Deliverance to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss: The Testimony of Lay Practitioner Liu Yumei

This is a record of an interview with Lay Practitioner Liu Yumei, the mother of Lay Practitioner Nian Lin Yougui, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on April 12, 2024.

Lay Practitioner Liu Yumei speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am so incredibly grateful—so deeply, deeply grateful—to Practitioner Su for bringing me here, to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I had never chanted the Buddha's name in my life, yet I was still given the extraordinary chance to come here and behold the Buddha. My heart is overflowing with gratitude; I find myself constantly bowing and kneeling, moved to the very core of my being by this mercy."

A Life of Hidden Suffering

"My life was filled with such bitterness. My heart was always heavy, even when I wore a smile on my face. To the outside world, it might have seemed like I was fine, but inside, I was suffocating. I was constantly plagued by sorrow and burdened by so many negative thoughts that I could not shake.

I realise now that my own difficult personality was the root of my suffering. If I hadn't been so stubborn, so attached to my own way, I wouldn't have faced so many frustrations and disappointments. But back then, I was blind to this. I took the sensations of my body as the ultimate truth, never realising that I was merely a puppet, controlled by my own karma."

The Truth of Karma and Fate

"Listening to the Dharma here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre has been a revelation. I used to lament my fate, feeling that life had been so unfair to me. But now, the truth is crystal clear: everything I encountered in my life, whether good or bad, was already destined by the Law of Cause and Effect. Because I never sought to repent or turn my karma around, I simply followed the path of my own destiny, which eventually led to illness and immense suffering.

I want to speak to my children. I see that you are all suffering just as I did, yet you haven't realised it yet. Everything in this world is an illusion. Look at me—what did I bring with me when I left? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Everything in the world is false. It is only when you finally stop breathing and your spirit leaves the body that you truly wake up, but by then, it is too late. The body is gone."

A Mother's Final Plea

"Do not be so attached to worldly things. Do not end up like me, suffering through the pain of illness at the end of your life. While you still have your bodies, do not waste your time just working to earn money. You cannot take any of it with you. Do not walk down a path that leads to regret. You must start practising the Dharma properly. I don't have much more to say; the most important thing is that you wake up.

With deepest reverence, Liu Yumei. Namo Amituofo."