From Storyteller to Guardian of the Hells

This is a record of an interview with Li Hongsheng, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life during the Ming Dynasty. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on April 5, 2026.

Li Hongsheng speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful to Namo Amituofo and to the compassionate deliverance of Practitioner Su, which has allowed me and sixty other prison guards to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss today. During my time serving as a guard in the hells, I was always incredibly diligent and faithful to my duties. I constantly harboured a wish to help the suffering beings within those realms, to somehow alleviate their agony. Yet, I was a man with a heart full of intention but no power to act. That was until, quite recently, the voice of Practitioner Su began to echo throughout the hells, expounding the Great Dharma taught by Namo Amituofo.

The Light of the Dharma in the Darkest Realm

In the sutras expounded by Practitioner Su, I finally grasped the vastness of the Buddha’s teachings, and my heart was filled with immense joy. As I listened to these teachings, my heart felt increasingly open and bright. I finally understood how one might escape the painful cycle of reincarnated suffering. I began to share these principles from the sutras with the suffering beings undergoing their sentences in the hells. Many of these prisoners, upon hearing Practitioner Su’s teachings, realised the necessity of repenting for their past deeds. The impact was profound. This deepened my conviction that what Practitioner Su teaches is the true path that every spirit must walk.

When I learned of the existence of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss through these sutras, I began to yearn for the day when I, too, could be reborn there. I never imagined that today, I would actually be granted this opportunity. It was our turn—sixty of us prison guards—to be led by Practitioner Su to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This was such an overwhelming surprise for every one of us. We knelt in gratitude to the compassionate Namo Amituofo and the compassionate Practitioner Su for granting us this chance to be reborn, to be completely transformed.

A Life of Stories and Struggles

I am Li Hongsheng, and in my past life, I was a storyteller during the Ming Dynasty. The environment I lived in was no longer the golden age of the Ming; it was an era of instability, where the imperial court was challenged by various factions, and the country was caught in a storm of uncertainty. I never cared much for formal schooling as a child. My parents were simple farmers. In such circumstances, I did not follow in my father’s footsteps to become a farmer myself. I felt that farming was far too arduous, always at the mercy of the heavens. Even after putting in so much back-breaking labour, there were times when the harvest was poor due to various factors. Back then, our whole family lived under a cloud of gloom because of the immense economic pressure.

From a young age, I loved to wander through the physical world—wishing to be as free as the wind, mountains & rivers, my mind often filled with all sorts of whimsical ideas. By a stroke of good fortune, a local teacher noticed these traits in me. He was incredibly kind to me; even though he knew I did not enjoy academic study, he still taught me a great deal of wisdom and knowledge. Most importantly, he taught me about the character a person should possess and the proper way to conduct oneself in the world. He helped me distinguish between what should be done and what should not.

The Power of Narrative

Beyond that, this teacher shared many stories with me. Within those tales were many thought-provoking lessons that allowed people to reflect and understand how they ought to live. I became deeply fascinated by the art of storytelling. Whenever the teacher told me a story, I listened with the utmost attention. Thanks to his guidance, I acquired a basic foundation in literature, so I was not illiterate. I did not choose the path of pursuing official rank, as that would have placed too great an economic burden on my family, and truthfully, I had no interest in it. Thus, I became a storyteller. I decided that, just as my teacher had done for me, I would use the art of storytelling to help people understand the difference between Goodness and evil.

Under the governance of the court at that time, many people lived in extreme hardship, which led some groups to rise up in rebellion. They harboured deep hatred for the court. I understood the pain they were experiencing, but that kind of rage and resentment is a terrifying thing. It leads people to commit irrational acts that harm both others and themselves. Because of this resentment, many who opposed the court ended up harming countless innocent lives in the process. This was something that caused me, Li Hongsheng, great pain.

A Choice of Compassion

Throughout my life as a storyteller, the wealth I could earn was minimal—one might even say it was extremely meagre. Yet, in those chaotic times, I saw many people displaced, especially orphans who had no one to turn to. My heart told me I had to do something for them. So, even though I had little money, whenever I encountered someone in need, I would reach out to help. Specifically, to care for those orphans, I decided to return to the very trade I had rejected in my youth: farming.

I took the children to work the land my parents had left behind. Every day, I would tell them many stories, teaching them the principles of life and the standards of Goodness and evil that one must understand. I hoped that even though these children were living in a chaotic era, having seen the cruelty of human nature and the harshness of life, they could still find their way back to the innocence and kindness that belonged to their age, inspired by these stories.

I lived my whole life this way. Although life was often very tight—sometimes we could only afford to eat steamed buns—my heart felt very joyful and peaceful. To be able to maintain this inner stability and peace in the midst of such a turbulent world was something I, Li Hongsheng, felt deeply grateful for.

From the Underworld to the Western Pure Land

When I reached the age of seventy, I passed away peacefully, without pain, under the care of the children I had adopted. When I arrived before the King of Hell, he smiled at me and said that I had lived a kind life and had done well in educating the next generation. Therefore, he granted me the position of a prison guard, allowing me to serve within the hells.

I was very happy to have such an opportunity. In all my years serving as a guard in the hells, I saw far too many prisoners wailing in agony, most of them unaware of their own mistakes. Watching them suffer like that made my heart ache, yet I did not know how to help them. Fortunately, I later encountered Practitioner Su, who appeared in the hells to save sentient beings and allowed everyone to hear the sutras being expounded. This was like a ray of light in the darkness of the hells, bringing hope to our hearts. Many people wept in repentance after hearing the sutras, while others laughed with joy. Everyone who heard the principles within the sutras gained profound insights. We had never known that life should be lived this way, nor did we know that there was a Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, the ultimate destination for everyone’s spirit.

Finally, recently, my name was placed on the list of guards to be led to the West, and today, I was sent by Practitioner Su to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am so grateful to have had this blessing, to have met the Buddha and Practitioner Su, and I am also grateful to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

Now, I am in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I have made a vow to follow the Buddha in my practice, and I hope that after I become a Buddha in the future, I will be able to save sentient beings in the human world.

Gratitude to Namo Amituofo. Gratitude to Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo."