This is a record of an interview with Tao Pincheng, a prison guard who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and his journey toward spiritual liberation. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on September 12, 2020.
Tao Pincheng speaks:
". I am Tao Pincheng. On behalf of sixty other prison guards, I offer my deepest prostrations to Practitioner Su. It has taken countless eons to reach this magnificent Causal Condition, to finally be guided by Practitioner Su to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Words cannot express the gratitude and emotion I feel in my heart. Kneeling before the Buddha, I have made my vows, and I shall practise diligently so that in the future, I may return to this world to save beings."
A Life Dedicated to Saving Others
"Let me share with you the story of my life. It was a rainy, misty night, and the sky was so thick with fog that you could barely see a hand in front of your face. Suddenly, there was a loud 'thud!' My mother and I were both startled, and we rushed to open the door to see what had happened. Just as my mother had feared, someone had fallen down the mountainside. She immediately grabbed her brass gong and began to strike it with all her might, shouting for the neighbours to come and help. The villagers were so familiar with the sound of her gong and her voice; they knew that whenever she struck it, it meant someone had met with an accident. Without hesitation, the strong men from every household would rush to that notorious spot. They would link arms, climbing down the steep slope to rescue the person who had fallen. Everyone gave their absolute best, driven by the singular purpose of saving a life. When the person was finally pulled to safety, the whole group would cheer in unison, 'Yo-ho! Success!' If the victim was not seriously injured, we would celebrate with such . But if they were badly hurt or had already passed away, the villagers would immediately shift into action, working together with a tacit understanding to provide emergency care and support."
The Village Leader
"During the annual village election, everyone cast their vote for my mother. One villager stood up and spoke for all of us: 'Do not underestimate Niang just because she is a woman! She is more of a man than any of us! When it comes to saving lives, she is always the first to charge forward, never falling behind. Do you all agree?' The villagers below shouted in unison, 'We agree!' The man continued, 'Then shouldn't we vote for Niang to be the leader of our Jinmei Mountain village?' The crowd erupted in cheers: 'Leader Niang! Leader Niang!' My mother sat there, feeling quite embarrassed. She had never expected to be nominated; she had always been quietly performing acts of Goodness, never seeking credit or recognition. But even if she didn't speak of it, everyone had eyes to see. Her quiet kindness and virtue had long since earned the respect of everyone in the village."
The Perils of Tiger Mountain
"I was my mother's only son, and we relied on each other from the time I was born. My father had disappeared before I could even remember him, and my mother never told me where he had gone. I grew accustomed to a life without a father, and I never really gave his absence much thought. As far back as my memory goes, we lived in the village of Jinmei Mountain. Our village was situated on a mountain that, while not particularly high, was constantly shrouded in mist. The mountain paths were treacherous, yet anyone travelling to the big city had to cross this mountain to reach their destination. Consequently, people were constantly falling down the slopes. Some called this place 'Tiger Mountain,' implying that the mountain was like a man-eating tiger that would emerge on cloudy or rainy days to claim lives."
A Mother's Lesson in
"Knowing the dangers of the mountain paths, my mother often took me along those trails from a very young age. She would ask me, 'Do you know why I always bring you on this path?' I would shake my head and say, 'I don't know.' She would explain, 'You live on this mountain, so you must be more familiar with these paths than anyone else. You need to know where the rocks are, where the potholes lie, which sections are prone to fog, and which areas are the most dangerous. Only then can you save people. Furthermore, if someone falls and gets hurt, you must know which shortcuts will get them help the fastest. That way, if a stranger comes to our mountain and meets with an accident, you can save their life in the first instance. Do you understand?' I smiled and said, 'Mother, I understand everything you have said! I want to be just like you, saving people every day, thinking of others every day!' She patted my head with satisfaction and said, 'You truly are a good child.'"
One day, that kind-hearted healer suddenly approached me with great excitement. He told me that one of his relatives possessed a method to cure our illness, as this relative had already successfully treated similar cases. I was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately followed the healer to find this relative. A group of curious villagers joined us on our journey. During this period, we had frequently searched the mountains for medicinal herbs, and these villagers had been incredibly kind in helping us. Now that they heard there was a potential cure, they were all very interested in following us to see what kind of medicine could be so miraculous.
