Lu Benxin: From the Depths of Hell to the Western Pure Land

Lu Benxin, a former prison guard who served in the hell realms, sought deliverance through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Having successfully attained rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, he now resides there, continuing his practice. This interview was recorded on March 8, 2025, by Chief Writer Shi Fajing.

Lu Benxin speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful to Practitioner Su for leading us, these sixty prison guards, to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. We have arrived. The sound of our chanting is constant, and one can truly feel the profound gratitude and overwhelming emotion filling the hearts of every single one of us. It is a state of being that words can barely capture, a resonance of the soul that vibrates with the infinite compassion of Namo Amituofo.

A Tearful Arrival in the Pure Land

The moment I arrived in the Western Pure Land, I could not hold back my tears. Within those tears were layers of deep repentance, boundless gratitude, and a lingering, heavy reluctance to leave others behind in the darkness. I repent for the karmic sins I have committed throughout my many lives, the weight of which I carried for so long. I am filled with gratitude for this magnificent Causal Condition, yet my heart aches for the sentient beings still suffering in the cycle of samsara. How incredibly fortunate I am to have been guided by Practitioner Su to the West, yet I know all too well that countless spirits are still trapped in the sea of suffering, waiting for a glimmer of light.

If it were possible, I wish to one day save them from their suffering and bring them all back to the Western Pure Land with me. That is my vow. I hold this wish close to my heart, diligently practising and chanting Namo Amituofo here in the West, waiting for the day when the Causal Conditions ripen. I know that my presence here is not just for my own peace, but a responsibility to those who still wander in the shadows of their own making.

The Lessons of a Mother's Heart

I am Lu Benxin. Looking back on my life, the journey was truly difficult, a path paved with thorns and sorrow. However, one thing I can take pride in is that I did not fail the teachings my mother gave me. My mother married my father when she was sixteen. They were deeply in love, but my grandmother never liked her because she came from a poor family. In my grandmother's eyes, they were a mismatch, and she constantly pressured my father to remarry, even trying to introduce him to daughters of wealthy families to replace my mother.

My mother knew she had no status in that house; only my father loved her. To avoid causing him trouble, she endured all of my grandmother's abuse in silence. I was born less than a week after she married into the family, as they had conceived before marriage, which only further fueled my grandmother's disdain and her belief that my mother had brought shame upon the Lu family. I witnessed the suffering my mother endured from a very young age. Most often, I would find her hiding in the kitchen, weeping alone. Every time I saw this, my heart would twist in agony. I didn't know what I could do for her; I could only watch helplessly as she lived such a painful life. Under my grandmother's schemes, a beautiful young woman from the Liu family was brought into our home. It was clear she intended to steal my father away, so she constantly harassed my mother and framed her for things she hadn't done.

The Final Lesson and the Path of Letting Go

My mother’s nature was never to contend with others. Even when this Miss Liu arrived to fight for her husband, my mother chose to yield. She swallowed every bitterness. Living in such an environment, she was never happy, and by the time I was twelve, she had fallen ill from the stifling atmosphere. Though she could still walk and work, her strength was fading rapidly. I searched everywhere for medicine, but because her heart was so knotted with sorrow, even the finest remedies could not heal her. My mother had a profound influence on me. She taught me one thing above all: never fight with others. It does not matter if you suffer a loss yourself. She lived by this. Sometimes I would try to stand up for her, but she would immediately notice and teach me to change my mental note.

When I was thirteen, I watched with my own eyes as Miss Liu pushed my mother from behind, causing her to fall down the stairs. Because my mother was already so frail, she never got up again. I saw the whole thing. I was walking toward them when it happened. As my mother lay on the ground, breathing her last, Miss Liu fled in terror. I ran over to help her, but my mother stopped me. She told me not to waste my energy and used her final breath to give me her last words. She told me not to blame Miss Liu, to let it end there, and not to make a scene or cause further trouble. She said, 'Perhaps I owed her this from a past life; let me pay this debt now. I have suffered enough, and at last, it can end. Benxin, take good care of yourself. Do not hold resentment in your heart. These things are fated; we only need to accept them and then change ourselves.' She said so much, and I took every word to heart, weeping uncontrollably.

