The Journey of Luo Wenyan: From Prison Guard to the Western Pure Land

Luo Wenyan, a former prison guard in the underworld, sought deliverance through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su. Having served his time in the hells, he now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This interview was recorded on February 10, 2023, by Chief Writer Shi Fa.

Luo Wenyan speaks:

"There has always been a sense of faith residing deep within my heart. This power of faith has protected me throughout my existence, though it never took on a specific form, so I did not know where it originated. It was not until I arrived in the hells to serve as a prison guard that I realised this strength came from my soul—from the memories stored within it. In my past lives, I was a disciple of the Buddha, though I did not encounter the Dharma in this lifetime. Yet, after death, while trapped in the hells, I was able to hear Practitioner Su expounding the Truth of the Buddha. I am truly grateful. Every day, I listened to the Dharma talks with the most sincere heart. I am deeply thankful to Practitioner Su, and I have longed to leave the hells and follow the Buddha.

A Life Defined by Resilience

Today, I have finally fulfilled my wish to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am immensely grateful to Practitioner Su; without his immense power, I would not be standing here today to share my story. Gratitude to you.

I am Luo Wenyan. The person closest to me since childhood was Teacher Chen. When I was young, I was terrified of the dark and of heights. Whenever I felt afraid and began to cry, Teacher Chen would appear by my side, encouraging me and giving me strength, filling my heart with warmth.

The Weight of an Orphan's Heart

When I started school, the teacher announced, 'Every day, you must have your parents sign your contact book, and I will check it tomorrow.' When all my classmates answered in unison, 'Yes!', my heart felt incredibly heavy and sour. I had no parents; I did not know who to ask to sign it. On the way home from school, carrying my heavy schoolbag, my heart felt burdened by a crushing weight.

As soon as I returned to the orphanage, Teacher Chen noticed my expression and immediately came over to care for me. The moment I saw her, my tears began to flow. Teacher Chen held me and asked with loving eyes, 'What happened? Were you bullied by your classmates?' I shook my head. I took the contact book from my bag and told her, 'The teacher said parents must sign it every day, but I have no parents. How can I get it signed?' When Teacher Chen heard me, her heart ached. She told me, 'Teacher Chen will sign it for you every day.' She added, 'Wenyan, everyone's life is different. Do not look at what you lack; look at what you have. Strive to make the most of your life, and let your life shine and radiate warmth. The bond of family is a form of Causal Conditions, but in the end, everyone must walk their own path.' Although I could not fully grasp her words at that moment, I knew they would resonate throughout my life.

Forging a Path of Light

From that time on, I decided to become a strong person. I believed I could carve out my own bright future. Although I still longed to know who my parents were and why I ended up in an orphanage, I more often wanted to be a guiding light within the orphanage, showing every child that we could all achieve great things. Even if our background is not as fortunate as others, if we hold onto a positive heart, we can overcome anything.

By the age of fifteen, I had earned many scholarships, and at eighteen, I was sponsored to continue my studies in Japan. Life in Japan was a different kind of solitary growth.

During my studies, I faced exclusion due to my nationality despite my excellent performance. It was only by extending kindness that I was able to resolve the situation and change everything.

The Calling of a Physician

Whether it was the challenge of my studies or the challenge of my character, each was a trial of growth. I had no retreat; I could only grit my teeth and move forward. Many people did not believe in me along the way, but I always believed in myself.

I studied medicine, a profession dedicated to saving lives. While I was still an intern, a massive earthquake struck a region in Japan, and I was sent into the disaster area to assist the victims.

Many houses had collapsed. In the disaster zone, I worked alongside rescue teams, treating the survivors and pulling their lives back from the brink of death. That was the first time I deeply felt the significance of my work.

Later, I participated in the treatment of several infectious diseases. Seeing the smiles of patients as they recovered made my heart feel exceptionally grounded. Although I often felt that I was just one person, the fact that one person could help extend the lives of others was a deeply meaningful thing.

Returning to Serve

After becoming a doctor, I grew to love my work more and more. After nine years in Japan, I decided to return to my homeland, China, to serve the people.

Upon returning, many hospitals wanted to hire me. I spent time evaluating where I should go, because I wanted to fulfill my ideals, not just earn money or fame.

After trying several hospitals, I found that neither their systems nor their missions aligned with mine. At that moment, I felt lost, not knowing where I could stand to help others.

After much consideration, I decided to go to a rural area to become a rural physician. Although rural doctors do not receive high salaries or social status, I could realise my ideal of saving lives there.

I gradually established medical services in several rural areas, ensuring that doctors who volunteered to work there had better medical equipment to treat patients.

Afterward, I went to another place, establishing services one by one, which made my heart feel increasingly at peace.

A Legacy of Love

Years later, when everything was stable, I returned to the orphanage where I grew up to visit Teacher Chen, who had been so good to me. Teacher Chen was now grey-haired and suffering from minor ailments, yet she still devoted her heart to every student in the kindergarten. It was clear that her physical strength was not what it used to be.

Although Teacher Chen had married, she had no children of her own; she had dedicated her entire life to the kindergarten, hoping to give all her love to the children there.

Every child taught by Teacher Chen was deeply grateful to her.

Over the years, I developed rural medical services without earning much money. I gave my modest savings to the orphanage for renovations.

Teacher Chen invited me to the kindergarten to share my story with everyone, telling the children that even children from an orphanage could shine and radiate warmth, and that they need not feel inferior.

I shared my experiences on stage with great emotion. When the speech ended, the children gave me a huge round of applause, as if it were an encouragement for their own lives as well.

Reflections on a Life's Journey

My life has experienced much: sadness, separation, achievement, and helping others. By the age of forty-five, I felt as though I had realised much. At that time, I suddenly began to suffer from insomnia, and every night I would think about the past. I often wondered what else I could contribute to society; I also wondered if I would have regrets if I were to leave now. I thought and thought, wanting to understand life thoroughly, wanting to leave without regrets.

I once wanted to open a medical clinic, charging a small fee to cover expenses and using the rest to help and heal people.

But as the Causal Conditions were not yet ripe, I gradually let go of that dream.

As I grew older, I stopped overthinking. I lived in a small town, enjoying my retirement, and opened a small medical class to teach people basic medical knowledge, which satisfied me. At fifty-nine, my eyesight began to deteriorate, my physical strength waned, and I started to have difficulty breathing. I did not feel much fear; there is always a time when one must depart from life.

In the small town, I made some friends and asked them to bury me simply when I passed away. Although they did not like to hear me talk about such things, they promised me.

The Path to Deliverance

At sixty-one, as I struggled for breath, I departed from the human world. I arrived in the underworld and entered the Hall of the King of Hell. The King of Hell reviewed the experiences of my life and told me that in a past life, I had caused others to be torn apart from their families, which was why I was born as an orphan. In this life, because of my kind heart and the merits I accumulated by helping many people, my sins were reduced. When my time in the human world ended, I was granted the position of a prison guard. After hearing the King of Hell, I knelt and thanked him, and took up my post as a prison guard.

During my time as a prison guard, I saw many suffering spirits receiving their retribution. My heart was filled with deep emotion, and I hoped they could wake up and stop being deluded by the human world.

While in the hells, I listened to Practitioner Su expounding the Sutras and learned the importance of seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land. I longed for it in my heart, and today, I was finally guided by Practitioner Su to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. Gratitude to the Buddha and Practitioner Su, and gratitude for the compassionate grace shown to us sixty prison guards.

Luo Wenyan, with palms joined."

Note: Teacher Chen, the orphanage teacher of the prison guard Luo Wenyan, was also saved by Practitioner Su from the kindergarten space after her death.