A Journey into the Unknown
We walked for a very long time, venturing into a remote and desolate area. Someone asked the healer, "Are you sure they live here? This place is so barren; how could anyone possibly live here? We have been walking for so long and haven't encountered a single household. Could we have the wrong place?" The healer pondered for a moment, but he was certain this was the correct location. I told the villagers, "We must trust that this is the place. That mysterious person must surely live here." Just as I said this, white smoke appeared in the mid-air in the distance. I pointed it out to them: "Look, someone lives there! There is a tiny hut, and someone inside is cooking something." Everyone exclaimed in unison, "There really is!" We immediately hurried toward the hut. As we approached, a wave of foul odour drifted from the house, and the surrounding environment was incredibly filthy and chaotic. Some villagers covered their noses and asked the healer, "Is... is this really where your relative lives? Why... why is it so dirty and foul-smelling?" The healer, having never visited this relative before, was just as bewildered by the state of the place.
The Mysterious Healer
At that moment, someone emerged from the hut. It was an elderly man with dishevelled hair and a face covered in a thick, unkempt beard. He wore tattered, filthy clothes and looked as though he hadn't bathed in ages. His body was covered in grime. Everyone shook their heads, whispering, "How could a person like this possibly heal the sick? We must have come to the wrong place!" Yet, I remained convinced that this person before me absolutely possessed a way to help everyone recover. I immediately stepped forward to consult the old man: "Excuse me, sir, do you know of any way to cure this infectious disease?" I described the symptoms of the villagers to him. After listening, the old man stroked his beard and pulled a large bucket from a pile of debris. He said, "Take this bucket of water back for them to drink, and they will be cured very soon!" At that moment, everyone’s eyes widened, and they all began to wonder what kind of water this was and how it could possibly be so effective.
The Return and the Skeptics
After bidding farewell to the old man, the healer, and the others, I carried the bucket, preparing to return to the village to help everyone. The bucket was incredibly heavy, and I had to stop to rest every few steps. Whenever I paused, the image of the villagers suffering would flash through my mind, and I would quickly gather my strength to continue moving forward. After a great deal of effort, I finally arrived back at our village. I carried the water to the meeting hall. When my mother heard I had returned, she ran to the hall, overjoyed. I told her, "I found it! I found it! Mother, let us quickly call everyone here! There is a cure for everyone's illness!" My mother and I immediately beat the gong to inform the villagers: "The antidote has been found! The antidote has been found! Dear villagers, please gather at the meeting hall immediately!" Upon hearing that there was a cure, the villagers rushed to the meeting hall as fast as they could. I had been away from the village for three months, and seeing everyone again, I noticed their conditions had worsened significantly. I heard that over a dozen people had already passed away from the infection, which filled my heart with immense sorrow. I placed the bucket before them and announced, "This is the cure given to us by an old man. He said it is just water, but as long as everyone drinks it, your illnesses will be healed."
The Power of Belief
The villagers all wore expressions of joy; after suffering for so long, there was finally a cure. I slowly opened the lid of the bucket, terrified of accidentally spilling even a single drop, as it would be such a waste. As soon as the lid was removed, the entire crowd let out sounds of disgust. Everyone covered their noses, exclaiming, "Why does it smell so bad? This is just putrid, stagnant water! How can this possibly cure our illness?" The water was indeed incredibly foul, but I believed that no matter how bad it smelled, it still possessed healing properties. The hall became instantly noisy as everyone argued about the foul water. I shouted at the top of my lungs, "Stop! Please, everyone, be quiet! Listen to me!" The crowd fell silent, and I continued, "Although this water smells, it truly has healing properties. As long as you believe, it will absolutely cure your illness! You don't need to think about anything else; just 'believe,' and it will be effective!" Some people, hearing me, truly believed. They were convinced that this foul water could heal them. These people immediately lined up to receive the water from me. Because they believed, they didn't even notice the stench and naturally drank the water. The entire crowd watched to see what would happen. As it turned out, the skin lesions on those who drank the water actually appeared to worsen. The skeptics immediately jeered, "Haha! We told you it was useless! They just drank a bucket of foul water for nothing!" I urged them, "You must believe! That old man has already successfully cured people of this infection. As long as you believe, you will be saved!" Those who believed continued to line up. They were not afraid, even seeing the worsening sores on the others' faces, and continued to drink the water.
