The Jailer Who Found Joy in Helping Others

This is a record of an interview with Wang Qi, 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 his subsequent journey through the realms of existence. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on April 15, 2023.

Wang Qi speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Today, I have finally arrived at the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Every one of us who served as a jailer in the hell realms is filled with such immense joy. We have been waiting for this day for years, and today, that wait has finally come to an end. The majestic Western Trinity stands right before my eyes. We knelt and bowed in deep gratitude, and we are even more profoundly grateful to Practitioner Su for his compassion in taking us by the hand and leading us to the West. Without Practitioner Su, we would never have known when such an opportunity would have ever come our way."

"When I reflect upon the past, my heart is filled with deep emotion. If I had not achieved rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I truly do not know how much longer this spirit would have had to endure the cycle of rebirth. Lifetime after lifetime, the soul would have continued to drift endlessly through the six realms of existence, never finding a moment of true rest."

The Secret of a Helpful Heart

"I am Wang Qi. I still remember that particular lifetime where I was so well-liked by everyone. Perhaps it was because I was born into a wealthy family, and there were always people around me trying to curry favour, or perhaps it was simply because I genuinely loved to help others, which made people naturally want to be close to me. In any case, during that lifetime as Wang Qi, I was a person who was incredibly popular. People knew me everywhere I went, and everywhere I went, there were people who needed my assistance."

"From a very young age, I was an exceptionally busy person because everyone relied on me for help. If Uncle Chen’s hen had not laid eggs for several days, I would go over to help. If Auntie Guo’s house was being overrun by mischievous mice, I would go to help. If Sixth Aunt Shen twisted her ankle, I would rush over to assist her. If Auntie Li’s youngest son would not stop crying, I would go to help. Every single person I helped felt that I was someone with a unique ability to solve their problems, even though I was just a child at the time. So, I was busy from dawn until dusk, with people constantly seeking me out for help."

"The reason I loved helping others so much was that I learned it from my grandmother. In our entire family, my grandmother and I shared the closest bond. Everyone said that I looked the most like her, which was a sign that our karmic affinity was particularly deep. My grandmother was a practitioner of the Buddha’s teachings. She loved chanting Namo Amituofo, and she taught me to chant from the time I was very small. Because of this, I learned to chant the Buddha-name with great sincerity, and this became the key secret I used to help everyone."

The Miracle of the Rain

"I also found it quite miraculous that this method was truly effective. I discovered this technique when I was only five years old. That year, not a single drop of rain fell for the entire year. Many crops withered and died. Most of the families in our village relied on farming for their livelihood, and that year, they suffered devastating losses. Not only did they have no income, but they also lost a great deal of money. When my grandmother saw this situation, she asked me if I wanted to help everyone, and I agreed without a moment’s hesitation."

"From that day on, my grandmother took me to chant Namo Amituofo every single day. We would chant in the family shrine, and we would also go outside to walk around the village, chanting wherever we went. We did this specifically to pray for rain, to beg the Buddha to let the sky release some water so that everyone could continue to survive. My grandmother and I had been chanting for less than half a month when, one day, as we stood by the river chanting, dark clouds began to gather in the sky. Then, raindrops began to fall. My grandmother and I were so overjoyed that we continued to chant even louder, and the more we chanted, the harder the rain poured down. That day, we walked all the way home in the rain, soaked to the bone but filled with happiness, because this was the rain everyone had been waiting for, and it was the sweet dew bestowed upon us by the compassion of the Buddha."

"It was that experience of praying for rain that made me firmly believe that as long as one chants Namo Amituofo, anything can be accomplished and any vow can be fulfilled. Perhaps it was because my heart was so simple and pure that my chanting was truly effective. For everyone who came to me for help, I would chant for them. If Uncle Chen’s hen would not lay eggs, I would sit beside the hen and chant, and the very next day, she would lay an egg. If Auntie Guo had too many mice, I would sit in her kitchen and chant for all the mice hiding inside, advising them not to come back to Auntie Guo’s house to steal food, as this was a place for pure chanting. To my surprise, after I did this, many of the mice actually left, and eventually, they were almost never seen again. When Sixth Aunt Shen twisted her ankle, I would place my hand on the injured area and chant for her, and as I chanted, she was miraculously able to walk again. It was absolutely inconceivable. As for Auntie Li’s son who would not stop crying, I demonstrated to her that whenever he started to cry, she should just calm her heart and chant. As she chanted, the boy would truly stop crying. This method was incredibly useful; it was applicable to every kind of problem."

