From the Hells to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Zhao Ruyan, a former prison guard in the hells who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon her life during the Ming Dynasty and her subsequent journey to liberation. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on April 19, 2026.

Zhao Ruyan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I, Zhao Ruyan, knelt and prostrated before the compassionate Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su.

Today, I and fifty-nine other prison guards have finally been reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. We have arrived in this magnificent, luminous world, a realm devoid of suffering and filled with ultimate joy. During my time serving as a prison guard, while listening to Practitioner Su teaching the Dharma within the hells, I constantly yearned for the day I could be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I never imagined that this day would arrive so swiftly. Today, it was the turn of us sixty prison guards to be reborn in the Western Land; we are truly the most fortunate of beings."

The Magnificence of the Western Pure Land

"The beauty of the Western Land is exactly as described in the sutras and as Practitioner Su has shared with the public during his lectures. It is so dignified and magnificent. In fact, I would say it far exceeds the realms described by Practitioner Su in the sutras—it transcends the reach of words and language entirely. Only those who have arrived here in the Western Land can truly comprehend its wonder.

All of this is a manifestation of the vow power of Namo Amituofo. It clearly demonstrates the compassionate heart of the Buddha, who seeks to save all sentient beings, sharing everything he possesses with the inhabitants of the Western Land. Witnessing such vast mind-capacity and virtue, I could not help but kneel and prostrate to the Buddha with the utmost sincerity. I have made a vow: 'In the future, I too shall attain Buddhahood. Like the Buddha, I will give of myself entirely, solely for the sake of allowing all sentient beings to obtain deliverance.'"

A Life of Humble Service in the Ming Dynasty

"I am Zhao Ruyan. I was born during the Ming Dynasty into a family of extreme poverty. When I was about eighteen years old, my parents both passed away in an accident. To me at that time, this was a blow as devastating as a raging storm. Yet, no matter how bitter life became, I had to persist. To survive, I examined my own situation and realised I possessed no special skills, nor did I have any acquaintances who could help me find work. After much consideration, I decided to become a laundry worker.

In those days, this was a job that many were unwilling to do because it was both exhausting and lowly, and the wages were meagre. However, for me, it was the best option because there were no barriers to entry. Although it was a life of hardship, I felt deeply grateful simply to be able to survive.

It was a job that demanded immense physical strength. Especially during the twelfth lunar month, I had to wash clothes in water that was freezing and bone-chilling. It was a tremendous test for the body, but I did not mind. Because I had been raised in poverty, my parents had always told me: 'When facing difficulties, we must view them with A Heart of Gratitude.' I kept these words firmly in my mind, and they helped me navigate the most arduous periods of my life."

The Path of Compassion and Dharma

"At that time, those who worked as laundry workers were usually widows or women from impoverished backgrounds. I was among the younger ones. Since I was unmarried, after some time, people actually began trying to introduce me to potential suitors. This surprised me, but I also found it quite amusing.

In my heart, I thought that although my life was hard, it was also free and easy. I was supporting myself with my own two hands, and there was nothing wrong with that. But if I were to marry, it would be like farming—one would have to 'rely on the heavens for food.' If I married a wonderful husband and lived a happy life, that would be my good fortune; but if I were to encounter a bad match, I would suffer for the rest of my life.

In truth, I never had much interest in marriage. Ever since my parents passed away, I had severed all thoughts of such things. If my parents had wished for me to marry, I would have obeyed them, as filial piety was important to me. But now that I had no one left in this world to rely on—only my own two hands and this body—what did I have to worry about? So, at that time, even though people acted as matchmakers for me several times, I simply smiled and politely declined.

During the Ming Dynasty, I was just an ordinary civilian at the bottom of society. Because of this, I had a deep understanding of the hardships and helplessness of the common people, as I was one of them. I felt deeply that living in this world is not easy, especially for people like us at the bottom. Therefore, we should help each other within our own capabilities so that we can survive better. That was my very simple thought at the time.

After all, throughout my journey, although I was self-reliant, I always encountered problems and troubles of various sizes, and I had received help from others to some extent. Thus, I always aspired to become someone capable of helping others."

Serving in the Hells and Finding the Truth

"In the city at that time, someone introduced the idea that we could go to the temple to serve and listen to the Dharma. This was a very novel experience for me.

When I walked into the temple, I felt its solemnity and the dignified presence of the monastics. Listening to the master teach the Dharma was like seeing a bright lamp, illuminating my then-wandering and confused heart. After listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma, I slowly learned how to walk the path of my life, and I became increasingly clear about what I could do for others. This brought a great sense of stability to my heart.

From then on, I encouraged others to go to the temple to serve and listen to the Dharma. On the other hand, I saved my meagre wages to help those poor, helpless, and lonely orphans. Although my own ability was limited, I persisted in doing so. I believed that as long as I held a heart of Goodness and kind thoughts, the Buddha would surely bless me, allowing me to exert the greatest strength to help others.

These orphans I helped were all very simple and pure, but because they had not received a good education from a young age, their lives were difficult. I did not have the ability to give them money to go to school—that was too heavy a burden for me at the time—but I could take them to the temple and participate in service together.

I discovered that these children’s hearts were originally very closed, carrying many negative character traits. When they served in the temple, especially after listening to the master’s lectures, they each seemed to transform into different people. They began to become positive and optimistic, revealing the innocent smiles that children should naturally have.

Thus, I became convinced that this was the right thing to do. I dedicated my life to this until the very end. Fortunately, I did not suffer from any major illness and passed away peacefully in my bed.

Afterwards, I arrived before the Yama King. He told me in detail about the merits and demerits of my life and said that I had a kind heart and had performed the merit of nurturing the next generation. I was quite surprised, as I had never thought that what I did was so meaningful; I only felt that it was what I ought to do.

The Yama King asked if I would like to serve as a prison guard in the hells to serve the beings there. After hearing this, I felt great joy in my heart and accepted the assignment.

During my time as a prison guard in the hells, I saw many sentient beings suffering endlessly because they did not know where they had gone wrong. They did not know how to practise repenting, and seeing this made my heart ache, yet I did not know how to help them.

Until one day, the sound of Practitioner Su’s lectures resonated through the hells. After listening, my heart was filled with joy, for I had never heard such a great Dharma before. In his simple and direct words, I could understand the profound meaning; this was the answer to life I had been searching for all along.

However, before this, the Buddha’s teachings I had encountered had never brought me such a feeling. Now I understand that this is the Truth I have always been seeking. I shared these principles with other prison guards and suffering beings with great joy. After hearing them, the beings slowly understood that they needed to repent to leave the hells more quickly. This made my heart feel very joyful and grateful.

Recently, I learned that I was on the list of sixty prison guards to go to the Western Pure Land. I was overjoyed, as I had long vowed to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I never expected to encounter such magnificent Causal Conditions now. Under the guidance of Practitioner Su, I have been reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, for which I, Zhao Ruyan, am deeply grateful.

Now, in the Western Pure Land, I vow to follow Namo Amituofo and practise diligently. I hope that one day, I too will be like Practitioner Su, having the ability to send sentient beings to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, helping them turn around their suffering lives within the cycle of rebirth.

Gratitude to Namo Amituofo. Gratitude to Practitioner Su.

Zhao Ruyan"