This is a record of an interview with Chen Kunhe, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Nature. This account reflects upon his life as a scholar in the Ming Dynasty. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on April 12, 2026.
Chen Kunhe speaks:
". I am Chen Kunhe. I was sitting peacefully on a lotus in the Western Land of Dharma Nature when I suddenly heard someone calling my name from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. I was absolutely stunned.
I remember when I first arrived here, the Buddha called out to me, 'Child Kunhe,' and told me I had reached the Western Land of Dharma Nature, so I need not worry about my past life anymore. I felt such profound peace, thinking, 'How could the Buddha know my name?' Now, the Buddha has called me again. Why? I saw my name on the interview list for the Centre, and I was asked to offer suggestions on how to help society recognize the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.
A Scholar's Humble Reflection
Haha, the Buddha truly thinks too highly of me! I was merely a commoner, a man who was perhaps a bit more well-read than most in my era. But the society the Centre faces today is vastly different from the one I lived in.
I grew up during the Ming Dynasty. Back then, most people in the grassroots society were illiterate. Thanks to the protection of my ancestors, even though my father was not highly educated and held no official post, our family left behind significant property and a vast collection of books. This allowed my brothers and me to study well from a young age and understand many principles.
Education as a Foundation for Goodness
Although we never sat for the imperial examinations and had no ambition to become high-ranking officials, my brothers and I were quite well-known in our town. Our region was remote, so to maintain trade with other villages, we organized caravans to facilitate commerce and stimulate the local economy.
When we were financially secure, we donated large sums to build schools. In my heart, education was paramount. Whether or not one sat for the exams or became an official, I sincerely hoped every child would have the chance to learn to read and study the Four Books and Five Classics. It was a complete foundation for their upbringing. In my middle and later years, I dedicated myself to education, leading children in studies during their spare time from farming, free of charge. As I grew older, my reputation grew, and everyone knew me as a man who helped others and did good. I never stepped into the political arena, but as a local gentleman, I was content.
The Light of the Centre
Enough about my story. Practitioner Su has given me the topic: 'Methods to help society recognize the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.' Looking from the Western Land of Dharma Nature, the Centre is a truly unique place in the human world. By 'unique,' I mean that through the eyes of the spiritual realms, it is the only place on Earth that is truly shining and radiant, and this light reaches into the boundless, infinite heavens. I looked closely, and it is indeed so. Namo Amituofo is majestically residing right there at the Centre. At this moment, Teacher Xia Lianju and Practitioner Su are also there—three Buddhas residing in one place. Where else in the world can you find such a thing?
Bridging Confucian Wisdom and Buddhist Truth
To me, Chen Kunhe, this place is a precious land, yet most of the world remains unaware. Practitioner Su wants me to discuss how to influence society to recognize the Centre. As someone with a Confucian background, I know that Confucian thought sustained China for thousands of years, answering the world's dilemmas. Buddhism had already entered China then, but Confucian culture was not extinguished; it remained deeply rooted and flourished. Even today, it holds a lofty status.
People revere Confucian culture because it offers many ways of living that resolve worldly problems. Before people can grasp the profound, transcendental truths of Buddhism, they need a step-by-step approach—starting with small, daily matters like resolving afflictions—to reach .
Once their wisdom increases, they become willing to expand their understanding to transcendental subjects. Buddhism is seen as sacred and noble, but perhaps it is not as 'grounded' as Confucianism. This is not to say Buddhism cannot spread in modern society, but many of its profound truths are not yet understood by the secular mind.
From Scholar to Practitioner
As someone who transitioned from Confucianism to Buddhism, my own journey is a valuable lesson. As a promoter of the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, I helped people resolve their problems and provided excellent character education, bringing peace of mind and wisdom. However, I had not awakened to the need to elevate my spiritual quality, so I remained stuck in the 'learning of establishing one's destiny' taught by the sages.
It was only after I was led by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to the Western Land of Dharma Nature that I suddenly realized: no matter how well I had studied before, I could not solve the great matter of life and death. This path was my true awakening. Only the complete education of Buddhism can help people truly resolve the matter of life and death, elevate their spiritual quality, and follow Namo Amituofo back to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.
A Practical Approach to Propagation
I hope my journey serves as a mirror for the world. People today are burdened by deep confusion and afflictions. Before they can enter the transcendental education of Buddhism, we can use the wisdom of Buddhism to help them feel the and wisdom of Namo Amituofo. Let them see changes in their lives, understand the importance of changing their personality, and grasp the excellent qualities of 'thinking well, seeing well, speaking well, and doing well.' If these seeds sprout in their hearts and are implemented in their lives, they will gradually experience the compassionate words of the Buddha. Then, learning the high-tech skills to transcend the cycle of rebirth will not be difficult.
People are always focused on immediate benefits. Those with heavy confusion cannot see far. To them, life and death seem too distant and uncontrollable; they believe everything is just the arrangement of impermanence, so they don't try to change or understand it.
