The Infinite Blessings of a Life Given to Others

This is a record of an interview with Lin Baifu, who sought spiritual 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 subsequent time as a prison guard in the hells. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on September 14, 2024.

Lin Baifu speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I never imagined that I would truly arrive in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Let me tell you, the path of being reincarnated—the cycle of rebirth—is absolutely not fun. It is a grueling, endless road of suffering. Thankfully, my sixty fellow prison guards and I possessed the blessings to be guided by Practitioner Su, allowing us to return to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

On behalf of all the prison guards, I offer my deepest gratitude to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su. It is only through their boundless compassion that we have been saved from the darkness of the hells."

A Name Blessed with Abundance

"My name is Lin Baifu, a name given to me by my father. I have always cherished it, as it brought me great blessings throughout my life, including the ultimate blessing of returning to the Western Land now. In the past, when I mentioned that my name was full of blessings, people would often ask me, 'Why didn't you choose to be called Lin Qianfu or Lin Wanfu? Wouldn't a thousand or ten thousand blessings be better than your hundred?' I found it quite amusing at the time. I would simply reply with a smile, 'A hundred blessings are more than enough for me; I shall leave the rest for others to enjoy!'

I was the eldest grandson of the Lin family, and from a young age, I was showered with the love of my elders. I am so grateful to have been born into such a loving family, living a life of great wealth and comfort, never having to worry about food or clothing. I do not know which of our ancestors accumulated such vast merits, but for generations, our descendants lived in abundance. By the time I arrived, I was still enjoying the fruits of the blessings our ancestors had planted."

The Lesson of the Happiness Candies

"I was fortunate to have a father of great Wisdom. I remember when I was five years old, he gave me a bag of candies and said, 'These are called Happiness Candies. Whoever eats them will find joy. There are twenty in this bag. But listen closely: the joy of eating one candy is the same as the joy of eating twenty. You will not find more happiness simply by consuming more.' Then he asked me, 'Think about it—if you eat them all yourself, you get a certain amount of joy. But you could also choose to eat one, and give the other nineteen to other children so they can taste the same joy you feel. Or, you could give all twenty to children on the street who cannot afford sweets, so that twenty children can be happy. The choice is yours to make.'

My father gave me the power of choice. He told me there was no right or wrong answer; it depended on what I wanted to decide and how large a heart I wished to cultivate. Looking at the candies in my hand, I didn't overthink it. I replied, 'I love candy, but I love seeing others happy even more. Their joy and their smiles bring me joy. So, I have decided to give all twenty to the other children. I will just keep the bag to hold the happiness they give back to me.'

That day, I gave the candies to twenty children on the street, and they rewarded me with the most radiant, joyful smiles. I was so happy that I spent the day spinning in circles, laughing with pure delight. That single experience taught me a lesson I would never forget: the joy of sharing with others always outweighs the joy of possessing things for oneself. That kind of happiness is greater than anything else in the world."

The Wisdom of Poverty

"Although our home was grand and luxurious, I did not spend all my time there. My father would often tell my grandparents, 'I am taking Baifu out to see the mountains and rivers.' My grandparents were always pleased and allowed him to take me. However, he rarely took me to scenic spots. Instead, he would take me to live in impoverished areas, allowing me to experience the life of the poor.

I made many friends in those slums. My father insisted that I live just as they did, with no money in my pockets. I had nothing to give them, yet we became the best of friends because we shared the same life. We walked long distances to fetch water, ate the simplest of meals—sometimes only twice a day—and slept in humble, dilapidated shacks.

Every morning, I would wake up and help my friends with their chores. They had so much to do to support their families—chopping wood, hauling goods, and more. Whatever they did, I learned to do alongside them. They loved seeing me come, knowing I was there to help. Even though life was hard, we were truly happy. My friends and I were completely honest with one another. We treated each other with sincerity, never wanting anything from the other, because we were both empty-handed. In that state, we found a pure, unblemished heart, free from any worldly contamination."

The Contrast of Hearts

"Compared to my original environment, the difference was stark. I knew that many people approached me in my wealthy life with ulterior motives. Many adults would deliberately praise me in front of my grandparents, hoping to gain some benefit in return. I knew this, but I ignored it. I did not want to pollute my own heart, so I let them be. Yet, I felt the difference clearly: the greatest distinction between the slums and my home was the difference between a sincere heart and a false one.

