A Lifetime of Goodness and the Path to Deliverance

Du Weihao, a former village leader who later served as a prison guard in the hells, sought deliverance through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su. This interview, recorded on December 30, 2023, captures her journey from a life of charitable service to her eventual liberation in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, where she now resides.

Du Weihao speaks:

"We are so deeply grateful to the compassionate Practitioner Su for taking me, Ah Hao, and fifty-nine other prison guards to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. We struggle to find the words to describe the joy and emotion in our hearts. The moment we arrived in the Western Land, our hearts were finally at peace. We realised that the cycle of reincarnated life had finally ended. We no longer have to be exhausted by the endless cycle of life and death, nor do we need to worry about where we might end up next. Now, we can sit securely before the Buddha to listen to the Buddha’s teachings, diligently practice to improve ourselves, and live here in peace. Living a life free from suffering and filled only with joy—it is so free, so full of happiness."

"All sixty of us prison guards knelt together before the Buddha, offering our deepest gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su."

A Name Bestowed with Purpose

"When I was in the human world, everyone was accustomed to calling me Ah Hao. Even after I became a prison guard, I was still called Ah Hao, so I am used to referring to myself by that name."

"My name actually has a very interesting origin. When I was only three months in my mother's womb, my father had already chosen this name for me. At that time, he did not know if I would be a boy or a girl, so he named me 'Du Weihao'. My father told my mother, 'Whether it is a boy or a girl, this will be the name. I chose the name "Weihao" because I hope that when this child grows up, they will be able to do good. Not only to conduct themselves well, but to do many good deeds to help others.' My mother listened to my father and nodded with a smile, fully agreeing. And so, I was named Du Weihao."

A Legacy of Generosity and Compassion

"My father was recognised by everyone in the village as a truly good person. Our family's financial situation was quite comfortable, as our ancestors had left us enough property to sustain us for several generations. My father never cared much for money; the thing he loved most was Generosity. Back then, we didn't call it Generosity in the Buddhist sense; people simply said my father loved to use his money to relieve the poor or help those in need. In today's terms, that is exactly what Generosity means."

"My father had a very large mind-capacity. He knew that many families in the village lived very difficult lives, relying on tiny plots of land to survive. However, it rained frequently where we lived, and many crops would not grow, making life very hard for those who relied on farming. My father had a very kind heart and hoped to use his own ability to help more people. Every three months, he would order rice from the grain store and distribute it to the families in need. For those struggling financially, this was a tremendous help. Consequently, some in the village would describe it by saying, 'Our entire village is being supported by the Du family!'"

A Childhood of Joy and Optimism

"From a young age, I loved following my father around. I was not at all like a typical girl; I wore shorts every day and followed him everywhere. No matter how hot the sun was, I would go out, so my whole body was tanned dark. My voice was very loud, and I spoke with great volume—there was no feminine grace in me at all; I was like a tomboy."

"My father didn't care about my appearance. He often said, 'Happiness is the most important thing!' I truly lived very happily. I was a happy child with a joyful childhood. Because of this, my heart was very healthy; I didn't have chaotic thoughts, nor did I think of bad things. I was accustomed to thinking of everything in a positive light, and I was optimistic every single day."

"Those who spent time with me said that being around me made them happy. Because my heart was very positive, I naturally carried a kind of positive energy that I could share with everyone. When they were with me, they could feel that positive energy bringing them happiness, comfort, and a sense of ease."

The Weight of Stubbornness

"My father had only me as a daughter, so I inherited all the family's property. I never intended to get married in this life, so I decided to spend all that money within my lifetime. Of course, I didn't spend it on myself. I was accustomed to wearing simple clothes and trousers—none of which cost much—and I was very frugal with myself. I wanted to use all that money to save people. No matter where I went, if I saw someone in need of help, I would give the money to them."

"Although I spent my whole life doing good deeds, I also had my own attachments and preferences. I was very stubborn about my own ideas. As long as I believed something was right, no one could change my mind, and I would definitely do it. For instance, I once wanted to save a group of people who were like bandits, hoping they would turn from evil to good. Many people advised me against it, saying those people couldn't be saved that way, and that they were very greedy. They warned me that if I gave them money once, they would ask for more next time, and in even greater amounts. I wouldn't listen. I felt that my help would definitely be effective, so I stubbornly went ahead. As a result, they took a massive amount of money from me. During the struggle to seize the money, they even chopped off one of the fingers on my right hand."

