From Darkness to Light: A Journey of Redemption

Miao Guoran was a man who spent his life struggling with the shadows of childhood trauma, eventually finding solace in writing and the Dharma. After passing away, he found himself serving as a prison guard in the hells, where he continued to lecture on the sutras. On September 24, 2021, he sought deliverance through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su and was successfully led to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This interview was recorded shortly after his arrival.

Miao Guoran speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Today, it was finally the turn of us sixty prison guards to come to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. We have been looking forward to this for so long, and our hearts are filled with such immense joy. The moment the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su appeared before each of us, it took less than a second for us to arrive here in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. The speed was truly incredible. The scenery before our eyes is so solemn and magnificent that it is beyond any words to describe. Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude—gratitude to Namo Amituofo, and gratitude to Practitioner Su."

A Life of Solitude and Ink

"During my life, I had a great fondness for writing. However, I was not a professional author, as I never published my creative works. I kept every single piece I wrote for myself. Eventually, I gathered them into volumes and stacked them all in my study. Some might wonder, if I never published or sold my work, how did I support myself? My family was quite wealthy. From the moment I was born, my grandparents had already set aside a significant sum of money for me. They said it was a fund prepared for the eldest grandson of the Miao family. As the firstborn grandson, I naturally received this inheritance, and the amount was more than enough to sustain me for a lifetime. Thus, I never had to work; I had my own savings, and my family provided for all my needs, allowing me the freedom to pursue whatever I wished without the pressure of earning a living."

The Shadow of a Tragic Accident

"When I was five years old, my parents took me out for a drive. We were involved in a horrific car accident on a mountain road. That accident took my parents away from me, and from that day on, it was just my grandparents and me. This event caused me severe psychological trauma. I witnessed with my own eyes a massive boulder crashing down directly onto the windshield. The entire car was crushed, the glass shattered, and my parents’ bodies were pinned beneath the rock. They passed away right there on the spot. That image—I have never been able to forget it, not for a single day in my life. It is truly impossible to forget."

"For many years, I could not find a way out of that darkness. No matter who tried to comfort or counsel me, my heart remained completely sealed. I stopped speaking entirely, as if I had suddenly become mute. My eyes were filled with nothing but fear and anxiety. My dark circles grew deeper and deeper because I could barely sleep at night. The moment I closed my eyes, I felt as if a giant rock was about to fall from above and crush me. I was terrified to sleep, terrified to close my eyes. My mental state deteriorated, and I became increasingly haggard and frail."

The Struggle to Smile

"My grandparents watched me suffer, and their hearts ached for me. Although they carried their own deep grief—having lost their only son and daughter-in-law—they still tried everything they could to force a smile in my presence, hoping to bring a little joy into my life. I did not want them to worry about me, but I simply could not find any happiness. My heart remained filled with panic, anxiety, and unease. It was as if I were living alone in a world of total darkness. It was so painful, and I could not find a way out."

"Everyone saw how pitiful I was and wanted to reach out to help pull me from the darkness. They tried every method imaginable, but I remained largely unchanged. Occasionally, I could force a smile, but even then, that smile hid an endless ocean of sorrow. For fifteen long years, I lived like a walking corpse. During those fifteen years, although I did not speak, I never stopped writing. People were curious about what I was writing, so they would sneak a look when I wasn't paying attention. They discovered that I had written story after story filled with optimism and inspiration. The protagonists in those stories were initially filled with misery and suffering, but through their own efforts, they eventually found their way out, and their endings were always beautiful. I allowed myself to become immersed in these tales, writing one after another without pause."

Finding a Path to Healing

"I was using this method to heal myself. It was the only way I could accept, a survival strategy I had devised on my own. When I saw the suffering of the characters in my stories, I would comfort myself by thinking that there were others who were in even more pain than I was, yet they had managed to find their way out. I told myself that I, too, should be brave enough to emerge from my own darkness. When my grandmother turned seventy-five, I told myself that I had to stand up and be strong. I decided that on her birthday, I would give myself to her as a birthday gift, letting her see me smile at last."

"I practised constantly, working hard to change myself. Finally, on the day of her grand birthday celebration, I summoned all my courage, walked up to my grandmother, and smiled at her. I hugged her tightly and said, 'Thank you, Grandmother, for your tolerance and care all these years. I am finally ready to step out of the shadows.' My grandmother was moved to tears immediately, and everyone present was deeply touched."

The Hidden Cost of Helping Others

"After that day, I continued to write incessantly. I even printed the stories I had written and gave them to the depressed friends and relatives around me, hoping that through my words, they could find their own path to the light and not remain trapped as I once was. I successfully helped many people; they were moved by my stories and slowly began to emerge from their own grief. But strangely, in the process of helping others, I became ill. My whole body felt inexplicably unwell, yet no doctor could find the cause. Even my heart began to feel heavy and constricted."

"It was then that I met a fellow practitioner of the Buddha’s teachings. She told me that everyone carries karmic creditors. When I helped those people, their karmic creditors were displeased and even filled with hatred. They began to target me, trying to stop me from continuing to help others. When I heard this, I was astonished—truly shocked—because I had never heard of such a principle before. I asked her, 'Then what should I do?' She replied, 'Teach their beings and these people to chant Namo Amituofo! There is no better way than chanting the Buddha’s name and seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land.'"

A New Direction in the Dharma

"I listened to her advice and began to enter the Buddha’s gate, introducing the Buddha’s teachings to others. I had originally planned to publish my stories as a book once I reached two thousand entries, hoping to save more people around the world, but I abandoned that idea. If that method could not provide a fundamental and thorough solution for them, then I would rather switch to a truly effective method that would allow them to receive genuine help. Beyond chanting Namo Amituofo, changing one’s own views, thoughts, and personality is of vital importance. This is a truth I realised during my own process of learning the Buddha’s teachings. If one does not change oneself, how could the karmic creditors ever be willing to resolve the conflict?"

"When I sincerely practised the Buddha’s teachings and constantly taught the beings within my own body to chant Namo Amituofo with me, they began to be transformed by the Buddha’s light. Some seemed to have truly left my body, as I felt my health improve and the heaviness in my heart began to lift. After my grandparents passed away one after another, I dedicated myself entirely to the Buddha’s teachings. I moved into a temple and became a lecturer, teaching the sutras to the faithful."

From the Hells to the Western Land

"The sutras I taught were all works and classics left behind by the ancestral masters, combined with my own life experiences. I made every lecture quite brilliant, helping many helpless devotees begin to believe in the Buddha, chant Namo Amituofo, and walk out of their own darkness. I spent my whole life doing this, living until I was seventy-three. I had assumed that I would be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, but to my surprise, I was not. Instead, I served as a prison guard in the hells, lecturing on the sutras to the other guards every day. Then, about five years ago, I heard Practitioner Su giving a lecture. The moment I heard Practitioner Su’s teaching, it completely awakened me. I realised that such a great Dharma existed in this world. I was so astonished, and I felt such immense Dharma joy."

"Today, we sixty prison guards were placed on the list to be led to the West by Practitioner Su. Our hearts are filled with endless gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su."

"Namo Amituofo."

Miao Guoran