The Miser's Long Journey Home

This is a record of an interview with Qian Manxiong, 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 and his subsequent journey through the realms of retribution. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on August 12, 2023.

Qian Manxiong speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Qian Manxiong. I have finally arrived in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, and we sixty prison guards are so overwhelmed with joy that we are speechless. Seeing the magnificent dignity of this Western Pure Land, a sense of reverence and the desire to chant the Buddha-name arose naturally within me. I am now chanting the Buddha-name, clearly and sincerely, with every beat of my heart. I am filled with gratitude for the great compassion of Namo Amituofo and the boundless mercy of Practitioner Su.

Looking back at my past, the cycle of rebirth is truly terrifying. If it were not for the Buddha, we would never have had the opportunity to escape; we would have been trapped, suffering endlessly within the six realms of existence."

A Life Defined by Greed

"I was once a man of immense wealth and influence. Beyond the inheritance left by my ancestors, I had accumulated a vast fortune of my own. I had so much money that I could not have spent it all in ten lifetimes. I invested everything—buying properties, land, and indulging in every luxury and entertainment that this physical body craved.

I never once practised the virtue of Generosity. No matter how much money I had, I always felt it was not enough. I could never bring myself to give a single cent to others; I kept everything tightly gripped in my own hands. Many people called me stingy. When I went out to eat with friends, I never once offered to pay the bill. I was constantly looking for ways to take advantage of others, always seeking personal gain, and I was absolutely terrified of ever suffering a loss.

Regardless of what others said about me, I chose to remain as I was. Only by looking after myself and guarding my assets did I feel secure. However, I did have one redeeming quality: I was very filial to my parents. Everyone said this was perhaps my only virtue. Among my five siblings, not one wanted to care for our parents, so I took them in and looked after them myself. While I was incredibly miserly toward outsiders, I was never stingy with my parents. No matter how much money they asked for each month, I gave it willingly—not a cent less, and often even more. I was very obedient to them, but sadly, they never taught me how to be a generous person with a broad mind-capacity. Because my parents grew up in poverty, they were the same way—once money was in their hands, it never left. They had to hold onto it tightly to feel safe.

I must have been influenced by that family environment, which is why I became the person I was. I had very few friends, as no one wants to be close to someone who is stingy and always looking for a bargain. Only one neighbour, who grew up with me, stayed by my side for my entire life."

The Warning of a True Friend

"This good neighbour was a true friend. He knew my flaws clearly, but he also understood that I was not easily changed, as my family background had shaped me so deeply. He would occasionally advise me to change, but he was never annoying or nagging about it.

This friend came from a wealthy family—not as rich as mine, but certainly well-off in society. From a young age, he had the ability to foresee the future, though he never spoke of it lightly or pried into the lives of others. I once begged him to look at what my later years would be like, but he refused. Then, when I was thirty-eight, he suddenly said to me: 'Xiong, I advise you to do more Goodness. Stop holding onto your money so tightly, or you will end up hurting yourself.' When my old friend spoke those words, I was shocked and terrified. I knew in my heart that he must have seen something to say such a thing. When I tried to ask for more details, he closed his mouth and refused to say another word, telling me only to listen to him and do as he said.

My personality, built over thirty years, was not something I could change overnight. Although I remembered his warning, most of the time I still could not bring myself to act on it.

Less than a year later, my legs began to fail. When I tried to stand, I would suddenly be unable to move; I had to stand perfectly still for about five minutes before I could recover. I was frightened by this situation, and remembering my friend's words, my heart grew increasingly uneasy.

I did not want to be sick, but I could not bear to part with my money. As my legs grew worse, my heart was torn—should I spend money to do good deeds, or should I keep guarding my wealth? But my legs had already sent a warning; soon, I might not be able to walk at all."

The Late Awakening

"I loved money more than my own life, and in the end, I chose to keep my wealth. I could not bear to give it away. Soon, a year later, at the age of thirty-nine, my legs became completely immobile. I could not walk at all and had to rely on a wheelchair.

