From the Depths of Hell to the Western Pure Land

Huang Jishui, the father of Lay Practitioner Huang Qinghui, endured the profound suffering of the hells for many years as a consequence of the heavy karma he accumulated throughout his life. Through the compassionate Chao Du performed by his son and the immense power of the Ultimate Vow of Practitioner Su, he was finally liberated from the cycle of reincarnation. This interview was recorded on June 23, 2023, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, documenting his journey from the depths of the hells to his current residence in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Huang Jishui speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Looking back now, my life passed by in the blink of an eye. I see that my son, Qinghui, has grown old, and soon you too will have to walk the path of life and death. I never imagined that the days would slip away so quickly; it feels as though it were only yesterday that I was holding my children in my arms with your mother.

Qinghui, my son! Thank you for performing the Chao Du for your father. It is only because of your efforts that I was able to rise up from the hells. I spent so many years suffering through punishments in those dark realms—it was truly, truly agonising! I never realised that the karma I created during my life was so immense. I had no idea that I had caused the deaths of so many people. My own temperament and the way I lived my life created so much negative karma; it is beyond anything I could have imagined. But once I arrived in the hells, every single debt had to be repaid. Every time I stood before King Yama, I watched him flip through stacks of complaints against me that were piled as high as a mountain. I knew deep down that my sins were too heavy to ever be balanced out. I had long since given up hope of ever leaving those depths, and I had even forgotten that I still had family in the human world who remembered me.

The Agony of Samsara

The cycle of rebirth is truly, truly bitter! You must all remember my words clearly: do not come back to this cycle of samsara. It is simply too painful! Your father has experienced this firsthand; I have walked that path of fire and blood. Do not create any more karma, for you will never be able to repay it—you will never finish paying it back! It is absolutely terrifying! I hope that you will listen to me now. You must follow Practitioner Su, come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, and learn how to truly practise. You must change yourselves and resolve your own karmic debts. Please, I beg you, do not fall back into the cycle of rebirth.

A Soul Awakened by Suffering

The torment I endured over these many years has finally allowed my spirit to wake up. I am no longer the Huang Jishui I once was. I am not the Guo Ying I was in another life, nor am I the Liu Tianhe from another past. I have even been a beast—a cow, a sheep, a horse—and I have even been a worm driven by intense lust. I saw all of these past lives clearly while I was in the hells. I know now that all of those pasts were nothing more than a dream. When you die, you cannot take a single thing with you; only your karma follows you.

A Promise in the Western Pure Land

I hope that any of my children, relatives, or friends who read this message will believe me. You must believe that I, Huang Jishui, after suffering the consequences of my actions for so many years, am now in the Western Pure Land. This was only possible because of the compassion of Namo Amituofo and the Ultimate Vow of Practitioner Su. That is the only reason I was able to find liberation. I pray that each of you will believe this truth and truly come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. There is a true Buddha here; you must come and follow the Buddha.

I will be waiting for you in the Western Pure Land. In the future, let us make a pact to meet again in that beautiful Pure Land. I am filled with gratitude for the compassion of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Namo Amituofo.

Huang Jishui bows in reverence."