The Iron Heart's Journey to Liberation

This is a record of an interview with Lin Kuncheng, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He currently serves in the underworld while seeking the path to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his experiences throughout many lifetimes. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on August 6, 2023.

Lin Kuncheng speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Lin Kuncheng. After experiencing the long, weary passage of life after life, I have come to a profound realisation regarding the nature of existence. I am deeply grateful for the Ultimate Vow and the magnificent power of Practitioner Su. It is only because of this that we are able to stand here today, sharing our lives and our experiences with the laws of karma and cause and effect. On behalf of all the prison guards and all sentient beings with karmic affinity, I bow in gratitude for the Buddha’s grace and the grace of Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."

The Cold Memory of Iron

"I was once a piece of iron—cold, unfeeling, and hard. During my time as iron, I was repeatedly cast back into the furnace, subjected to thousands of degrees of heat. It was absolutely scorching! Every time I was pulled from the flames, I emerged in a different form. I have been an iron pot, an iron shovel, and an iron sword. Each existence brought its own unique set of trials; some were filled with immense suffering, while others held strange, fleeting moments of interest. It was a cycle that seemed endless, a testament to the heavy karma I had accumulated.

Before I became iron, I was a frail, sickly young boy. In that lifetime, I suffered from countless ailments because of the immense killing I had committed in previous lives. My karma was so heavy that it was nearly impossible to repay. Yet, even then, I possessed a heart of steel. Whatever I set my mind to, I would persist until the very end, never willing to give up. This was because, in a life long before that, I had been a great general who had taken many innocent lives. I feel such deep remorse for those actions now. Because of my stubbornness and the weight of that past, when I passed away from illness, I was reborn as a grain of iron sand, eventually being smelted into that piece of iron."

From the Furnace to the Healer

"During my time as iron, I endured so much. As an iron knife, I was constantly used to chop vegetables and meat; as an iron shovel, I was forever stirring food, enduring the agony of high oil temperatures. Sometimes, I was even used as a weapon to chase after an unfaithful husband! Finally, I became an iron furnace—an incense burner in a temple. It was only then that I realised that even to be an object in a temple, one must have accumulated blessings. Day and night, I immersed myself in these teachings within the temple, and finally, I was liberated from the cycle of being iron. I was reborn into the human world.

This time, I was born into a Buddhist family. My parents had prayed devoutly before the very incense burner I had been in my previous life, asking the Buddha for a child. When the karmic conditions and the causes and effects were ripe, I was reborn as their son. That iron furnace had been commissioned by my parents, so my connection with them had already begun in my previous life. From a young age, my parents taught me to hold compassion in my heart and to engage in diligent practice, which helped me grow into a kind and steadfast young man. With the support of my family, I studied the sutras in the temple, listening to the teachings of wise persons, slowly grasping the true meaning of life and understanding the cycle of Cause and Effect. I knew that all the karmic retribution of the past was of my own making, and that the accumulation of Goodness now would surely lead to future blessings."

A Life of Compassion Amidst Disaster

"As I grew older, I began to participate in volunteer services in our village. I saw the elderly suffering from illness, orphans left without support, and civilians struggling with hunger. These scenes deeply stirred my heart, and I decided to use my own strength to help them. I worked hard to study medicine and became a healer. I used love and compassion to treat the villagers' illnesses and alleviate their pain. I did not charge exorbitant fees, which allowed more people to receive timely medical assistance.

After treating many villagers, my reputation spread throughout the village, and many began to call me the 'Compassionate Healer.' Whenever I saw people looking at me with admiration, I would always humbly say, 'This is the guidance of the Buddha’s teachings; the Buddha is full of compassion.' However, peaceful days do not always last. One year, our village was struck by an unprecedented flood. The entire village was swallowed by the waters, and our homes were turned into a scene of desolation. My clinic was ravaged, the medical environment was destroyed, and our efforts to help others came to a standstill.

Looking at all of this, I did not despair; instead, my conviction only grew stronger. I believed that this was a test, a return of the cycle of Cause and Effect. So, I worked with the villagers to rebuild the village, repair the clinic, and continue to perform acts of Goodness, spreading compassion. In the process of rebuilding, more people joined our ranks, volunteering to help those affected by the disaster. The seeds of compassion took root and sprouted in the village, spreading a heart of Goodness and making this land a better place."

The Path to the Underworld

"As I aged, I grew old, but the conviction in my heart became even more resolute. I always admonished the villagers that no matter how much wind, frost, rain, or snow we encounter in life, we must maintain a heart of Goodness and use love and compassion to transform this world. I left this world on a quiet evening. I was sitting in front of the clinic, reflecting on the events of this life. My heart was filled with gratitude—gratitude for those returns, gratitude that the cycle of reincarnation gave me the opportunity to practice, and gratitude that I could use my own humble strength to help the beings on this land.

I passed away very peacefully, without any regrets. After I left, the clinic was passed on to the next generation to continue spreading compassion and love, helping more people find liberation from suffering. After death, I walked the path of the underworld. Having experienced the suffering of samsara throughout my many lives, I had many deep reflections, and I understood clearly that reincarnation is painful. At the end of that life, I made a firm decision: I wanted to find a way out of this cycle. Along the way, searching and seeking, I finally arrived at the gates of the Yama Palace. Yama told me of my path, and I decided to forgo the opportunity to be reincarnated into the human world again. I chose to stay in the underworld to serve, hoping to accumulate merits and virtues while waiting for the opportunity for liberation to appear."

A Magnificent Opportunity for Deliverance

"I am especially grateful for the compassion of the Buddha. In recent years, I have been able to listen to Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks and hear the principles he teaches. I know that this is the power of liberation; it is the true, great Dharma. I have begun to engage in diligent practice every single day, waiting for the opportunity for my own liberation to arrive. Today is truly a magnificent and auspicious day. It is hard to imagine that I would ever see this day, and I cherish it immensely! I will certainly seize this opportunity, engage in diligent practice, and seek rebirth 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 for the Buddha’s grace and the grace of Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."

"Lin Kuncheng, with palms joined in respect. Namo Amituofo."