A Mother's Love and the Path to Deliverance

Zhao Tingjian, a former prison guard in the hells, sought deliverance through the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This interview was recorded by Chief Writer Shi Fajing on October 29, 2021.

Zhao Tingjian speaks:

"At this very moment, we are finally liberated. From the moment we began waiting until now, our faces have been filled with constant smiles. When Practitioner Su guided us to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, we all beamed with radiant joy. Our eyes were deeply captivated by the scenery before us, and we could not help but marvel at the incomparable dignity of the Western Land. We knelt to express our gratitude to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su.

A Mother's Great Sacrifice

In this life, the person I am most grateful to is my mother. She was a truly great woman. I grew up in a single-parent household; my mother raised us three brothers all by herself. Life was incredibly difficult, and because the three of us were sickly and frequently ill, she had to constantly borrow money just to pay for our medical care.

My mother was very beautiful. When we were five years old, she was only twenty-five—so young. Yet, from our earliest memories, we only ever saw our mother; we never once saw a father.

One day, I could no longer contain my curiosity and asked, 'Mother, where is Father? Why have we never seen him?' She did not answer immediately. It was not until the next day that she called the three of us over and spoke to us with great solemnity: 'Five years ago, in the summer, I saved your three lives. You had all been abandoned beside a mother dog. You were just born, so tiny, and likely premature. I knew immediately that I had to take you to the hospital at once to save you. At the hospital, the doctors initially said there was no way to save you, but I kept praying to the Heavens for protection. Finally, your lives were preserved.' Hearing this, we were all stunned. We were not her biological children.

The Wisdom of a Compassionate Heart

Mother continued, 'I had intended to wait until you were all grown up to tell you this, but since you asked, I decided it was time you knew. After I spent so much money to save you, many people asked me why I did it and if it was worth it. I did not answer them directly. In my heart, you were three lives; I could not bear to watch you simply slip away. If I could save you, raise you well, and educate you so that you could help society in the future, then it would be worth it.' Hearing her say this, the three of us wept, our hearts overflowing with gratitude for our mother.

Every morning after Mother left for work, she would leave us with tasks. She never let us sit idle at home. She trusted us completely, partly because our neighbours knew us and would help keep an eye on us, and partly because we were sensible and never gave her cause for worry. She could go to work with peace of mind, returning in the evening to inspect our progress and see if we had completed our assignments.

Mother educated us with great care. The tasks she gave us daily were meant to encourage us to learn, observe, and experience life. I do not know how she possessed such wisdom at such a young age. She was different from other women; even though she was beautiful and had many suitors, she insisted on remaining unmarried. To her, this world was not worth clinging to. She only wanted to seize the time to do more good deeds and avoid becoming entangled in worldly attachments. Especially regarding emotion—that tangled, difficult-to-release web—Mother refused to touch it. As for us three children, we were her life's mission. From the moment she saved us, she resolved to raise us well before she departed this world.

Learning Through Service

In our village, the three of us were well-liked. Because Mother was so wise, the tasks she gave us were always to help others. Every household in the village had work to be done—some farmed, some ran businesses. No matter the task, we would help. Even for the lonely elderly who had no one to care for them, Mother instructed us to keep them company, help them clean their homes, chat with them, and watch television until evening before returning home.

Mother had arranged this with the villagers long in advance, so whenever we arrived, they already had work prepared for us. Every day, upon returning home, Mother would call us over and ask, 'What did you learn today?' This was a question we had to answer every single day. Because we knew we would be asked, we were especially mindful to observe and reflect on everything we did, rather than just going through the motions.

For instance, once, Mother asked us to help an elderly woman move her belongings. She had just moved back to the village from the city. As we moved her things, we listened to her talk about her family. We learned that her children were all working in the city, but they were so busy that no one could keep her company. She had no choice but to move back to the village, where at least other villagers could chat with her.

That day, when Mother asked what we had learned, I was the first to raise my hand: 'After hearing the old woman's story, I understand even more that we must be filial. We cannot neglect our own mother just because of work. I also learned that, in the end, life is a solitary journey, so why bother getting married and making life difficult for oneself?'

Mother was very satisfied with my answer. She asked, 'What will you do in the future?' I replied, 'I do not plan to marry when I grow up. Now, Mother has us help others every day, and even if it is just a small thing, we feel happy. Just like the day before yesterday, when we helped the old grandfather at the end of the lane pull radishes—he was happy, and so were we. When I grow up and have more ability, I will be able to help even more people and do even more good.' My two younger brothers echoed my sentiments: 'We feel the same! We want to help more people in the future!' Mother was deeply pleased and laughed heartily.

A Life of Goodness

Mother took such painstaking care of us, and year by year, we grew up. Although we did not have high academic qualifications, our hearts were kind. Mother once told us, 'You do not need to know many things, and you do not necessarily need to be highly capable, but your heart must be kind.' We listened to her well. Whatever Mother taught, we learned. Thus, the three of us were raised well, and the villagers could not praise us enough.

I had a talent for writing and was specifically nurtured by a teacher in school. When I grew up, I worked as a writer, submitting articles. Everything I wrote were stories or short pieces encouraging people to do good and perform virtuous deeds. This was what Mother had taught us from childhood—to let these stories help more people.

At the age of sixty, Mother passed away peacefully. Her face looked serene; I believe she must have ascended to the heavens, and we felt happy for her. No matter how long we live, we will continue to perform good deeds until the end.

From the Hells to the Western Pure Land

As my life was coming to an end, I saw a golden light, but at the same time, I saw the suffering criminals in the hells. I felt such pity for them that I naturally walked toward them, wanting to help them.

That is how I entered the hells. King Yama told me that I could have ascended to the heavens, but because I had made a vow in a past life to help the beings in the hells, I chose to serve as a prison guard. King Yama fulfilled my wish and allowed me to help within the hells.

In the hells, I witnessed every kind of suffering—it was truly unbearable. I tried every possible way to help those beings, but I did not know how to truly assist them. Even if I urged them to do good, they could not perform virtuous deeds while undergoing their retribution. About eight or nine years ago, I heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks. The moment I heard the Dharma, I knew exactly how I could help them.

I urged these beings to change their hearts, repent, chant Namo Amituofo, and single-mindedly seek rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I recited the teachings of Practitioner Su to them, hoping they would change completely so that if they were reborn, they would no longer suffer. I did this tirelessly. Four or five years ago, I was placed on the list for Practitioner Su to guide to the West. I was so happy, and today, I have truly arrived in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I am grateful to the Buddha for His compassion. I am grateful to Practitioner Su for her compassion.

Namo Amituofo.

Zhao Tingjian"

Note: The mother of the prison guard Zhao Tingjian, Zhao Yelan, is currently in the third level of the heavens and has already been guided by Practitioner Su to the Western Land of Dharma Nature to listen to the Dharma.