From the Depths of Hell to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Liang Chengxing, 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 approximately eighty years after his death, following his service in the underworld. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on July 27, 2020.

Liang Chengxing speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Liang Chengxing. The Xiao family gates were always open, and the red lanterns hung high—we all believed that as long as the Xiao family prospered, we would all be well. I was a humble servant, sold to the Xiao family when I was just a child, simply to have a bowl of rice to eat. The Xiao family was known for their Goodness; to work for them was something others envied, a rare stability in a world turned upside down."

A Sanctuary Amidst the Chaos of War

"In those turbulent times, war raged outside. When I ventured out, I often saw corpses lying by the roadside, with no one to collect the bodies. The sound of artillery was constant, a terrifying reminder of our fragility. Long before the war intensified, the Xiao family had prepared a cellar. It was as large as the house itself, meticulously stocked with enough supplies to sustain the entire family and all the servants for a year. Every time the Master had the chance, he would purchase more supplies. In such an unstable political climate, money alone could not guarantee food; one often had to barter. If one had to buy, the prices were exorbitant. Yet, to help society, the Xiao family would buy whatever was needed, no matter the cost. Every Wednesday, we would open the small back gate to distribute supplies to refugees and the homeless. The expressions of gratitude on their faces are still etched in my mind. The Master tasked me with this duty, and I accepted it with a heart full of gratitude and willingness, feeling that even in this defiled world, there was still a flicker of hope."

The Faces of Suffering

"When Wednesday arrived, people would gather near the small gate, waiting. As soon as it opened, they would surge forward. I distributed the food as quickly as possible to avoid drawing the attention of enemy soldiers. One mother with two small children was a regular visitor. Her face was a portrait of pure suffering. She once told me a story that brought tears to my eyes. She had taken her children to the river to wash clothes, and upon returning, found her home reduced to ashes. Her parents-in-law, who had been inside, were gone—not even their bones remained. She and her children dug through the debris, desperately searching for anything of value to trade for food. But those few items were running out, and her husband had been conscripted into the army long ago. She had not heard from him since; in that chaotic era, she did not know if he was even alive. They were living one day at a time, knowing their lives could vanish at any moment. It was a heart-wrenching reality that defined our existence."

A Survivor's Resilience

"Another man, who walked with a limp, told me he had escaped death. He had been with the army when a shell struck their camp. Many died, and others fled. He had lost consciousness, and when he awoke, he was pinned under heavy debris. After struggling to breathe, he managed to turn his body, only to find himself surrounded by the bodies of his fallen comrades. Their terrified, disfigured faces filled my heart with dread. In his shock, he realised his leg was in agony, nearly immobile. He sat there for a while before crawling out from the pile of corpses, dragging himself toward the mountains. He survived by eating wild herbs and using them to dress his wounds. On cold nights, the pain was unbearable, and his body temperature would plummet. Many nights he thought he would not survive, yet he would wake up in pain once more. After months, he could finally stand again, though he remained crippled. To him, receiving a hot, white steamed bun from my hands was a moment of pure happiness. The satisfaction on his face was profound, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit."

The Master's Compassion

"In those times, refugees often knocked on the Xiao family's door, begging for a meal or help for their sick and injured family members. The fear of being separated from their loved ones was written all over their faces. The Master would make a preliminary assessment: if the injured could be saved, he would send a doctor. If they were beyond help or suffering from severe infections, he would provide money for their families to use as they saw fit. This was the greatest compassion the Master could offer. As the longest-serving servant, I was always by his side, and I learned so much from his hearts and actions. I saw how he navigated the Causal Conditions of that time with such grace."

A Fateful Union

"In that chaotic world, I married a woman of high status and refinement. One night, the Xiao family gates were pounded upon in the middle of the night. A woman was outside, fleeing from enemy soldiers who sought to capture her. She had used her wits to escape and had run for a day and a night before reaching our gates. To hide her identity, she asked me to marry her. She traded her fine silks for simple cloth, yet her grace remained. When she proposed, I was stunned; my heart pounded like a drum. After we married, I treated her with the utmost respect. I never forced anything upon her, feeling I was unworthy of her. Even after marriage, I never overstepped my bounds. She was skilled with her hands, and when I distributed food to the refugees, she would make items to give them—warm hats or hand-knitted socks. The refugees were always deeply grateful, and my wife's kindness added a layer of warmth to our otherwise bleak existence."

