The Gratitude of a Prison Guard

This is a record of an interview with Yan-Ting, a prison guard who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and his journey to deliverance. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on March 6, 2021.

Yan-Ting speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Yan-Ting. I knelt before the Buddha alongside fifty-nine other prison guards, our hearts overflowing with gratitude for the boundless compassion of the Buddha and the mercy of Practitioner Su. It is only through their grace that we were able to arrive here in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. As we looked at one another, we could not help but smile; in that moment, we felt a joy so profound it is difficult to put into words. We are so deeply grateful to Practitioner Su. Truly, no one else ever thought of us—the prison guards. Only Practitioner Su, in every single Dharma assembly, has compassionately reached out to guide sixty prison guards at a time to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. We are eternally thankful to Practitioner Su, so very thankful."

A Childhood of Resilience

"My brothers, Yan-Zhong and Yan-Wei, and I were triplets. Although we shared the same birth, our personalities were entirely different. Our mother was a simple, humble woman who lived her life with absolute honesty and integrity. Our father was meant to be her pillar of support, but he lost his life in a battle before we were even born. From that moment on, Mother was left entirely alone. She was devastated, her heart shattered, yet she knew she had to carry us. Despite the overwhelming sorrow and the crushing weight of poverty, she summoned an iron will. She gritted her teeth, determined to bring us into this world and raise us, no matter how bitter or difficult the path ahead might be."

"To provide for the three of us, Mother could not leave the house to work. She sold our large family home and used the proceeds to buy a very small cottage. It was cramped, but it was enough to shelter the four of us. We lived off the remaining money from that sale, practising extreme frugality, and somehow, we managed to survive for quite a long time."

The Kindness of Strangers

"When we first moved to that village, we were only a little over a year old. To make grocery shopping easier, Mother bought a small cart from a local carpenter. Every time she went out, she would place all three of us inside the cart, as she could not possibly carry three toddlers at once. This was the only way she could manage. The neighbours, who did not yet know us, were naturally curious. Mother was always incredibly polite, greeting everyone with a warm smile and introducing herself and her three sons. These neighbours were truly good people. When they learned that she was raising three one-year-olds entirely on her own, they were astonished. They felt such pity for her, wondering how a woman with no money and no way to work could possibly feed three children. Moved by her plight, they began to pool their resources. Some would bring fresh food to our door every single day; everyone was eager to help Mother through those incredibly difficult times. A few women who became close to Mother would even come to our home to help look after us so that she could run errands. The villagers were so kind, so helpful, and so loving that Mother eventually felt as though she had found a second home. She no longer felt lonely or burdened by the weight of her struggles."

Lessons in Generosity

"With the absence of a father figure, Mother placed an even greater emphasis on our education. She was absolutely determined that we would not go astray simply because we lacked a father. This was her greatest concern. No matter how exhausted she was, she kept us close, teaching us through her every word and action. Once we learned to speak at the age of three, she began to educate us actively. I remember one day, Mother brought home a large cake. She asked my eldest brother, 'Yan-Zhong, how many pieces should we cut this cake into?' My brother replied, 'There are only four of us, so of course, we should cut it into four pieces!' Before Mother could even ask my younger brother, Yan-Wei, he blurted out, 'Don't cut it at all! Give it all to me to eat by myself!' Mother just smiled and turned to me, 'Yan-Ting, what about you? How many pieces would you cut it into?'"

"I looked at that cake, and in my mind, I began to see the faces of all the people I knew: Auntie Hua next door, Mrs. Lin, Brother Zhang, Grandpa Wang, and all the children we played with. So many people appeared in my thoughts. I asked Mother, 'What is the maximum number of pieces we can cut it into? There are so many people I want to share it with.' Mother nodded and said, 'Yan-Ting has a large mind-capacity. It is rare for a cake like this to appear in our home, yet he does not think of himself first; he thinks of others. Yan-Zhong thinks of our family, and Yan-Wei thinks only of himself. There is a great difference here. Since Yan-Ting has the virtue of a large mind-capacity, you should all learn from him.' My brothers nodded, and my eldest brother said happily, 'Then let us count how many people there are, and we will cut the cake into that many pieces to share with everyone!' That day, we did exactly that. We ended up cutting the cake into fifteen pieces and delivered them to our neighbours one by one. Although each person received only a tiny portion, they were so touched by our innocence and sincerity that they were truly delighted. They ate the cake right in front of us, their faces beaming with joy. From that day on, we understood the true happiness of sharing with others."

