From the Hells to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss

This article records an interview with Hou Benyi, a spirit who served as a jailer in the hell realms before seeking deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on August 31, 2024.

Hou Benyi speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Even now, in the fleeting moments before being guided by Practitioner Su to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, my heart is overflowing with such profound, overwhelming emotion. The Western Land of Ultimate Bliss feels like a place that is simultaneously foreign and yet deeply, achingly intimate—a complex sensation of being both a complete stranger and someone finally returning to a long-lost home. Other spirits who served as jailers alongside me have remarked that we have been wandering in the cycle of reincarnation for far too long, so long that we had completely forgotten our true home in the West. I feel incredibly fortunate, so deeply blessed, to have this rare opportunity for Practitioner Su to lead us back to our original home.

I stand here with fifty-nine other jailers, kneeling and bowing in deepest gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo. I am Hou Benyi, and looking back on my journey through the human world, I have gained so many profound realisations that have shaped my spirit.

A Childhood Haunted by Existential Questions

When I was only ten years old, I asked my mother a question that had been gnawing at me: 'What is the purpose of my coming into this human world?' My mother stared at me, wide-eyed, clearly taken aback, and replied, 'Living is just about eating, drinking, working, raising a family, and getting by. I do not know how to answer such a question.'

My mother was not wrong; the people around me lived exactly like that—eating, sleeping, playing, marrying, and having children. Yet, I remained deeply troubled. What was the true meaning of such a life? Many people felt that I always looked burdened by heavy, invisible thoughts. I did not want to be that way, but my heart felt perpetually knotted, unable to untangle itself. I wanted to be like a normal child, playing happily, but I simply could not. Consequently, many adults called me a precocious child, noting that my thoughts were far beyond my years.

I even asked my father once, 'Are you happy?' He quickly retorted, 'What is happiness?' When he asked that, I was stunned into silence. I thought to myself, 'Yes, what exactly is happiness?' It was a question that no one in my life could answer, leaving me feeling isolated in my own confusion.

The Flood and the Fragility of Existence

At sixteen, I decided to leave home. It was not that I did not love my family—I did—but I was consumed by a profound confusion that no one at home could resolve. I felt I had to venture out, hoping that in the process, I might find the answers I was seeking. I took some money and a simple bag, stepping onto an unknown path. My future was a blank slate, but I believed that life possessed a certain resilience; no matter the environment, it could adjust and survive.

I remember that within a week of leaving home, I arrived at a village of about four or five hundred people. On my first night, I found a place to rest, but a torrential rain began to fall. As the night progressed, the rain intensified, and the entire village was soon engulfed in a catastrophic flood. Many people were swept away by the rushing water, and I was among them. As I faced the prospect of losing my life, I suddenly realised how impermanent existence truly is. I had only just left home, and yet I was on the verge of a permanent farewell to my family.

Miraculously, I did not die; I was rescued. When I regained consciousness, I was soaked, but otherwise unharmed. It felt as though I had just awakened from a dream. My consciousness remained trapped in that moment of being swept away by the torrent—it was terrifying, yet it left me feeling strangely 'clear-headed.' That clarity allowed me to see the fragility of life and the impermanence of the world more vividly than ever before. If life is so fleeting, what, then, is the true purpose of living?

The Search for Meaning and Spiritual Power

Regrettably, I did not have the Causal Conditions to encounter the Buddha’s teachings in that life. Instead, I first learned about spiritual powers. I encountered this path through an older woman I met by chance on the street. She was observing her surroundings when she saw me walking by, lost in deep thought. She asked, 'Young man, what are you thinking about?' Her voice startled me, and I could not immediately answer. She then said, 'I can help you resolve your confusion.' Her words felt like a lifeline, pulling me out of a whirlpool. I asked her, 'What did you say?' She repeated, 'I can help you resolve your confusion.' I was overjoyed; I had left home precisely to find such answers.

She told me, 'If living is only about mundane existence, then this life is meaningless. But if you use this body to do meaningful things, such as helping others, then life becomes valuable and vibrant.' She was absolutely right. I felt that my life should not be lived solely for myself; otherwise, there would be no joy in existing.

I decided to follow her, and only then did I realise she possessed powerful spiritual abilities. She explained that her powers were innate, manifesting slightly at age three and growing stronger as she aged. She also warned me that using such powers requires extreme caution. If one harbours subtle, incorrect views, it is easy to invite demons into the body, which is incredibly dangerous. Therefore, one must maintain a pure heart, free from excessive delusions, messy thoughts, and desires.

Healing and the Spirit Stone

She immediately saw that I also had a latent talent for these powers, which had never been awakened. That was why I had always felt different from other children. She was remarkably perceptive; she even knew about a benign growth on my inner thigh that no one else had ever seen. When I asked how she knew, she explained, 'Wherever there is a symptom in the body, there is a corresponding force. I can communicate with that force and use my ability to remove it from you.' I was astounded. She added, 'But I cannot do this without a reason, or I would be the one to suffer the consequences.' I became determined to learn her methods to save more people.

After ten years of study, I learned to quiet my heart completely. She helped me unearth the spiritual abilities that were already inherent within me. Ten years later, we began travelling to help people. I remember the first person I treated—a kind, elderly grandmother. As soon as she sat down, I felt a dark force radiating from her back. She complained of chronic, unbearable pain that doctors could not cure. I asked her, 'If I heal you, will you also help others?' She nodded immediately. With her sincere intention to help others, I was able to use my spiritual power to heal her. I focused my mind, chanted, and drew upon a force from the universe to channel energy into her back. She opened her eyes and exclaimed, 'It is gone!' She was deeply moved and promised to spread the power of Goodness.

From the Spirit Stone to the Hells

I spent the rest of my life helping others. Around the age of sixty-five, I sensed my life was coming to an end. When I passed away, my spirit entered a 'spirit stone'—a tool I had used for healing. It was about the size of a fist and radiated beautiful, multi-coloured light. I spent a hundred years inside that stone, continuing to radiate positive energy to everyone who touched it. Eventually, the stone was buried, and at that moment, my spirit emerged, which was a complete surprise to me.

I was then taken before the King of Hell, who appointed me as a jailer. Serving in the hells was heart-wrenching; seeing the beings suffer so intensely made my own heart ache. I wanted to help them, but I felt powerless. It was not until I heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks in the hells that I understood such a magnificent Dharma existed. I saw the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su enter the hells to save beings, and I was filled with awe. I learned that by using the Buddha’s teachings, I could transform them and awaken their spirits. I am so fortunate to have been included in the list of those to be guided to the West. I am filled with infinite gratitude.

Gratitude to Namo Amituofo.

Gratitude to Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Hou Benyi bows in reverence."