Technical Suggestions for the Centre
The point I want to express is that because Namo Amituofo resides at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, with the teachings of Teacher Xia Lianju and the explanations of Practitioner Su, there is a wealth of precious material available on the website and in the archives. Yet, few people have the to click and watch. Perhaps this is a matter of their blessings, or perhaps we can put in work through technical improvements.
I believe the Centre has many wise teachings that should be more widely circulated and brought to the forefront. The new website is currently in operation. To highlight the importance of these teachings, we should focus on the design:
1. Organize the Buddha's words and the Teacher's teachings. Extract the most essential points from the thousands of teachings so people don't have to search like 'finding a needle in a haystack'.
2. Establish an effective classification system. When people have doubts or anxiety, they should be able to easily find the answers through a simple, intuitive classification system.
Furthermore, since Namo Amituofo resides at the Centre, He can provide teachings at any time. We could better understand the problems and afflictions people face today. When people write to the Centre about their issues, we can invite Namo Amituofo to provide teachings to resolve their doubts. This complete record of questions and answers must be made public to the world, so everyone can see the wisdom and compassion of Namo Amituofo. Let the world see that Buddhism can truly lead people to be free from aging, free from illness, and that their spirit never dies.
This is a step-by-step path. I believe this preparation is crucial. How do we lead people out of the suffering of daily life, making them willing to entrust their body and mind to the Buddha, let go of their physical sensations, and single-mindedly chant 'Namo Amituofo' to reach the other shore?
If this step-by-step Buddhist education can be presented more openly, it will attract many to understand Buddhism and, in turn, understand: 1. What is the 'high-tech' of being free from aging, free from illness, and the spirit never dying? 2. What is the 'high-tech' skill of 'awakening to one's true nature and achieving the ' like Practitioner Su? This step-by-step preparation cannot be underestimated. People have different capacities, and because Namo Amituofo resides at the Centre, He can 'teach according to the student's capacity,' helping them find the answers in their hearts. Through step-by-step learning, we help them untie the knots in their hearts, until they are willing to completely and sincerely let go of their own views and believe in all the words of wisdom spoken by Namo Amituofo."
"I truly believe that with the robust platform of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre website and our current promotional reach, this goal is entirely achievable. By influencing society through these channels, we can assist many children today in receiving a genuine Buddhist education from their earliest years. By guiding them from the simple to the profound, we can lead them step-by-step along the path of purification, eventually opening their eyes to realise their true nature as an awakened being."
The Power of Modern Media
"Since I arrived in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I have been observing the various situations unfolding on Earth. I have come to realise that in our current era, where media dissemination is incredibly advanced, the role of advertising and public promotion is absolutely vital. While Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is currently making efforts through various channels—such as placing 'Namo Amituofo' billboards in different regions and engaging with various social media platforms—from my perspective, when compared to other organisations, the effort invested in promotion and advertising by the Centre is still quite limited. Because the force behind these efforts is not yet strong enough, much of the precious information we hold—including the invaluable Buddha’s words and the profound interview manuscripts from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre—remains buried within the depths of the website. It has not yet truly permeated the daily media streams that people browse every single day."
A Message the World Must Hear
"It is a profound tragedy that such monumental news—the fact that Namo Amituofo is residing here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre—is known to so few people. It is truly a great pity. Therefore, I, Chen Kunhe, firmly believe that in the current social climate, we must adopt more powerful and strategic methods for our promotion. Perhaps we could concentrate our manpower to thoroughly explore and execute this mission, as it is undoubtedly a time-consuming and energy-intensive project. If we require professional consultation or expertise, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre should actively seek out those channels to ensure our message reaches the masses."
A Humble Reflection
"Finally, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for their guidance and support. Finding myself here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature and having the rare opportunity to share these thoughts in an interview, I feel deeply humbled and perhaps even unworthy of such an honour. I do not know if my humble words are worth adopting, but that is not the point. These are merely my own words of experience, shared in the hope that Practitioner Su might gain a clearer understanding of the current situations facing society today."
The Urgent Need for Buddhist Education
"What is certain, beyond any doubt, is that this world is in desperate need of Buddhist education—specifically the kind of Buddhist education brought to humanity by the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and the reality that Namo Amituofo is residing here. If the people of this world remain unaware of this, it is a loss of immeasurable proportions. From the beginning to the end, I have held two firm convictions: First, the presence of Namo Amituofo must be brought 'in the spotlight' for all to see. Second, the method of bringing this 'in the spotlight' must be seamlessly integrated with modern high technology. By utilising these advanced tools to promote the Dharma, we make it easier for people to believe in the Buddha, to accept these teachings, and to ensure that the light of the Dharma has the greatest opportunity to be in the spotlight, eventually penetrating deep into the hearts of all sentient beings."
"This concludes my simple report. I am filled with gratitude for the Buddha’s compassion. Namo Amituofo."
