The Prison Guard's Journey to Liberation

This is a record of an interview with Gu Daying, 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 experiences as a prison guard in the underworld and his path to liberation. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxin, on July 19, 2024.

Gu Daying speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful for all the Causal Conditions in this world. It was only after arriving in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss that I realised how many illusory realms I had experienced in the past. While living within those illusions, I truly believed everything was real. Now, I understand that it was all a spiritual journey—a series of profound tests. I have finally returned to my original, most pure state. I am immensely grateful to Practitioner Su for guiding me and fifty-nine other prison guards to rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I still remember the moment I arrived in the Western Pure Land. As I looked towards the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, I saw immeasurable and boundless spirits bathed in the Buddha-light, all being guided together towards the Western Pure Land. The thunderous sound of the Holy Name 'Namo Amituofo' echoed everywhere, and the golden light shone without limit. The scene was truly magnificent. I am filled with awe at the greatness of the Buddha and the boundless compassion of Practitioner Su."

A Life of Illusions and Spiritual Testing

"I am Gu Daying. I recall that in one of my past lives, my spirit lingered in a space where my consciousness was somewhat blurred. I could vaguely see myself being crushed by a massive, heavy object, and I was completely unable to escape. This terrifying scene repeated over and over, leaving me in a state of absolute panic.

I do not know how much time passed, but eventually, my spirit was drawn into a dark place, much like a deep cave. I kept hearing a voice speaking to me. Not long after, following a process of intense and painful compression, I suddenly smelled the scent of the air. It was only later that I realised I had been born into the human world.

I do not remember much of my early childhood. From the moment I had any clear memory, I was being cared for by my master. He told me that he had found me beside a large rock, where I was sleeping very peacefully. Knowing that I had a karmic affinity with him, he took me under his wing. I followed my master, learning about the sun, the moon, the stars, and the truth of all earthly creatures. Most of my time was spent in the mountains, forests, or the wild wilderness."

The Vision of Karmic Creditors

"When I was twenty-one years old, while I was sitting in meditation, my spirit left my body and floated in space. I was single-mindedly searching for the Truth and the reality of existence. Just as my spirit was about to return to my physical form, I witnessed a scene that I found impossible to believe.

I saw that my body, from head to toe, was covered in densely packed sentient beings. There was only one small empty space where my spirit resided, and that spot was protected by a mysterious force. After my spirit returned to my body, I could not stop thinking about that densely packed image. I pondered it constantly. Before long, I discovered that whenever I gave rise to afflictions, my body would be controlled and pulled by another force. I could never quite perceive what that force was.

I decided to enter into deep meditative concentration once more. My spirit floated up into the sky, looking down towards my body to see things clearly. I realised then that those densely packed spaces were actually different scenes—they represented the Causal Conditions formed in various past lives. They were all waiting for me, preparing to seek revenge. Seeing the scenes where I had harmed them, I felt a deep, sorrowful sense of repenting."

The Path of Austerity and the Fox Spirit

"Looking down from the sky, I saw that every human body was covered in these densely packed beings, and their spirits were all being pulled and tugged by them. I was only able to keep my spirit clear because I had been practising and had Dharma protectors guarding me. Seeing everyone suffering like this, I made a vow to save my own karmic creditors and to help as many people as possible to wake up.

Upon returning to my body, I began to discipline my mind, using various forms of ascetic practice to grind away the greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and doubt within me. Whenever I felt I could not overcome a moment of weakness, I would hang myself from a tree with a rope, staying there until my whole body trembled and my consciousness began to fade. I did this so that I would remember the painful process and not commit the same mistakes again. I also used this method of self-inflicted suffering to repent to the beings attached to my body.

When I did this, many people tried to counsel me, but I had my own persistence. I believed that this way of tempering myself could thoroughly pull out my evil roots. After a few years, I did indeed feel my spiritual elevation. However, once I reached a certain level, I could no longer progress further. I was very anxious. Instead of looking inward to find the true cause, I sought external methods. My spirit left my body to investigate, and in a moment of poor judgment, I accidentally entered the body of a fox.

By the time I realised what had happened, it was too late. My spirit was trapped within the fox, covered by other wandering spirits. I was terrified, but my fear was useless. Suddenly, I heard the fox's spirit speaking to me. It said, 'I know you are a different kind of spirit. I am also practising, and I want to break through in my practice. I would like to ask for your help.' Its voice was so sincere that I could feel its genuine heart. After considering it, I used my own spiritual practice to lead it, until it cultivated enough to transform into a human body."

A Shared Vow and Sacrifice

"I told the fox, 'You must not be greedy for this human body; remember your true identity.' It followed my instructions strictly. During a time of war, when many children had no books to read, the fox, now in a human body, gathered the children together. It became a very patient teacher, bringing hope to their lives. It taught the children to read and encouraged them to do Goodness. It knew that its life in a human body would not be long, so it cherished every day it could help the children.

War was raging everywhere. One day, when artillery shells were raining down on that area, I used my mental note to tell it, 'You must protect the children.' It immediately used its body to shield several children, sacrificing itself in the explosion.

After the fox died, my spirit left its body and arrived before King Yama. King Yama explained the Causal Conditions between the fox and me. We were both fellow practitioners who had once made a vow to save people. After reincarnating separately, we met in this life in a very special way to help others. I had constantly used my spiritual intent to lead the fox to do good deeds. Because of my guidance, the fox did not give rise to thoughts of harming others; instead, it helped many people. In the hall of King Yama, we were both credited with merits."

Service in the Underworld and Final Deliverance

"King Yama judged that I could serve as a prison guard to serve sentient beings. I gratefully accepted this mandate, and I boldly asked King Yama, 'May I ask where the fox has gone?' King Yama replied, 'After this fox transformed into a human body, it had a mental note to experience the feeling of being human once more, so it entered the human world. It accumulated merit, so its wish was fulfilled.'

I am grateful to King Yama for telling me these things. After the judgment, I served as a prison guard, and I was extremely loyal during my tenure. Seeing many spirits creating karma due to attachment and emotion served as a warning to me. I hoped that these spirits would also have the chance to wake up. During my time on duty, I was also grateful to hear the Dharma talks given by Practitioner Su. Every sentence was thorough, and all were aimed at helping every spirit wake up. Practitioner Su introduced us to the greatness of the Buddha and worked vigorously to perform Chao Du. I came to understand the vastness of the Buddha’s teachings and the depth of his compassion.

Seeing Practitioner Su perform Chao Du for the endless cycle of samsara in the Dharma Realm, I hoped that one day I, too, could depart for the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Finally, the Causal Conditions arrived today. I, along with many other beings, have been liberated to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am grateful for this precious affinity. I am grateful to the Buddha, grateful to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, and grateful to Practitioner Su.

Gu Daying bows in gratitude."

Namo Amituofo.