The Charity Field and the Jailer's Redemption

This is a record of an interview with Lin Shuisheng, a former jailer who sought 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, his time as a spirit, his service in the hells, and his eventual liberation. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on June 28, 2025.

Lin Shuisheng speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Lin Shuisheng. I am truly grateful to the compassionate Practitioner Su. At this very moment, we sixty jailers have arrived in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I believe that for all of us, this place feels both strange and yet deeply familiar—as if we have been here before, yet we cannot quite place the memory. The truth is, we have all been here, and now, finally, we have returned home.

Every one of us jailers treasures this magnificent Causal Conditions beyond words. Many of our fellow jailers have already reached the Western Pure Land, and there are still many more waiting in line. We feel an immense, boundless gratitude toward Practitioner Su, for without her, we would never have been granted such a precious opportunity."

A Legacy of Simple Kindness

"My name is Lin Shuisheng, and I was the only son in my family. Throughout my life, I was known for being simple, honest, and perhaps a bit plain—a trait I inherited directly from my father. My father was truly a man of simple heart. He was so honest that people often mocked him, calling him a fool. But I knew the truth: my father was not stupid. He simply did not care for petty disputes or calculating against others.

My mother was a woman with intellectual disabilities. My parents' marriage was not a union of two hearts; rather, it was a trap set by others. When my mother became pregnant, my father felt compelled to marry her out of a sense of responsibility. By the time they were wed, I was already three months along in my mother's womb.

My own intelligence was perfectly normal; I was not affected by my mother's condition. I was always deeply filial toward both of my parents. When my father was out working, I was the one who stayed home to care for my mother. No matter where she wanted to go, if I could accompany her, I would take her wherever her heart desired to wander.

What I learned from my mother was the true meaning of Goodness. Despite her intellectual challenges, she was a woman of immense goodness. She had her own unique ways of helping others, and she would protect the small animals she loved or the children on the street who were being bullied. Often, when she tried to help, people would mock her for her condition. Yet, even then, she continued to reach out to others. That was her pure, natural goodness—a kindness that flowed from her heart, completely unaffected by the opinions of others."

The Old Man and the Charity Field

"I was not a clever man, and because our family was so poor, I did not receive much schooling. From the age of twelve, I began working in the fields. I was hired by an old gentleman who lived nearby. He brought me onto his land to help with the farming, and in addition to my wages, he provided me with meals.

The food the old gentleman gave me was cooked by his wife. The old lady was a wonderful cook; every dish looked simple, but it tasted absolutely delicious. Every time I received my meal, I would take the lunchbox and immediately disappear. At first, the old gentleman thought I was just too shy to eat with them, but eventually, they realised the truth: I was not shy, but rather, I was taking the food home to share with my mother. I would usually give almost all of it to her, while I just found whatever scraps I could to fill my own stomach.

When the old gentleman discovered what I was doing, he was deeply moved, but he never let me know he had found out. From that day on, my portions were doubled. He had instructed his wife to cook more for me. I thought he simply believed I was a growing boy who needed more energy, but in reality, he was making sure I had enough to take home to my mother. Though I was born into poverty, I was incredibly lucky. I met many noble people in my life who helped me, and I felt the warmth of the world deeply. Because of this, I was always happy to help others, and I would often choose to suffer a loss myself rather than take advantage of anyone else.

Once, while I was working at a rice mill, I was carrying several heavy bags of rice, preparing to push them to the warehouse on a cart. Halfway there, some people who wanted to bully me deliberately tipped my cart over. All the rice spilled onto the ground, and the bags tore open, scattering grain everywhere. When I saw that some bags were still intact, I tried to lift them up, but before I could, those same people kicked the bags until they tore as well, spilling even more rice across the floor.

People were watching, but no one dared to step forward to help me. When the boss arrived and saw the mess, he was furious and demanded to know how I had been so careless. I did not tell him that I had been bullied; I took all the blame upon myself. Naturally, I was fired that very day. The onlookers were jumping with rage on my behalf, thinking I was foolish for not telling the truth, but I did not know why I acted that way. Throughout my life, I encountered many such situations, and I always chose to suffer the loss and accept the punishment myself."

The Charity Field and the Return of Gratitude

"When I was twenty-four, the old gentleman passed away. The old lady lived a simple life and did not need the land to survive, so she entrusted it to me to continue the work. I did not want to let her down, and I wanted to keep the old gentleman's great love alive in this world. So, after I took over the field, I hired others to work the land with me, just as he had done.

The people who came to work on my land were all children from very poor families—some in their teens, some in their twenties, and some a bit older. I had only one requirement: they had to be diligent and honest. Half of the crops grown on this land were sold to pay everyone's wages, and the rest were donated to various places in need. We helped those living in poverty and families affected by disasters, ensuring they had food to survive.

My workers fully supported this approach. Because their hearts were just as kind as mine, we shared a common goal, which made everyone work even harder and with more dedication. In that harmonious atmosphere, with our hearts united, the crops we grew were better than anyone else's. Every year, we had a bountiful harvest. For everyone involved, this was a tremendous encouragement. We were all convinced that because we were doing good, even the Heavens approved and were willing to help us grow more and better crops to share with others.

I never left that field for my entire life, and I was still working there when I was over sixty. Some of my employees left after they married and had children, but new ones always arrived. Everyone called my land the Charity Field, and later, many children called it the Old Grandfather's Happy Field. Whatever name they chose, I was happy, as it showed they felt a connection to the land.

Later, many children came to find me. Most of the time, I did not recognise them, but they would say, 'Grandfather, we grew up eating the vegetables you planted.' That was when I realised that these children who came to visit were the very ones the field had helped and supported. They had grown up and returned to show their gratitude. Seeing those who had been helped by the field, whether they were adults or children, filled me with such joy. I was not happy because of how many people I had helped, but because I had not failed the old gentleman. I had truly kept his love alive in the world, and it was continuing to spread."

From the Soil to the Hells and Beyond

"I passed away at the age of seventy-two. Five years before I left, I had already handed the land over to a child I trusted most. I knew he was kind, diligent, and honest, and he had a heart for continuing this charity work. When I asked him, he was very willing to take it on. Over those five years, I watched him make the charity work even more outstanding, using his own abilities and creativity to help even more diverse groups of people.

After my spirit left my body, I found myself entering the very soil of that land. I became a spirit within the earth. I used my thought power to make the land fertile and full of vitality, so that it could produce even better crops to feed more people. My kind heart never changed, whether I was a human or a spirit. Not long after, I heard someone calling my name—it was two officials from the hells.

They brought me to see King Yama, who praised my kindness and my intentions. He granted me the position of a jailer, allowing me to serve in the hells. I still wanted to help others, but at first, I did not know how to help the beings in the hells. Seeing them suffer so much, I felt completely helpless. Fortunately, I later heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks. It was through those teachings that I finally woke up. I was so happy to share what I had learned with the beings in the hells, urging them to repent and chant Namo Amituofo. I am so overjoyed that so many beings in the hells were saved because of this, and I myself made a vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Today is the day that we sixty jailers have arrived in the Western Pure Land. Our hearts are filled with gratitude—gratitude to Namo Amituofo, gratitude to Practitioner Su, gratitude to everyone who helped us, and gratitude for this magnificent Causal Conditions.

Namo Amituofo.

Lin Shuisheng bows in reverence."