From Knight-Errant to Hell Guard: A Journey to the Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Ma Tian, who sought deliverance 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 knight-errant in the Tang Dynasty and his subsequent service in the spiritual realms. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on May 15, 2026.

Ma Tian speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Greetings, Practitioner Su. I am Ma Tian, and I am here to report that I, along with fifty-nine other hell guards, have now safely arrived in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. We are all filled with such profound gratitude, and we have been continuously bowing and paying our respects to the Buddha. This place is the destination that every one of us hell guards has truly yearned for in our hearts. After waiting for such a long time, we have finally been placed in the queue for rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

When we look at the list of hell guards that Practitioner Su has guided to rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, it may seem like a large number—Practitioner Su guides one hundred and eighty guards each week. However, the number of us in the hells is vast, and the turnover is constant. There are infinitely layered crowds of guards, all waiting in line, and I was no exception to that long wait.

The Awakening of a Wandering Heart

During my time in the hells, I came into contact with Buddhist education. In particular, hearing Practitioner Su deliver lectures on the Dharma moved me deeply. At that moment, I made a firm vow that I must reach the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Today, that auspicious day finally arrived. We were all overjoyed, preparing ourselves early in anticipation of Practitioner Su’s guidance.

When Practitioner Su sounded the chime during the Thrice Yearning Ceremony, we were all instantly guided by Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body, one by one, into the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. It is no exaggeration to say that within a single second, we had all safely arrived. We have been here for only a few hours, yet we have already felt the incredibly distinct magnetic field of this place, and we have begun our journey of practice here with great joy.

Now, as a representative of these sixty guards, let me share the story of my life with you all. I was born during the middle to late Tang Dynasty. I was a knight-errant, wandering from place to place, upholding justice and righteousness. In those days, I deeply admired the poet Li Bai. I believed that his life, much like that of a knight-errant, was spent travelling, helping others, and gathering friends—it seemed like such a vibrant, bustling existence. I had such aspirations when I was young, but later, I realised that Li Bai and I were not on the same path at all.

The Illusion of Chivalry

By the time I was born, Li Bai had already departed from the human world. Yet, upon carefully analysing his life, I discovered that he was not as pure or as righteous as I had once imagined. I wanted to pursue a profession that was truly free and unburdened, one where I could genuinely help others. Therefore, when I was only in my teens, with my parents' blessings and a small amount of travel money, I left my hometown and embarked on this path of no return.

Although it was a path of no return, I did not commit any great evils in my life. Whenever I encountered injustice, I would strive to mediate and resolve the situation. I held firmly to the principle of avoiding violence whenever possible. Although the gap between the rich and the poor was significant in those days, and many local gentry oppressed the weak and the common people, I would always feel a sense of indignation when I witnessed such things.

Relying on my gift for speech and my ability to unite people, I was always very fortunate. I could extend a helping hand whenever it was needed, and I managed to settle many disputes, both large and small, in the local areas. I even had a group of followers under my command, each of whom possessed their own unique talents and skills.

A Turning Point at White Cloud Hall

We tried our best not to use force to handle the moral issues that arose among the knight-errants. In terms of numbers, our group consisted of at least a dozen people. We always engaged in acts of chivalry, yet we never used our strength to seize wealth. This was actually thanks to some of the wealthy families within our circle of knight-errants who were willing to support us, so we did not have to worry about our expenses along the way. Because of this, we were fortunate enough to do what we wanted—helping people while living the life we desired. However, this wandering heart of mine never truly settled, and having left home for so long, I never returned to my hometown.

I spent my life wandering, always wanting to do good deeds. Then, one day, as I was passing by a temple, I led my group inside to pay our respects. I rarely stepped into temples, but I do not know why, but that time I felt a very strong, stirring sensation that made me want to enter and bow to the Buddha. Everyone was quite surprised, but since Buddhism was very flourishing at that time, visiting a temple to pay respects to the Buddha was a common occurrence, so we all happily entered.

I still remember that temple, nestled in the mountains, was called White Cloud Hall. Upon entering, I discovered it was a temple dedicated to the Western Trinity: Namo Amituofo, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. We all knelt there to pay our respects, and our hearts were filled with Dharma-joy; it was as if a surge of energy had infused our entire bodies. We, this group of knight-errants, realised then that the Buddha’s teachings might be a magnificent path, one worthy of deep study. Under the guidance of the resident abbot, we all developed a vow in our hearts to try the life of the Buddha’s gate.