My father took me everywhere to learn and observe, and I gained profound insights. By the age of ten, I no longer desired wealth; I only wanted to help more people live happily. I decided to use my resources to assist others. My father told me that this was called 'Generosity'—a noble act that benefits both others and oneself.

I cultivated a heart that was always ready to give, and my blessings grew exponentially, far exceeding the 'hundred blessings' I once spoke of. The more selflessly I gave, the more my blessings multiplied. But I knew these blessings were meant to be shared, to allow more people to find happiness."

A Life Dedicated to Service

"At sixteen, I made a decision: I gave up my formal studies and went alone into the remote mountains. At that time, many places were filled with refugees displaced by natural disasters and human conflict. I knew the government had no intention of helping them, leaving them to fend for themselves. Seeing their suffering, I could not bear it.

With my father's consent, I took the inheritance that would have been mine and began developing the mountain region, which was part of our ancestral land. I provided work for these people, and together we began to cultivate the land and build houses. I covered all the expenses. Because there were so many people, the buildings were basic—just enough to shelter them from the wind and rain—but it was a start.

Later, I introduced education and built simple schools in the mountains. Throughout this process, my father assisted me, as the construction involved complex matters that required his experience and guidance. He supported every intention I had. He told me that helping others has no limits; the larger the heart you cultivate, the more you can accomplish, and the more 'Goodness' will naturally come to assist you.

I gave everything I had, working tirelessly from dawn until dusk. I barely had time to rest, but I was joyful. I would have gladly worked without sleep if it meant everyone could live in peace. I successfully saved those refugees, which gave me great confidence. Later, I formed a charitable organization with other like-minded young people. We pooled our resources and efforts, allowing us to help even more people in need. I was so fortunate to have 'noble people' supporting me behind the scenes. They helped me so that I could help others. I truly left my blessings for others to use, and I was content to simply serve."

The Final Transition

"I never stopped throughout my life. Even in my seventies, I was still saving people, and my organization had grown into a highly structured institution. Before I passed away, I looked back on my childhood and felt immense gratitude for my father's guidance, which awakened my inherent 'Goodness' and taught me to let go of the self to serve others.

The only regret was that my heart did not know how to 'liberate' itself. I was still thinking of those suffering in the world, wondering how I could help them further. Even at the moment my breath ceased, I was still thinking of them. I suppose I just kept thinking and thinking, until I drifted off to sleep. My steady breathing grew weaker and weaker until it stopped, and my life ended just like that.

My spirit entered a pile of papers—the very documents I had used to plan and write my projects. I had been constantly conceptualizing, never stopping, and my spirit followed that obsession into the space within those papers, still thinking about how to save people. I didn't even know I was in a space until one day, a force pulled me out. That was when I realized I had been trapped."

Deliverance through the Dharma

"Two officials brought me to see King Yama. I thought I had committed some crime, but I soon learned that King Yama had assigned me to serve as a prison guard in the hells. I did my duty, but seeing the beings there suffer was agonizing. A few years ago, I began to hear Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks. When I heard the phrase 'the spirit never dies,' I was shocked. I was stunned that someone could speak such a truth. As I listened deeper, I felt such joy and admiration. I was amazed that such Buddha’s teachings existed in the world, yet I had never known them until I heard Practitioner Su.

I shared the teachings with many beings in the hells. Many were moved to tears, repenting and learning to 'chant Buddha's name' to change their hearts. I am so grateful to Practitioner Su for showing me the power and method to truly help their spirits find liberation. I never expected that my unintentional efforts would lead to my name being placed on the list to be guided to the Western Land. Today, I have finally arrived.

My heart is filled with infinite gratitude. Once again, on behalf of all the prison guards who attained rebirth today, I kneel in thanks. Gratitude to Namo Amituofo, and gratitude to Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Lin Baifu bows in reverence.

※ Lin Baifu's father, Lin Changchun, is currently in the first heaven of the Desire Realm and has been invited by Practitioner Su into the Western Land of Dharma Nature."