From the Depths of Hell to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Guang Qianzhang, who sought deliverance 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 past lives and his eventual liberation. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on March 14, 2025.

Guang Qianzhang speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I have arrived in the Western Pure Land! I have arrived in the Western Pure Land! My heart is filled with a profound sense of peace and immense joy. Upon arriving in this magnificent realm, I beheld the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and a deep sense of reverence ignited within my heart.

Every corner of this magnificent Western world inspires such Dharma-joy. The equality that permeates the Western Pure Land brings me such comfort; my spirit has finally found a place where it can truly rest. I am filled with gratitude to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su.

A Past of Dust and Shadows

I am Guang Qianzhang. Before I was granted a human body, I was merely a particle of dust drifting aimlessly through the void. It was only later that I realised it was my own state of mind that had caused me to exist as a mere speck of dust.

In the life preceding my existence as dust, I was a person born with physical disabilities, and I was looked down upon everywhere I went. Every time I stepped outside, people would stare at me with strange, judgmental eyes. I was born with severely twisted limbs, and because of this, some people cruelly called me a monster.

My heart was deeply wounded. Many times, I felt so inferior that I wished for a hole in the ground to open up so I could hide away. At that time, I had no chance to stand on my own; it seemed my fate was sealed to remain that way for a lifetime. I accumulated so many complex emotions within me with nowhere to express them, and they just kept piling up, layer upon layer.

The Weight of a Weary Life

Beyond the deformity of my limbs, this body was also stunted and small. Every year, when my family held ancestral offerings during the New Year, my only prayer was that the ancestors would take me away soon. I did not want to live in this world anymore. I felt that living was so exhausting, so painful, and there were so many things I had to face that I simply could not bear.

That life was incredibly arduous for me, lived entirely within the shadows of depression. In the end, I died of depression at the age of thirty-six. My own feelings of inferiority were what led me into the space of dust.

After becoming dust, I drifted from one place to another. No matter where I floated, no one cared. That is why I wanted to hide. As a particle of dust, I was so small, and I lacked all self-confidence.

A Gift from the Wind

One day, a voice appeared that startled me. It asked, 'Why are you always keeping your head bowed?' I did not know it was speaking to me. The voice did not give up; it kept calling until I realised it was addressing me. Uncertain and afraid, I slowly raised my head and discovered that it was the wind speaking to me.

I asked the wind, 'Can you see me?' The wind replied, 'Of course I can see you. I can even see what you look like.' Hearing this, I quickly lowered my head again. The wind continued, 'Young man, I have been to many places and seen countless sentient beings. Everyone has their own strengths, and you have yours, too. So, there is no need to always keep your head bowed.'

I said, 'I was born with defects, so I do not know if I have any strengths.' The wind said, 'Even if you were born with defects, if you do not let your heart believe that is all you are, then you are much more than what you imagine yourself to be.' After saying this, the wind departed.

To me, the wind had left a wonderful gift. Although I could not fully grasp it at the time, at least I knew that there was someone who did not look down upon me.

The Kindness of a Mother

While I was dust, I drifted through many places, constantly feeling the myriad things of this world. I discovered that everyone reacts differently to events, and all things have their own personalities and complex emotional exchanges. One day, I drifted near a woman and discovered she was deeply troubled; she longed for a child. I could see that she was a very kind-hearted person. In that moment, I sincerely hoped she would achieve her wish; it was a very genuine blessing from my heart.

Not long after I left her side, a light suddenly appeared before me, drawing me into its radiance, and I lost consciousness. It was a light leading me to rebirth. Because I had emitted that single thought of goodness, I was granted the opportunity to be reborn. While in the womb, I often heard my mother speaking to me. The voice was gentle and familiar. After listening for a long time, I realised that my mother was the very woman who had longed for a child. I never expected the Causal Conditions to be so ingenious; I had actually fulfilled her wish. I joyfully accepted this connection.

After I was born, my mother named me Guang Qianzhang. Once I entered the world, I forgot all about my past. My mother was a kind and virtuous woman. She was the first wife, and my father had many other wives and concubines. They were constantly competing in secret, trying to win my father's favour.

My mother never fought with them; she even used a vast mind-capacity to tolerate every one of my father's wives. Sometimes they tried to harm my mother, but she almost always managed to turn danger into safety. Even when she knew what they had done, she never grew angry. I asked her, 'Why are you never angry?' My mother replied, 'The reason they act this way is because their hearts are very insecure; they are afraid of losing what they have. My heart holds the Buddha, and I know that people come into this world through a gathering and scattering of Causal Conditions, so there is no need to be overly calculative.'

A Legacy of Dharma

My mother taught me through this personal example. She hoped the whole family could live in harmony, so she chose to face the many storms in our household with calmness. My mother had long been a vegetarian and a practitioner of chanting Buddha's name. She originally wanted to take me to a temple to meet the masters, but my grandmother and father strongly opposed it. When I was born, my grandmother had my fortune told, and the fortune-teller said I had a strong Buddhist affinity and that once I came into contact with the Buddha’s teachings, I would have the conditions to become a monk.

To my grandmother and father, as the son of the first wife, I was the first-in-line heir to the Guang family. They would never allow me to become a monk. After I was born, they doted on me, which made my brothers jealous; they treated me as their imaginary enemy. But under my mother's guidance, I learned to yield to them whenever I could.

As I grew up, I studied diligently and eventually passed the imperial examinations with top honours. My career as an official started smoothly, but before long, I was framed by those who were jealous of me. I was constantly attacked, but no matter how they struck at me, I chose to persist in my convictions and ideals. Seeing that I would not give up, they threatened to harm my family to force me to abandon my principles. In the end, I remained steadfast, and my family was indeed caught in the crossfire. I was thrown into prison and suffered both physically and mentally, but I always believed that the side of justice would eventually be redressed.

The Path to Deliverance

My opponents came to the prison to see me. To them, the fact that I still held my head high even in prison was intolerable. They decided to put me to death. During my time in prison, my family sent me the Buddhist sutras my mother had left behind. I read them constantly, contemplating their true meaning. Through diligent practice, I understood the tolerance and compassion within the Buddha’s teachings. I decided not to hold onto the grievances of what had happened. Only by being willing to let go in my heart could I avoid carrying this enmity into my many future lives.

On the day of my execution, I ended my life with a peaceful heart. I was forty-three years old. After my life ended, I arrived before the King of Hell. I saw the cycle of rebirth and the karmic creditors I owed, and I felt deep repentance. The King of Hell, seeing my integrity and my kind heart, gave me the opportunity to serve as a prison guard.

Every moment I served as a guard, I did my utmost. Seeing the many suffering spirits in hell, I felt great sorrow, and I prayed that they might have the chance to awaken and find a way out. Just as I was praying, the sound of Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks echoed through the hells. Every word urged us to wake up and follow Namo Amituofo. Every time I listened to the teachings, my heart felt joyful and peaceful, and I longed for the day when I could properly follow Namo Amituofo and learn.

Finally, today, through the guidance of Practitioner Su, I, along with fifty-nine other prison guards and immeasurable and boundless sentient beings, have been reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am filled with gratitude to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su.

Guang Qianzhang, kneeling in gratitude."

Namo Amituofo.