From Demon Jailer to Pure Land Aspirant

This is a record of an interview with Fan Zhongcheng, who sought spiritual deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his life and his ten-thousand-year journey through the hells. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Xi, on January 30, 2022.

Fan Zhongcheng speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful for this once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. I have spent over ten thousand years wandering in darkness, and today, I have finally attained liberation. I offer my most sincere gratitude to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su. I will cherish this karmic affinity and begin my diligent practice. On behalf of all the jailers and sentient beings with karmic affinity, I bow in gratitude to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo.

I have committed grave sins. In the past, I performed many terrible deeds; I was blinded by confusion and entered the demon path. I am filled with regret, and now I wish to atone for my past sins. Because of my ignorance, I harmed countless beings. This was a reflection of my own character at the time. I truly realise now that I was wrong. I repent sincerely and am willing to atone for my actions. I am grateful for the infinite compassion of the Buddha, which has granted me this chance to escape the cycle of rebirth. I hope to use my strength to help other beings, just as Practitioner Su does, by making a vow to save the world.

A Descent into Darkness

Over ten thousand years ago, I fell into the path of a sorcerer-demon and caused great harm to this world. Countless spirits were controlled by my dark arts, and I destroyed many lives. Now that I have awakened, I find it impossible to forgive the person I was back then. I was trapped in the Avici Hell, where my own heart was my greatest tormentor. I hated myself so much that I wanted to inflict even more pain upon myself to repay the suffering I had caused others. But I did not know that such self-punishment was useless. The past is gone; what matters is changing oneself and saving the beings trapped in these spaces. Hearing the Dharma talks given by Practitioner Su brought me to a sudden 'Aha!' moment. Only then did I realise that I needed to stand up again. I began to change my heart, letting go of my ego-attachment and my stubborn nature. I chanted Namo Amituofo with a sincere heart, and eventually, I received a response from the Buddha. I left the Avici Hell and returned before the King of Hell to await judgment.

I suffered retribution in the Avici Hell for ten thousand years. I accepted this punishment wholeheartedly because I knew it was the karma I had created. Now that I have turned towards Goodness, I hope to help the beings who are still lost in these dark spaces. I petitioned the King of Hell, asking for a chance to serve. The King of Hell, in his compassion, granted my request and arranged for me to help guide the lost spirits in the world. I hope to exhaust my strength in helping these beings.

The Tragic Origins of a Half-Demon

Ten thousand years ago, I was born in a village filled with spiritual energy—a village inhabited only by spirits, with no humans at all. My mother was a pure white fox spirit who had lived for a thousand years. Through a twist of fate, she fell in love with my human father, Fan Zheng-hua. After they were together, my mother discovered she was pregnant. She was filled with anxiety and fled back to the spirit village, where she gave birth to me in secret. In that village, there was a strict precept: no one was permitted to have any relations with humans. However, my mother could not bear to abandon the child of the man she loved, so she secretly raised me. Because I was half-human and half-demon, she feared others would discover me. She left the village and took me to live in seclusion deep in the mountains, hidden from the world.

Years later, I grew into a man. My mother never wanted me to enter the human world and constantly admonished me to stay away. But fate is a cruel web of karma, and eventually, we could not escape it. My mother told me that meeting my father was the greatest karmic event of her thousand-year life, but she could not escape it, nor did she want to. She never regretted loving him or giving birth to me. She kept this love hidden in her heart until the day she encountered my father once more.

A Family Torn by Fate

I never expected that my father would one day wander into those deep forests. When my mother saw him again, she could no longer suppress the emotions and longing she had buried for years. She appeared and saved him, for he was gravely wounded and trapped in the mountains. My mother used her own internal energy to heal his wounds and carefully guarded his life. She saved him, but his heart already belonged to another. He had married a princess from a neighbouring country. The day he was wounded, it was because he had been attacked by an enemy state. Now that he was awake, his only thought was to return to the palace to be reunited with his wife.

Seeing my mother's expression of despair, my heart was in turmoil, and I made a terrible mistake. I used my dark arts to cloud my father's consciousness and controlled him, forcing him to stay by my mother's side. My mother saw through my magic immediately, but because she loved him so deeply, she silently allowed it. That period was the only time we ever lived like a family. My parents even had a daughter during that time, whom they named Fan Xin, while I was named Fan Zhong-cheng. Because my father was under my spell, he only wanted to be good to my mother, but it was not a genuine love. My mother could still feel his deep affection for the other woman. Eventually, she decided to let him go. She broke the spell and spoke to him with her true identity. When my father saw me and Fan Xin, he was filled with remorse. Being a man of responsibility, he decided to take us back to the palace. He chose to take responsibility for us.

