain-digging, being devoured by wolves, and so on. I don't know if you believe this, but it is real.

Deliverance and the Path to the West

I only knew these things after I died. I did not know I had done so much wrong in my life. Although it seemed like a successful life, there was infinite karma behind it. However, I am still happy to see the achievements Singapore has today. During one day of suffering, the sickle that was about to descend suddenly stopped. A light appeared, calling my name: 'Lee Kuan Yew! Lee Kuan Yew! Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, please come to the Hsiang Kuang Room.' I was taken away from the dark, hopeless Avici Hell by a light. I arrived here covered in wounds. At that time, it was just a group cultivation organization, the Hsiang Kuang Room. As soon as I arrived, all my wounds seemed to be redeemed. I let go of the fear and panic I had originally felt. My entire soul consciousness was purified, and I was sent to the Dharma-Nature Land that exists only here. I listened to the Dharma talks for several days. I am very intelligent, and I could quickly understand the meaning of the sutras. One day, I realized that in previous lives, I had been a high-ranking monk who practiced the Buddha's teachings. That is why Lee Kuan Yew had such great blessings and wisdom in this life to lead Singapore's independence. After listening to the sutras for about two weeks, Practitioner Su compassionately guided me to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. My wife was also brought up due to the connection of family members. But my wife died earlier than me. After suffering short-term Avici pain, she openly repented, chanted the Buddha's name, and left the Avici Hell, entering the three lower realms as an animal. My wife was also a practitioner in the past; she was once a close fellow student of mine. This connection is truly wondrous. In the six realms of rebirth, according to the laws of cause and effect, I now understand all of this. Cause and effect are fair. My wife was also saved. At that time, I met her, but we only smiled at each other simply, because everything in the past and future was clear. The emotions we had in the world changed. It turns out that emotion is just an abstract feeling triggered by the physical body. I am very honored to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. Now, I, Lee Kuan Yew, have come to tell everyone about the West. The West is worth everyone's pursuit and journey.

The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is a magnificent and wondrous place. If you have not been here yourself, it is hard to believe. I, a politician who successfully turned Singapore into an economic nation, turned the 'impossible' into 'possible' because of faith. There is absolutely nothing in the world that is truly impossible; there is only the power of faith, the power of vows, and boldness. Learn the traits of successful people: dare to act, dare to walk, but do not base it on hurting or harming others. This is what I have learned now. You cannot create karma; you must be cautious. I, Lee Kuan Yew, am here. If you are interested, come find me! Hsien Loong! If you have any questions, come find Dad. Dad is here, and it is very wondrous. I can answer you. It is still private here. No problem. You can come; if you want to find me, you can come. Alright, that is all for now. Gratitude to everyone who helped Lee Kuan Yew."

Former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew

Message recorded by the Buddhist disciple Shi Fa.