The Dumplings of Blessing: A Journey to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Kang Jian'an, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and his time serving as a jailer in the underworld. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxin, on May 24, 2024.

Kang Jian'an speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I offer my deepest gratitude to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su. I still remember the moment Practitioner Su called out to us—the sixty jailers. As soon as our names were spoken, we felt hands filled with immense, radiant energy reach out to pull us forward. I chanted 'Namo Amituofo' with all my heart, and in a single instant, I was transported into the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, a realm overflowing with incomparable golden light.

Everything happened so rapidly that we barely had time to process it before we found ourselves seated upon our own lotus flowers. I looked down at my lotus; it was crystal clear and pure, just as my heart had returned to a state of pristine, unstained clarity. On behalf of the sixty jailers and all the other spirits who have attained rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, I wish to express my profound thanks to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."

A Mother's Legacy of Love

"My name is Kang Jian'an. Even now, the words that remain most vividly in my memory are: 'It is almost the New Year, everyone come and eat dumplings.' That was the phrase my mother said most often, and it is etched into my soul.

My mother was a truly magnificent woman. She was kind to everyone she met. Even when people spoke to her with harshness or disrespect, she never took it to heart. She remained gentle and composed, a testament to her inner strength.

In my life, my mother played the role of both a strict father and a compassionate mother. In our traditional household, the man was expected to work outside while the woman managed the home. My mother upheld this tradition faithfully, allowing my father to focus entirely on his career to provide for us, while she dedicated herself to caring for our family and anyone else in need. We were not wealthy, but we lived comfortably, and whenever we had extra money, my mother would always find a way to help others."

The Dumplings of Blessing

"My mother managed all our finances, and my father never interfered with her decisions. She ran our household so perfectly that my father trusted her completely. Every year, the New Year was a grand occasion for everyone. From the time I was a small child, I remember that the days leading up to the New Year were the busiest for my mother. She would spend days in the kitchen, working from dawn until dusk, often covered in flour and dirt. Yet, despite the exhaustion, I saw her smiling with such genuine joy. As a toddler, I would wobble into the kitchen to act as her little helper.

With the innocence of a child, I would point to the food and ask, 'Mother, what is this?' She would answer with such tenderness, 'You silly child, these are dumplings. The New Year is coming, and their shape is just like a gold ingot.' I would ask again, 'Why do we have to wrap so many?' She would say, 'My child, there are so many people nearby who cannot afford to celebrate the New Year, and they cannot even afford to eat dumplings. On such an important festival, we must send them dumplings so that they, too, can have a proper New Year.' After saying this, she would smile so softly. That smile has remained in my heart forever.

On the day of the New Year, after my mother had finished all the preparations at home, she would invite workers to help us carry the many bags of dumplings we had prepared. We would walk along the road, distributing them to family after family. When they saw my mother arriving, they would immediately say, 'Thank you, thank you!' I saw many of the aunts and elderly neighbours secretly wiping away tears as my mother turned to leave. To them, the dumplings my mother brought were as warm as a heater in the dead of winter. My mother brought me along to distribute them, and with every house we visited, every 'Happy New Year' we exchanged, we were offering the greatest blessing to everyone."

A Life Dedicated to Service

"After I finished my studies and grew up, I moved away for work, but every year for the New Year, I would return home early to help my mother complete this task. My mother continued this tradition of giving out dumplings for over twenty years. Over those decades, I watched as some of the uncles and aunts we visited passed away due to illness or accidents. Every year, if we heard such tragic news, I would see a look of profound loss on my mother's face, yet she never spoke of it to me. Being by her side, I deeply felt the impermanence of life.

Every day that my mother lived, her heart was focused on helping others. She passed away peacefully at the age of eighty-six. I knew she must have gone to a wonderful place, for her expression was so serene. I missed her terribly, but I knew that being human is a life of great suffering, and I was happy that she could finally go to enjoy true bliss.

I was deeply influenced by my mother from a young age. I understood the suffering of life, and I resolved that if I had the ability, I would help as many people as I could. I am grateful to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas for arranging for me to meet a wonderful wife. We shared the same ideals and worked together for the benefit of society, serving in social welfare organisations. My wife counselled foreign brides, providing them with warmth and helping them learn skills so they could find employment. She also organised gatherings so they could get to know one another and support each other.

My wife's gentleness moved these women deeply. To show their gratitude, our home was often filled with food from different countries, gifts from these women. For my wife, she sought no reward; she was simply happy in her heart. As for me, I served in a unit dealing with social violence, looking after many people who suffered from alcoholism or unemployment and had violent tendencies. Many people treated these individuals as outcasts, but I knew they did not choose to become this way. Deep down, they were all kind people; it was just the helplessness of their circumstances that had changed them. During my service, I faced danger several times, but thanks to the protection of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, I was always able to pull through."

The Spirit Within the Dumpling

"My wife and I continued my mother's legacy of love, wrapping dumplings during the New Year for those in need. For me, this life was quite stable. However, life always has an end. At sixty-two, after suffering from chronic dizziness, I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. After discussing it with my wife, I decided to forgo all treatment and spend my remaining strength continuing to help others. In the six months before I passed away, I lay in bed, reflecting on everything that had happened in my life.

Then, during a moment of intense, searing pain, my consciousness became blurred and began to drift. I saw the image of my mother wrapping dumplings when I was a child, and we were both laughing so happily. Unexpectedly, my spirit entered into that scene, and I became a dumpling. From that moment on, my soul attached itself to the dumplings, offering the best blessings to everyone, hoping that those who ate them could feel the warmth between people. This was the positive magnetic field I emitted as a dumpling.

In this way, I lost count of how many dumplings my soul had inhabited. Until one day, I was placed on an altar. On the altar, I heard a sound. I listened carefully and realised it was the chanting of 'Namo Amituofo—Namo Amituofo.' I looked at the woman sincerely prostrating before the altar; it was a little girl I had once helped. I had even held her in my arms back then, and now she was all grown up and had become a mother herself. Seeing that she was doing well, I felt at ease and continued to listen peacefully to the Buddha-name chanting on the altar. Unexpectedly, as I listened, I left the space of the dumpling on the altar and arrived before the throne of Yama, the King of Hell."

From the Underworld to the Western Pure Land

"Yama looked very stern, and I was somewhat intimidated. Before long, Yama spoke: 'Kang Jian'an.' I replied, 'Yes.' Yama continued: 'Kang Jian'an, in this life, you had a good heart and performed good deeds. Although you could not completely erase your karma, you did eliminate quite a bit of it. You were destined for a major illness in this life, but you have experienced a light retribution for heavy karma. I advise you to let go of your attachments and your past. Now, you have an opportunity to serve sentient beings; you must grasp it well.'

I was grateful to Yama for his teachings, and I cherished the opportunity he gave me to serve as a jailer. During my time on duty, I saw many suffering spirits who had created karma in the world without realising it, only to enter the hells to receive their retribution. Their agonising cries often filled my heart with sorrow. I hoped that someone could counsel them and help them realise they needed to wake up.

To my surprise, not long after, the entire hell realm could hear Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks. Practitioner Su led us to know the Buddha and to understand the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. She let me know that I must follow the Buddha and the Truth with a single mind so that I would not create more karma. After hearing the scriptures, I hoped that I would have the chance to follow Namo Amituofo and return to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Today, my wish has been fulfilled. I am grateful for the magnificent causal conditions that allowed me to attain rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss today. I am grateful to Practitioner Su and the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

Namo Amituofo.

Kang Jian'an, kneeling in gratitude."

※ Kang Jian'an's mother, You Ping, is currently serving as the deity Mazu in China.