The Path of Vengeance

Upon returning to the palace, everyone was shocked that my father was still alive. The treacherous officials who had planned to usurp the throne were nervous and began plotting to assassinate him in secret. They did not realise that their petty thoughts were nothing before a demon. I easily killed them all, and from then on, no one could easily harm my father again. After my mother entered the palace, she repeatedly admonished us to behave and not to use our powers to harm others. But for those wicked people, I could not just stand by. I killed them behind my mother's back.

My father's original wife was filled with jealousy and hatred when she saw my mother. She did many things to harm her, but my mother endured it all and told us not to retaliate. I wanted to stand up for my mother, but under her watchful eye, I had to hold back. My mother could have easily destroyed her, but I knew she endured it because she loved my father so much. This kind of love seemed ridiculous to me. I did not think she needed to endure it. Eventually, I stopped listening to her and did not let anyone who harmed us go unpunished.

One day, I appeared and taught that woman a lesson. I did not expect her to be so cunning; she provoked my father, causing him to grow cold towards my mother and eventually ignore her entirely. I could see my mother was heartbroken, yet she forbade me from going after that woman. I listened to her, but the woman did not stop; she took the initiative to harm my mother again. This time, I could no longer endure it. I used my powers to severely injure her. To my surprise, she was cunning enough to make my father believe I had attacked her without cause. She acted so weak and helpless that my father felt pity and pain for her. In a fit of rage, my father threw me into the dungeon and sentenced me to death. To save me, my mother committed suicide in front of everyone on the day of my execution. My father, already feeling guilty towards her, saw that she had died to protect me and ceased his pursuit of my punishment, but he banished me from the palace.

Awakening and Redemption

From that day on, my heart was completely shattered. I was filled with such hatred that I became a demon overnight. I began to seek revenge on those who had harmed us. The first person I wanted to kill after becoming a demon was that woman. I captured her, tortured her endlessly, and finally took her life. I did not spare my father either. Out of respect for the past, I did not kill him, but I controlled his consciousness and took his place in the court.

My heart was completely demonised at that time. I could not stop myself from wanting to harm others. I destroyed so many lives. It was only the power of the Buddha that awakened me, and I finally stopped all these acts of vengeance. The compassionate power of the Buddha allowed me to feel the familial love I had missed. The Buddha calmed the hatred in my heart and restored my original form. The Buddha's teachings at that time brought me to a sudden realisation: 'Returning to one's original form is the true nature; if the original nature is empty, where does hatred come from?' I am grateful for the Buddha's compassion, which helped me regain my clarity. I repented for the innocent lives I had taken out of hatred. I knelt before the Buddha in repentance, and the demon nature within me gradually faded. I saw that these demon spirits still wanted to harm the world, so I used my own life to block them, preventing the next disaster, and I died from my severe injuries.

After I died, my spirit was guided to hell for judgment. I knew my sins were heavy, and I was willing to accept the retribution. I was imprisoned in the Avici Hell to undergo punishment. After experiencing ten thousand years of torment, I remained in a state of repentance until I truly changed my character from within, which allowed me to leave the Avici Hell. This time of punishment was bitter. I always thought that such suffering could repay my sins, but I did not realise that true repayment comes from making a vow to save these beings.

The appearance of Practitioner Su gave me great help and allowed me to truly wake up. I am very grateful for the Dharma sounds that Practitioner Su sends to the hells every day; these great teachings have helped me immensely. After leaving the Avici Hell, I was brought before the King of Hell. Seeing my sincere repentance, he originally planned to arrange for my reincarnation, but I begged him for a chance to serve sentient beings. The King of Hell, in his compassion, gave me the opportunity to remain in hell as a jailer. I cherish this opportunity dearly, and I am responsible for guiding the lost spirits in these spaces.

Only after hearing Practitioner Su's Dharma talks did I come to understand the Truth of the Great Dharma. When I was suffering in the Avici Hell, I thought that the punishment was just a penalty. Now I know that these punishments are not merely punishments; they are truly meant to help beings change and to encourage sincere repentance. I am so grateful for everything I have learned in hell. Now that I have this opportunity for rebirth, I cherish it deeply and feel endless gratitude.

I know I did wrong and strayed into the demon path. Now, I have turned over a new leaf and vowed to practice diligently, wishing to save sentient beings. I will continue to work hard. Gratitude to Namo Amituofo, and thanks to Practitioner Su. Fan Zhongcheng, on behalf of all jailers and sentient beings with karmic affinity, bows in gratitude to the Buddha's grace and to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo.

Fan Zhongcheng, with palms joined."