The Prison Guard Who Witnessed the Laws of Karma

This is a record of an interview with Hu Wanquan, who sought Chao Du 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 subsequent service in the hells. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on March 4, 2023.

Hu Wanquan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Sitting here upon a lotus in the Western Pure Land, my heart is filled with incomparable joy. Today, sixty of us who served as prison guards were led by Practitioner Su to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Now, everyone’s face is radiant with happiness, and we are all chanting the Buddha-name in unison, expressing our deepest gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for their great compassion.

The Ease of Wealth and the Weight of Karma

Many people feel that earning money is a difficult struggle. But for me, Hu Wanquan, making money was as easy as picking a tangerine off a table—it came to me effortlessly, in large sums. Some friends once joked, 'Your name should have two extra strokes; you should be called Hu Wanjin instead of Hu Wanquan.' Many people who heard this thought it was fitting and burst into laughter.

I was not born into a wealthy family. It was just my mother, my younger brother, and me, relying on each other to survive. When I was a child, my mother was in poor health and was frequently ill. To earn money to feed us, she would grit her teeth and go to work, no matter how severe her pain was. That image of my mother’s weary, hardworking back is etched into my mind, no matter how many years have passed.

A Child’s Insight into Cause and Effect

When I was six or seven years old, I once heard my mother complaining, 'Why are we so poor, while others are so wealthy?' When I heard her say this, I found myself answering her. I said, 'Mother, those people are wealthy because of what they cultivated in their past lives. Giving to others never results in a loss. If you give a bowl of rice to someone in this lifetime, three lifetimes later, you will receive thirty bags of rice in return.' My mother looked at me in astonishment and asked, 'How do you know these things? Who taught you?' I replied, 'No one taught me. I see it in others. I saw a wealthy man who, even when he had little in his past life, knew how to help others. When he saw someone poorer than him who had nothing to eat, he would give his own bowl of rice to that person. In this life, that single bowl of rice he gave has transformed into thirty bags of rice. Because he gave so many bowls of rice, he is naturally a wealthy man today.'

After hearing me explain this, my mother understood completely. These wealthy people likely did many good deeds and helped many people in the past, which is why they enjoy such good rewards in this life. Once she understood this principle, she no longer envied others, because everything is cultivated and created by oneself; there is nothing to compare.

The Benefactor from a Past Life

One night, a heavy rainstorm broke out. My mother, my brother, and I were frantically trying to manage the leaks in our house. We didn't have enough buckets to catch the water, so we had to choose only the largest holes to patch. The house was filled with wind and rain. Suddenly, the wind blew a massive hole in the roof, and the rain poured directly inside. We didn't know what to do, so we just endured the cold and wet until the rain stopped at dawn.

We had no money to repair the roof. Seeing my mother so distressed and worried, I told her, 'Mother, do not worry. You once helped a stray dog during a storm, allowing it into our home to shelter from the wind and rain so it wouldn't be driven away. That stray dog has now been reincarnated as a human, and he will soon come to repay your kindness.'

My mother looked at me with disbelief and asked, 'Are you telling the truth?' Sure enough, that afternoon, the village head brought a man to our house. He appeared to be a wealthy person. Seeing our broken roof, he boldly declared, 'This family has a strong karmic affinity with me. I am not just going to fix this hole; I will renovate the entire house for them.' When my mother heard this, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. She was completely stunned, as she had never met someone so generous. Once she regained her composure, she quickly said, 'No, no, we are used to living in this shack. If you could just help us fix the hole, we would be very grateful.' The man looked at my mother and said, 'I help people everywhere I go; this little bit of money is nothing to me.'

The Responsibility of Knowing

That time, our entire house was renovated, transforming from a dilapidated shack into a new home. Our whole family was filled with gratitude. As for that noble person who helped us, the moment he stood before me, I could see his past—he truly was the stray dog my mother had helped. After several cycles of rebirth, he had been reincarnated as a human in this life and followed the karmic affinity to our home to repay his debt.

