From the Depths of Hell to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with the spirit known as Miaoyin, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon her karmic journey spanning nine centuries. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on April 12, 2024.

Miaoyin speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I have finally arrived at the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. It is so beautiful, so magnificent, and so serene! I love it here so much; my heart has never felt such peace.

From the very day that Practitioner Su saved me, I wept every single day. At first, I cried because I felt the crushing weight of my own suffering and the darkness I had lived in for so long. Later, I wept because after listening to the Dharma talks given by Practitioner Su, I was deeply moved. Only then did I truly realise how ignorant we spirits are, stumbling through the darkness without understanding the laws of karma and cause and effect."

The Weight of Nine Centuries

"I suffered in the hells for so long because of the immense, heavy karma I created in the past. Driven by my own selfishness and greed, I caused countless people to be buried alive in deep underground pits. I do not even know how many there were. They screamed and wailed inside that suffocating darkness, but no matter how they cried out, there was no chance of rescue. In the end, they starved and died of thirst in that wretched place. Those I harmed died with deep, burning resentment, swearing that in their next lives, they would find me and take their revenge.

For this debt, I have been paying for nine hundred years, and I am still paying. I have been trapped in an endless, agonising cycle of retribution. In the hells, I suffered so intensely that words cannot describe the pain. I repented from the very bottom of my heart, and suddenly, a glimmer of hope appeared. I was granted a chance to obtain a human skin, but it all depended on whether I had the necessary blessings to sustain such a form."

The Cycle of Cause and Effect

"I longed for the opportunity to obtain a human body, hoping for a fresh start. However, the King of Hell clearly showed me the truth: even if I were to be born as a human, I would be a sickly, fragile infant, for I was destined to suffer the consequences of my past actions. At that time, I would have preferred to be a sickly baby rather than continue suffering in the hells. I was desperate for any escape.

Finally, I waited until I encountered someone with whom I had a karmic connection. I had the chance to become her child. But I was only in her womb for a short time before I had to leave; I could not be born into this world. I returned to the hells to continue my retribution, reverting to my original, suffering form. My spirit has endured so much, but I have no more grievances. It is all the result of the laws of karma and cause and effect. Everything that happens is a consequence of what we have sown."

A Final Release and Gratitude

"In the past, I harmed the very person who was to become my mother. When she finally had a chance to reach the shore and be saved, I cruelly kicked her, causing her to fall back into the sea, never to have a chance at life again. Because of this causal condition, I received my own retribution, encountering a similar fate. I do not want her to hold these things in her heart. There is no need to think about them anymore, for that was just a past that no longer exists. It is all gone.

At this very moment, I am already in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am doing well, and there is not a shred of hatred in my heart. My only desire now is to chant Namo Amituofo and remain in this state of purity.

I am deeply grateful to this person with whom I have a karmic connection for saving me. The karmic debt between us is now concluded. I smile to myself and think that I must have some blessings after all. There is nothing to lament; there is only gratitude! Namo Amituofo."