This is a record of an interview with Li Huifang, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon her spiritual journey and the karmic lessons of her past lives. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on August 27, 2021.
Li Huifang speaks:
". As I kneel before the Buddha, I slowly bow my head, my heart filled with the most sincere and profound gratitude for the great of Namo Amituofo and the great compassion of Practitioner Su. Tears stream down my face, and I am so deeply moved that I cannot find the words to speak. I have finally returned to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
My story is one that is difficult to believe unless you have experienced it yourself. I have always been a devout believer in the Buddha, and I have strived to practise everything the Buddha taught. However, I fell ill. I assumed that getting sick as one grows older was simply a natural part of life. It was not until I listened to the talks given by Practitioner Su that I realised something was fundamentally wrong. I had become ill because all of my had come to find me.
The Hidden Trap of Selfishness
In this world, if you truly want to perform good deeds, you must not have even a shred of selfishness. When I inadvertently allowed a tiny thought of self-interest to arise in my heart, all of my karmic creditors arrived at once. Now, as I look back upon my past, I can see clearly. In one of my previous lifetimes, when I had committed many wrongdoings and was suffering under the punishment of the heavens, I made a vow before I died: if I were ever granted the chance to be human again, I would never commit evil acts again. I vowed to perform good deeds and help others until the very end of my life. That vow, made so long ago, was finally realised in this lifetime. A heart that genuinely wanted to help others led me to do whatever good I could within my capacity. Yet, at the same time, my karmic creditors were watching from the sidelines, observing to see if my heart was truly sincere.
I was sincere in my desire to help people, but I could not see that hidden within that sincerity was still a trace of selfishness. It was so subtle that even I could not perceive it, let alone those around me. They certainly never noticed it, but my karmic creditors saw it with absolute clarity. They seized upon it, and that is why I became ill.
Reflections on a Past Life
In truth, I once saw my past in a dream. In that dream, I was also helping people, but I was greedy for the act of helping itself. I knew that helping others was good for me, so I wanted to do everything. In the dream, I seemed like a different person—anxious, rushing, and competing to do everything. Now I see that the person in that dream was not the 'me' of this lifetime, but the 'me' from a past life when I was the wife of a wealthy man. I spoke loudly and moved quickly. Because I was greedy for the that come from doing good, I performed good deeds everywhere. Although I helped many people, I also hurt many others because of my terrible temper, and I created a great deal of negative .
The blessings I accumulated through those good deeds in that lifetime are the reason I did not have to worry about food or clothing in this current life. At the time, I did not understand that dream very clearly; I only remembered fragments of it when I woke up. Since then, I have been constantly working to change my personality, trying not to hurt people as I did when I was that wealthy man's wife. What I found even more unexpected was that the karma I created in that lifetime had not yet been fully repaid. In this life, beyond enjoying the blessings I had accumulated, I also had to repay the debts I had incurred.
A Debt Repaid and a New Beginning
Whether or not people choose to believe this, this is truly how I have lived through it. If it were not for Lei Hulan saving me, I would never have had the chance to escape. I do not know how many more lifetimes it would have taken for me to be reborn into the human world again.
Thank you, Hulan, for saving me. From the moment I was guided here by Practitioner Su until now, I have remained kneeling, listening to the Dharma, because my heart is filled with such gratitude for the Buddha. You are truly blessed to have found this place; the Buddha is truly here. I spent so long learning about the Buddha in the past without ever having the chance to truly encounter Him. Now that you have found Him, you are incredibly fortunate. You must seize this opportunity to study the Dharma well. Life is so short. Please, put down the burdens of this world and work hard so that we may meet again in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. When that time comes, I will certainly come to welcome you. Thank you.