From Protector to Hell Guard

It turned out that beyond just acting as a knight-errant, there was another path that could truly help sentient beings. At the time, we were still quite vague about the six realms of rebirth and the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, but under the abbot’s guidance, we gradually understood many things. We realised that helping others did not necessarily have to be done in the way of a knight-errant; there were many more thorough and perfect ways. For instance, the path of the Buddha’s teachings is an incredibly perfect one.

From then on, we had unwavering faith in the Buddha’s teachings, in Namo Amituofo, and in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. The magnetic field of that place was truly wonderful; it deeply touched our hearts. The monastics there were all so dignified and pure, allowing us to experience the compassion of the Buddha’s gate for the first time. Several of us decided to settle down in that temple, serving as long-term volunteers and assisting with all the various duties. We lived there for several years, and I, along with several other lay practitioners, served with great joy and Dharma-joy.

Some of us had even thought about settling down there permanently, becoming monks to truly delve into the Buddha’s teachings and help all beings leave suffering behind and gain happiness. But unfortunately, a plague broke out, claiming many lives. I, too, became infected, and soon my life was hanging by a thread. At that time, my study of the Buddha’s teachings was not yet complete; I had only scratched the surface. I still had uncorrected personality traits and habits. However, because my faith in the Buddha was very firm at the time of my death, and although I could not focus single-mindedly on chanting the Buddha-name to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, the merits I had accumulated through my service in the temple remained. Thus, after death, we continued to guard the temple in the form of spirits, becoming its Dharma protectors. There were three or four of us who did this.

The Call to Serve and Final Deliverance

Watching the scale of the temple grow larger day by day, we felt very gratified, and more and more people came to learn the Buddha’s teachings. We spent many years as Dharma protectors there. The pilgrims who came and went also praised the temple endlessly. Then, one day, I suddenly heard a voice from the spiritual realms calling to me: 'Ma Tian, Ma Tian, your time serving here is almost up. We have other duties you could try; why not come to the hells for a visit?'

At that time, I wondered what kind of service one would perform in the hells. I did not hesitate much and followed them. It turned out that I was to serve as a hell guard. I believed I could do this duty well, so I happily threw myself into the role. Because I was already familiar with the Buddha’s teachings, after arriving there, I naturally began to chant the six-character name, 'Namo Amituofo,' for all the suffering beings in the hells. I hoped that amidst the sound of the Buddha-name, their resentment would gradually subside, and that one day they might have a response and be guided by the Buddha to rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

My heart was always filled with the hope that these beings could leave suffering behind and gain happiness. Later, I never expected that my own deliverance was so close at hand. When I was notified that I had been placed on the list for Practitioner Su’s guidance to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, I was overjoyed and utterly astonished. I never imagined that after all the time I had spent listening to Practitioner Su’s lectures in the hells, I would actually be on that list. I waited for that day with a heart full of Dharma-joy.

After a few days of purification, listening to Practitioner Su’s lectures every day, I was soon guided by Practitioner Su to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. We sixty hell guards come from different backgrounds, countries, and eras, but now we are gathered here together. Upon arriving, we found that we all look very similar, and the women among us have transformed into men; we are all upright men of the West, beginning our journey of practice together here.

We are filled with such Dharma-joy, and we know that on Earth, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia is home to Practitioner Su, who has realised her true nature and attained Buddhahood. She is known as Sister Su or Practitioner Su, and she can send the spirits of the deceased, countless sentient beings, and demon crowds from many spaces into the Western Land of Dharma Nature, and she can also guide the deceased to rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is the ability Practitioner Su possesses after realising her true nature and attaining Buddhahood. I, Ma Tian, truly feel such admiration and joy. To encounter such a rare and magnificent event in a thousand years is truly not easy! My heart is full of gratitude, and I hope that one day, through successful practice, I can repay the Buddha’s grace.

I, Ma Tian, make a vow here in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss: I will practice diligently, purifying myself again and again, hoping that one day I can return to the human world to save all sentient beings with karmic affinity. This is my greatest wish today. Gratitude to Namo Amituofo, and gratitude for the compassion of Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Ma Tian"