The Burden of Karmic Debt: An Interview with Jiang Renzhong

Jiang Renzhong, a man who suffered from a severe physical deformity in his human life, spent years seeking redemption through service in a temple. After his passing, he discovered the truth of his past lives and served as a prison guard in the hells. He eventually encountered the Dharma of Practitioner Su, which led to his deliverance into the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This interview was recorded on January 3, 2025.

Jiang Renzhong speaks:

"I am deeply grateful for all the Causal Conditions that have brought me here. I am grateful to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su. I have seen the Three Sages of the West, along with the immeasurable and boundless assembly of pure Bodhisattvas. To be able to arrive at the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss in such a magnificent setting today—everything is simply inconceivable.

Since arriving in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, my entire body has become incredibly light, and my spirit is clear and bright. Within my heart, there is nothing but gratitude, and more gratitude."

The Whirlpool of Samsara

"Ever since I took on the role of a prison guard in the hells, I have witnessed so much, understood so much, and realised so much. These realisations made me truly yearn for rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Seeing the cycle of rebirth in the world—it is too painful, too tragic. There are so many people, and even immeasurable spirits, who are unable to wake up. They are like beings caught in the vortex of a sea wave, pulled in, unable to control their own destiny. Almost every spirit I saw was like that. So, to be able to emerge from such an inescapable, massive whirlpool, I am truly filled with joy.

I am Jiang Renzhong. I was the son my mother had long prayed for. She had already given birth to five daughters, and it was not until she was forty-two that I was born. From the moment I entered this world, I became the focus of the entire family; I was showered with everyone's love and affection.

As I grew older, my family eventually discovered that my back was hunched. No matter how we tried to correct it, it could not be straightened. Not only that, but the hunchback grew more pronounced with each passing year."

A Heart Pierced by Truth

"One night, as I passed by my parents' bedroom, I heard my father complaining to my mother, quite unhappily: 'We waited so long for a son, who would have thought he would be a child with such a defect?' After my father finished that sentence, I heard my mother's sobbing coming from the room. I felt as if my own heart had been pierced.

Walking on the street, I knew I was an 'abnormal' child, so the reactions I received from those around me only heightened my intuitive sense of shame. My grandmother was very anxious about my worsening hunchback; she took my birth chart everywhere to have it read, hoping someone could help me change my fate.

My grandmother brought back many talismans and blessed waters for me to drink, and she even spent a great deal of money to make donations in my name. I could feel that everyone in my family cared for me, hoping I would not feel inferior because of my condition.

When I went to school, my classmates would often mock me by imitating the way I walked because of my hunched back. At first, I was very angry, but eventually, I didn't want to pay them any mind at all. My heart was deeply wounded, and I decided to close myself off, no longer having any hopes or expectations of others."

The Weight of Karmic Debt

"My mother understood me very well and was concerned about my every word and action. Many times, unable to bear the gazes of others, I would return home and hide in my room, my heart aching terribly. My mother knew exactly how I felt. She would use many ways to help me come out of my shell. Sometimes she would prepare a bowl of warm, steamed eggs for me, hoping to make me happy. Sometimes she would counsel me, saying: 'Everyone comes into this world with different Causal Conditions. Since this is your lot in this life, we must accept it. Consider it as repaying a debt; what must be repaid must be repaid.'

When I was sixteen, I suddenly experienced shortness of breath and collapsed. When I opened my eyes in the hospital, my mother asked me gently: 'Are you alright?' I shook my head. My mother told me: 'The doctor says your hunchback is compressing other parts of your body, so you need surgery. Don't worry, Mother will be with you the whole time.' I asked her: 'So, after the surgery, will my back be better?' She replied: 'The doctor says the surgery only relieves the pressure. If you want your back to improve, you must do consistent rehabilitation.' I was very disappointed and did not hold much hope. Lying in the cold operating room, my heart was filled with fear and unease. After I lost consciousness, it felt as if my spirit wandered into another space.

I saw myself holding a blade, waving it everywhere. Many people were terrified, dodging and hiding; some even knelt before me, begging for mercy. Yet, even so, I still swung the blade down upon them. The moment the blade fell, my heart trembled violently. I was truly terrified; I could not believe I would do such a thing. That shock woke me up."

