A Life of Compassion and the Path to Deliverance

This interview was recorded on January 28, 2023, with the assistance of the chief writer, Venerable Fa Jing. Huang Xue-e, a former educator and philanthropist who later served as a prison official in the hells, recounts her journey from a life of worldly kindness to her eventual deliverance to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su.

Huang Xue-e speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. We have finally arrived at the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. We have waited for this day for such a long time. If it were not for the help of Practitioner Su, we would certainly still be trapped in the cycle of reincarnation; it would have been impossible to have an opportunity like this—to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. All sixty of us, who served as prison officials, are filled with gratitude. We are grateful for the compassion of Namo Amituofo and the compassion of Practitioner Su."

A Life Rooted in Kindness

"I am Huang Xue-e, known by my Japanese name, Mari Yuko. My father was Japanese and my mother was Taiwanese. I received my education in Japan during my childhood and later moved to Taiwan to teach as an adult.

I was born into a very fortunate family environment. My father was a doctor, and the year before I was born, he opened a local clinic to treat the sick. Our area was quite remote, and it would take more than half a day to reach a large hospital, so the local people preferred to visit my father’s clinic. Beyond the convenience, the medical fees were much lower than those at the big hospitals.

In such an environment, our family’s financial situation was very comfortable. My father’s earnings alone were enough to support all seven of us sisters and even allowed us to purchase three houses.

We seven sisters all inherited our mother’s beautiful features. My mother was Taiwanese; she met my father while studying abroad in Japan and was a virtuous and devoted wife. Although she was well-educated, she stopped working after marrying my father, dedicating her days to managing the household and caring for us seven sisters.

Although we seven sisters were born to the same parents, our destinies were each unique. I was the fifth born, and I resembled my mother the most. Perhaps it was fate, or some other connection, but I also shared the closest bond with her."

A Heart for Taiwan

"In the year I turned twenty, I returned to Taiwan with my mother for the Lunar New Year. After that, I did not return to Japan; instead, I stayed in Taiwan with my maternal grandparents and began a new life there.

I have a special affection for Taiwan. That feeling was innate; it was a natural and profound attachment that made me want to build my life here. After arriving in Taiwan, the people I most loved to be near were the elderly. Every elderly person was so full of human warmth, so I loved chatting and talking with them, feeling the kindness and passion of the Taiwanese people.

I spent some time studying again in Taiwan, learning the local culture and mastering Chinese characters, preparing to become a teacher. This was the wish of my life. After spending time in a large city and earning my teaching credentials, I returned to my grandparents' village and stayed there to teach as an elementary school teacher."

The Struggles of the Village

"In that era, poverty was widespread. Very few children were able to attend school. Some children were pulled out of class halfway through to work, and others could not even finish a single semester. Most children were unable to complete their education, primarily due to family circumstances.

Although academic achievement was not highly valued in those days—people did not care much about high or low qualifications—parents mostly hoped their children could help work and earn money because life was truly arduous. Only the slightly wealthier families would allow their children to continue their studies.

At that time, I was still very young, and having lived a life of comfort since childhood, I did not fully understand the suffering of poor families. To better understand my students, I frequently visited their homes, chatted with their parents, and observed their living environments.

After becoming close to these students, their parents, and their living conditions, I realised how fortunate my own life had been. Some of these students had to care for younger siblings at a very young age, and they had to work everywhere just to help support the family. Most of the time, they could not even afford three full meals a day and were often hungry. Even so, life had to go on. There were so many such children in the village. When I asked them if they wanted to study, they would nod at me, but quickly lower their heads because their families had no money."

A Mission of Giving

"To help these children, I made a special trip back to Japan. I sold one of the houses my father had given me and used the proceeds to help these children attend school. I turned that money into scholarships, helping these children not only to study but also to receive funds to support their families. Of course, these scholarships were not necessarily given only to students with high academic grades, because everyone’s natural abilities are different. Some people, no matter how hard they try, cannot achieve high marks. Therefore, there were many ways to qualify for these scholarships, giving many children who were willing to learn the opportunity to receive support.

