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

This is a record of an interview with Fang Xiaohe, who sought deliverance 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 during the Tang Dynasty. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable Shi Faru, on April 18, 2026.

Fang Xiaohe speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am filled with such profound gratitude to Practitioner Su for leading us, a group of sixty jailers, back to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

My name is Fang Xiaohe, and I was born during the Tang Dynasty. My family lived in great comfort; my father managed a thriving textile business and also traded in goods brought along the Silk Road from the Western Regions. We never lacked for anything. When I accompanied my parents and grandparents to visit temples, I felt an immediate, deep yearning for the Buddha’s teachings. I was moved beyond words—I cannot explain why, but everything felt so familiar, as if it stirred something deep within my very soul.

A Young Novice in the Temple

I felt that by drawing close to the temple and the masters there, I might finally discover the true purpose of my life. That was my initial intention. At twelve years old, I entered the temple to begin my studies. At first, because I was so young, the masters did not give me overly strenuous tasks. However, to build my physical strength and endurance, they assigned me to help with cleaning the grounds, chopping firewood, and assisting in the kitchen.

These were the fundamental duties of a monastic. Every day was filled with morning services, evening services, and manual labour. It was a busy life, yet I felt it was incredibly fulfilling. Living alongside the community, I slowly began to understand what it truly meant to live in a monastic community.

At the beginning, I struggled to adapt. After all, it was vastly different from the life of luxury I had enjoyed at home. Without my parents to care for me, and without the servants to assist with every need, I had to do everything myself. Sometimes, I could not have the things I wanted; I had to seek permission from the monastic community or consult the masters. As the youngest in the temple, I was often given the smallest portions, and though I sometimes felt a sense of injustice, I gradually learned to let go of those attachments.

The Fall from Grace

I slowly came to realise that the Buddha’s teachings are about seeking liberation—learning to meditate, cultivating meditative concentration, and letting go of all worldly concerns. I followed my fellow practitioners in our efforts to cultivate the practice.

When I was fifteen, my master shaved my head and I received the novice precepts, taking the Dharma name Shi Yuanzhen. It is a name I have not spoken for a very long time, but perhaps it is meant to be mentioned now, as part of my Dharma affinity. After I reached adulthood, I received the full precepts. I continued to serve and learn in the temple until I was twenty-eight, when a female devotee arrived.

At first, I did not pay much attention to her, but she took the initiative to approach me and ask about the Buddha’s teachings. Initially, I was not on guard, but my fellow monks noticed something was wrong. They urged me to stop such interactions immediately, to distance myself from her, and to let other masters handle her inquiries. However, I was filled with arrogance. I thought my fellow monks were making a fuss over nothing. I believed my intentions were pure and that I was simply performing the duty of receiving beings. What could possibly be wrong with that?

After a few encounters, this woman began to visit me frequently to discuss the Buddha’s teachings and ask many questions. In this back-and-forth, I slowly lost my vigilance. It was during one of these incidents that I lost my precepts.

A Life of Regret and Hidden Penance

I reported my failure to my master and repented, but he had no choice but to have me return to secular life. When I returned home, my parents were already elderly and were deeply confused as to why I had suddenly left the monastic life. I confessed my mistake to them. My father was helpless, but he had to accept the reality of the situation.

The woman never appeared again. I tried to find her, but I could never make contact. Eventually, I took over my father’s business. While I managed the trade, I continued to search for her, but to no avail. Later, at my parents' suggestion, I married and had children. Although I was an older father, I placed great importance on my child's education, hoping he would excel in his studies.

Yet, I was consumed by shame. I could not bear to return to the temple to face my masters, who had once trusted me so deeply and ordained me. I used most of the money I earned from my business to support the temples. I became a major Dharma protector. Whenever I heard that a temple was in need, I would immediately help the entire district to build necessary facilities or purchase essential supplies. Because I was a merchant, I had access to many resources and connections, and I used them to provide for the temples, but I never dared to show my face there. I truly could not face the masters who had once ordained me.

The Hells and the Call of Practitioner Su

Because I rarely visited the masters or the temples, my family had little opportunity to encounter the Buddha’s teachings. I regret this deeply now. I should have put aside my pride and brought my family to the temple; that would have been the correct path. After I passed away, I first entered the hells to undergo punishment. After all, as a former monk who broke the precepts and damaged the reputation of the Buddha’s teachings, I had committed a grave sin.

When my punishment was complete, the King of Hell asked me if I wished to be reborn as a human or to serve as a jailer. Because I had supported the temples during my life, I was qualified to serve as a jailer. Seeing the compassion and mercy of the King of Hell in offering me this role, I was filled with relief. I told him I would serve as a jailer and had no intention of returning to the human world. In the human world, my own practice and virtue were insufficient; if I were to be reborn as a human without practicing or learning the Buddha’s teachings, I would only be accumulating more negative karma. In the hells, I guided the prisoners, helping them understand their sins. Having had a foundation in the Buddha’s teachings, I knew what was in accordance with the Dharma and what was not.

Later, we began to hear Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks in the hells. The teachings were so profound. Practitioner Su explained the Buddha’s teachings based on the teachings of Namo Amituofo, which sent a shockwave through the hearts of many beings. We had never heard such profound wisdom, which could explain the problems of life so thoroughly and point out the complex entanglements between the spirit and the body.

Deliverance to the Western Pure Land

Only then did I realise that, unless one is truly cultivating, the human world is a place one should not return to. Most people create the karma of hell, and without Buddhist education, they have no chance of escaping. I saw this reality every day in the hells. I patiently urged every prisoner to listen to Practitioner Su’s talks, hoping they would understand their mistakes, truly openly repent, and lighten their sentences. Many, after listening, finally understood their errors and found their suffering in hell eased.

I served in the hells for hundreds of years, and finally, I had the chance to be placed on the list for deliverance to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This was something I had dreamed of since my days as a disciple of the Buddha. Having read the sutras, I knew the magnificence of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, but in the hells, I also knew that rebirth there is incredibly difficult. One must let go of everything, truly follow the Buddha with a sincere heart, and make the vow to be reborn in the West to have any chance of escape.

How many people are unable to let go of the things of this world? They cannot truly abandon worldly defilements. Today, we were fortunate to encounter the great practitioner, Practitioner Su, who manifests in this world and, with his awakened being Dharma Body, personally leads beings to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. That is how we, the sixty jailers, have the opportunity to return to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss today. Now, as we stand upon the lotus flowers in this vast, golden, and magnificent world, we are quietly enjoying a beauty and wonder that is unlike anything in the worldly realm.

On behalf of the sixty jailers, I bow in gratitude to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su. The grace of the Buddha is difficult to repay. I hope that one day I may attain Buddhahood and return to the worldly realm to help the beings with whom I have karmic affinity.

Namo Amituofo.

Fang Xiaohe"