Living in a Dream: The Jailer's Awakening

This is a record of an interview with Liu Qungang, who served as a jailer in the underworld before seeking deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and his subsequent spiritual journey through the realms of samsara. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on August 10, 2025.

Liu Qungang speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful to have encountered the magnificent Dharma, for it was this that allowed me to finally wake up from a long, deep dream. I am so thankful for this extraordinary opportunity to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I offer my deepest gratitude to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su. On behalf of all the jailers in the underworld, I bow in thanks for the Buddha’s grace and the grace of Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo.

My name is Liu Qungang. In my past life, I never truly understood the meaning of existence. I spent my days being chased by the demands of survival, never knowing which path I should take or how to truly live. It was a life of constant, grinding pressure.

A Life of Desperation

When I was young, the world was in chaos. Food prices were soaring, and my family was struggling just to put a meal on the table. My mother was gravely ill, my wife lived in a state of constant sorrow, and my child was still just learning to speak. Every day, I worked at the market, hauling heavy loads and selling firewood until my shoulders were raw and bleeding. Yet, even with all that toil, I could barely earn enough to keep us fed for a few days at a time.

One night, my wife looked at me with tired eyes and asked, 'Qungang, are you just going to carry this burden for the rest of your life?' I remained silent, but inside, my heart was churning with a desperate, silent scream: 'I do not want to live like this forever!'

The Illusion of Escape

I had heard whispers of an ancient temple in the mountains, a place where the incense smoke curled high and people claimed to find peace of mind. The first time I visited, I listened to the rhythmic tapping of the wooden fish, and it felt as if the crushing weight on my chest had been loosened, if only for a moment. From then on, I found myself drawn to the temple again and again.

The old monk there would smile at me and say, 'When the heart is still, the suffering becomes small.' I nodded, thinking to myself: 'If I stay here, I will not have to hear my wife’s sighs, I will not have to see my child going hungry, and I will not have to face the endless miseries of the world.' Eventually, I quit my job, left my family in the care of relatives, and moved into the mountain temple. I spent my days copying sutras, meditating, and chanting the Buddha-name. To the outside world, I told them, 'I am practising the Dharma, searching for a way out for my heart.'

But in the dead of night, when the temple was silent, a voice would rise from the depths of my soul: 'Am I truly practising, or am I just running away?' It was a question I never dared to examine closely. I knew that if I touched that thought, it would hurt too much. So, I kept running.

The Long Sleep of the Stone Lamp

Then, one day, while I was carrying water, the world suddenly went black. I fell backward, as if I had tumbled into a bottomless darkness. When I woke up, I had no idea where I was. Everything was deathly quiet—no wind, no sound, only a gentle, warm light enveloping me. I thought I was dreaming, but in this dream, there was no sound of my mother’s groaning, no sighing from my wife, and no crying from my child. The surroundings were so pure, and the days felt like a twilight that would never end.

As time passed, I forgot who I was. I forgot why I was there. I felt as though I were simply 'guarding the light.' It was not until one day, when someone approached and I saw a young monk wiping something down, that I realised the truth. As he wiped my 'body,' I was shocked to discover that I was a stone lamp. In that moment, I was stunned. A door in my mind was suddenly flung open. I saw my past self carrying water, I saw my wife holding our child, and I saw my mother’s eyes looking toward the door, waiting for a son who would never return. I realised then that I had been dead for over a hundred years! All those years, I had been hiding in the light of that stone lamp, refusing to face the truth.

Serving in the Underworld

A profound sense of sorrow and regret surged within me. I thought, 'I know I was wrong. I want to change.' The moment that thought arose, a force pulled me out of that space. I passed through layers of black mist and arrived at a majestic hall. The King of the Underworld sat above, looking at me with a steady, calm gaze. 'Liu Qungang,' he said, 'your heart was not inherently evil. Since you can openly repent today, there is still hope for you.' He did not send me to be reincarnated immediately. Instead, he gave me a chance to serve in the underworld, escorting those lost spirits back to where they belonged.

I stayed there for a very long time. I watched countless people trapped by their own fear, attachment, and unwillingness to let go—unable to walk out of their own self-made prisons. Seeing these scenes over and over triggered a constant reflection on my own life. The more I thought about it, the more sorrowful I became. I saw my own reflection in their suffering.

The Call Home

Then, one day, I heard the sound of Dharma talks drifting from afar. That voice pierced through all the darkness and struck directly at my heart. It was the voice of Practitioner Su—gentle, yet firm and powerful, as if he were speaking to every lost soul: 'Come home.' My tears began to flow uncontrollably. In that moment, I understood: true freedom is not about running away to some distant place; it is about being able to face everything with a calm heart and being willing to step onto the path that leads home.

I knelt down and wept bitterly. I knew then that I had truly found the way home. The suffering of the cycle of rebirth had become too much for me to bear, and now, I had finally seen the light of liberation. I am so incredibly happy, and I have made a vow to practise diligently. I am so grateful for the compassion of Practitioner Su, who came to lead us home. Today, I am overjoyed to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. On behalf of all the jailers and all sentient beings with karmic affinity, I bow in gratitude for the Buddha’s grace and the grace of Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."

Liu Qungang, with palms joined.