I was born with the ability to understand these laws of karma and cause and effect. Many things were clear to me at a glance, so I knew better than others what could be done and what could not; what should be done and what should not. For instance, 'helping others and doing good' is something that must be done as much as possible. Of course, everyone says, 'I know I should do good and avoid evil.' But they do not know the extent of the impact—it is immense. It can affect the next life and the life after that. Such influence is not something everyone understands clearly. Therefore, it is best not to harbor evil thoughts or do bad things. If you make a mistake, you must immediately develop a heart of repentance and truly change your ways.

Because I could see, I knew what was good, and I practised it. When I was young and had no money to give, I used my own hands to help people. I helped whoever I could, never thinking about receiving a reward. I did it purely because I knew it was the right thing to do.

The Path to the Hells

As I grew up, whatever work I did went smoothly, and people would proactively bring money to me. I only had to put in a little effort to receive it. Some people were puzzled as to why I could earn money so easily. I did not answer them, but I saw it clearly myself: I had helped these people in past lives, and they were coming to repay their kindness, which is why I could earn money so easily. However, I usually did not spend the money on myself; I continued to use it to help others. Thus, the money was 'alive,' constantly flowing to those who needed it most to help them through their difficulties.

Because I could see past and present lives, I eventually began to study the Buddha’s teachings, though I did not become a monk. I met a woman with whom I had a deep karmic connection, and she became my wife. In this life, we had three sons. They also had karmic connections with me from the past, and I could see that they were here to repay their kindness, as I had helped them before.

I raised my three sons very carefully. Because I understood the laws of karma, I did not want them to create bad karma. I taught them to be good, and because they had deep good roots, they followed my lead. I taught them to have a large mind-capacity, and they learned it; I taught them compassion, and they learned that as well. I feel that my life was worthwhile, as I left behind three descendants who know how to do good and help others, continuing the spread of good thoughts in the world.

However, in this lifetime, I did not have the opportunity to reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I loved my sons too much. At the time of my death, although I was chanting the Buddha-name, I was also thinking of my sons. My chanting was not pure; there was too much distraction, and naturally, my karmic creditors were able to interfere.

Deliverance from the Hells

The way these karmic creditors interfered was by making me see many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. I was suddenly confused by them; every Buddha and Bodhisattva was beckoning to me, and in an instant, I did not know which one to follow. At that moment, a force suddenly pushed me aside. I saw two ghost messengers from the hells, and they brought me before the King of Hell. He showed me the merits and sins of my life and finally assigned me the position of a prison guard in the hells.

I should be grateful. If I had not come to the hells to serve as a prison guard, I do not know where my karmic creditors would have dragged me. So, I am very thankful. While in the hells, I naturally wanted to help the suffering criminals. They were all there to receive retribution for the sins they created while alive. In truth, when I looked into their hearts, I saw that their original nature was kind; they simply had no one to teach them, which is why they ended up in such a state. If they had known about the laws of karma earlier, perhaps they would not be suffering there today.

I shared the Buddha’s teachings I had learned with them, but my explanations always lacked a certain 'flavour.' It was not until I heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks that I began to share her simple, easy-to-understand teachings with them. They would all weep and wail, chant the Buddha-name, and repent. Finally, they received the deliverance of Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body and were able to leave the space of the hells.

A year or two ago, I learned that I was on the list to be led to the West by Practitioner Su. I was so happy and expectant. The Western Pure Land, which I had once been one step away from, finally gave me another chance. This time, I had absolute certainty that I would reach it. Today, the moment I stepped into the Western Pure Land, my heart felt so secure. Seeing the towering, majestic Namo Amituofo, I immediately knelt, bowed, and expressed my gratitude.

Gratitude to the Buddha for His compassion.

Gratitude to Practitioner Su for her compassion.

Namo Amituofo."