The Illusion of the Prison Guard

This is a record of an interview with Hou Yizhong, 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 many lifetimes spent in the cycle of rebirth, including his time serving as a prison guard in the underworld. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxi, on September 22, 2024.

Hou Yizhong speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful for this day, and for everything I have experienced in the past. Every trial, every moment of suffering, and every lesson learned has served as a stepping stone, shaping the being I am today. Without those experiences, I would not have arrived at this point of clarity.

I offer my boundless gratitude to all the Causal Conditions that have brought me here. Even though I have now attained liberation and reside in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I shall continue to learn and grow. My journey does not end here; it merely continues in a realm of infinite wisdom and light.

The Mercy of Practitioner Su

I must express my profound gratitude to Practitioner Su for his boundless compassion and great kindness. It is only through his intervention that I was granted the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. On behalf of all the prison guards and all sentient beings with karmic affinity, I bow in gratitude to the Buddha, and I bow in gratitude to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo.

In the endless, churning river of the cycle of rebirth, I have been born, grown, and died countless times. I have worn countless names and assumed countless identities. The name I use now, Hou Yizhong, is merely a label for this specific manifestation, a temporary designation in the current flow of time. Every time I entered a new life, I foolishly believed that it would be the final chapter, never suspecting that it was simply the beginning of yet another cycle of suffering.

The Unveiling of Impermanence

In one of my previous lives, I was born into a family filled with love, living a life that seemed entirely carefree. However, as the years passed, the world began to reveal its true face to me—the face of impermanence. The love, desires, pain, and attachments of people surrounded me like shadows, clinging to me at every turn. Whenever I reached out to grasp something, thinking I had finally secured my happiness, it would inevitably slip through my fingers like sand.

During that lifetime, I convinced myself that the meaning of life lay in the pursuit of happiness. I followed the footsteps of the world, hungrily chasing after a better life, greater wealth, and a more glorious future. Yet, I failed to understand that these pursuits were merely the continuation of my cycle of rebirth. They were nothing more than shackles, binding me tighter to the wheel of the cycle of rebirth, ensuring I would remain trapped for aeons to come.

The Shackles of Desire

From that life onwards, every subsequent existence was defined by my attachments. Regardless of the identity I assumed, I was always chasing the shadows of fame, power, romance, and desire. I was once a wealthy merchant, obsessed with the accumulation of gold; I was once a monarch, craving the infinite extension of my authority; and I was once a young man who placed love above all else, willing to sacrifice everything for the object of my affection.

These attachments, carried over from life to life, acted as invisible chains, locking me firmly within the prison of the cycle of rebirth. I once believed that by possessing everything, I could master the meaning of life, never realising that these desires only caused me to sink deeper into the mire. Every time I satisfied a craving, a new one would immediately arise, forcing me into an endless, exhausting chase. Sometimes, in the quiet of a dream, I would feel a flicker of confusion and doubt. I would ask myself: 'What am I truly pursuing? Why are this body and this mind always so restless?' But upon waking, the temptations of reality would quickly smother those doubts. I continued to chase, continued to sink, and mistook the illusions of this world for the ultimate Truth.

The General’s Hollow Victory

Countless times I have reincarnated, repeating the same tragic drama. No matter what form I took, an invisible force always guided me toward the abyss of attachment. My fate seemed preordained, driven by desire and delusion, repeating the same errors over and over again. I was once a great general, leading countless soldiers into battle, desperate to trade my victories for immortal fame. The glory on the battlefield made me feel invincible, yet when the wars ended, my heart was filled with a hollow, aching void. I had thought that conquering external enemies was my life's mission, never suspecting that I had long ago been conquered by the desires within my own heart.

After the wars concluded, I fell into a state of endless reflection. I began to realise that no matter how great the external glory, it could never fill the emptiness within. I stopped craving power and ceased my pursuit of wealth, turning instead to seek inner peace. Yet, I could not find the true answer, for I was still unable to let go of this body, and I could not see through the illusions of this world.

The Weight of Karmic Retribution

As the number of my reincarnations increased, so too did my suffering. Every attachment and every error from each life planted the seeds of evil consequences for the next. I began to encounter unimaginable hardships: sickness, poverty, failure, and betrayal. These sufferings arrived like tidal waves, one after another, pushing me toward the abyss of despair. In one life, I was born into a family of extreme poverty. My parents laboured endlessly just to survive, and our home was filled with nothing but arguments and complaints. From childhood, I endured the agony of hunger and cold, my body growing weaker by the day. I could not understand why life was so difficult, or why I could never escape this cycle of misery.

I tried to change my fate, working tirelessly to escape poverty and build a better life. But no matter how hard I struggled, fate seemed to oppose me at every turn. The more I fought, the deeper my suffering became. I began to question the fairness of the world and to doubt everything I had ever known. These hardships left me feeling utterly helpless and desperate, and I even began to doubt whether I would ever be able to escape the darkness of the cycle of rebirth.