A Lesson in Perspective
The water in the bucket began to run low. I counted the people standing to the side who still did not believe—there were about ten of them—and secretly set aside their portions, believing they would eventually come to me for the water because I knew it was effective. Sure enough, after a while, the patients who had already drunk the water began to exclaim in surprise: "I'm healed! I'm really healed! Look at my face, the rotting parts are starting to heal!" Everyone turned to look at the woman who was shouting, and they all exclaimed in awe, "She really is healed!" Gradually, more and more people said one after another, "I'm healed too! I'm healed too!" Watching them recover, I was so happy for them; the bucket of water was indeed effective! Now, only the group of skeptics remained. They all looked embarrassed. I took this opportunity to educate them: "This is the power of 'looking at the good.' As long as you look at the good and maintain your belief, even if you encounter variables along the way, the final outcome will absolutely be good!" These people all lowered their heads, not daring to speak. I asked them, "So, do you believe now?" They all nodded vigorously. Just then, a villager said, "But the water in the bucket is gone! This group of people is the most severely ill among us; I'm afraid there isn't enough water left to cure them." The skeptics became nervous. Seeing their anxiety, I quickly brought out the water I had set aside earlier and told them, "Don't be nervous, there is still water here. This is a lesson for you: those who 'look at the bad' will find their illness becoming worse than others, because they see everything as bad, and thus their own illness cannot be healed."
The Wisdom of the Old Man
This time, all the villagers were saved and successfully passed through this crisis. I, too, learned a valuable lesson. To thank the old man, I walked the long distance to find him again. I asked him, "Sir, what was that water, and why was it so effective?" The old man laughed and asked, "Did everyone drink it?" I nodded and said, "They drank it! And everyone's illness was cured!" The old man let out three loud laughs: "Ha! Ha! Ha!" I didn't understand what he was laughing at. The old man said, "That was aged urine I had kept since I was young. I never imagined it would still have such healing properties!" I almost vomited on the spot but managed to hold it back. The old man continued, "All illnesses are brought on by human thoughts. As long as you can 'look at the good,' 'think of the good,' and 'do the good,' even plain water can heal sickness!" The old man was right. I finally understood why our village often had so many problems. It wasn't because someone had cast a spell on us, but because the villagers had encountered so many disasters and accidents since childhood that we had become accustomed to 'looking at the bad.' Whenever we encountered a situation, our first instinct was to see the negative, so naturally, one problem followed another, eventually leading to everyone falling ill. Only those who 'looked at the good' could avoid the disaster of illness. It was absolutely true!
A Life of Gratitude
After this lesson, the villagers began to learn to 'look at the good.' Even when faced with the most difficult tasks, everyone maintained a positive outlook. As long as one looks at the good, even the worst situations will have a turning point. I continued to serve the villagers and lived a simple life with my mother. I never married in this life; I spent my entire life being filial to my mother. If it weren't for my mother teaching me from a young age to 'look at the good' and to help others, I could never have lived so happily. Therefore, I was very grateful to my mother and remained very filial to her. My mother lived a long life, only departing from the human world at the age of ninety-eight, at which point I was already seventy-five. Seeing my mother pass away peacefully, without any suffering from illness, I felt deeply grateful in my heart.
The Final Transition
Three years later, my own lifespan came to an end. That night, I was lying in bed preparing to sleep. Not long after I had fallen asleep, someone woke me up. I heard someone calling my name repeatedly: "Tao Pincheng! Tao Pincheng!" I sat up in a daze and looked at the two people standing by my bed, asking them, "Who are you? How did you get into my room?" The two people told me, "We are officials from the underworld. Your lifespan in the human world has ended. Come with us quickly! The time must not be delayed!" I was astonished that they said my lifespan had ended. They said, "If you don't believe us, turn your head and look." I turned my head and saw that my soul was sitting on the bed, while my physical body was still lying there. I had truly died!
Following the two officials, I arrived before the King of Hell. The King of Hell looked at me and said, 'You have done good deeds your entire life and accumulated significant and merit. I am appointing you to the position of a hell guard. Do your job well!' I was deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as a hell guard, and I did not dare to slack off or be lazy for even a single second. I took my duty seriously, knowing that every action mattered in this realm of suffering.
The Call to the Western Land
As the days turned into months, watching so many spirits suffer caused me immense pain in my heart. It was truly agonising to witness such endless torment day after day. Just as I was filled with this profound sense of compassion, the King of Hell suddenly summoned me. I was absolutely astonished when he said to me, 'You have been placed on the list for Practitioner Su to guide to the Western Land!'
I had heard of Practitioner Su. I knew that Practitioner Su is a living Buddha saving the world in the human realm, and that his frequently descends into the hells to save the beings here. He is a Buddha of great compassion from the Western Land. I immediately knelt to express my deepest gratitude for the Buddha’s grace and thanked the King of Hell for allowing me to be included on the list for rebirth in the Western Land!
I am eternally grateful for the great compassion of the Buddha. I am eternally grateful for the great compassion of Practitioner Su.
This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Buddhist disciple Shi Fajing.