The Fall of the Xiao Household

"Eventually, the turmoil reached the Xiao household. One day, soldiers surrounded the mansion. Panic, the sound of packing, and desperate running filled the air. The Master, the Mistress, and their children retreated to the cellar, the entrance of which was hidden beneath hay in the kitchen. The situation was sudden; some of us had to stay behind to hold off the soldiers so the family could escape. Gunfire erupted, and I knew some had sacrificed their lives. As I led my wife into the cellar, I felt a roar of agony in my heart. I could not understand why people treated each other this way, why the human world had to be so cruel."

A Duty to the Fallen

"After three days in the cellar, I told my wife I would go out to scout the situation. She nodded, urging me to be careful. When I crawled out and reached the familiar corridor, I found Old Wang lying there, a bullet wound in his chest—he was already gone. In the main hall, I found the young women the Mistress had kindly taken in as refugees. To repay a kindness, they had used their own bodies to block the soldiers, giving the family time to escape. Their clothes were dishevelled; I knew they had suffered great humiliation and injustice before they died. Tears streamed down my face. I knelt before the ancestral memorial tablets of the Xiao family and wept uncontrollably. Seven servants had sacrificed their lives in that mansion. I spent the entire day dragging them to the backyard, digging a large pit, and burying them together. I apologised to them in my heart, unable to give them individual burials, but at least providing them a final resting place. I carved a wooden marker for the nameless and placed it in the earth. When I returned to the cellar, my wife was frantic, thinking I would never return. I said nothing. She saw the deep sorrow in my heart, patted my shoulder, and I held her in my arms and wept. It was the first time I had held her like that, a moment of shared grief in a world that offered little else."

The Decision to Serve

"That night, I could not sleep. An intuition told me I should go out again to help more people. For three days, this feeling grew stronger. I could not be a coward who only cared for his own life. One night, I made my decision. I left a note for my wife: 'Forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye. The voice in my heart has inspired me. Live well, and take good care of the Master and Mistress!' I crawled out, making the cellar entrance look like ruins to avoid detection. With a simple pack, I put life and death aside, prepared to die. Outside, the scene was one of utter devastation. Buildings were shattered, and there was not a sound from any animal. The rubble and roads were littered with corpses, already beginning to rot and crawl with maggots. The atmosphere and the stench made the village a city of the dead. I walked on. Where the Ding family home once stood, the second young master lay in the rubble. Further on was the Zhou family home. Everyone in the village, known or unknown, was dead. My heart sank to the depths of despair. That first night, I rested in the remains of the Zhou mansion, deciding to bury the villagers so they would not become wandering spirits. After scouting the terrain, I found a small hill to the east and spent five days digging a deep pit to lay the villagers to rest. I was drenched in sweat, and the smell of death clung to me, but I did not care. I drank dew for thirst and ate wild fruit or roasted animals I found to sustain my strength."

The Path to the Underworld

"After placing the tenth body into the pit, I heard an explosion. I looked up, and two more blasts followed. A flash of red light blinded me, and then I fell into darkness. In a daze, I walked along a dim path and saw Auntie Zhou, who sold steamed buns in the market. She had always been kind to me. I tried to call out to her, but she stared straight ahead, not hearing me. Suddenly, someone called me. I turned, and they said, 'Follow us!' I asked, 'Who are you?' They replied, 'Don't ask, just walk. We are acting under orders.' After walking a short distance, I saw a sign for the 'Fifth Hall.' I knelt before the King of Hell, and my life from birth to age thirty-three flashed before me, along with all my past merits and demerits. The King of Hell praised my willingness to bury the dead, and after the judgment, he appointed me as a prison guard, allowing me to serve others in the underworld. During my time as a guard, my heart was calm, yet I always felt a longing for liberation. I often prayed before Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, hoping for an answer."

Deliverance to the Western Pure Land

"After eighty years of service as a prison guard, I received word that a special path to the Western Pure Land had opened. From that moment, I actively listened to Practitioner Su's Dharma talks. Though I was dull-witted, I knew this path was filled with endless light. After two and a half years of waiting, that moment finally arrived. When the Buddha-light shone upon me, I knew I had finally found my place of rest. My entire being was cleansed by the light, and everything before me became brilliant. It was unbelievable! I am so grateful to Practitioner Su for taking the hands of myself and fifty-nine other prison guards to lead us to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Now, I wash away my dust and filth in the Precious Lotus Pond. A gentle breeze blows, and the sound of the Buddha's Dharma talks is steady and compassionate. My heart is now at ease and filled with light. I am grateful to the Buddha; the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is truly magnificent and full of light!"

This interview was recorded by the Buddhist disciple Shi Fa.

Note: Master Xiao Wantai is in the Second Heaven, and Mistress Xiao Chen Xing is beside Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. Both were guided by Practitioner Su to the Western Dharma-Nature Land at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to listen to the Dharma.

Namo Amituofo.