The Prison Guard's Gratitude

This is a record of an interview with Hu Jinquan, who sought 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 and his subsequent service in the underworld. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Haliang, on May 29, 2021.

Hu Jinquan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Hu Jinquan, a native of Qufu, Shandong. I, along with fifty-nine other prison guards, have seen the Buddha. We knelt before Namo Amituofo, and the Buddha’s compassionate light shone upon us. Together, we turned and knelt once more to express our deepest gratitude to Practitioner Su, as well as to the venerable monastics and volunteer Bodhisattvas at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. We have returned to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Even now, we remain overwhelmed with emotion; the peace in our hearts is beyond description. We are endlessly grateful for the Buddha’s compassion.

A Childhood of Compassion

By the grace of the Buddha’s compassion, I, Hu Jinquan, was guided to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. It has allowed me to witness the beauty of this realm, and at the same time, it has brought back memories of how I lived my life in the worldly realm. My father had sight in only one eye; he lost the other in a battle. My mother, originally a young lady from a wealthy family, never once complained about the poverty we endured while she cared for him. I was born four years after they married. My arrival helped my father regain his self-confidence; one could see his devotion to me in the bamboo cradle he wove with his own hands.

My grandmother sent us letters, urging us to move back to the city for the sake of my future. Considering my prospects, my parents decided to return to her home. In that affluent environment, I grew up well. Most importantly, my grandmother was a practitioner of the Buddha’s teachings. She used all her savings to open three businesses: a noodle shop, a school, and an incense shop. By the age of five, I had already learned to prostrate and chant the Buddha’s name. In that environment, I learned to observe people’s expressions and emotions. Every day, I followed my grandmother, whose every action served as a lesson. She greeted everyone with a smile and always considered the needs of others. The long-term workers and maids in our home had served for over a decade; my grandmother treated everyone like family, without discrimination or regard for social status. During festivals, she always offered them care and warmth, providing new clothes and red envelopes. Wherever I went with her, we were welcomed by all.

The Wisdom of Grandmother

As I grew older, I often accompanied my grandmother as she went about her work. The school, the incense shop, and the noodle shop were all creations of her wisdom. To encourage the public to adopt a vegetarian diet, the noodle shop served only vegetarian noodles at an affordable price. The school was dedicated to cultivating children, teaching them how to be upright individuals, helping them appreciate the beauty of Chinese characters, and eventually enabling them to read the sutras. When I was old enough to attend, the teacher taught us calligraphy and shared many stories about the characters, instructing us to treat the written word with respect.

After we returned to live with my grandmother, my parents were relieved to see me learning under her guidance. They helped manage the noodle shop, the incense shop, and the school, and they also took in children in need, ensuring they could study in peace. I finally saw my father smile and greet others as he took satisfaction in the good deeds he performed. My mother, like my grandmother, handled all the affairs of the household. Time passed quickly. By the age of ten, I had learned to ride a bicycle, helping my grandmother deliver small bags of rice to Mrs. Zhang in He Village and large bags of flour to Mrs. Lin in the east. I became a little helper, beginning to feel how joyful it is to help others through good deeds. Seeing my transformation, my grandmother was very happy. She told me, 'Jinquan, the purpose of living in this world is to become someone who can help others.' She added, 'If I pass away, the noodle shop, the incense shop, and the school are not your inheritance; they are tools to be used to help people.'

A Lesson in Gratitude

A month later, my grandmother took me to the school to meet Ah Shui, who swept the floors and poured tea, Ah Ming, who tended the garden, and the three teachers responsible for instruction. Finally, she introduced me to the students—sixty in total. Afterward, she took me to the countryside to pick up two new students. One had lost his father to illness, and the other had lost his mother in an accident. They were children from single-parent families, and in the social environment of that time, it was very difficult for them to survive. My grandmother and I brought them to the school to study. She said, 'Jinquan, look at these two children. They are your age, yet they have already lost their parents. You have great blessings; you have parents and a grandmother to accompany you as you grow up. In the future, this school will provide education for children from impoverished families like them. Jinquan, you must learn to be grateful! I am getting old, so you must study hard!' I felt very fortunate to have my grandmother by my side, teaching me so much.

