The Karmic Debt of a Lifetime

This is a record of an interview with Zhou Hanming, 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 life in the early years of the Republic of China. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on October 30, 2019.

Zhou Hanming speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Zhou Hanming. I stand here today alongside sixty of my fellow prison guards from the underworld, all of us bowing in deep gratitude to Practitioner Su for saving our lives. Without this intervention, we would still be lost, trapped in the endless cycle of suffering and reincarnated. We bow once more to the infinite grace of the Buddha!

A Life Forged in War

I was born during the early years of the Republic of China, a time defined by the chaos of war and the crumbling of old ways. I was the only son in my family, and the burden of our survival rested entirely upon my shoulders. My parents were elderly and frail, and as the fires of war spread across the land, we fled into the deep mountains to escape the slaughter. We lived like wild creatures, exposed to the elements, with nothing to cover our heads and nothing to fill our stomachs. I remember one stretch—three days and three nights—where we did not have a single drop of water or a morsel of food. It was absolutely agonizing. My parents, already weakened by age and illness, could not endure such suffering. They passed away one after another in that desolate mountain wilderness. With tears streaming down my face, I buried them as best I could, a simple, heart-wrenching farewell, before descending the mountain to find work just to keep myself alive.

As the war eventually subsided, I relied on my own labour and my honest nature to find work as a long-term servant for a wealthy family. The master of the house saw how diligent I was and eventually promoted me to be his steward. To repay his kindness, I treated him with the same devotion and filial piety I would have shown my own father. In time, the master gave his only daughter to me in marriage, and our household was blessed with the joy of children one after another. I felt a deep sense of responsibility to give back, so I donated a portion of the family wealth to the local temple and provided for the impoverished elderly and children in our village. I lived to the age of sixty-two, but I began to suffer from severe chest pains. Two years later, I passed away from that very same chest ailment.

The Weight of a Hidden Sin

After my death, I was brought before the underworld courts to face judgment. It was only when I reached the Seventh Hall that I learned the truth of my past: in a moment of ignorance during my youth, I had accidentally killed someone, causing them to bleed to death from a chest wound. My own death from chest pain was the karmic retribution for that act—a life for a life. However, because I had been exceptionally filial to my parents and had performed many good deeds for the villagers, I was granted the position of a prison guard in the underworld. More importantly, I was permitted to join the ranks of those waiting for Practitioner Su to deliver us to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This was a tremendous blessing!

Think about it—so many creatures are trapped in the misery of the six realms, yet I was judged by the King of the Underworld as worthy to be among those reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I waited for over three years, hoping and praying, and finally, my time arrived. I am here today as a representative of those guards. I am filled with gratitude for the compassion of the Buddha and the boundless mercy of Practitioner Su.

A Final Counsel

I wish to offer this advice to all people in the world: do not commit even the smallest evil, and do not neglect even the smallest good. Everything in this life is governed by the Law of Cause and Effect—every action brings its own fruit, whether it be a reward of goodness or a retribution of evil. Of all the blessings one can attain, none is greater than the rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Namo Amituofo."