A Grandfather's Journey to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss

This is a record of an interview with Lay Practitioner He Liwu, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and his subsequent journey after passing away. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxin, on December 3, 2021.

Lay Practitioner He Liwu speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Today, I have finally arrived at the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am deeply grateful to my granddaughter for performing the Chao Du to save me. If it were not for her, I would still be trapped within the self-imposed limitations of my own space, and I would have remained completely unaware of how much time has passed since I left the human world.

The Fleeting Nature of Life

After a person dies, how many are truly remembered? I am so fortunate that my granddaughter did not forget her grandfather. It is truly astonishing how quickly a human life passes. I still feel as though I am that young boy from my childhood, yet in the blink of an eye, I was married, had children, grew old, and then passed away. It all happened so fast.

In the past, we would pray to our ancestors, hoping they would bless us, and I always hoped that after I died, I would be able to watch over and protect my descendants. I never imagined that for all these years after my death, not only was I unable to do that, but I did not even realise that I had been dead for such a long time. Now, your grandfather understands: after death, no one has any autonomy! No one truly knows where they are going or what will become of them.

The Importance of the Matter of Life and Death

When I was alive, I never gave these things much thought. But now, seeing the truth of existence so clearly, I realise that the matter of life and death is the most important thing in the world and should be treated with the utmost seriousness.

I have been reflecting on my life—everything I did, everything that happened, and everything I experienced. But looking back now, without a physical body, it seems that none of those things truly exist anymore. They were all illusions.

Letting Go and Finding Peace

I originally held onto a very rigid and stubborn perspective. It was only after I arrived at the Buddha-land and listened to the Dharma for a period of time that I was finally willing to let go of everything I once possessed and everything I wanted to cling to. Only then could I truly seek rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Your grandmother was different; she wanted to go to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss much earlier than I did, but she was always waiting for me to nod in agreement.

Today, both your grandfather and grandmother have arrived at the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. It is so beautiful here. There is gold everywhere, there is no noise, and everything is so peaceful and harmonious. I love it here; this is the place where we will reside from now on.

My dear granddaughter, please help your grandmother and me to thank Practitioner Su. Practitioner Su is our great benefactor. Please share this good news with the rest of the family so that everyone can be at ease. I will spend some time exploring the Western Land, and then I will begin my studies with Namo Amituofo. You must all remember to chant Namo Amituofo diligently. When the time comes, we will all be reunited here in the West."

Namo Amituofo.