The money from selling the house eventually ran out, so I went everywhere to fundraise, hoping that those with the ability would open their compassionate hearts to help. At that time, many wealthy people in the area, encouraged by me, truly made great vows. Some donated land, and others donated large sums of money. In that environment, raising so much money was a very difficult task, so I was extremely grateful and expressed my heartfelt thanks to these people with the utmost sincerity.

As the funds raised grew, the number of children receiving help increased, and we were even able to use the money to provide relief to impoverished families, helping to improve everyone’s lives. I was very happy to see that these children who received scholarships were all very motivated. They knew that this money was raised from all walks of life. When they received these funds, their hearts were filled with gratitude, which made them even more diligent in their studies. With the help of these scholarships, they had the opportunity to continue their education.

Children who understand gratitude have an easier path throughout their lives. These children walked their growth paths smoothly because of 'gratitude,' and because of gratitude, they were content and lived happily."

A Legacy of Kindness

"After these students graduated, they all returned one by one to visit me. Every time I saw them, I was deeply moved, because they all had outstanding achievements in society. This outstanding performance did not necessarily mean earning a lot of money, but rather knowing how to contribute and give back, passing on this spirit of helping others.

As for my own family, I married in my thirties to a colleague at school. We were both teachers and had three sons, all of whom later worked in education. We both hoped that beyond teaching academic subjects, we would also teach students what is good and virtuous, allowing this society to become better and better.

I lived a very happy life. Every day I was busy helping students and helping society. Many times, I almost had no time to think of myself. Sometimes my husband would complain, saying that I gave all my time to others and left only a little for the family. I knew he hoped I would spend more time with my family, but when I saw my own family living well, I hoped even more that all families could be well, which made me want to reach out and help them, to give them a hand."

The Turning Point of Dharma

"In my later years, as I grew older, there was not much I could do. One day, a friend came to my home. She was a friend I had known for over forty years, but we had lost contact for several years. When I saw her again, her facial features had changed so much. Upon asking, I learned that she had started learning the Buddha’s teachings. It was the transformation of her heart and mind that had changed her appearance.

This old friend introduced me to the Buddha’s teachings. That was my first contact with the Dharma. After chanting Namo Amituofo for a long time, I felt that the chanting became more and more meaningful. Seeing how dedicated I was, my husband eventually started chanting as well. We two elderly people began chanting every day, hoping to use the power of chanting to help society. This was what we did in our later years.

At that time, we chanted simply hoping that society would be better. We did not think about being reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; we did not understand it, so we did not think much about it. We just kept chanting and chanting, our hearts focused entirely on Goodness.

Some people said that my kindness brought me good rewards. I lived to a ripe old age without ever being sick, and my children were all filial. Even the students I taught often came to visit me at home, and everyone respected me very much. I often told them: 'Seeing your growth, I have no regrets in dying.' It is truly so. I, Huang Xue-e, came to the human world in this life, and being able to teach the younger generation well, allowing what is good and virtuous to be passed down from generation to generation—this means I did not waste my trip to this world."

The Final Sleep and Deliverance

"Before I passed away, I just felt that my body was a bit weak; there were no major illnesses. My husband was holding my hand by my side, asking me what I wanted to eat the next morning. I replied: 'I would like some congee.' Then, I chanted Namo Amituofo a few more times and simply fell asleep. This sleep was a very, very long one, and I never woke up again. I had bid a final farewell to the world.

After my spirit arrived in the hells, I realised that I had not followed the Buddha. It was because my heart had not truly reached purity, and there was still attachment in my heart, which caused me to lose my way on the path of following the Buddha.

However, in the hells, I had the opportunity to serve as a prison official, mainly responsible for clerical work, which allowed me to serve within the hells.

About four or five years ago, I suddenly heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks in the hells. I was so surprised. I did not know who was speaking. I asked many prison officials, but they all said they did not hear anything. Later, I heard it many more times. After understanding through various means, I realised it was Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks, and what he spoke was the Truth. Only then did I better understand the need to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Although I did not know at the time if I still had the opportunity to reach the West, I had a vow in my heart: I vowed that all beings could return to the West together. Especially after seeing the suffering of the beings in the hells, I hoped even more that all beings could soon leave suffering behind. Perhaps it was because of this heart and mind that I had the opportunity to be placed on the list of those Practitioner Su would lead to the West. And today, I have truly been reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

Huang Xue-e

Namo Amituofo.