The Past Revealed

"When I woke up, my consciousness was still hazy; I didn't know which reality was true. When I opened my eyes, my mother was overjoyed and said softly: 'You finally woke up. You slept for a day and a night; I was worried to death. The doctor said if you continued to sleep, the outlook would be grim. Thank goodness you woke up.' After waking, I felt a dull ache in my back—it was truly painful. I couldn't yet tell my mother about the scenes I had seen in my dream.

During the few days I was in the hospital, this dream recurred, and each time it was clearer than the last. Eventually, I slowly realised that the scenes appearing in my dreams were my past. The 'me' who was killing people with a blade was the 'me' of the past. The dream was telling me that I had done many harmful things. Now, those I had harmed were on my shoulders and back; they were aggrieved, innocent, and seeking justice. Some even wanted me to pay with my life. I saw their bodies covered in blood, and I dared not imagine how cruel I had been. I had made them suffer, and now they were following me. From that moment on, the resentment in my heart vanished. I knew that all the suffering I endured was a debt I had incurred myself. I only had a hunchback, but the suffering they endured was far, far greater than mine. I didn't know how to repay the debt I owed, and in my heart, I kept praying for an answer.

I suffered in agony for a long time until I heard from a neighbor that serving in a temple could help eliminate great spiritual obstacles. I believed it, and with conviction, I spent time finding a temple I identified with to serve in.

In the temple, I had to learn everything from scratch. I learned many things I had never known before. In the blink of an eye, I had served in the temple for nineteen years, going from having nightmares every night to having them disappear. I kept thinking and chanting, wondering if I had finally repaid the debt owed to my karmic creditors."

The Cycle of the Turtle

"In this life, I became an old volunteer in the temple. Although I was hunched, these years of service—while my back grew more curved—were not painful. I believe this was all due to the blessing of the Buddha's power. Because the temple respected my lifelong service, they gave me a private room, where I spent the final years of my life, through old age and death.

When death arrived, I thought I would be able to follow the Buddha. Unexpectedly, as my consciousness blurred, the scenes from my nightmares appeared again. I did not remember to chant Buddha's name. My spirit was carried away by a force. I suddenly felt my back become so heavy, so heavy. No matter where I went, my back always felt this way. It wasn't until I saw my reflection in the water that I realised I had turned into a turtle, carrying a heavy shell. It was truly heavy, but to protect my own safety, I could not abandon this heavy shell.

Every day, I struggled to carry it as I moved about, until one day I died in an accident. After dying in the body of a turtle, I arrived at the Hall of the King of Hell. The King of Hell let me see my past and present, and only then did I understand all the laws of karma and cause and effect.

When I was in the human body of Jiang Renzhong, my back was burdened with the karmic creditors I owed; the beings I had mercilessly killed and harmed were always following me. I knew it, and I repented. I served wholeheartedly in the temple, but although my service was sincere, my heart still held a hidden agenda—I hoped to resolve the conflict with my karmic creditors. Because of this mindset, many of my karmic creditors could not forgive me. Since the debt was not fully repaid, I was reborn as a turtle in the next life to continue the repayment.

All of this was clearly and plainly revealed. It wasn't just these few lives; there were lives before that. Only upon arriving at the Hall of the King of Hell did I realise how distinct everything was. And because I still had some blessings, the King of Hell allowed me to serve as a prison guard in the hells."

Deliverance Through the Dharma

"During my time as a prison guard, I witnessed the full extent of karmic retribution. My heart was heavy, but I remained vigilant. I prayed that these beings in hell would one day have the Causal Conditions to be saved. Just as I was thinking this, the scriptures and Dharma of Practitioner Su were transmitted into the hells, allowing the entire realm to have the Causal Conditions to hear them. This also allowed me to make the vow to follow Namo Amituofo.

I began to chant Buddha's name, hoping that one day I could attain liberation. I am grateful that this wish has been realised today. I am grateful to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su for helping immeasurable and boundless beings.

Jiang Renzhong, with palms joined."