The Apple Spirit's Mission

"Everyone I helped wanted to give me something in return, but I lacked nothing. When they learned that I loved eating apples, baskets of apples began to appear in our home, all sent by those I had helped. To finish these apples, I ate them every day and shared them with others. As a result, my body was very strong, much healthier than anyone else’s, all because of those apples."

"When I was thirteen, one early morning, just as I had risen from bed, I heard someone shouting outside our gate: 'Wang Feng! Wang Feng! We need your help! Old Master Han has fallen, please come quickly!' Although I was not yet fully awake, the moment I heard the words 'Old Master Han has fallen,' I jumped out of bed, put on my clothes, and rushed out the door. Old Master Han had fallen quite severely. I chanted for him for a long time until I saw his condition improve slightly. I had to return the next day to continue chanting until he fully recovered. That day, before I left, Lady Han gave me a basket of apples. I did not want to accept them, but out of respect for her kindness, I had to take them."

"On the way home that day, I felt quite exhausted. I was struggling to walk home when, halfway there, I did not see a carriage approaching at high speed. I was struck by the carriage, and the apples I was carrying fell all over the ground. One apple rolled right in front of my eyes. As I stared at that apple, images of myself happily eating apples and memories of my grandmother cutting apples for me as a child flashed through my mind. After my spirit left my body, I entered the space of the apples."

"After becoming an apple, I did not really understand that I had transformed into one; I simply existed within the space of the apples. However, what was very special was that because of my kind heart and good intentions, this apple grew to be exceptionally beautiful. No matter what variety of apple I became, I was always the first one to be chosen. In my heart, no matter where I went, I wanted to continue helping others. So, even as an apple, I could naturally be used to help people. Seeing me looking so beautiful made people feel joyful; eating me made them smile because of the apple’s sweetness; and the nutrition from my apple made their bodies healthier. In short, I became an apple that could help people, all because of the kindness I held in my heart during my life."

"Even more miraculously, no matter what kind of apple I became, I was always chosen as an offering for the Buddha. Perhaps it was due to my past karmic affinity with chanting that I always had the fortune to be selected as an offering and placed before the Buddha."

From Hell to the Western Pure Land

"I did not spend much time as an apple, only about half a year. I originally had the opportunity to leave with the Buddha-light that appeared before me, but I did not go because I still wanted to help people. When the Buddha-light vanished, my spirit, through a series of subtle causal conditions, entered the hell realms. King Yama asked me why I did not follow the Buddha, and I replied that I still wanted to help people. King Yama found my answer hard to believe, but that was truly the state of my heart. In the end, he assigned me the role of a jailer, giving me the opportunity to help the beings in hell by teaching them to chant Namo Amituofo."

"When Practitioner Su gave his lectures, I could hear them even from within the hells. My heart was filled with immense emotion because every word of the sutras Practitioner Su spoke touched the heart. I used the teachings from Practitioner Su’s lectures to share with the beings in hell, hoping that they would be inspired to develop a heart of repentance and then make the vow to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. I also saw Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body performing Chao Du within the hells. When I witnessed that scene, I decided that I must seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. The reason I chose to seek rebirth in the West was that I saw how Practitioner Su used his Dharma Body to perform Chao Du, which could help beings so rapidly. Compared to my saving them one by one, Practitioner Su’s speed was much faster, and he could save many more spirits in that space. That is why I decided to leave hell, return to the Western Pure Land to continue my studies, and then return to help sentient beings."

"When I made this mental note and vow, my name was truly placed on the list of those Practitioner Su would lead to the West. Today is the day I return to the West, and my heart is filled with such Dharma joy. I hope that after I arrive in the Western Pure Land, I will be diligent in listening to the Dharma every day. When the time is right, I will return to the human world to help sentient beings. This is my great vow."

"I am grateful for the compassion of the Buddha."

"I am grateful for the compassion of Practitioner Su."

"Namo Amituofo."

"Wang Qi"