To ensure my growth remained untainted, my grandmother sent me to study in a quiet, serene temple. With my parents' consent, I lived there for a year. From the morning wake-up call to the evening rest, the entire day was spent serving the devotees who came to visit, prostrate, or seek the Buddha’s blessing. Because my heart was pure, I could observe things more clearly. Most people came to the temple with specific requests—seeking wealth, health, or peace. When they received support or praise from the monastics, the sense of affirmation and security they felt was palpable. Even at fifteen, I realized that most people fear illness, death, and loneliness. They were busy and exhausted, all for the sake of daily sustenance. No matter how much money they earned, it was only to provide a better life for their families. Business owners were always looking to expand their empires, believing that holding more wealth would bring them security. I once attended a Dharma assembly for a wealthy family who had lost a loved one. They spent a fortune, yet in the end, the man was reduced to ashes, his bones placed in an urn, ending his life.

I suddenly realized something: no matter how capable you are, one day you must face the moment when your breath ceases, and you become a spirit unable to master your own destiny.

Taking Up the Mantle

My grandmother passed away when I was twenty. I had spent five years, from fifteen to twenty, in the temple. My father asked if I wanted to return, and I replied, 'I promised Grandmother that I would.' After bidding farewell to my master, I told my father on the way home that Grandmother had instructed me to take charge of the school, the noodle shop, and the Buddhist artifact shop once she was gone. My father was overjoyed, knowing how much Grandmother had invested in my development.

Upon returning home, I took over the three businesses. I started by reorganizing the school, inviting the three teachers, Ah Shui, and Ah Ming to join me. We closed the school for a week to mourn my grandmother. I asked the three teachers to accompany me to remote areas to visit and bring back children who truly needed help. During this process, I felt as if I heard my grandmother saying, 'Jinquan, work hard, keep going.' When I found children in need, I was filled with joy. After a week, we had found nine children from impoverished families who were struggling to have enough to eat. After speaking with their parents, we brought them to the school and gave them our utmost care. We taught them the principles of being a good person and told them, 'Although you were born into difficult circumstances, you must still be grateful. At the very least, your parents gave you life, and you have healthy bodies. Use these bodies to help others, just as I am helping you. Only then can you ensure that children like you will no longer suffer. From now on, seize the time to study. We will provide good food and warm clothing. We want you to grow up happily and learn to help others. You do not need to repay us, nor do you need to return any money. Just help others and learn the basic principles of being a good person—be polite and have a heart of gratitude.' After talking with these nine children, I realized that the kindness and good deeds flowing naturally from me were what my grandmother had taught me by embodying the Buddha’s teachings. I shed tears; Grandmother had been so devoted to me.

A Life Well Lived

Every month, we took the children to the temple to volunteer for a day, planting vegetables so they would understand that every vegetable is hard-won and should be cherished. We also took them to visit the temple to show them that everything has its place and order, including the neat arrangement of clothing and personal items. Back at the school, I reminded every child that respecting others begins with oneself. Every day at mealtime, we chanted the Buddha’s name ten times to express our gratitude to the Buddha.

By the time I was sixty-two, I looked back and realized that over two hundred children had passed through our school. They had all grown into adults who knew how to make the most of their lives, understanding that one must take responsibility for oneself and spread the principles of being a good person that they had learned at the school. I recalled my life and felt that, at last, I had not lived in vain. 'Hu Jinquan, Hu Jinquan, wake up! Come with us to the Eighth Hall.' I saw the King of the Eighth Hall, who told me, 'You have fulfilled the vows you made in this life and saved many people. Now, I grant you the position of a prison guard. Help the inmates well.'

During my thirty years of service in the hells, I counseled many inmates, urging them not to return and to cherish their lives and be good people once they left. Recently, the King told me, 'Hu Jinquan! Congratulations, your name is on the list of those Practitioner Su is leading to the Western Pure Land. You will participate in the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies and be guided to the West.' On the day of the ceremony, Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body called my name, took the hands of us sixty prison guards, and led us in chanting the Buddha’s name to be reborn in the Western Pure Land.

Gratitude to the Buddha,

Gratitude to Practitioner Su,

Namo Amituofo.

Hu Jinquan"