The Final Act: A Comedian's Journey to the Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with the late entertainer Ni Min-ran, who sought Chao Du 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 and the circumstances of his passing. It was recorded by the chief writer, Li Jia-xian, and computer data assistant, Lai Bo-ya, on June 2, 2017.

Disciple Li Jia-xian: "We respectfully invite Mr. Ni Min-ran. Through the compassionate heart of Practitioner Su, Mr. Ni has been invited to the Western Dharma-Nature Land at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to listen to the Dharma before being guided to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. To repay the grace of the Buddha and to allow the world to better understand the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and Namo Amituofo, Mr. Ni, as a household name, if you could compassionately explain the process of your rebirth at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, it would allow more people to know that the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss truly exists and that Namo Amituofo truly exists. The merit would be immeasurable. Namo Amituofo."

Ni Min-ran speaks: "Hi! I am Ni Min-ran. Do you still remember my performance as 'Seventh Uncle'? It was hilarious, wasn't it? On variety television shows, I often performed comedic sketches with Zhang Fei, Fei Yu-ching, and Hu Gua, making the audience laugh until they could not close their mouths. Do you remember when I impersonated Vice President Annette Lu? During that time, everyone called me 'Vice President Ni.' I brought laughter to many people in the entertainment industry."

The Illusion of Success and the Reality of Pain

"Life in the entertainment industry is busy, with days and nights turned upside down. I often had little time for my family, and sometimes, due to a lack of communication, my marriages fell apart. Regarding my two marriages, regardless of who was right or wrong, I simply did not know how to nurture them. My career in the entertainment industry was not always smooth sailing; it was full of ups and downs. When I was at the peak of my success, I did not know how to cherish the people around me. When I fell into hard times, I wanted to find them again, but it was already too late.

Life is like a play. Although I performed to the best of my ability throughout my career, my life performance was not complete, and the final curtain call was so wretched. When my career hit a rough patch, I was often irritable and unable to sleep, relying on sleeping pills to drift off. At the time, I did not know how to cherish those around me, and later, when I wanted to make amends, I could not. I often felt regret. Being a man, I was too embarrassed to complain to others, sometimes even drowning my sorrows in alcohol. At that time, rumors of an affair with another entertainer surfaced, and I was terrified of losing her. My career was not going well, and I was deeply afraid that the person I loved would leave me again. I could not sleep at night and often relied on sleeping pills. I would wake up in the morning feeling dizzy and muddled. I lived a somewhat decadent life, and I dared not imagine what my future would hold. I truly dared not imagine it; I felt like a lost soul all day long."

A Path of No Return

"At that time, some inaccurate news reports pushed me to rock bottom. I originally wanted to take a train to another city to clear my head, but I did not know where to go. I just bought a random train ticket and boarded. As the train headed toward Yilan, I sat there with a muddled head and fell asleep. When I woke up, I did not even know at which station I should get off. I was aimless. After getting off, I just wanted to walk around. I walked and walked, and I do not know how long it had been. I only remember feeling so exhausted that I wanted to sit under a tree to rest. I felt drowsy, and I do not know how I ended up picking up a rope and hanging it on the tree. Just like that, I ended my life.

When my body was discovered, several days had already passed. During this time, my spirit remained at the scene of the incident. One day, someone suddenly shouted, 'Ni Min-ran!' I woke up with a start, and following a beam of light, I arrived at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. I saw someone with a kind face—her face was actually glowing! They called her Practitioner Su. This Practitioner Su placed my spirit in the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Buddha-land. On the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I was surprised to find many other entertainers there: Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, Teresa Teng, Feng Fei-fei, and Hsu Pu-liao. Wow! It was so magical! How could Bruce Lee be here too? What was going on? I was still confused, so I asked Feng Fei-fei, 'Why are you here?' Feng Fei-fei told me, 'This Practitioner Su is very compassionate. She has made a great vow to save us deceased spirits.' It just so happened that they were discussing entertainers who had passed away, and we were all on the list. She compassionately saved us, brought us up to the Western Dharma-Nature Land, and let us listen to the Dharma. After we understand the Western Land, if we wish to be reborn, she will guide us to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Oh! I was still a bit confused, so I decided to stay there to understand things better first."

Disciple Li Jia-xian: "May I ask, Mr. Ni Min-ran, when were your three hun souls and seven po souls captured? What kind of karmic creditors did you encounter that led you down this path of no return?"

The Shackles of Karmic Creditors

Ni Min-ran speaks: "When my career began to decline, I tried every possible way to make myself glorious again. Even in my dreams, I would see myself performing comedy, with the audience below laughing heartily. At that moment, two of my souls were captured. I did not know how to cherish my wife and children, and when they left me, I was in extreme pain. In my dreams, I would see myself holding my wife's hand, begging her not to leave, not to abandon me. At that moment, one of my souls and two of my po spirits were captured.

When I started performing as 'President Ni' on television again and became popular, I was terrified that this hard-won opportunity would quickly slip away. My insecurity and fear of loss made me even more anxious. At night, I often dreamed that I had lost everything. I wanted to grab it back, but I could not. I had this dream many times, and my po spirits were captured one by one.

Later, external news reports left me not knowing how to face everything. At night, I often wanted to hold onto the people I loved, but I could not. Another soul and one po spirit were captured. By then, I was living a life of total confusion. Finally, I walked down that path of no return. After listening to the Dharma at the Hsiang Kuang Centre, I learned that karmic creditors from many lifetimes would manifest scenes of what you love or hate, drawing you into them, locking your souls and spirits in a space so they cannot return to the body. At that point, certain parts of our body begin to decay. At that time, I was also disturbed by karmic creditors from many lifetimes who interfered with my head, causing my thoughts to become chaotic. I was muddled and set a bad example for society. I, Ni Min-ran, apologize here to the people of Taiwan. I presented a negative example to society.

Entertainers should lead by setting a good image for others to learn from; they should not be like me. I repent here and apologize. I also want to thank the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre—now we must call her Buddha Su—and the fourfold assembly of disciples. I am grateful to you for sending me to the Western Land, allowing Ni Min-ran to avoid repeating that kind of suffering. Using the story of my rebirth, I want to tell everyone: Namo Amituofo's compassion leads suffering beings to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. You must believe it! The Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss truly exists. Namo Amituofo."

Disciple Li Jia-xian: "Namo Amituofo! Thank you, Mr. Ni Min-ran, for telling such a profound story. May I ask, how many lifetimes of karmic creditors found you? Namo Amituofo."

Repentance and Deliverance

Ni Min-ran speaks: "Four lifetimes ago, due to environmental factors, I became a bandit. At that time, I engaged in robbery and looting, and my methods were cruel. In order to steal wealth, I ignored the desperate pleas of others and forcibly took their money. If anyone resisted, I would kill them with a single blow. If I saw beautiful women when raiding a village, they could not escape my clutches, and I would abuse them. If any of them resisted, I would also kill them with a single blow.

Looking back, why were my methods as a bandit so cruel? Why was I torn apart from my families in this lifetime? This is the law of cause and effect. And the fact that I walked down that path of no return was also because those I harmed and killed during my time as a bandit were the ones who led me down that road. Looking back to this point, I, Ni Min-ran, kneel and repent again and again to those I killed in my ignorant past lives. Namo Amituofo. I also beg Buddha Su to compassionately perform Chao Du for those I harmed in my ignorance, and I beg the Buddha to compassionately lead them to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

Namo Amituofo.