From the Depths of Hell to the Western Land

This is a record of an interview with Ma Yansheng, who sought Chao Du 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 experiences in the hell realms and his subsequent deliverance. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on May 29, 2026.

Ma Yansheng speaks:

"Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo! I have finally learned to chant this sacred Buddha-name, and my heart feels so much more peaceful now. Since arriving in the Western Land of Dharma Nature these past few weeks, I have been chanting every single day. I have truly begun to believe in the Buddha, and I now understand that the Buddha is capable of saving us. I did not know this before, but now that I do, I cherish every single utterance of this Buddha-name with all my heart.

I must say, there are so many emotions and reflections swirling within me. Now that I am here in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, all those heavy burdens seem to have vanished like smoke in the wind. This place brings such profound stillness to the heart; there are no messy thoughts here at all. It makes it difficult to know where to begin, but I feel that the most important thing is to hold onto a Heart of Gratitude. That is my only wish now; I have no other desires."

The Agony of Twenty Years in Hell

"Therefore, the person I am most grateful to is Namo Amituofo, and also Practitioner Su, for giving me the opportunity to start a completely different life path. It is a world of difference from the Ma Yansheng who suffered in hell. To be honest, I must admit that I truly did fall into hell, and I remained there for quite a long time. If I count the years, it has been twenty. The suffering I endured there is truly impossible to describe in just a few words. How could I dare to feel any resentment now? I am far too busy repenting for my past actions.

But in all honesty, when I was in hell, I initially held onto a heart full of resentment. I did not understand why I had been cast into such a place, nor did I understand where I had gone wrong. Like so many others, I carried a deep sense of grievance and a heart filled with agony. That kind of suffering is a state where you desperately want to return to the past, to understand everything, yet you have no way of knowing anything. You suffer endlessly, unable to escape, never knowing when it will end or if it will ever stop. That uncertainty is truly the most terrifying part of the suffering."

A Daughter's Filial Piety and the Power of Hsiang Kuang

"But now, everything has changed, and I am filled with such gratitude and emotion. Those who have never been to hell cannot possibly understand the complex, bitter, and sour feelings of that place. I urge the people of the world: please, do not walk the path I took.

Besides this, I am also deeply grateful to my dear daughter, Ma Yun. Although you are my stepdaughter and I am your stepfather, I do not want to be limited by such labels. In my heart, you have always been my daughter. Now that you are so filial, thinking of your old father and arranging for my Chao Du, my heart is overflowing with gratitude and emotion. It is truly fortunate that you found the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. In this human world, it is the only place that can genuinely deliver a soul to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Without sufficient virtue and merit, this is impossible to achieve. It is only because the human world has a person like Practitioner Su that this can happen.

I only came to know Practitioner Su after I arrived in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. I have such immense admiration for everything Practitioner Su does. In my view, Practitioner Su is the only one in this world with such a vast vow to inspire Namo Amituofo to manifest in the human world, helping all these Buddhist undertakings proceed smoothly. If there were no Western Land of Dharma Nature, there would be no possibility of rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Where would we beings go? I shudder to think how much longer I would have suffered in hell; it is something I dare not even imagine. But I know that I have walked out of that darkness, and a beautiful future lies before me. I cherish this more than ever, and I dare not be the slightest bit lazy."

The Danger of a Selfish Heart

"I want to tell my dear daughter: you are a good child, and you must never walk my path. So, how can one avoid repeating my mistakes? After listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I finally understood why I fell into hell, and specifically, why I fell into the heart-gouging hell. It is because of this heart of mine. Once the mind is not upright, the possibility of falling into hell is always there; it is a very natural consequence of cause and effect.

What I mean by 'not upright' is having a sense of 'self' and 'selfishness'—putting oneself first without regard for others. This is a selfish heart. Even if it is sometimes very subtle, hidden deep in the heart where others cannot see it, our actions reveal it all. To those with clear eyes, it is obvious: this is selfishness. On the path of being a human, one must never be selfish. Selfishness only leads people into an endless abyss, just like me. I died and came back to life, only to die again. I was trapped in a cycle of dying and being reborn in hell over and over. That kind of life is unbearable. Everyone must use my story as a mirror; do not follow my old path!

Well, I have rambled on quite a bit, but I hope you can understand what I am saying. I also hope that when people in the world read this interview, they will understand my heart's plea.

Gratitude to Namo Amituofo, gratitude to Practitioner Su, and gratitude to my dear daughter.

Namo Amituofo.

Ma Yansheng"