The Jailer's Path to Redemption

This interview was recorded on March 21, 2025, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. The speaker, Jin Baichuan, a former jailer in the hells who sought deliverance through the teachings of Practitioner Su, now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Jin Baichuan speaks:

"Today is a monumental day for me. The brilliant light of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is right before my eyes. Together with immeasurable and boundless sentient beings, I have been guided by Practitioner Su to arrive at this magnificent place. My heart is filled with incomparable joy and excitement. The moment I entered the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, my spirit became exceptionally clear and bright."

"It was only during my trial before the King of Hell that I realised I had been trapped in the cycle of rebirth all along. But how to stop this cycle? I truly did not understand. It was not until I heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks that I learned there was an exit—the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. At that time, I repented incessantly, repenting for all the karma I had created and my profound ignorance in the past."

Confronting the Shadows of the Past

"Looking back at my past, there were many moments I could not bear to face, yet I kept encouraging myself to persevere. In the hells, the King of Hell revealed the vivid, true scenes of my past to me, and only then did the memories of my soul finally reconnect."

"I realised that Jin Baichuan was merely my identity in this lifetime. In the distant past, the memories of my soul had always existed. In those past spaces, the sentient beings with whom I have karmic affinity were still there, waiting."

"At first, this was a tremendous shock to me. But as I looked at the immeasurable and boundless spirits in the hells, I thought to myself: I, too, was once one of them."

A Vow to Change

"After listening to Practitioner Su's Dharma talks, my understanding of my past self and the future cycle of rebirth became increasingly clear. I began to yearn for the possibility of change. The Buddha's blessings are truly inconceivable; they allowed my heart's desires to be fulfilled. To repay the Buddha's grace, I am sharing the past I have witnessed as a warning to everyone. I hope that those who read my story of reincarnation may have the opportunity to awaken."

"I am Jin Baichuan. My story begins when I was an ox. I was an ox raised by a wealthy family. Three servants took turns caring for me—one prepared my three meals, one cleaned my living quarters, and one bathed me at irregular intervals. Although I was an ox, because I lived in a wealthy household, I lived a life of luxury. However, my temper was just as bad as my master's. If anything did not go my way or suit my wishes, I would throw a tantrum. Many times, the three servants who cared for me were driven to exhaustion by my antics."

The Illusion of Wealth

"The tragic part is that I thought I was a wealthy ox, but I did not know the true purpose for which my master was raising me. It was not until the day I was slaughtered that I realised my master was raising me for the town's decennial sacrificial ceremony, held to offer gratitude to heaven and earth. This event was a major festival for the people in this region. Everyone would slaughter their finest livestock and hang them at their front doors for display. If the public agreed that the animal hanging at your door was the most outstanding, it meant your family was the most respectful toward the deities and the heavens, and you would win everyone's respect. People would then flock to present their most valuable possessions as congratulations."

"This was a tradition in the town. So, my master raised me and had many people care for me, but the underlying purpose was simply to win the respect of others. I was completely unaware of this; I was still enjoying the pampering, oblivious to the fact that every day held the possibility of losing my life."

"Until that day, when a long, sharp blade was pressed against my neck, I realised everything was over. I began to struggle, filled with agitation. But in the end, I could not escape that blade. I carried my resentment toward my master and transformed into a wisp of black smoke."

The Asura Realm

"I never imagined that this wisp of black smoke would lead me into a different space. I returned to the form of a human, but with a broad face and bulging eyes. My appearance was so terrifying that people were afraid to approach me."

"Becoming this image did not mean I had attained a true human body; rather, I had entered the Asura realm and become an Asura. It turned out that because I was filled with such intense rage when I was slaughtered, my soul became in sync with that space. In the past, I had been a great practitioner of Generosity, so even as an ox, I could enjoy the Blessings left over from my past giving; the same applied when I was an Asura."

"After becoming an Asura, I possessed great power, and I went everywhere doing what I deemed right. I used my strength to interfere with others. I believed I was upholding justice, so I never felt I had committed any wrong."

The Turning Point of Compassion

"I wandered through various spaces, sometimes doing good deeds, sometimes acting righteously. Whenever I saw something I could not stand, I could not help but intervene. By my own definition, I always thought I was doing good. Yet, I never realised that the methods I used were extremely intense. It was just like my temperament—I had a strong personality and was unwilling to admit defeat."

"Time and again, I knew my methods of helping people were not quite right. Some even tried to counsel me, so I attempted to change. During the process of change, I discovered that my energy field and even my facial features began to transform."

"On one occasion, I sincerely wanted to help someone. That person was so furious that he was preparing to harm others to vent his anger. I saw that if he harmed those people, it would implicate many others and create massive karma. So, before he could act, I entered his mind and shifted his thoughts. When I did this, his intention to harm others vanished in an instant. It was as if he had something to do but could not remember what it was. This single action prevented many lives from being harmed."

"Seeing this result, my heart was filled with joy, and I felt affirmed. Because of this one thought of Goodness, not long after, with the help of a certain force, I left the Asura realm. I was greeted by a beam of white light."

A Life of Justice and Tragedy

"This white light led me to be reincarnated into the human world. In this lifetime, I was named Jin Baichuan. My father was a high-ranking official, and my mother was the daughter of another high-ranking official. Although my family background was illustrious, I was born with a sense of justice. This sense of justice made me want to help anyone who was weak or vulnerable."

"When my family background was still powerful, whether through financial assistance or the use of influence, I was able to help many people. But unexpectedly, my family's fortunes eventually declined. Our whole family was framed. My father could not bear the blow and passed away shortly after. Because of my father's departure, the family fell apart. I was the third son, and regarding this change in our family, I felt immense anger—I was angry at myself for not being able to protect our home."

"To seek justice for my family, I went into hiding. I used various channels to investigate everywhere, determined to clear our name. In the process of investigating many high-ranking officials, I exposed their ugly, corrupt sides, and in doing so, I helped many people."

"Those I helped were very grateful to me. But in my heart, I knew that while this was a form of upholding justice, it had also harmed many people. Finally, after five years of searching away from home, I found my enemy and took my revenge. Covered in blood, my heart was filled with remorse."

Deliverance through Repentance

"I relied on quietly helping people to wash away the sin in my heart. However, because I had blocked the government's path to wealth, they hunted me down everywhere. Eventually, they threw me into prison and tortured me to death."

"When I was interrogated and beaten, the rattan whips lashed against my body. The pain was excruciating, and my wounds were almost a mangled mess of flesh and blood. But I felt no resentment for this pain; it served to eliminate the pain within my heart."

"My death was not a peaceful one. After I died, I reported to the King of Hell's palace with a heart of repenting. Originally, because I had harmed people in this life, I still had karmic retribution to repay. But because I had endured suffering without resentment while in my human body, it offset my karmic obstacles. The King of Hell, in his compassion, allowed me to serve as a jailer to repent and perform service."

"The scenes of hell, one after another, were a torment to me. Seeing the beings who had created karma reminded me of my past self. I sincerely hope that the beings in hell will one day awaken so they can leave suffering behind. Whenever I have the chance, I speak up to counsel them."

"I have persisted in doing this, and at the same time, I have been listening to Practitioner Su's Dharma talks. Every sentence of the scriptures has shaken me, awakened me, and led me to vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I have further vowed to lead the sentient beings with whom I have karmic affinity to also leave suffering behind. Several times, when I thought of this vow, I could not help but shed tears."

"Now, I have finally waited for this moment. Today, I am reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am grateful for the arrangement of all Causal Conditions. I am grateful to the Buddha, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su."

Jin Baichuan, kneeling in gratitude.