The Clerk's Pen and the Weight of Justice

This is a record of an interview with Xu Wenzhi, 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 as a government clerk and his subsequent service in the underworld. Recorded by Disciple Haize on December 26, 2019.

Xu Wenzhi speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Xu Wenzhi, and I stand here with fifty-nine of my fellow prison guards. We are kneeling before the Buddha to express our deepest gratitude for this deliverance!" (The group kneels and performs three prostrations.)

A Family's Hope and the Scholar's Path

"I come from a family that had been farmers for generations. My grandfather and my father both harboured a singular, burning hope: that their descendants would enter the civil service, become officials, and bring honour to our family name, thereby comforting the spirits of our ancestors. From a very young age, I was known for being quick-witted and articulate. Seeing this, my father dedicated every spare coin he earned—beyond what was needed for our basic survival—to my education in a private school. He dreamed that I would one day secure an official position and return to our hometown in glory.

I was acutely aware of my parents' earnest expectations. My five siblings also supported me, sacrificing their own comforts so I could focus entirely on my studies. I did not have to toil in the fields; my life was consumed by memorising classics and practising calligraphy. When the time came, I travelled to the capital for the imperial examinations. While I did not achieve the highest honours, I did pass the civil service examination. I was appointed as a minor official in the county, serving as the secretary to the county magistrate. In that role, I held the pen that drafted countless petitions and legal documents. I witnessed the full spectrum of human suffering—some cases were redressed, and justice was served, while others were clear instances of karmic retribution where the guilty received what they deserved. I saw every variety of injustice and legal struggle imaginable."

The Weight of Impermanence

"As I grew older, I became deeply struck by the nature of impermanence. I saw how easily the human heart could change, how fickle and unpredictable life truly was. I began to focus my mind on the path of spiritual cultivation, yearning for liberation. I wondered if there was ever an end to the suffering and helplessness of the human condition. I became a devotee of Taoist teachings, frequently writing and distributing texts that encouraged people to practise Goodness and adopt a vegetarian diet. I would even donate my own salary to the government's public welfare funds to help the impoverished and the destitute.

However, when it came to those who were repeat offenders, I often urged them not to commit further crimes. Yet, I was constantly filled with a sense of melancholy, seeing how people would ignore such advice time and again, choosing to create evil consequences that they would eventually have to bear themselves. At the age of fifty-two, while I was still serving as a clerk, I began to suffer from severe headaches and chest tightness. After several days of this, I passed away in the night and was immediately summoned before the King of the Sixth Hall of the underworld."

The Underworld and the Price of Errors

"Because of the documents I had drafted during my life—some of which were correct, but some of which contained errors—I had to face the consequences. I was initially assigned to work as a prison guard, with my salary withheld until I had fully repaid the karmic debt incurred by my mistakes. Only after that debt was settled was I appointed as a formal prison guard. Because I knew that my current state was a direct result of my past actions, I lived in constant fear and trembling, terrified of making even the slightest mistake. Eventually, I was promoted to serve as a clerk beside the King of the Underworld himself.

It was from that position that I was nominated by the King of the Sixth Hall to be included on the list for deliverance by Practitioner Su. I have waited for four years, and today, that wish has finally been fulfilled. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the compassion of the Buddha! We, the sixty prison guards, offer our deepest thanks and three prostrations to the Buddha for this salvation. Namo Amituofo."