The Path of Liberation: A Taoist Priest's Journey

This is a record of an interview with Wang Jianxing, who sought Chao Du [Spiritual 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 as a Taoist priest and his eventual transformation. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on March 7, 2021.

Wang Jianxing speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Wang Jianxing. I am profoundly grateful to Practitioner Su for granting me this precious opportunity to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. In the past, I never once imagined that I would ever form a karmic connection with the Buddha. For my entire life, I was a Taoist priest, exhausting every ounce of my energy performing Taoist rituals and attempting to deliver the deceased. My perceived ability was to help these wandering souls cross the Naihe Bridge. While I was alive, I had no idea that there was anything wrong with what I was doing. It was only after I passed away and witnessed the sheer number of ghosts and spirits that I truly understood the errors of my ways. I am filled with such deep regret and shame. I thank Practitioner Su for allowing me to recognise the magnificence of the Buddha’s teachings. It was through Practitioner Su’s guidance that I finally saw what the true Dharma is. I, Wang Jianxing, on behalf of the sixty other prison guards who attained rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss today, bow in gratitude to the Buddha’s grace and to Practitioner Su."

The Fragility of Human Existence

"Life is fleeting, like a spark in the dark. Whenever we are not paying attention, time slips away with terrifying speed—something no human being has the power to stop. Throughout my years, I have witnessed the end of countless lives. Many of these lives were cut short by sudden accidents. No one can predict when they will depart from this world, nor can they foresee when they might encounter an unexpected calamity. Because of this, in the face of the unpredictable fortunes and misfortunes of life, I always advise people to perform more good deeds and to accumulate Blessings for themselves. I truly hope that everyone can avoid the disasters and sufferings that plague our existence.

In my own life, I have seen many different paths. In this world, I believe in the laws of karma and cause and effect. I believe that no one’s destiny comes about without a reason; every single event has a cause, and every action carries a consequence that must be borne. Therefore, whenever people sought my help, I would always share these truths with them, hoping that they might successfully navigate the difficulties and obstacles they faced."

A Childhood Near Death

"I was a Taoist priest. It is not a widely known profession in the modern world, but within folk belief, it certainly allows one to utilise one's skills to help those who come seeking aid. When I was very young, a fortune teller once predicted that I would not live past the age of three or four. My parents were absolutely devastated and terrified. They sought out a Taoist priest to perform rituals for me, hoping to extend my lifespan. My parents poured so much effort and money into these rites. Just when they thought I would be able to survive, I fell into a grave illness at the age of four. I was on the brink of death. My parents were frantic, calling upon countless doctors, fortune tellers, and Taoist priests, exhausting every possible method. In the end, they could not save me. When I finally stopped breathing, my mother was so overcome with grief that she fainted.

My family was heartbroken. They began to arrange my funeral. Everyone advised my parents not to endure the pain of the 'white-haired person sending off the black-haired person,' suggesting that a four-year-old’s funeral should be kept simple. But my parents refused to listen. They insisted on hiring a Taoist master to perform the Chao Du rituals and send me off on my final journey. The funeral lasted for seven days. Every day, the master performed rituals and recited scriptures, eventually leading me across the Naihe Bridge. When the rites were complete, my coffin was carried out of the house, ready to be taken to the burial ground. My parents did not follow; partly due to their overwhelming grief, and partly due to local customs, they sorrowfully hired others to assist with the burial."

A Miraculous Return

"On the day of the burial, the weather was initially clear and cloudless. The funeral procession arrived at the burial site, and the grave had already been dug. Just as the auspicious time for the burial arrived, the sky suddenly turned dark with heavy clouds, and a torrential downpour began. Everyone was anxious to complete the ceremony without further delay. Unexpectedly, the ground was slippery with rain. Just as everything was about to be finalised, an accident occurred. Before the coffin could be properly lowered into the pit, it slipped. It crashed into my eldest brother, who was kneeling by the grave, weeping bitterly. The impact was so forceful that my brother was knocked to the ground, and the coffin itself cracked open upon hitting the earth.

My brother did not even have time to check his own injuries. He was frantic, desperately checking the fallen coffin. His eyes were red with panic, terrified that this sudden accident would disturb my rest. He glared angrily at the men who had caused the accident, but knowing this was not the time for a confrontation, he hurried to lift the coffin back up. As he struggled to raise it, he realised the coffin was destroyed, and my body was exposed. He was at a complete loss. Someone suggested quickly bringing a replacement coffin, as there was no other way. My brother stayed by my side, guarding my body, while ordering others to fetch a new coffin immediately. He held my hands tightly, tears streaming down his face, and kept apologising to me over and over again.

In that heart-wrenching scene, many people present turned away to wipe their tears. Although I had not been in this world for long, my brother and I shared a special bond, and he was devastated by my passing. Very quickly, a new coffin was brought up. Everyone carefully opened the old one, and just as they were about to move me, my hand suddenly twitched. Then, I slowly opened my eyes. This sequence of events terrified many people on the scene. Some were too frightened to look, while others were so shocked they let go of their grip. My brother, before he could even feel joy, saw my body about to fall to the ground and quickly caught me in his arms. Because I had just woken up, I was incredibly weak, but I managed to whisper, 'Big brother.' He answered me, then lifted me up and ran home with incredible speed. He did not stop to rest for a single moment until we were back inside our home, and even then, he refused to let me go."

