The Ice-Cream Vendor’s Journey to the Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Lin Ashui, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his life as an ice-cream vendor in Taiwan. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on February 10, 2026.

Lin Ashui speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. My name is Lin Ashui. I am a spirit who entered the Western Land of Dharma Nature after seeing a Namo Amituofo billboard in Taiwan. Because there are compassionate practitioners like Practitioner Su in this world who have widely installed these Namo Amituofo billboards, spirits like me, who had nowhere else to go, finally had the chance to find liberation. I am so grateful to Namo Amituofo, and I am so grateful to Practitioner Su.

When the golden light from the Namo Amituofo billboard shone upon my spirit, I felt a wave of warmth. I loved that feeling so much. I trusted that this power would not harm me; on the contrary, it would help me. For the first time in so many years—ever since I became a ghost—I felt my spirit beginning to change. I decided that I had to go to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia to see it for myself.

The Correct Decision

When I arrived at the surroundings of the temple, I felt that I had made the right decision. There were so many other spirits there, just like me, all seeking Chao Du. They said that Practitioner Su is constantly saving sentient beings everywhere. Some of them were dark, shadowy demons, and they said they had come to seek refuge. In a very short time, I was saved by Practitioner Su and brought into the Western Land of Dharma Nature, where I now sit on a lotus seat to listen to the sutras and hear the Dharma.

Here, the Buddha-light shines constantly, but the most miraculous thing is that I do not feel hot at all. It is not like being under the scorching sun in Taiwan, where the light is bright but the heat is unbearable. It is truly wondrous. I had never studied Buddhism before, but when I listen to the sutras explained by Practitioner Su, I realise that they are all very practical principles. I even hear about advanced technology and how it can be used to help others. I find it all so impressive! I was saved by Practitioner Su using such advanced methods, so I want to learn about them too.

A Simple Life in Kaohsiung

If I look back at my past, I remember the heat. 'Come and get your ice cream!' I would shout under the blazing sun. I would be wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, sweating like a waterfall, with a large white towel draped over my neck, ready to wipe my brow at any moment. I would call out with all my might, hoping that people would buy a taro ice cream to cool off. That was my life every single day, right next to the Keelung Harbour in Kaohsiung. I had bought my own little vending cart—it was simple and unpretentious, just like my own personality. I did not need anything complicated; as long as it served its purpose, that was enough for me. I would start selling ice cream at five in the morning, moving from spot to spot, and I would not close up shop until two in the afternoon. The rest of the day was spent preparing the ice cream for the next day. It was a very simple life, and I loved it dearly.

I never married. In our Taiwanese culture, people might consider that a regret or an incomplete life. But having sold taro ice cream for so many years, I observed many customers who were married couples or parents with children. I noticed that, compared to me, these people thought too much, talked too much, and had far too many afflictions. Oh my, that sounds so exhausting! So, eventually, I decided that being a bachelor was actually quite wonderful. After all, I preferred a simple, uncomplicated life. Days have to be lived one way or another, so why burden myself with so many unnecessary worries? It is better to be a bachelor, do the best I can with what I have, and give back to society in whatever way I am able. I think that is a good life.

The Wisdom of Silence

Since I had no wife or children, I lived with my parents and took care of them. After they passed away, I continued to sell my taro ice cream every day. Many people in the neighbourhood knew me; they knew Lin Ashui as the 'simpleton' who liked to giggle. Actually, at the beginning, I quite enjoyed chatting with my customers. But as time went on, I realised that people do not really need to talk so much. Sometimes others are tired, and I am tired too. The beauty of human interaction lies in the sincerity found within simplicity. That sense of ease—like a boat passing over water, leaving no trace—is far more real than the superficial warmth of polite small talk. So, in my later years of selling ice cream, I basically just giggled. If a customer wanted something, I gave it to them, and I rarely said anything else. Haha! After a while, the regular customers naturally understood my personality. They actually found it very comfortable and relaxing, and they loved buying ice cream from me. That was an unexpected joy.

From Ice-Cream Spirit to Dharma-Nature Land

After I died, I became a 'taro ice cream spirit.' This was the very thing I had spent my whole life making, and without realising it, I had developed an attachment to it. I entered the space of the taro ice cream. Anyone who ate the ice cream I had made would find themselves less inclined to overthink things, and they would have fewer afflictions in that moment. That was the help I wanted to bring them, because that was how I lived my life as a human, and I felt it helped me greatly. At the very least, I lived a grounded and peaceful life.

Today, I was in that same taro ice cream space when I was held in the hand of a Buddhist practitioner who was wearing prayer beads. He saw the Namo Amituofo billboard at the temple and recited the Buddha-name. I felt that the Buddha-name sounded so beautiful, so I followed along and recited, 'Namo Amituofo.' A miraculous thing happened: I was suddenly released from the space of the taro ice cream, and that is how I gained the opportunity to be interviewed here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

A Message for the Living

Life is truly full of suffering. This is something I saw clearly after selling ice cream for so many years. When parents grow old, they need their children to care for them, and if the children are not filial, that is even more suffering. Marriage brings its own struggles, and having children brings even more worries—it is all suffering. In this modern age, the concepts of ethics and morality have become even thinner, making all these various sufferings even more intense. Here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, listening to Practitioner Su explain the sutras, I truly feel that there is such a wonderful Great Dharma in this world. This is something I, the Lin Ashui who only knew how to make ice cream every day, had never even imagined.

I hope that the people on the precious land of Taiwan can all come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia to understand what the true Buddha’s teachings are. The simplest way is to come here and talk to Practitioner Su. She is truly a great student of the Buddha; she has achieved the state of being free from aging, free from illness, and her spirit does not die. Now, I spend every day in the Land of Dharma Nature feeling so happy. I am truly grateful for the blessing of encountering Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. I hope that in the future, I too can be like Practitioner Su, saving so many sentient beings and helping so many people.

Namo Amituofo.

Lin Ashui"