The Preciousness of Life: A Prison Guard's Awakening

This interview was recorded on May 16, 2021, featuring Hsu Wen-jan, a spirit currently serving as a prison guard in the underworld. Having sought deliverance from the cycle of reincarnation, he shares his profound journey from his humble origins as an indigenous youth in the mountains of Taiwan to his eventual encounter with the True Teachings of Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

Hsu Wen-jan speaks:

"To be able to see such a magnificent and dignified temple with my own eyes, I, Hsu Wen-jan, am truly moved. My heart is filled with immense joy. I am so grateful to Practitioner Su for such compassion, working tirelessly for all beings. The ability of Practitioner Su to perform Chao Du for sentient beings is truly breathtaking; how could one possess such great power? When I saw immeasurable and boundless beings moving toward the light, I knew that Practitioner Su is truly a Buddha of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I could see that these beings had truly attained liberation. Practitioner Su can lead beings out of the cycle of reincarnation; this great power is truly inconceivable! I am grateful to Practitioner Su for bringing the True Teachings and this magnificent opportunity to all beings. Today, I have attained this opportunity, and I am sincerely grateful. I thank Practitioner Su, and on behalf of sixty prison guards, I kowtow in gratitude to the Buddha's compassion and to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."

A Life Rooted in the Wild

"I was born in the mountainous regions of Taiwan as an indigenous person. In the past, my family was extremely poor. Most of my family members made a living by hunting in the mountains. We had little wealth and lived primarily by surviving within the natural environment. From a young age, we had to learn how to live alongside nature. We had to learn to coexist with the wild and possess the ability to survive independently in the wilderness. These were the basic skills that all of us children raised in the mountains had to master.

Our living environment meant we could not possess the resources that children in the cities had. For children in the mountains, everything we had was crafted from natural materials. We used pens carved from bamboo and had to learn to write in the dirt. We made flutes from bamboo or learned music using leaves. In our daily lives, we used bamboo to make bowls and built our houses from natural materials like bamboo and tree trunks. Our lives were almost entirely connected to nature. Although our standard of living could not compare to the cities, the tranquility and freedom found within the mountains were our greatest enjoyment and happiness."

The Hardships of Mountain Living

"The mountain environment had its own inherent difficulties, such as the safety of the elderly and children, and the lack of daily necessities. These were areas where we lagged behind the cities. Children who were not yet able to use the toilet independently were wrapped in cotton cloths. When they were soiled, we would change them and wash the dirty ones. These cloths were used by several children in a family. Sometimes, when a family would no longer have children, they would pass these cloths on to other families in need. In our environment at that time, we were extremely frugal. As long as we could save, we would try our best to conserve resources and reuse everything. The elderly in the mountains also faced a problem; it was common to see elderly people living alone. If no one paid attention, these elders could easily die from accidents or suffer a medical emergency at home without timely rescue. We often saw such situations in our mountain environment.

We have a very long history of living in the mountains. Our life was close to primitive; if we wanted something, we had to do it ourselves and exchange our labour for the results. This fostered a down-to-earth character among our people. We all knew that nothing could be gained without effort. To survive, one had to know how to live. This was a principle our tribe always understood. However, we were not competitive. We learned to live with nature in the gentlest way possible because we believed that only through 'peace' could we have the longest chance of survival."

Unity and the Spirit of Survival

"Life in the tribe was much the same every day. We used parts of the land for farming, and every day, those responsible would go to tend the crops. Once the crops were mature and harvested, the tribe would exchange goods through barter, trading what we had for what we lacked, ensuring everyone could continue to survive. The life of the tribe was peaceful and calm, and we took care of one another. Because of this, we were very united, and when faced with foreign invaders, we could stand together to resist the enemy.

From a young age, our environment was not particularly good, and we all developed a spirit of endurance. We were not raised in comfortable surroundings. From childhood, we had to learn to do everything ourselves. The adults taught us to be independent; by three, we had to learn self-protection, and by five, we had to be able to use a small knife to defend against venomous snakes more ferocious than ourselves. This was a basic survival skill required in the mountains. Children in the mountains were not raised to be pampered. From the moment we learned to walk, we had to constantly learn and grow. Our growth was a process of continuous tempering and testing. Only by breaking through layer after layer of obstacles could one survive. We cherished life deeply, as well as every single thing around us."

The Virtue of Gratitude

"Growing up in such an environment, we generally shared a common trait: we did not waste anything easily. Everyone was content and knew how to be grateful. Only those raised in comfortable environments fail to understand how difficult it is to obtain everything. Things obtained too easily are not cherished, leading to the habit of waste, which is a very bad habit. Therefore, my family never let us have things handed to us on a silver platter. They would teach us how to obtain what we needed once, and then they would require us to strive for it ourselves. Because of this, we understood the hardship of the process. Since everything was hard-won, we learned to be grateful, to cherish, and to be content.