"Back at home, the atmosphere remained heavy, and everyone was still immersed in the agony of grief. When my parents saw my brother return, they did not pay much attention, offering only a brief response before turning back to weep. My brother was completely speechless at that moment. It was not until I gestured for him to put me down that he finally reacted. Having just awakened, my body was extremely frail; I could barely take a few steps before I nearly collapsed. My brother was quick-witted and caught me. I smiled and said, 'Thank you.' That was when he finally found his voice, saying softly, 'Take it slow.' At that moment, my parents heard our voices and turned around. They were so shocked they could not speak. My mother ran toward me as if she had lost her mind, hugging me tightly and sobbing uncontrollably. My father just kept wiping his tears, repeating over and over, 'It is enough that you are back! It is enough that you are back!' My mother held me and cried for a long time until my brother noticed my pale complexion and urged her to let go. Only then did she loosen her grip, asking nervously, 'Xing-er, are you in pain? Xing-er, don't scare your mother!' My father quickly supported my mother and signaled for my brother to carry me back to my room. He comforted my mother, saying, 'Xing-er is still young and has just returned; let him rest for a while.' He then told my brother to fetch a doctor immediately. Only after the doctor confirmed I was fine did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief."

"For a long time afterward, my mother refused to leave my side, terrified that if she looked away for even a second, I would vanish from this world again. No matter how much others tried to persuade her, she would not be separated from me, so everyone eventually let her be. As the days passed, my health gradually recovered. By unspoken agreement, everyone stopped mentioning the incident, as if my rebirth had never happened at all. Life continued as before. This second chance at life left me feeling deeply content and grateful. I thanked the heavens for giving me another opportunity to live. Although I was very young when it happened, I clearly remembered the moment my soul returned to my body. I told myself that I must cherish everything around me even more."

"I was very filial to my parents and deeply grateful to my brother for all their love. When I turned ten, I decided that I wanted to become a Taoist priest, hoping to help people overcome the difficulties of life and to send the deceased on their final journey. In truth, after I woke up from death, I began to see into different spaces. I had become a person with the ability to communicate with spirits, though I never told anyone about this gift. After seeing countless souls, I realised the impermanence of life. Having experienced death myself, I was determined to become a priest, dedicating my heart to helping these helpless people and spirits."

"I studied under a Taoist master for ten years. After becoming a priest, I performed many rituals, hoping to help those wandering souls who had karmic affinities with me, and through this, I established a very friendly relationship with the underworld. Many people began to seek me out for help, and some asked me to perform Chao Du for their deceased loved ones. Whenever I performed these rites, I would patiently guide them across the Naihe Bridge, hoping they would have a better rebirth in their next life. This was the work I dedicated my entire life to, and because of this work, I saw clearly many of the truths of this world. When my parents passed away in their eighties, I performed grand rituals for them, conducted Chao Du, and performed offerings for the wandering spirits of the world for forty-nine days, dedicating the merit to my parents so they could have a smooth journey. This was the final act of filial piety I could offer them."

"I lived in this world for over seventy years and served as a Taoist priest for nearly sixty of them. For all those years, I strove to do my best, but in the end, all I could do was send them on their final journey; I was powerless to do anything more. I could not even know where they were going. I could only send them to the Naihe Bridge and try to soothe their fear of death. These were the only things I could do. In this world, I have seen many lonely spirits, and throughout my life, I did my best to perform Chao Du for them. I also often advised people to cherish their lives, to accumulate Blessings, and to perform good deeds. Toward the end of my life, I performed several large-scale Dharma assemblies. Knowing that my time was coming to an end, I prepared in advance, arranged my own affairs, and one night, in my sleep, I naturally departed from this world."

Namo Amituofo.

When I departed from the human world, I was met with a vast, encroaching darkness. Because I had spent so many years performing Chao Du for the deceased, I was intimately familiar with the transition. I knew exactly what I was experiencing. I naturally sought out the Bridge of Helplessness. After crossing it, I saw a figure ahead beckoning me forward, and I followed. That is how I arrived at the Hall of King Yama.

The Hall of King Yama and a New Assignment

Inside the Hall of King Yama, every single event from my life was laid out before me. King Yama spoke to me, confirming that the many lonely wandering spirits I had helped through my Chao Du work had indeed been brought to his court rather than continuing to drift aimlessly in the void. For this, King Yama expressed his gratitude. He then invited me to serve as a jailer within the hells, tasking me with continuing to guide these masterless, lonely wandering spirits to his domain.

I accepted King Yama’s offer and began my new duties. For the first few years, I felt no difference; it seemed much like the work I had done in life, leading lonely wandering spirits across the Bridge of Helplessness. But then, everything changed. Recently, while in the depths of the hells, I heard Practitioner Su delivering Dharma talks. It was in that moment that I truly grasped the magnitude of my error. How could I have been so blind? I had been leading souls into the underworld to remain as ghosts, while Practitioner Su was doing something infinitely more magnificent: leading sentient beings to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss to become Buddhas! I was so moved, so deeply touched. It was at that moment that I truly realised the magnificence of the Buddha’s teachings.

A Path of True Deliverance

I am filled with gratitude for Practitioner Su’s guidance. It allowed me to understand that between life and death, the only true path to liberation is to become a Buddha. I finally realised that we should all strive to transcend the cycle of birth and death, rather than simply seeking a better place in the next life. With this awakening, I knew that I had been wrong my entire life! I began to repent with all my heart, engaging in diligent practice, following the magnificent Dharma that Practitioner Su expounded. Today, I am finally led by Practitioner Su to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

My gratitude is boundless. Thank you, Practitioner Su, for your compassion, which has given me, Wang Jianxing, the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I will certainly engage in diligent practice, and in the future, I vow to follow in Practitioner Su’s footsteps to save the world. I am grateful for the compassion of the Buddha, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su. On behalf of the sixty jailers who were reborn today, along with all sentient beings connected by karmic affinity, I bow in gratitude for the Buddha’s grace and for the kindness of Practitioner Su. My gratitude is beyond words.

Namo Amituofo.

Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa.