The Journey from Hell to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss

This is a record of an interview with Lai O-hong, the uncle of Lay Practitioner Lai, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his transition from the suffering of the hells to the peace of the Buddha. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on January 10, 2025.

Lai O-hong speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful to the Greatly Compassionate Namo Amituofo, and I am eternally grateful to Practitioner Su for helping me. I have finally arrived at the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am free from suffering! I am finally free!

The cycle of rebirth is absolutely terrifying. I never knew—I never had any idea—that the cycle of rebirth could be so frightening. When I was alive, how could I have possibly understood these things? Even if I had heard the term 'samsara' mentioned in passing, I had no way of truly grasping the sheer horror of it.

A Descent into the Hells

I have been there myself. I went to the hells. It was agony! It was so incredibly painful! Every single day, I was subjected to unimaginable suffering, and no one in the world of the living knew that I had been dragged down into the hells. My family tried to help me when I was dying, but it was useless. By that point, I had already been seized and taken away to suffer the punishments of the hells.

In my past, I had committed so many verbal transgressions—I created so much negative karma through my speech—and I did not even realise it at the time. It was not just the karma from this lifetime; there were old debts from the past that had never been settled. My karmic creditors were all there, waiting to collect. The way they collected was by making me fall ill, slowly and gradually. I did not understand what was happening. In the end, they ensured I developed the exact illnesses I deserved, made me endure the suffering I was meant to bear, and then they dragged my life away.

Surrounded by Karmic Creditors

When I was severely ill, I could see them. So many karmic creditors were surrounding me, pressing in from all sides. At that time, if anyone had tried to help me, they would have surely angered those spirits, because their only goal was to make me suffer. They were determined to ensure I could no longer continue living in that world.

The moment I actually died, the pain was even worse. Beyond the overwhelming sadness and the grief, there was the agony of the spirit being torn from the body. And then, there was the sheer terror of being immediately seized and dragged into the hells. That fear was far more intense than any physical pain I had experienced during my illness.

A Miraculous Deliverance

Fortunately, I was saved! I want to thank my niece, O-ya, for saving her uncle. I do not know why I was blessed with such a connection, or why I was granted such immense blessings. I did not live a particularly virtuous life, so I am truly astonished that I could be guided to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Perhaps I must have done some good deeds in a past life? I have not even looked into my own past to find out.

Now, I am kneeling before the Buddha, chanting Namo Amituofo. I will cherish every single day here in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I truly hope that my family will follow this path, chanting the Buddha's name and learning the Dharma. While you still have a physical body, you must cherish it. Beyond chanting Namo Amituofo, you must also do good deeds. It is good for you, and it helps others as well.

In closing, I must once again express my deepest gratitude to Practitioner Su. Without Practitioner Su, I would never have been able to escape the hells. I am forever grateful to the Greatly Compassionate Practitioner Su."