A Life of Integrity and the Laws of Karma

On December 8, 2019, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, Venerable Haize conducted an interview with Li Mingxin, a representative of sixty prison guards who were about to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Li Mingxin, who now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, recounts his life of integrity and the karmic lessons he learned before his deliverance.

Li Mingxin speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Li Mingxin. I am deeply grateful to Practitioner Su and to everyone here for enabling us sixty prison guards to fulfil our wish and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss." (Li Mingxin, leading the other prison guards, bows respectfully to everyone three times.)

A Name Rooted in Integrity

"I am Li Mingxin. As my name suggests, my father hoped that I would grow up to be a person who is clear-minded and worthy of trust. My father was an honest man. My mother once told me that he was once framed by a close friend and suffered greatly in prison. Yet, he never lost faith that Heaven would eventually restore his innocence. In the end, the truth did come to light, and he was finally released. However, after being locked away for two years, his health had deteriorated significantly. After I was born, he poured the entire conviction of his life into my name. Influenced by my parents, I also became an honest man."

The Philosophy of an Honest Merchant

"I am literate, and the principles I live by were all taught to me by my father. To believe in others is to believe in oneself. Because of this, even when I was in business, I would rather have others deceive or cheat me than ever deceive anyone else. I would rather suffer a loss myself than let anyone else suffer a loss. Because of this, people enjoyed doing business with me. I sold household goods, hardware, pots, and pans, and I never cheated the young or the old. If I brought in new stock, I would sell the older items in the shop—even if they were as good as new—at their original cost. If there was anything left over, I would give it away to my neighbours or to the poor. Every time I saw the smiles on their faces when they received these items, I felt that my life had not been lived in vain. It is a wonderful thing to be able to help those who are in need."

The Hidden Truth of Cause and Effect

"I lived to be sixty-one years old. My health was actually quite good, though my vision was often clouded by a white mist. One day, while I was out, I was caught in a heavy downpour. While trying to find shelter from the rain, I fell into a large irrigation ditch in a field and drowned. I felt someone pulling at my spirit; it turned out to be prison guards. They told me that I had died and that I had to go with them. I saw my own body floating on the surface of the water. They even remarked, 'How could such a good person die in such a miserable way?'

When I arrived at the Fifth Hall of the underworld, the King of Hell explained to me that it was precisely because I had helped so many people in this lifetime that I had been allowed to endure the suffering meant for my next two lifetimes all at once in this single life. In a past life, I had poisoned the water, which not only harmed everyone in the village but also caused the fish and shrimp in the river to die. Originally, I was destined to be drowned alive in both this life and the next to repay that debt. Now, one death has settled the debt for two, and the debt for the life where I was destined to be poisoned has also been cleared. This is why people in the world cannot just look at what is right in front of them; the principle of karma that links our past, present, and future lives together."

A Final Gratitude

"I must also thank Heaven for being so kind to me. Not only did I get to serve as a prison guard, but I was also included in the list of those whom Practitioner Su would guide to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. It is truly the greatest fortune of my three lifetimes! I waited for four years, and today, I have finally reached the day of my rebirth. I am eternally grateful to Namo Amituofo, to Practitioner Su, and to all of you!"

Li Mingxin and the other fifty-nine prison guards bow in gratitude for the Buddha's grace.

Note: Practitioner Su, out of compassion for the karmic suffering of Li Mingxin's father, Li Gusheng, and recognising that he had taught Li Mingxin so well, has guided the spirit of his father from space to the Western Land of Dharma Nature to listen to sutras and hear the Dharma.

"Namo Amituofo."