The Light of the Dharma

After experiencing countless lifetimes of pain and frustration, I finally met an eminent monk in one of my lives. His words were like a beacon of light, illuminating the darkness within my heart. He told me: 'The suffering you experience is not a punishment from fate, but the fruit of your past attachments. You are trapped by your desires and obsessions, unable to see your true nature.' This statement forced me to reflect deeply. I had never realised that I was being manipulated by my own desires. I thought I was pursuing happiness, not knowing that these pursuits were the very root of my suffering. I had never considered letting go, because I believed that only by having more could I live a better life.

The monk's words revealed the problems within my own heart and set me on the path to liberation. However, even though I understood the theory, I could not easily let go. These worldly desires were deeply rooted in my heart, having become an inseparable part of my life. I knew I needed to change, but I also knew that this path would be filled with immense challenges.

The Struggle to Let Go

Although I had met that eminent monk and begun to recognise my own flaws, truly letting go of attachment is no simple task. In that lifetime, I remained deeply trapped by desire and obsession, oscillating between moments of clarity and moments of delusion. Even knowing that this body is merely a temporary vessel, I could not completely sever my attachment to it. Whenever I attempted to reflect deeply, the temptations of the world would rush toward me. Material pleasures, the allure of romance, and the attraction of fame—these irresistible desires caused me to fall back into the fog time and time again. I was like a moth drawn to a flame, attracted by the light, only to be scorched the moment I drew near.

I attempted to practise, seeking inner serenity, but each time I neared a state of meditative concentration, the disturbances of the world would interrupt me. I began to doubt whether I could truly let go, whether I could ever walk out of this endless cycle of rebirth. The internal struggle caused me immense pain, as I swayed between the two extremes of pursuing worldly pleasure and seeking the Truth of liberation.

The Collapse of the Illusion

Finally, in the twilight of that lifetime, my life underwent a massive upheaval. Everything I had cherished—my wealth, my reputation, my love—collapsed overnight. Everything I relied upon vanished without a trace, and I was plunged into a state of pain, feeling a sense of loss I had never known before. It was precisely within this crushing blow that I began to see the Truth. When everything I had been attached to left me, I finally understood that they had never truly belonged to me. My wealth, my fame, my status, and even my body were all temporary illusions, yet I had treated them as the entirety of my life.

I realised deeply that everything in this world is impermanent; it cannot bring true happiness or satisfaction. In the past, I had blindly pursued these external things while ignoring the true needs of my heart. Now, I finally understood that only by letting go of these attachments could I find inner peace. This time, I resolved to completely abandon my attachment to this world and stop chasing illusory desires. I began to engage in true practice, letting go of all desires and obsessions, focusing entirely on the elevation of my heart. As my practice deepened, my heart became increasingly peaceful, and the pain and struggles of the past began to dissipate.

Finding True Peace

After letting go of my attachments, my heart attained a liberation I had never known. The things that had once caused me such agony no longer had any influence over me. I began to understand that suffering does not come from the outside world, but from our attachment to external things. As long as we can let go of these attachments, we can transcend suffering and find true peace. In the final years of that life, I lived a life of extreme simplicity, no longer chasing fame or wealth, and no longer attached to any external object. I spent more time in introspection, reflecting on every one of my attachments and errors. I gradually realised that all suffering and all the cycle of rebirth were caused by my taking this body too seriously, mistaking this illusion for reality.

I also began to share my experiences, helping other sentient beings who were still trapped in the cycle of rebirth and suffering. I told them that everything in this world is temporary, and we should not be bound by this body or the illusions of this world. Using my own story as an example, I told them that only by letting go can one find the true path to liberation. I actively engaged in the work of saving sentient beings, conveying my experiences and insights to more people. I knew that the power of worldly temptation is immense, and countless beings, just like the past version of myself, are trapped in an endless fog, unable to see the true path. I hoped to use my experience to help them see the truth of this world and find inner peace.

A Final Gratitude

Many people, upon hearing my story, began to reflect on their own lives. They began to understand that all suffering stems from internal attachment, and only by letting go can one find true freedom and joy. Watching them gradually awaken from their delusion filled my heart with joy and gratitude. In my final days, I sat beneath a large tree, quietly watching the sunset. I felt an incomparable peace, and my heart was filled with gratitude. I thanked every version of myself from the past, and I thanked those pains and frustrations, for it was precisely those experiences that allowed me to finally find the true meaning of life.

When my spirit arrived at the Hall of the Yama King, my heart held no fear or anxiety; I waited quietly for the judgment. I am grateful that the Yama King granted me an opportunity to serve sentient beings, allowing me to continue helping more lives while learning deeper wisdom about life. I am even more grateful that I was able to meet Practitioner Su at this time and listen to his teachings. It is precisely because of this that I had the chance to attain liberation—this is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. I have made a vow to do everything in my power to help more sentient beings, so that they too may awaken from their delusion and embark on the path of liberation.

Looking back, I understand that all suffering and the cycle of rebirth were caused by my attachment to this body and this world. Now, I have finally learned to let go and have found true inner peace. I know well the immense power of this world's temptations, and how difficult it is for sentient beings to extricate themselves. I tell myself that I must use my own experience to guide them, allowing them to see the truth of this world and find the path to liberation. I am grateful for this opportunity for liberation today. On behalf of all the prison guards and all sentient beings with karmic affinity, I bow in gratitude to the Buddha, and I bow in gratitude to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo.

Hou Yizhong, with palms joined."