From the Shadows of the Underworld to the Light of the Western Land: The Journey of Chen Ruizhe

A Radiant Arrival Beyond the Veil

Namo Amituofo, and may Practitioner Su be honoured for his boundless compassion. I, along with fifty-nine other prison guards, have finally arrived at the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. The beauty of this place is truly beyond the capacity of human language to describe; it is a realm of such exquisite magnificence and serene splendour that I find myself at a loss for how to adequately convey its majesty. Every moment here is filled with a profound sense of peace that permeates the very essence of my being.

Today, I am filled with an immense and overflowing sense of joy. A smile has remained on my face, for I have finally reached the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, the destination I had long yearned for. Although I have not been dead for very long, my life in the human world was brief, ending when I was only sixteen years of age. At sixteen, I did not understand much of the complexities of the world, yet my journey in that realm came to an abrupt and violent end, leaving behind only the echoes of a life once lived.

The Shadow of a Double Life

Everything I knew about the world was learned through my father. He lived a life of profound duality, serving as both a dedicated police officer and a member of the underworld. To be precise, he was an undercover officer embedded deep within a criminal organisation. He had been performing this dangerous duty since before I was born. Every day was fraught with peril, yet he remained steadfast in his mission to eradicate the influence of the gangs. My father was a man of profound integrity and duty. He understood that his work placed not only himself but also his family in constant danger. However, he did not hesitate. He believed that if his sacrifice, or even the sacrifice of his family, could restore peace to society, it would be a price worth paying.

After I was born, my father kept me by his side, wishing for me to understand him and the nature of his work. He was always transparent with me, explaining his identity and his mission from a young age. Because he raised me within the environment of the underworld, he feared I might be led astray. He wanted me to grow into a person of honesty and justice, which is why he shared the truth of his undercover life with me, hoping to shield my heart from the corruption that surrounded us.

The Origins of a Fragile Family

My birth was an unexpected event. My father had never intended to have children or a partner, but he chose to marry my mother to save her life. She had been involved in the sex industry and was taken by the gang leader. However, the leader had many women, and my mother, seeking to secure his favour, attempted to manipulate various factions within the gang. When the leader discovered her schemes, he beat her nearly to death.

Seeing her plight, my father intervened and told the leader that he would take her. The leader was surprised, but because my father had always performed his duties with excellence, his request was granted. From that day on, my mother became my father’s wife. When he decided to marry her, he was clear: he had no desire for a romantic relationship; he was simply providing her with a path to survive. My mother, having lived among men who treated her as a commodity, had never encountered a man of such integrity. She was deeply moved by his words and his conduct.

For three years, they lived under the same roof, rarely speaking or interacting. One day, when my father was intoxicated, they accidentally conceived me. My father was shocked, but he accepted this as a matter of Causal Conditions. When I was born, he held me, feeling a sense of wonder he had never experienced before. He had never imagined he would have a child of his own, and this unexpected gift changed his perspective on life.

Lessons in the Underworld

From the moment I was born, my father resolved to educate me properly. Having witnessed so many young people in the underworld acting on impulse without thought, he felt a deep sense of sorrow. Now that he had a child, he was determined to ensure I would not walk down a path of no return. I grew up witnessing the violence of the gang—the shouting, the beatings, and the complex dynamics between men and women. My father would privately guide me, instilling in me the correct values and teaching me how to discern right from wrong amidst the chaos.

I was well-liked by everyone in the gang, from the uncles to the aunts. They would share food and play with me. In my heart, I believed that despite the wrongdoings they committed against society, there remained a spark of goodness within them, which was evident in how they treated me. My father, however, saw that I had developed emotional attachments to these people. He warned me: "Ruizhe, you must be a man of strength. You cannot let emotions cloud your judgment, especially in our line of work. True strength requires detachment."

He continued, "While you may feel that some of these people are kind, they are still responsible for actions that destroy social peace—fighting, recruiting youth into drugs, extortion, and creating chaos. These actions harm the civilians and set a terrible example for society. Therefore, once I have gathered the evidence, I must act with justice." I asked him if we would ever leave, and he remained silent. Even as a child, I knew the answer; I felt that a great upheaval was coming, and that our lives would soon be irrevocably changed.

The Final Separation

I have few memories of my mother, as she left us when I was six, unable to bear the loneliness. My father never spoke a word about her. Once, I gathered the courage to ask him, but he simply looked up from his newspaper and said, "Ruizhe, we do not need women. Any woman in your life will only cause you worry and distraction. A true man does not need them." This was the only time he spoke of it, but the words were etched into my mind. Unlike the other men in the gang, who used women to bolster their status, my father stood alone, his heart focused entirely on his mission.

My father served as the coordinator for the gang, trusted deeply by the leader for his stability. I knew he was preparing to strike, meticulously collecting evidence on the gang's headquarters, drug smuggling routes, and schedules. He had been undercover for ten years. In that final year, as the gang planned to expand their operations, I felt my father’s resolve intensify. He did not return home for three nights, and his presence felt different. At eleven years old, I knew the end was near.

One night, he sent me away to be cared for by a woman I did not know. I never saw my father again. The news reported that the gang was being dismantled. I watched the television, seeing the men I knew being arrested, but I never saw my father. I missed him dearly. The woman who cared for me, who I later learned was my father’s sister, tried to help me start a new life, but I was haunted by dreams of our time together. She never told me the truth: that my father had been discovered as a traitor and killed on the spot. I knew, deep down, that he had been prepared for this, and that his sacrifice was the ultimate act of duty.

From the Streets to the Western Land

At sixteen, driven by curiosity and grief, I returned to our old neighbourhood to search for him. I was discovered by the gang and shot dead on the street. My life ended there, a statistic in the social news. As I lay bleeding, I felt the world descend into chaos. When I died, I entered a dark space, filled with fear. Eventually, I was brought before the King of Hell, who told me, "Do not be afraid. You have lived a life of goodness and integrity, though it was destined to be short. Although you lived among the gang, you created no karma. Because of your upright nature, you are appointed as a prison guard, and your true self-nature shall be restored."

My fear vanished, and I transformed into a man with a beard, taking on my duties as a guard. During my time in the underworld, I had the opportunity to hear Practitioner Su give Dharma talks. I learned that the most important thing in life is to seek liberation, and that all worldly Causal Conditions are illusory. I made a vow to seek true freedom, and today, that vow has been fulfilled. I am deeply grateful to the King of Hell for nominating me, and to Practitioner Su for reaching out and guiding all sixty of us prison guards to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. The peace here is absolute, with none of the noise of the human world. I am so grateful. I will cherish this opportunity for rebirth and follow Namo Amituofo with all my heart. I have seen Practitioner Su’s tireless efforts to save beings, and I am deeply moved. I hope that the Buddha’s teachings may truly abide in this world to help others, just as I have been helped. On behalf of all sixty prison guards, I bow in gratitude to the Buddha, to Practitioner Su, and to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

Chen Ruizhe