A Life of Wandering and Awakening

My mother passed away in my arms. Later, her death was dismissed as a fall caused by her own frailty. Seeing Miss Liu nearby, looking guilty, I said nothing, for my mother had forbidden it. I knew that even if I spoke, it would be dismissed as slander. I was not liked by my grandmother because I was my mother's child. Though my father loved me, he could not stand up to her, and he was often away on business. I lived essentially alone, frequently bullied. It was a bitter life, but what could I do? At eighteen, I wrote a letter to my father and left the Lu family to live my own life. Walking the roads, seeing the suffering of the world, I knew many were suffering far more than I.

I walked until I reached a very high mountain and looked down at the landscape below. In that moment, I realised how small I was and how vast the world was—and yet, what I had seen was only the tip of the iceberg. This realisation opened my heart and allowed me to let go of much of the past. I met a very kind old woman who let me stay in her home. Every day, I ate delicious meals—simple wild vegetables from the mountain, yet she cooked them with such fragrance. I realised that a simple life is also a form of beauty; it all depends on how one shifts their heart. I learned her story and realised she, too, had walked through suffering. But she was no longer bitter because she had stopped fighting the world. Even if she had to leave the world the next second, she had no attachments; she was ready to let go of this body at any time.

The Path of the Grass and Final Deliverance

When one has such a state of mind, everything one sees changes. One no longer makes a mental note over trivial matters—why bother? If you might die in the next second, why suffer? By letting go of everything, the heart becomes free of obstacles, pure and at ease. I stayed with her for less than ten days, and my face was filled with smiles—smiles I had not known in eighteen years. I gradually understood that nothing in this world is a big deal. We feel suffering because of our own attachments. If we can let go, where is the suffering? Even in hardship, if you grit your teeth and look at things optimistically, you can get through it. The only thing that causes pain is an unwilling heart, a heart that refuses to accept and still clings to the pursuit of something better.

I began to share this mindset with others, hoping they would suffer less. I wanted to have a heart as vast as the earth. I loved lying on the ground with children, feeling the stillness and the breath of the earth. My heart became so quiet. I spent my life wandering and helping others. At the very end, I longed to lie on the earth. When my spirit left my body, I actually became a blade of grass on that earth. I was a kind blade of grass, growing in many different places according to my blessings and Causal Conditions. Even as grass, I wanted to help others. I would let other plants absorb the nutrients and water first, taking only what remained. Once, I grew on very barren, dry land. I gave my nightly dew to the other blades of grass. They all grew dry, but I became especially withered. Finally, I could hold on no longer and lost my life.

My spirit left that blade of grass, and because of my kindness and good deeds, I was brought to the hells to serve as a prison guard. Looking back, I have no regrets. I did my best to help others and let go of all my past suffering. During my time as a guard, I often tried to counsel the beings in hell, but their personalities were very strong; most would not listen. Even in their agony, it was hard for them to take the truth to heart. Then, about ten years ago, I heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks. I was so happy! I not only implemented what I learned but also shared it with the beings in hell. I only hoped that everyone could leave suffering behind. The method to leave suffering is to chant Namo Amituofo, repent, and change one's heart. Under my guidance, many beings began to listen to the sutras and change themselves, eventually transforming their karma. I am grateful to Practitioner Su, and I longed for the day I could be reborn in the Western Pure Land. It truly came to pass. Today, I have arrived in the Western Pure Land. I am so happy, so grateful. On behalf of all sixty prison guards, I bow in gratitude. Namo Amituofo. I am grateful to Namo Amituofo. I am grateful to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo. Lu Benxin bows in reverence."