A Smile from the Hells

This is a record of an interview with Xu Huanzhi, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and his time as a jailer in the hells. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on October 23, 2021.

Xu Huanzhi speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. In the blink of an eye, I have arrived at the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am here with fifty-nine other jailers, kneeling before the Buddha, bowing our heads in deep gratitude to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su.

This is a moment that all sixty of us have been waiting for with bated breath. We have been in line for nine long years, and today, it was finally our turn to be guided by Practitioner Su to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. My heart is filled with such profound emotion and gratitude. Namo Amituofo."

A Lifetime of Reincarnation

"I have been caught in the cycle of samsara for so long, reincarnated into human bodies countless times, and with each life, I have taken on a new name. This name, Xu Huanzhi, was the final one I held before my rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

When I possessed a human body, the name Xu Huanzhi was given to me by my father. It differed by only one character from the names of my four older brothers: Xu Huanyou, Xu Huanbin, Xu Huanda, and Xu Huanneng. And so, when I arrived, I became Xu Huanzhi."

The Burden of Karma

"Some people say that if my parents had noticed my high fever immediately after I was born and sought medical treatment, perhaps my eyes would not have been blinded. But my parents were constantly busy, struggling to make ends meet, and their time to care for me was incredibly limited. By the time they realised I was burning with fever, the damage was already done. My eyes were lost to that illness, and from that day on, I lived in darkness.

Our family was very poor, and raising five children was an immense struggle for my parents. My father had limited mobility and suffered from chronic knee pain, which meant he could only work for short periods before needing to rest. Our financial situation was always precarious. My mother had learned dressmaking from my grandmother and earned a little money that way, but she was so overwhelmed that our home was often in complete disarray.

My parents always felt a deep sense of guilt regarding my condition. They constantly blamed themselves, wondering if things would have been different had they acted sooner. Whenever my mother spoke of me to relatives, she could not hold back her tears. People would urge her to let go of the past, suggesting that this was simply my karma for this lifetime, but she could never truly release that weight."

Seeing Beyond the Physical

"My parents tried to shield me from their sorrow, never speaking of their pain in my presence. However, they did not know that I possessed a heightened sensitivity. From the time I was three years old, I could sense the state of anyone who approached me; I could even perceive what they were thinking. Whenever my parents held me, I knew exactly what was in their hearts—not a single detail escaped me.

I never wanted my parents to blame themselves. My blindness had nothing to do with them; it was entirely the result of my own karma. I had seen it clearly, but before I could speak, I had no way to tell them. It was not until I was five years old that I was finally able to describe the visions I had seen.

That year, I told my parents: 'I have seen my past. In a previous life, I used medicine to harm many people. After taking the concoctions I prepared, they lost their senses; some went blind, others lost the ability to speak. They suffered terribly because of me. Now, that karma resides in my head and my eyes, which is why I am like this today. This is a debt I must repay, and I have no complaints.' I was afraid of hurting them further, so I did not mention that the people who conspired with me in that past life were, in fact, my parents. We were born as family in this life to face this karmic retribution together. I shared this only in the hope that they would find peace and stop blaming themselves for my sake."

The Healing Power of a Smile

"I have always been an optimist. Many people cannot help but smile when they see me because my face is always lit with a grin. My smile is infectious, especially to my parents. Whenever they approached me carrying negative energy, I would simply smile at them. Soon, their negativity would fade, and they would begin to smile along with me. This method was incredibly effective; I tried it many times, and it worked every single time! My parents often said I had a gift for cheering them up. Whenever they saw my smile, they forgot their sorrow and suffering. It was as if, with a smile, every problem became easy to solve, and there was no need for worry at all.

My parents were absolutely right. The power of a smile is truly immense; it is the best medicine for all ailments. I have used this method to help heal several people. There was no need for complex medicine—just smiling, day after day, was enough."

Spreading the Light

"However, while smiling sounds easy, people often find it difficult to do. If you do not remind them, people’s faces naturally tend to droop. When they encounter difficulties, if they are not reminded to be positive, I can easily feel their negative energy intensifying. This seems to be a natural state for humanity; more than half of the people I encounter are like this.

