From Firefighter to Prison Guard: A Journey of Compassion

This is a record of an interview with Guo Xiwen, 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 as a firefighter, his time as a snake, and his service as a prison guard. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on May 13, 2023.

Guo Xiwen speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Arriving here in the bright and pure Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, my state of heart is completely transformed. Looking at the Western Trinity before us, all sixty of us prison guards knelt and bowed our heads; our hearts were filled with immense emotion. We are so grateful for the compassion of Practitioner Su, whose guidance gave us the opportunity to return to our true home in the West.

I am Guo Xiwen. Would you believe that I was once a green snake? It is a strange and humbling transition to recount, but one that I share with the hope that it might illuminate the path for others who are still wandering in the darkness of the six realms."

A Life Dedicated to Service

"People in the world are often terrified of snakes. They fear being bitten, so when they walk through tall grass or venture into the mountains, they are always on high alert. Many assume that snakes are aggressive and love to bite, but in truth, snakes are far more afraid of humans than humans are of them. If they are not forced to protect themselves, they have no desire to cause harm to anyone. They are simply trying to survive in a world that is increasingly hostile to their existence.

Before I became a green snake, I was a firefighter. My work was incredibly varied and demanding. Beyond the obvious task of fighting fires, I had to master all sorts of rescue operations—capturing snakes, dealing with swarms of bees, and managing various animals or insects that posed a threat to the public. It was a role that required constant vigilance and a readiness to face danger at any moment.

I found great joy in helping others. While many found the life of a firefighter exhausting, I felt a deep sense of fulfilment. When I first expressed my desire to pursue this career at eighteen, my family immediately opposed it. They were terrified of the dangers and worried for my life every single day. My grandmother, my father, and my mother all tried to stop me. The only person who stood by me was my grandfather. He understood my heart because he, too, loved to help others. He supported my choice, and because our family always held him in such high regard, when he insisted that everyone respect my decision, the others had no choice but to accept it, even if they remained anxious for my safety."

The Vegetarian Firefighter

"Ours was a traditional family with no specific religious affiliation, yet I was born with a natural aversion to meat. I never killed, and I began practising a vegetarian diet at the age of five. In our village, I was quite the anomaly. Everyone knew I was a vegetarian; I was the only one in the entire village. It was a quiet, personal practice that set me apart from my peers, but it felt entirely natural to me.

As a child, if I saw my younger siblings or friends playing with insects or small animals, I would immediately shout to stop them. I would snatch the creatures from their hands and protect those poor, fragile lives. I do not know why I felt such a strong, instinctive impulse to do this; it was simply part of who I was. Whenever I walked the streets with my family and saw birds or fish for sale, I would beg them to buy them for me. I never brought them home; instead, I would take them to be released, allowing them to regain their freedom and escape the cruelty of human hands.

I was never a particularly clever child, but I was always steady and hardworking. Many village elders once hoped to introduce their daughters or granddaughters to me, saying I would surely grow up to be a reliable man. However, that was before I chose to become a firefighter. Once I committed to that path, the elders became less enthusiastic, fearing that their daughters might become widows. Yet, once I was officially on the job, I worked with absolute dedication. Every life is precious, and I would do everything in my power to save them, even if it meant sacrificing my own life. I felt no fear.

Whenever there was a report of a snake, I was always the first to volunteer, especially when it involved venomous ones. After capturing them, I would never harm them. I would travel long distances to release them in remote mountain areas where they could live in peace. Many of my colleagues would simply kill them to prevent future encounters, but I would always step in to stop them. They rarely listened to my counsel, as they did not want to go to the trouble of travelling so far to release a snake. Knowing they would not change, I began to actively request every snake-related task, ensuring that no more snakes would be harmed under my watch. I am so grateful they allowed me to take on that duty; seeing those snakes return to the wild brought me such happiness."

The Final Moments and the Serpent's Path

"I never married. After I retired, I spent my days tending to the gardens and trees in our village and neighbouring communities. It was my passion. Whenever I pruned the plants or cleared away rubbish, the environment looked tidy, and the residents were always so pleased. During this time, I often encountered snakes. They never seemed to fear me, as if they knew I would never cause them harm. Some said it was because I had captured so many snakes in my life that I carried their spirits with me, and so they recognised me. I do not know the truth of it, but they never slithered away, and I would simply relocate them to keep them safe from the villagers.

I lived to be seventy-five. One summer morning, I woke up and felt a sudden, intense dizziness. I collapsed, but thankfully I was still in bed and my head hit the pillow, so I was not injured. However, from that day on, I could no longer stand. Many colleagues and relatives came to help, and I did not want to be a burden to them. Thankfully, it was not long before I passed away and left the human world.

In those final moments, my life flashed before my eyes. One image kept appearing, lingering in my mind for what felt like an eternity: the act of catching snakes. In that space, I was intensely focused on catching them. They appeared before me in endless numbers, and I kept catching them, over and over. When I finally drew my last breath, my spirit entered the realm of snakes, and I became one.

Yet, I was fortunate. My past good deeds meant that I became a snake that did not harm others. More remarkably, I was a vegetarian snake. I did not eat meat, nor did I eat insects. It is rare to find such a snake in the world; almost all snakes must eat meat or insects to survive, but I ate only grass. Even in that form, my inner spirit remained kind. If I saw a venomous snake about to attack a human, I would block its path, or if I saw humans approaching, I would reveal myself first to warn them to be cautious.

Because I was a cold-blooded creature, I became freezing in the winter, and because I did not eat meat, I was much thinner and weaker than my peers. Despite the exhaustion, I never chose to eat meat. My time as a snake was not long, and I soon passed away. Ordinarily, I would have returned to the cycle of rebirth as a snake, but because of my accumulated Goodness, I was able to break free from that form. My spirit entered the Yama Hall and was assigned to serve as a prison guard."

From the Hells to the Western Pure Land

"During my time as a prison guard, I constantly sought ways to help the beings in the hells. Many of them knew they had done wrong and were repenting, but they lacked the opportunity for liberation. When I learned of the Dharma Body deliverance performed by Practitioner Su and heard the sutras he taught, I was overjoyed. I immediately shared these teachings with the beings in the hells. However, they were suffering so intensely that they could barely listen. Eventually, I simply taught them to chant Namo Amituofo and to repent. I told them these two things were enough. To my surprise, it truly worked. When Practitioner Su performed the deliverance for the hells, they were saved, liberated from their suffering, and no longer had to endure such agony.

I am deeply grateful to Practitioner Su for his compassion in saving these beings and for helping us, the prison guards, giving us the chance to come to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss to leave suffering behind. My heart is filled with infinite gratitude.

Namo Amituofo."