"I was just that stubborn and attached. This personality caused me to suffer quite a bit and experience many setbacks. Fortunately, I had an optimistic temperament, which kept me from falling to the very bottom; otherwise, the wounds I suffered in this life would have been more than anyone could bear."

The Final Attachment to the Human World

"However, this personality didn't just affect me while I was alive; it also harmed me at the very moment I stopped breathing."

"Before I died, the one thing I was most attached to, cared about the most, and could not let go of, was the inability to continue taking care of the people in the village. I had learned my father's spirit and inherited his position as village leader, so my role was to look after my villagers and guard my village. We set the rules for the village ourselves, and everyone elected me as village leader for every term. I held the position for decades without ever stepping down. Right up until the year I died, at sixty-eight, I was still the village leader."

"I was preoccupied with my village and my villagers. At the moment I stopped breathing, I followed my attached mental note and entered the office chair in my village leader's office. It was a chair I had sat in from my youth until I grew old, sitting in it every day to handle affairs. So, before I died, the image I saw was myself sitting there. Just like that, I entered the space of that old, worn-out chair."

A Spirit Trapped Within the Chair

"The next village leader was my cousin's son, who called me 'Aunt'. This child had a strong karmic affinity with me. In the past, I often kept him by my side, constantly cultivating him and teaching him to be good and to help others. After I died, everyone elected him as the village leader, and he served the villagers."

"I became the chair my nephew sat on, accompanying him to work every day, but he had no idea that I was his aunt. In the space of that chair, I couldn't do anything to help him; I could only make him sit more comfortably."

"In my mind, I still hoped to help more people, but unfortunately, I had already lost my human body. Strangely, I often felt I was still in the space where I used to serve the villagers. Even though I was in that chair, I still felt as if I were sitting there listening to the villagers speak. It was as if I had a sense of spatial confusion, and I couldn't distinguish it clearly myself."

"However, I am very fortunate that I did not stay in that chair for too long. That chair was already very old. A few years after my nephew started sitting on it, he discarded it. After it was thrown into the dump and completely dismantled, my spirit was finally released from the chair."

Judgment and the Reality of the Hells

"After my spirit was released, I was quickly taken into the hells and brought before the King of Hell. The King of Hell showed me everything I had done in my life. From childhood to adulthood, I had helped people and done many good deeds, but because of my personality, I had also created many sins alongside those good deeds."

"I openly repent for the harm I had caused others due to my personality. I also saw the way I had done good and evil throughout my many lives. Those karmic creditors who followed me were all still there; they had never disappeared. Now that I had been brought to the hells, they didn't have the opportunity to seek revenge, but if I were to obtain a human body again, they would have the chance to continue their pursuit. Therefore, I repented deeply and made a vow to change my personality so that I would not create more karma due to the same temperament in my next reincarnation."

"The King of Hell gave me the position of a prison guard, allowing me to work in the hells."

The Compassionate Light of Practitioner Su

"I was certainly willing to work, but when I saw those beings in the hells, my heart ached. They were truly suffering; every second they were in pain, wailing, and screaming. I couldn't help them because that was the karma they had created themselves, and they had to bear their own sins and suffer such karmic retribution. Yet, I still hoped I could do something for them."

"To my surprise, about a few years ago, I began to hear the sound of Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks. The moment I first heard it, I was a bit puzzled about who was speaking. Later, other prison guards told me that it was Practitioner Su from the human world giving lectures. I was so astonished—how could the sound of teachings from the human world reach the hells? Soon, I saw the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su entering the hells to perform Chao Du for these suffering beings. I was filled with admiration; how could one practice to such a high level?"

"Ever since I listened to Practitioner Su's lectures, I have been sharing the content of those teachings with the suffering beings in the hells. I constantly reminded them to repent, to chant Buddha's name, and when the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su appeared, to quickly seek help and ask for deliverance. Many who listened to my words were truly saved. Those beings in the hells who were saved were the ones who truly and sincerely repented, which is how they were able to obtain deliverance when the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su arrived."

"Not long ago, I was placed on the list to be led to the Western Land by Practitioner Su. The moment I received the news, I was so happy I felt like I was going to fly."

"I have finally arrived in the Western Land today, and my heart is filled with gratitude. I vow to practice diligently to repay the kindness of the Buddha and Practitioner Su."

"Namo Amituofo."

"Du Weihao"