From the Hells to the Western Pure Land

Chu Ching-wen, a former prison guard in the underworld, sought deliverance through the compassion of Practitioner Su. This interview was recorded on October 28, 2022, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, where he shares his journey from a life of hardship and karmic debt to his eventual rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Chu Ching-wen speaks:

"Standing upon the lotus in the Western Pure Land and looking back at the human world, I finally realise that everything in that realm is illusory. The good is false, and the bad is also false. In the Buddha’s world, there are no discriminations, and there is nothing that one needs to cling to tightly. I am deeply grateful for everything I experienced in this lifetime, as it allowed me to realise these truths. I am even more grateful for the opportunity to come to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is what my soul has been yearning for over thousands of years, and now that this moment has finally arrived, I am filled with gratitude. I am grateful to the Buddha for providing us with the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su for guiding me and fifty-nine other prison guards to the West. The magnificence of the Dharma assembly is truly something to be thankful for, as it allowed countless sentient beings to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss and attain Buddhahood."

A Humble Beginning

"I am Chu Ching-wen. My birth was not a fortunate one; I did not even know who my parents were. I was abandoned under the eaves of a building by the roadside in the middle of the night. When I woke up hungry, I cried at the top of my lungs. I do not know how long I cried before my foster father, who would define my life, happened to pass by. He was pushing a large cart filled with recyclables, intending to sell them once he had collected a bit more. He did not expect to encounter me. In that moment, he did not know what to do, and since the entire street was deserted, he had no choice but to place me on his cart and take me home."

"When dawn broke, my foster father went around asking the neighbours if anyone was willing to take me in. He went to the Wu family, who had always wanted a child, and asked, 'Would you be willing to take this child in?' But the Wu family refused, saying that I was a child of unknown origin. They did not want me, fearing that my personality might develop problems in the future."

"After hearing this, my foster father helplessly carried me home. He looked at my simple, innocent face, smiled at me, and said, 'I had hoped to find you a good home so you would never have to suffer in this life, but it seems you are destined to be with me. I will do my best, at least to ensure you are well-fed.'"

A Bond Forged in Hardship

"In the days that followed, my foster father, a man who had never raised a child, was often at a loss when I cried. If it were not for the neighbours helping him look after me, he would have been completely overwhelmed."

"Once I could walk and had a bit of strength, I followed my foster father to help collect recyclables and other items that could be sold. When the local children saw me, they would say, 'He is the trash-collecting boy.' The first time my foster father heard them say this, he knelt down and said to me, 'Child, you have been wronged.' I smiled and shook my head. I knew how hard my foster father worked to raise me; without him, I would not have survived. Therefore, I felt nothing but immense gratitude toward him. My foster father was not afraid to let me know about my origins. He told me that one must face every event in life, and once you face it, everything will be fine. It was this calm state of mind that allowed me to accept my own background."

"Apart from food, my foster father did not have extra money to buy me toys, but he possessed a special skill: he could turn the 'trash' we collected into gold. He would polish discarded pieces of wood and, using the best parts, crafted a wooden horse for me. Furthermore, we built a large kiln together. Besides baking cakes, we used it to fire the bowls and teacups that we made together. I cherished these childhood experiences deeply and felt no different from any other child."

The Path of Filial Gratitude

"When I reached school age, my foster father had already saved a sum of money for my education. When he took me to buy my school uniform and I held it in my hands, I wept. He asked, 'Why are you crying?' I replied, 'I don't know how long you had to save for this uniform.' He patted my head and said, 'When I decided to raise you, I decided that you would go to school just like any other child.' I nodded, telling myself that I would work hard."

"To avoid placing too much of a burden on him, I secretly asked the auntie who sold noodles to hire me. I told her, 'I will work as fast as anyone else.' She was moved by my sincerity and gave me a job washing dishes. Every day after school, I told my foster father that I was staying late to study, so I would return home late. He was happy for my diligence, but in reality, I was at the noodle shop washing dishes to earn extra money to help him. Sometimes, the auntie would give me the leftover side dishes, and I would happily bring them home, telling my foster father that they were rewards for my good performance at school. He was always very comforted by this."

"I saved the money I earned, and during the Lunar New Year, I bought meat to celebrate, feeling that we were stepping into a new year together. In fact, from the moment I started lying to him about staying late at school, my foster father had secretly come to check on me and knew I was washing dishes. He felt a deep ache in his heart seeing my small back, but he never exposed my lie, knowing that I was a sensible child."

Success and Service

"My foster father had a sister whom I called Auntie. She cared for us deeply and would bring us plenty of food and supplies whenever she visited, enough to last us a month. My foster father would tell her not to bring anything, but she continued to show her care in her own way. I finished junior high school, and although my grades qualified me for further education, I decided to stop. My foster father was getting old, and I did not want him to worry about my tuition, so I decided to enter the workforce."

"I found a job at a bicycle factory. At that time, the bicycle industry was booming, so the factory had many orders, and my work was stable. After I started earning money, I gave a portion to my foster father every month so he would not have to continue collecting recyclables, but he insisted on continuing, respecting his work as he had for decades."

"In my tenth year at the factory, when I was about twenty-three, my foster father accidentally fell. Afterward, his legs were too weak to stand, and he suffered from aches all over his body, barely able to leave his bed. I decided to resign from my job to care for him full-time. I looked after him with great care, cooking his favourite foods, just as he had cared for me when I was young."

A Life of Giving Back

"One day, the owner of the bicycle factory unexpectedly came to our home. He said, 'The company is expanding and we need talent. I hope you can return.' I explained my foster father's situation, and the owner agreed to let me work from home until he recovered. I was deeply grateful. Later, I became a supervisor at the factory, helping to improve quality and develop finer parts. With a stage to perform on, I eventually bought a house and improved our lives."

"Any success I had in life was due to my foster father and everyone who had helped me. After becoming a supervisor, I mentored many new employees, especially those from poor or struggling families, helping them secure stable incomes. They were very grateful to me, but I always thought, 'Since my life was changed by the help of others, I must also be someone who helps others change.' I did not force this; I simply extended a helping hand whenever I saw a need."

The Final Transition

"My foster father passed away when I was sixty. He enjoyed a peaceful life in his later years. I remained healthy, maintaining a habit of daily exercise well into my seventies. However, at seventy-five, my metabolism began to decline, and minor ailments appeared. At eighty, I felt as if my entire body was being dismantled, and I passed away. The cause of death was kidney failure."

"Upon arriving in the underworld, the events of my life flashed before my eyes—the good and the bad. The King of Hell told me that in this life, I was originally destined for dialysis because, in a past life, I had been a corrupt official who caused suffering to the people, which was why I was born into poverty. However, because I learned to repay kindness and give back, I was able to resolve that karmic calamity. Hearing this, I felt immense gratitude for my foster father's teachings. I accepted everything from my past and repented. The King of Hell, out of compassion, allowed me to serve as a prison guard. I served with joy every day, hoping to help the beings in hell. My abilities were limited, but after hearing Practitioner Su give Dharma talks in hell, I realised there was a path to liberation. I tried my best to counsel the beings in hell to seek liberation, though many were stubborn."

"I am grateful for today's good Causal Conditions, which allow me to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I kneel and bow to Practitioner Su, who helped us achieve this rebirth. I am grateful for everything."

"Ching-wen, with palms joined in reverence."

Note: Chu Tai, the foster father of the prison guard Chu Ching-wen, was guided by Practitioner Su to the Western Dharma-Nature Land from the first level of hell.