For example, if something broke, we would find a way to repair it. If our clothes were torn, we would mend them ourselves. We knew how to make the best use of everything. We understood the preciousness of items and felt the need to cherish them."

A Tragic Betrayal

"In our original life, our existence was meant to be free and without contention. But one night, a stranger suddenly arrived in our mountains. He wore a military uniform, and we did not recognize him. He was severely injured. Our people were inherently kind, and seeing this wounded stranger, although we were worried about his origins, we brought him into the tribe to be treated. During his coma, he slept restlessly and muttered words we could not understand. We treated him for nearly a month. After we finally healed him, he chose to betray the tribe upon his departure. He abducted a young girl from the tribe. Later, this girl was not only cruelly treated by many men but also whipped. She eventually died tragically. The tribe was furious at this news. She was such an innocent girl; who would have thought she would be so brutally murdered!

The tribe decided to seek revenge for this girl. But unexpectedly, the stranger we had saved was a Japanese soldier occupying Taiwan. He had accidentally discovered this mountain range while injured. Not only did he lack any sense of gratitude, but he also caused the death of our people and brought many Japanese soldiers to occupy our mountains. This mountain range, which had accompanied us for generations in peaceful living, vanished completely in a single night."

The Despair of War

"We were forced to leave our home and began to flee. Yet, we were still bent on revenge. Our tribe suffered heavy casualties, and only a few remained. The Japanese soldiers were brutal, almost exterminating us. They poisoned the river and released toxic gas. Watching my people die one by one and seeing this beautiful mountain range destroyed, our hearts were filled with agony. We had no choice but to fight back against these Japanese soldiers. The tools we once used for hunting all became weapons of murder. I was heartbroken, but I had to accept the reality.

This conflict lasted only half a month, but for us, it was an agonizing time. Our world had completely changed! I was heartbroken and even felt despair. Although my brother and I survived the battle, we felt no joy in our remaining lives because we were facing endless grief.

My brother and I retreated to the plains and were later taken in by a kind family. A Mrs. Hsu was very sympathetic to our plight and managed to get us into their home. From then on, I changed my name to Hsu Wen-jan, and my brother became Hsu Wen-wei. Everything seemed to calm down, and we had a brand-new life. But I knew that in my brother's heart, he had not let go of the desire for revenge. I knew he was still waiting for an opportunity to avenge the tribe. I tried to persuade him many times, but he always brushed it off. I knew his mind was made up."

Choosing Peace Over Vengeance

"My brother intended for me to live a good life. I was completely unaware that he was secretly associating with anti-Japanese forces. Later, my brother was killed in battle by the Japanese army. I was very sad, but I knew that now my brother would no longer suffer in his heart. He was finally liberated.

After my brother passed away, I was left without any kin in this world. The Hsu family became my only reliance. I am very grateful for their care. This made me believe that there is still warmth in this world. It was because of this that I did not want to use war and slaughter to avenge my tribe. Even if we killed the Japanese soldiers, the dead would not return. My willingness to let go of hatred was not because I lost my resentment toward the Japanese, but because I did not want to engage in mutual slaughter again. It was not something I could bear to see.

I was just turning eighteen at the time. With the help of the Hsu family, I received a basic education. Later, I taught wilderness survival training at a private school. I taught the young children what I had learned in the past, and I turned my realizations about life into stories for them. I knew my influence was not great, but I used my own strength, hoping to help society change a little. For those children who wanted to join the anti-Japanese resistance, I would counsel them not to engage in unwise actions. I told everyone: 'All life is precious. No matter what, you must cherish it. Your own life is worth doing more meaningful things.' I also told the children: 'If your hatred for the Japanese army is not greater than the destruction of my village and the tragic death of all my people, and even I, with my experience, have chosen to let go, then do not use your own lives to continue this war.' I taught the children: 'We must use peace to protect our survival.'

At that time, I led many children. Some later chose the same path as I did, continuing to educate the next generation. I was very happy to see such results. At the end of my life, the Japanese army had retreated, and life was truly becoming peaceful. I chose to return to the place where I was born. When I returned, I felt as if I saw the scenes of my life there again, the way my people used to be. I was deeply moved by the changes in life. I tidied up my old home and spent my remaining years there."

Deliverance in the Underworld

"I passed away at the age of seventy-one. After I died, I came to the underworld, and the King of Hell asked me to serve as a prison guard. I readily agreed. Having been a prison guard for many years, I have seen many different beings. Life is truly precious. I have always wanted to know the way to liberation. I never expected that in the last few years, I would hear Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks in hell. This made me very happy. The sutras Practitioner Su lectured on pointed directly to the human heart. I was very moved; I knew this was the path to liberation.

I am very grateful that I could come here today. This place truly has Namo Amituofo, and Practitioner Su has the great cultivation to perform Chao Du. I am very grateful that I could encounter this, and I cherish it deeply! I am grateful for the opportunity for rebirth today. On behalf of sixty prison guards and all sentient beings with karmic affinity, I kowtow in gratitude to the Buddha's grace and to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."