The Lion Dancer's Path to Deliverance

This is a record of an interview with Lin Wangxiang, 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 and his journey through the various realms of existence. It was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxin, on March 10, 2023.

Lin Wangxiang speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. As Practitioner Su held my hand, I saw the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss right before my eyes. In that world of brilliant, boundless light, I felt a warmth and serenity that I had never known in all my previous existences. I realised that my spirit had been waiting for thousands of years for this very moment—the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I am Lin Wangxiang. For most of my life, I was dedicated to the art of lion dancing. It was a unique calling; the pay was meagre, yet my soul felt an inexplicable, magnetic pull toward it. I never married, and I suppose no woman would have wanted to join her life with a man so obsessed with such a path. It was a life defined by rhythm, discipline, and a deep, unspoken connection to the spirit of the dance."

A Life Dedicated to the Dance

"When I first encountered a lion dance troupe at the age of twenty, I was utterly captivated. Although the lion is not a living creature in the traditional sense, it is a powerful symbol of strength and protection. Every time I performed, swinging the heavy, ornate head of the lion, I could feel its spirit merging with my own. It was as if I were breathing life into a dormant entity.

When I joined the troupe, the training was gruelling. We had to master the basics: squatting in horse stance for hours, endless shuttle runs, high jumps, and intense lung-capacity training. It was a daily ritual. Only through such rigorous discipline could we possess the stamina required for a performance. Sometimes, our troupe leader would book two shows in a single day, which pushed every one of us to the absolute limit of our physical endurance. My parents were deeply opposed to my involvement in the troupe. They saw it as a dead-end path with no future. They argued with me time and again, but I would sneak out anyway. To me, this was not just a performance; it was a form of faith that I felt compelled to practise."

The Firecracker and the Vision of the Past

"We were usually invited to perform at festivals or temple fairs, events filled with the deafening roar of gongs, drums, and firecrackers. During one such performance, as we were setting off firecrackers, a sudden, violent explosion went off right next to me. The accident happened in a heartbeat. In that instant, everything went black, and I lost consciousness.

After a period of total emptiness, I felt as though I were running through a vast, misty wilderness. When I 'woke up,' I realised I was no longer human—I was a lion. With my fearsome appearance, one would expect others to fear me, but I found that people could not see me. I was a spirit lion. Though I possessed the instincts of a beast, I often felt a deep compassion for the small creatures of the forest. When I saw them being hunted by larger predators, I became an invisible force of protection, allowing them to survive. They never knew I was the one helping them, but that did not matter. I sought no reward; I only sought to protect the innocent."

The Burden of the Lion's Body

"I spent my days patrolling the forest, guarding its peace. One day, a dark, malevolent force appeared—a shadow that stood in direct opposition to my own. It blocked me whenever I tried to intervene, and I watched in horror as the very animals I sought to protect were slaughtered before my eyes. I could not see this force, but I could feel its cold, suffocating presence. I searched for a way to overcome this evil. One night, under the moonlight, I caught a glimpse of it near a pond. I chased the shadow, intending to push it into the water, but in the struggle, I fell in myself.

As I plunged into the pond, I felt the terror of drowning. I gasped for air, but the water filled my lungs, choking me. Suddenly, someone threw a piece of driftwood toward me. I clung to it with all my might, drifting to the shore. I dragged myself onto the bank, shivering and gasping for air. My fur was soaked, and my limbs felt heavy. As I walked through the forest, I noticed the small animals were looking at me—and they were terrified. They fled in panic. I was confused. Could they see me now? After several attempts, I realised with a jolt that I had transformed from a spirit lion into a physical one."

The Cycle of Karma

"In this physical body, I felt an overwhelming, primal urge to hunt. I fought it, but eventually, I succumbed to the body's consciousness. I attacked an antelope and devoured it. When I had finished, my body felt satisfied, but my soul was screaming in agony. I could not believe I had taken a life. I stood there, frozen, torn between my outer form and my inner conscience. I was terrified that I would kill again, yet I knew I was not meant to be this kind of creature. For a long time, I wandered the forest, refusing to look up, fearing that if I saw prey, the urge to kill would return. My soul understood that I was suffering the consequences of my past actions. I was starving, yet I could not bring myself to eat meat. I tried to chew on grass, but my teeth were designed for flesh; I could not digest it, and I choked on it. I grew weaker by the day.

A few days later, I heard the sound of gunfire. Despite my exhaustion, I followed the noise. I found hunters in the forest, shooting small animals for sport. I was filled with rage. As they aimed their rifles at a group of terrified creatures, I charged out of the bushes, roaring and feigning an attack to drive them away. Instead, they turned their guns on me and fired in unison. I felt the bullets pierce my body, and as I collapsed and died, I suddenly woke up. It was all a dream—or rather, a series of interconnected visions triggered by the firecracker accident. It was so vivid that I realised I had been shown my past lives. It explained why I had felt such a profound, spiritual connection to the lion dance in this lifetime. I had been a lion who caused harm, then a spirit lion who sought to make amends, and finally, I was granted the precious human body."

From the Depths of Hell to the Pure Land

"That experience changed me forever. I realised how precious this human life is. I began to donate my meagre earnings to those in need and encouraged everyone in my troupe to cherish life and contribute to the well-being of others. I lived this way until I was fifty-two, passing on my skills to a young apprentice before retiring. For ten years, I dedicated myself to environmental protection and recycling, always urging people to value life. At sixty-two, I fell in the bathroom and never woke up. I found myself standing before the King of Hell. He opened my book of life and saw that I had accumulated merit through my acts of kindness and repentance. My spiritual obstacles were cleared, and I was assigned the role of a prison guard in hell.

In the hell realms, I witnessed the suffering of countless spirits, especially young people who had followed the wrong trends and were now paying the price. The wailing was constant. I wanted to help, but I felt powerless. Then, I heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks in hell. I was deeply moved. I prayed that this education would spread, allowing more beings to awaken. I served with all my heart, and today, through the magnificent Causal Conditions, I have been granted the chance to reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am eternally grateful for the compassion of Namo Amituofo and the guidance of Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo. Lin Wangxiang, with palms joined."