To help everyone live a life free from illness and filled with joy, I began teaching people how to smile. I taught them to smile naturally, to smile loudly, and to smile from the very depths of their hearts. Even if they felt they could not smile, I told them to at least keep a gentle expression on their faces. When those around them saw that smile, they would naturally begin to smile as well. In this way, everyone would be smiling, and the energy field would naturally become positive, allowing everyone to live a little more happily.

In truth, I was only blind in my eyes; my other abilities were not lacking at all—in fact, they were better than most. People might not believe this, but I never needed a cane to tap the ground to find my way. Whenever I was about to walk into a wall, the wall itself would tell me: 'Move a little to the left, you are about to hit me.' When I reached an intersection, someone would naturally ask: 'You need to turn right to get to your destination.' These voices came to me quite naturally, and they were always very friendly. As long as I listened to their guidance, I never had any trouble getting where I needed to go."

A Life of Compassion

"Because I knew that all things have spirits, I did not eat meat; I have been a vegetarian since birth. When I was two years old, my parents, who rarely had meat to eat, brought a small piece to me as if it were a precious treasure. They wanted me to taste its deliciousness. The moment my mother brought it to my lips, I burst into tears. I could clearly see the original form of that meat—a black pig—and the agony it felt when it was slaughtered appeared vividly before me. I could not speak yet, so I just cried and cried, refusing to eat it.

My parents did not understand why I was crying, and they were baffled when they realised it was the meat that caused my distress. Later, they tested me with a piece of chicken, and I had the same reaction. I could clearly see the pain of that chicken being plucked, and I felt so sad that I wept. After several such experiences, my parents understood that I was a child who would not eat meat. I would cry for the animals, and so I remained a vegetarian for my entire life. I also encouraged others to eat vegetarian, and eventually, my family followed suit. Some of the villagers with good roots also began to learn, and their lives changed for the better, with fewer misfortunes. Through word of mouth, many people began to eat vegetarian. From then on, there was much less slaughter in our village. Whenever I walked past those animals, I could hear them thanking me. Some even knelt down, and I would quickly tell them to stand up. It was simply what I had to do; I did not want them to be harmed by human ignorance."

The Simple Path to Liberation

"My life was very simple, sustained by the vegetables I grew in my field. Many people might not have heard of a blind man who could farm, but I was that man. People were full of praise for the vegetables I grew. Many times, people asked to buy them, but I would simply give them away. Once they tasted them, they loved them and begged me to grow more to sell. Eventually, I did start selling them, but I often gave them to the poor, who ate them with great joy.

When people asked for my secret, there really was none. I simply talked to the plants every day. They would tell me how much water they needed—it was not the same amount every day. Sometimes they needed more, sometimes less. As long as I listened to them and followed their instructions, the vegetables grew beautifully and tasted wonderful.

My life was that simple, and I lived it that way until the end. Whenever I encountered someone in need, I helped them if I was able. Perhaps that is why my life was so smooth. Later, I realised that the obstacles in life are actually created by our own mental notes. As long as you see everything as good and keep smiling, there is naturally nothing that goes wrong. Even if things are truly difficult, a smile can turn them around. This is a truly magical power that everyone should try."

From Jailer to the Pure Land

"After I passed away and became a jailer in the hells, I tried my best to do what was required of me, but every day, as I looked at those prisoners, I longed to help them leave their suffering behind. At first, I did not know how, but after Practitioner Su appeared, I understood. As long as I taught them to chant Namo Amituofo and they were willing to repent truly, they would have a chance to leave suffering behind. This was especially true when Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body entered the hells to perform Chao Du; it was a golden opportunity for them to seek liberation.

With my help, many prisoners learned to chant Buddha's name, understood the importance of repenting, and left the hells, no longer enduring the suffering of karmic retribution. They repented with true sincerity and were willing to change their ways.

Now, I am a part of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Seeing this place, I can feel the Buddha’s compassion one hundred percent. I am so grateful to the Buddha for building the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su for compassionately leading so many of us spirits back to the West.

Namo Amituofo."