From Stone Spirit to Liberation

This is a record of an interview with Kess, a spirit who served as a prison guard in the underworld. He sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now reflects upon his life and his subsequent service in the underworld. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Xi, on September 25, 2022.

Kess speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity for liberation today. It is a truly magnificent moment, and I owe everything to Practitioner Su. I am so thankful for his compassionate assistance. He is such a kind and gentle elder. When I witnessed his Dharma Body performing Chao Du in the space around us, the speed was incredible—it truly did not seem like the work of an elderly man nearing eighty years of age. I am so thankful to have had the chance to encounter Practitioner Su. I will cherish this opportunity dearly and will actively strive to elevate my own practice. On behalf of sixty other prison guards and all sentient beings connected by karmic affinity, I bow in gratitude to the Buddha’s grace and to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo.

I am Kess, though everyone calls me 'As.' I am a person of simple character. If I am given the chance to practice at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, I will strive to achieve success, for I know how precious this place is.

A Life Among the Stones

My hometown was situated in an ordinary world, yet I lived through extraordinary events. I was born amidst the vast, sweeping grasslands. My home was nothing special, and the people there lived simple, humble lives. Everyone worked hard to play their part well, and I was no exception; I worked diligently to manage my life with integrity.

Starting with my grandfather, our family held a unique status: we were known as those who could communicate with the spirit world. My grandfather possessed the ability to converse with spirits from different dimensions. More importantly, he had a special skill—he could communicate with spirit stones and use the information they provided to help others. This was a form of shamanic power passed down from ancient times, which allowed us to hear and see things that the rest of the world considered unknown.

The Gathering of the Spirit Stones

In the middle of that vast grassland, our home was the most conspicuous, for we were the ones who gathered the most stones. Many of these stones came to us of their own accord. They knew that our home possessed the ability to receive their messages, and naturally, they felt drawn to us, as if they knew someone here could understand them and hear their voices. These stones came in all shapes and sizes—round, sharp, flat—and in every colour imaginable. They possessed diverse appearances, each representing a different spiritual existence.

All things have spirit, and stones are no exception. This may be a spiritual world that many people are unaware of, but it is a reality. Our family was a lineage that could communicate with stones; from my grandfather’s time, every generation has been inseparable from the stone spirits. Among these spirits, there are elders, youths, and children, all distinct from one another. If you look closely, you can see that they each have their own personality. This is a truth we can confirm: everything possesses spirit. Therefore, we must treat all things with respect and reverence. We must never be arrogant, nor should we carelessly harm others or any living thing.

The Law of Cause and Effect

All beings are equal; there is no one higher or lower. This is a principle we have always kept in our hearts. My grandfather often told me, 'One must never forget the importance of respect. When you know how to respect others, they will respect you in return. Furthermore, in all your dealings with people and matters, you must maintain a sincere heart. Just as we plant seeds of Goodness, we will inevitably reap a good harvest in the future.'

We would use stones to perform divination for people and communicate messages to help them resolve their problems. Throughout this process, as long as we maintained a sincere heart, the stone spirits were always willing to help. I grew up watching my grandfather interact with these stones, and later, my father took over. The stones listened to them both. With a sincere heart, even stone spirits with different temperaments would listen and be willing to assist.

A Lifetime of Service

From childhood, I watched these different stones speak. It was a truly unique experience, and I knew it was rare, so I cherished it deeply. I often stayed by my grandfather’s and father’s sides, striving to learn. When I grew up, I communicated with these stone spirits just as they had, using their power to help others. I was very happy to live in such an environment, and I was grateful to have the ability to help people. I treasured this opportunity; whenever someone came to me for help, I would assist them without hesitation. I only hoped to help everyone resolve their problems, and that was what I dedicated my entire life to doing.

I helped many people in my life, and I learned many lessons from the lives of others. Everyone has a different personality and a different destiny. Although I could offer some assistance to those who came to me, I could not change their lives for them, because life is something one must face alone. At any given time, one must know how to change oneself rather than relying on external forces. One must take responsibility for one’s own life and be the one to transform it.

The Judgment of the Underworld

After I passed away, my spirit was initially trapped inside a stone; I had become a stone spirit myself. I do not know how much time passed, but suddenly, a force helped me leave the stone, and I was brought before the King of the Underworld. The King smiled at me and said, 'Your time has come.' I saw stacks of documents piled up before me, all related to the events of my life, many of which concerned my efforts to help others. In the past, I did not know that these actions would also involve the laws of karma and cause and effect. Unknowingly, I had offended some beings. These beings had originally intended to collect debts from the people I helped, but I had disrupted their plans, and thus they harboured resentment toward me. Every event was reviewed one by one before the King. In the end, the King explained that my life had both merits and faults, and he assigned me to serve in the underworld palace until my merits were complete, at which point I could depart. I am very grateful for the King’s tolerance and compassion, and I served diligently during my time there.

The process of helping others taught me so much, and I witnessed many changes in human nature, which helped me recognise the impermanence and constant flux of life. After listening to Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks, I deeply identify with the truths he speaks. These teachings seem to be carved into the human heart; every word is so powerful and truly capable of helping sentient beings break through delusion and attain enlightenment, as well as liberating them from the cycle of birth and death. I am so grateful for Practitioner Su’s compassionate vow, which has given us this opportunity to attain liberation today.

The cycle of birth and death is truly too painful! There are still so many beings in this world who do not know how to wake up. Samsara is truly terrifying; it causes people to lose their minds and hearts, to the point where they cannot even see their own actions clearly. If sentient beings do not wake up now, when will they ever be able to leave the cycle of rebirth? I am grateful for Practitioner Su’s compassion. I will cherish this opportunity I have received, practice diligently, and hope to have the chance to help other sentient beings in the future. On behalf of all the prison guards and all beings connected by karmic affinity, I bow in gratitude to the Buddha’s grace and to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."

Kess, with palms joined.