The Jailer's Redemption: From Hell to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with Lin Wenqian, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. After a lifetime of dedicated teaching and a subsequent period serving as a jailer in the hells, he now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This testimony was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on April 13, 2024.

Lin Wenqian speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. We are truly, deeply fortunate to have encountered Practitioner Su. It is only through this profound connection that we have been granted the precious opportunity to arrive here in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The compassionate Namo Amituofo stands right before us, and we are so moved that we cannot stop the tears from flowing. It has been countless millions of years since we last beheld the face of Namo Amituofo. After wandering through the cycle of rebirth for so long, we finally have the chance to return to our true home and see our compassionate father, Namo Amituofo. We, the sixty jailers, offer our deepest, most sincere gratitude once more to Practitioner Su for his compassionate deliverance, saving us from the endless sea of suffering."

"I am so overjoyed to be able to share my story today. I know that there are many people in this world who have faced similar hardships and are currently suffering just as I once did. My hope is that by sharing my journey, others might find the strength to seek the light of the Buddha’s teachings."

A Childhood Forged in Violence and Pain

"From a very young age, I watched my father beat my mother. This was not just an ordinary argument; when my father had these episodes, he would grab whatever was within reach to use as a weapon. Once, when he was in a blind rage, there was nothing else around except for a heavy iron chair. You can surely imagine the scene—he grabbed that iron chair with the intent to smash it down upon my mother. Before he could strike, I rushed in front of her, shielding her with my own small body. I was only four years old when that iron chair crashed down onto the back of my head and my spine."

"I suffered severe head trauma and was rushed to the hospital. The impact on my back was so violent that my spine was permanently damaged. These injuries stunted my physical development, particularly my head, and even my vision was severely impaired. I never grew to a normal height, and compared to other children my age, I was significantly smaller. People would often ask me, 'Do you hate him?' I would simply shake my head and reply, 'It was worth it.' I felt that if my suffering could end the violence, it was a price I was willing to pay."

The Truth of Karmic Retribution Revealed

"After that horrific incident, my father never laid a hand on my mother again. However, the scars on her body—the knife marks, the burns, the deep bite marks—remained as a permanent record of our past. My own stunted growth and physical condition were also a testament to that nightmare. Yet, the relationship between my parents and me became incredibly close, to the point where people found it hard to believe that this was the same man who had once been so violent. They would ask, 'How could such a massive transformation occur?'"

"The truth is, while I was in the hospital recovering from my head injury, I saw exactly what had happened. The visions appeared clearly on the wall in front of my bed. Every scene was displayed in vivid detail. I saw a dog spirit attached to my father—a dog that my mother and I had cruelly tortured to death in a previous life. We had been heartless, killing animals everywhere we went. We had pulled out its fur and broken its legs, letting it die in agony. Its hatred was immense, and it had come to seek revenge. It was not my father; it was a spirit using his body to settle a debt of blood. All these scenes flashed across the wall in rapid succession. In just a few minutes, I felt as though I had witnessed thousands of years of history. Even at four years old, I understood the laws of karma and cause and effect of it all."

The Power of Sincere Repentance

"I told my mother everything I had seen. She was filled with such profound repentance; we could not even forgive ourselves for how cruel we had been. We knelt before my father—who was still being influenced by that dog spirit—and begged for forgiveness for all the harm we had caused, including the times in past lives when he had been our slave and we had abused him. When we knelt, my father’s attitude softened immediately. His spirit could feel our sincerity, and the dog spirit within him began to lose its grip. It did not leave immediately, but it stopped using violence. We stopped hating him, knowing that this was all a result of our own past actions. My mother changed her temperament, becoming gentle and patient, and I learned to never use my own personality to hurt others. Eventually, the dog spirit left, and my father’s health and temperament improved completely. He even gave up all his bad habits."

"Because of this experience, I understood the vital importance of cause and effect. I vowed to become a teacher so that I could help children understand these laws from a young age. If children learn this early, they can learn to restrain themselves and avoid creating negative karma. I spent over forty years in the classroom, and I never felt a single day of fatigue. I saw every child as a precious gem, needing only the right guidance to walk toward a bright future. I gave my time and my heart to my students, often staying late to support them. Many of my colleagues could not understand why I would put in such effort, but I saw the results. My students grew up to be kind, moral, and helpful members of society. Not one of them had a malicious look on their face, because their hearts were good. When I retired, I volunteered at the library, telling stories to children that would inspire their goodness and teach them about the laws of karma and cause and effect."

From the Hells to the Western Pure Land

"At the age of eighty-one, I passed away. I was summoned by King Yama, who assigned me the position of a jailer in the hells. I was shocked, but he explained that because I had done many good deeds in my lifetime and helped future generations, I had accumulated significant blessings. However, because my past karmic debts were still so heavy, I had to serve in this role. It was there, in the depths of hell, that I began to hear Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks. I was absolutely stunned—how could anyone explain the sutras so perfectly? It was so deeply moving, so transformative."

"I felt in my heart that the Buddha’s teachings must be spread so that people in the world can change their ways and avoid such suffering. Seeing the criminals in hell wailing in agony was unbearable, so I shared the Dharma with them whenever I could, hoping they too might find liberation. Today, I am so surprised and grateful to have been included on the list for deliverance by Practitioner Su. We, the sixty jailers, are here now in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and we continue to kneel and bow in endless gratitude."

"Namo Amituofo."

Lin Wenqian bows in reverence.