A Mother's Legacy of Compassion

"Once, Mother took us to the local market and said, 'Each of you take some money and go buy some vegetables. I will wait for you under this big tree. You can buy whatever you like, just come back here when you are finished.' We were so excited! After taking the money, we immediately set off. Before long, we all returned to the tree. Mother said, 'Show me what you have bought.' My eldest brother went first, 'These are the freshest vegetables. The vendor said they were just picked from the mountain. They were a bit expensive because of their quality, but it is rare for us to have such good vegetables, so I thought it was worth the cost.' Mother nodded, knowing he always thought of the family. Then she turned to me, 'Yan-Ting, what about you?' I brought out my vegetables—they were all slightly yellowed. I told her, 'I bought these from the elderly men and women sitting in the corner. They do not have stalls like the other vendors; they just lay a cloth on the ground. Their vegetables do not look as good, so no one wants to buy them. They were starting to turn yellow, but that does not matter; even the rotten leaves can be used as fertiliser. They sold them to me very cheaply, so I used all my money to buy everything they had.' Mother smiled and nodded. Then she asked, 'What about Yan-Wei?' My younger brother hid his hands behind his back. When Mother asked him to show his purchase, a candy fell to the ground. He turned to pick it up, and we saw that both his hands were full of sweets. Mother asked, 'Did you spend your money on candy?' He stammered, 'I was going to buy vegetables, but before I reached the stalls, I saw the man selling candy. I couldn't help myself, so I spent all the money on sweets.' Mother said, 'What is done is done, but you cannot eat so much sugar. Now that you have all this, what should you do?' My brother immediately shared the candy with me and our eldest brother. Seeing other children running and playing nearby, he shared with them as well. In the end, he only had one piece left for himself. Even with just that one piece, he was content, his face lit up with a sweet, innocent smile. Mother praised my actions and told my brothers to learn from me—to cultivate a compassionate heart that thinks of others. I do not know why I thought that way; it was just natural. When I saw those people, I wanted to help them, even if my ability to do so was small. I would always try my best."

"The villagers loved us because we were always happy to help others. Even though our family was poor, we loved to practise Generosity, sharing whatever we had. Mother once told us during dinner, 'You three were born as my sons. Even though I am uneducated and cannot read, I must raise you well. When you grow up, you do not need to be rich—that is not necessary—but you must never forget what I have taught you. You must give back to society. We grew up in poverty, and so many people helped us. The gratitude we felt when we were helped is exactly what we must now bring to others. When you reach out to help someone in their most difficult moment, you can relieve them of great afflictions. By giving people peace of mind, the world becomes a little more tranquil. We must consider the world in everything we do. Even if someone who dislikes us stands before us, you must bow and let them pass first. Not because you are afraid of them, but so that you do not cause them to stir up anger or afflictions. As long as it benefits others, it does not matter what happens to us. You must remember this.' We have never forgotten Mother's teachings, for she was the best example we could have. Watching her every word and action from childhood, we learned naturally. Mother spent her whole life helping others; even when she was struggling, she still wanted to make things better for everyone else. We saw this clearly, and we have continued to learn from her example ever since."

Namo Amituofo.

"As we grew up, my eldest brother passed the imperial examinations and became a scholar-official. My younger brother opened a rice shop of his own, while I learned the trade of a craftsman and became a labourer. Each of us possessed our own unique talents, and we each applied our abilities to give back to society. Once my eldest brother became a local official, he worked tirelessly to secure welfare for the civilians, hoping to improve their quality of life. He would frequently walk the streets to observe the daily lives of the people; wherever he saw a need for improvement, he would immediately take action to make changes, all for the sake of ensuring the people could live in peace and happiness.