My friend asked me: 'Are you willing to become like this rather than let go of the money you cannot take with you?' At that moment, I paused. In that pause, I was weighing my money against my life. Seeing that I could hesitate even on such an obvious choice, my friend felt I was truly beyond saving. Yet, he did not give up on me. He stayed by my side, continuing to counsel me and urging me to learn how to let go.

Karmic retribution came in waves. First, it was my legs; then, my internal organs began to fail. Every time I went to the hospital, a new illness was discovered. I did not know how my body had become so broken. I had been healthy just a few years prior, and suddenly, I had every disease imaginable.

I spent a fortune on medical bills, underwent surgeries, and paid for caregivers. My friend told me that if I had practised Generosity earlier, this money would not have been wasted on medicine.

I was filled with regret. It was not until I was forty-five that I finally had a change of heart. I rushed to give away large sums of money while I still had a breath left. I funded hospitals, built schools, and provided relief to disaster areas—wherever there was a need, I gave generously. Only then did I seem to wake up. I felt so foolish. How could I have spent my whole life as a miser, only to end up unrecognisable and broken?

I also felt I had failed my parents, as I no longer had a healthy body to care for them, so I gave my eldest brother a large sum of money, begging him to look after them.

My life was ruined by my own hands. I left the human world at fifty-two, filled with regret.

After my spirit left my body, I first went to the hells to suffer retribution. After leaving the hells, I still had to pay my debts."

Retribution in the Wheel Space

"Do you know what my spirit became? I was surprised myself. I became a wheel on a freight train—the kind used to transport goods, grain, coal, and cement. I became one of the wheels on that train. Every day, I followed the train as it transported cargo, constantly grinding and turning on the tracks.

In my life, I had used many unscrupulous means to make money, and I spent it all on myself. There were too many details to recount, and I had to pay for every single one. Every time the train made a trip, I paid a portion of my debt. Depending on how much I owed, I had to serve as a train wheel for that long.

While in that space, I did not clearly understand what I was doing, but in my heart, I already knew how to repent. Especially because of my friend's counseling, I had truly repented in my final moments, though it was already too late.

I served as a train wheel for forty years. Later, I became a car tyre. My heart wanted to help people; even as a wheel, I wanted to be of service. That was what I was supposed to do, and it was what I owed others. Perhaps because of this mental note, I became the wheel of a free shuttle bus. The people who rode this bus were mostly the elderly, the weak, women, children, the sick, and the poor. Serving as a wheel for this shuttle bus was my blessing, giving me the chance to serve these people. I worked hard to keep the bus steady so the passengers could sit comfortably. This was my duty, and I fulfilled it with all my might.

After serving as a shuttle bus wheel for about fifteen years, my spirit was finally released from that space."

From Hell to the Western Pure Land

"Returning to the Hall of King Yama, the King of Hell told me that it was my sincere heart of Goodness that allowed me to leave the wheel space early; otherwise, I would have had to suffer much longer to pay my debts.

King Yama gave me the position of a prison guard. I cherished this opportunity deeply and worked hard to fulfil my duties.

I had never believed in the Buddha, nor did I know that chanting the Buddha-name could lead to liberation. When I heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks in the hells, I listened only once, and my eyes lit up. I was deeply shocked, for I had never known that the Buddha was so great, capable of saving all beings.

I looked forward to every opportunity to listen to the Dharma. Whenever I heard Practitioner Su begin a talk, I listened with total focus, then worked hard to change myself and follow the teachings. I also hoped that the suffering beings in the hells could be saved, so I encouraged them to listen to the Dharma, or I shared what I had learned directly with them, teaching them that they must openly repent.

When my name appeared on the list of those Practitioner Su was guiding to the Western Pure Land, I was moved to tears. I never imagined that an evil person like me could have the chance to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. My heart is filled with infinite gratitude.

I am grateful for the compassion of the Buddha.

I am grateful for the compassion of Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Qian Manxiong"