As for my younger brother, every month he would donate vast quantities of rice and grain to numerous disaster areas and impoverished villages. Wherever there was a need for food relief, my brother’s presence would be there. He was always the first benefactor to step forward, and every donation he made was incredibly generous. As for me, I understood repair and construction. I frequently built bridges and paved roads in remote areas, or wherever there was a need for repairs, I was always willing to serve the people for free. This was what I could do, and it was what I felt I ought to do.

A Mother's Simple Wisdom

When our mother saw the growth of us three brothers, she nodded with great satisfaction. One day, we three brothers returned home to reunite with her. On the wooden square table, the same dishes we had eaten since childhood were laid out. Mother did not live a more luxurious life just because we three brothers were now earning money. She said, 'No matter how much you indulge this body, it remains just as it is. You do not need those superfluous things. As long as you have two hands and two feet to help others, that is enough.' Mother always taught us to be positive and helpful. We learned not to be greedy, not to crave, and in all things, we remained grateful and content.

When we reached the age of thirty-six, Mother said she wished to go to the mountains to practice. We three brothers were all in favour of this; it had always been her dream, but she had kept it hidden in her heart because she was hindered by the need to care for us. Now that we were all grown, our maturity gave her peace of mind. She resolved to let go of everything in the world and go to the mountains to practice alone.

The Lesson of Detachment

After Mother left, we three brothers continued to serve the people. We did not marry or have children, because Mother had once told us: 'Every one of us has emotions; this is a characteristic inherent to this body. However, you can choose whether or not to use these emotions. Once you engage with emotion, you will absolutely have to pay a price in life; you will absolutely have to endure more hardship. This is because emotions bring forth more desires; they make you want to possess, to satisfy the emptiness in your heart, and to find a sense of reliance. After establishing a family, it will make you want to sacrifice everything for that one household; it will make you anxious and exhausted, all for the sake of just one family. Such a heart is burdened and weary. If, in the end, the family cannot live in harmony and the children are not well-raised, then life is even more arduous. Instead of that, why not let go of emotion? Before you become emotional, set those feelings aside. Do not have attachments to anyone in this world, and let your heart live in peace. As long as the heart can be still, you can contribute much to this society. You will not feel exhausted, and you will always be happy, free, and radiant.' Even though Mother had already left us, we never forgot these words she spoke to us when we were twelve.

The Reality of Independence

Mother's departure made us understand even more clearly that every person in this world is an independent individual. Originally, Father and Mother relied on each other, but after Father passed away, Mother still had to live independently and raise us alone. After we three brothers grew up, although we were brothers, we were also individual, independent beings. Even though Mother was our mother, she could not face the difficulties of life on our behalf. We only shared the same bloodline in our bodies, but we were separate individuals, and our spirits were even more independent. No one can rely on another, replace another, or substitute for another. Therefore, our family of four could face separation with composure. We did not cling to the possession of emotions; we faced life with the most liberated smiles.

Throughout this life, I worked incessantly. Wherever I was needed, I went. I strove to use this body to do good until the very day my life ended. We three triplets struggled in our own ways, occasionally gathering to chat about our respective situations. Although I did not see Mother again, I knew she was doing very well and did not need us to worry. In this life, perhaps my blessings and Causal Conditions were insufficient, as I did not embark on the path of practice and lived in the secular world until my death. I lived to the age of seventy-four before leaving the human world. Before I departed, I had already sent off my eldest brother, who lived to sixty-five, and my younger brother, who lived to sixty-three. We three triplets ended the Causal Conditions of being brothers in this lifetime, and our souls went off to be reincarnated once more. In the end, what in this world is real? Truly, nothing is real.

Deliverance from the Hells

After death, my spirit was brought by the officials of the hells before the King of Hell. After reviewing the merits and demerits of this life, I was assigned to serve as a jailer in the Third Hall of the King of Hell. There was a large group of us who died on the same day and were assigned as jailers. We stood in neat rows, waiting to be assigned our duties. I never imagined that this was all there was after life ended. If Practitioner Su had not led my spirit to the Western Land today, I would have had to continue reincarnating before long. I am grateful to Practitioner Su for this rescue. On behalf of all the jailers, I, Yanting, express my gratitude to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su once again.

Namo Amituofo.

This interview was recorded and written by the chief writer, disciple Shi Fajing."