The Prison Guard’s Journey to Ultimate Bliss

This is an interview with Gu Tianle, a former prison guard in the underworld who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Having successfully attained rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, he shares his profound journey from being trapped as a spirit to finding liberation through the teachings of Practitioner Su. This account was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxin, on September 6, 2024.

Gu Tianle speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Gu Tianle. Today, I have been able to arrive in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, and I am filled with gratitude for the grace of the Buddha toward this disciple. As I witnessed the immeasurable and boundless lotus flowers arriving to lead beings to liberation, I was still marvelling at the magnificence of the Chao Du scene when I suddenly found myself already here in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Namo Amituofo before my eyes is so immense. The moment I saw the Buddha, I immediately knelt in prostration. An overwhelming sense of emotion surged within me, and I began to repent before the Buddha for all the karma I had created throughout my many lives in the cycle of samsara.

A Vision of Boundless Lotuses

The Buddha did not rebuke me. Instead, the Buddha continued to deliver lectures, teaching and transforming the beings of this world. I am deeply grateful that the Buddha created this Pure Land, providing a destination for those of us who have lost our way. I am also profoundly thankful to Practitioner Su for leading our group of sixty prison guards, along with immeasurable and boundless other spirits, to this place.

I am Gu Tianle. Having arrived in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, I can truly say that I have been reborn. My entire being has been transformed.

Trapped in Stone: A Spirit's Long Wait

I recall several lifetimes ago, when my spirit was imprisoned within a dark and steep stone. I was compressed so tightly that I could not move, constantly yearning to find a source of light. There were several occasions when I caught a glimpse of light, and it did not seem very far away. I used my mental note to try and move toward that light, but I remained trapped, held fast by the stone.

Finally, one day, a large crack appeared in the stone, and I was able to escape. I became a wandering spirit, drifting without any idea of where I could go. After finally emerging from the crevice of that stone, I roamed everywhere, feeling a sense of freedom and ease in my liberated spirit.

However, it was not long before I realised I had no destination. I did not even know where I could find a place to settle. I passed through a vast graveyard and saw a great number of ghosts. Some were dressed in the fashions of the past, while others wore modern clothing. Some had faces filled with bitterness, others with panic, and there was one who was in the midst of his own funeral. His spirit was hovering around his lifeless body, weeping, refusing to leave. But even with all that crying, he could not call back that body which was no longer of any use.

The Illusion of Human Life

After the family finished the funeral and prepared to leave, he blocked their path, desperately telling them, 'I am right here! I am right here!' But he never expected that his family could hear nothing. They left in tears, leaving him behind, stranded in the graveyard. The other ghosts in the cemetery told him, 'I was just like you at first, unable to adapt to the fact that I no longer had a body. But in time, you will understand that the current situation cannot be changed; you can only accept and adapt to it.'

He continued, 'The accident happened too quickly. I had worked hard for twenty years. I was on my way to sign a contract to buy a big house for my beloved family. I hadn't even had the chance to complete this surprise before I was gone. I really want to come back to life.' The ghost replied, 'Brother, life is inherently full of impermanence. Nothing can be predicted.' After hearing this conversation, I left, a few ripples of emotion left in my heart, and I continued on my way.

After reaching a certain place, I saw a little girl before me. She was imagining herself as a beautiful woman, dreaming that she would one day meet the perfect man. The little girl fell into a space of infinite fantasy. I had no body, yet I was able to see the future scenes of this little girl. According to her imagination, she would indeed become a very beautiful woman and meet a man who suited her. But in the end, the relationship would sour, causing the little girl—now a woman—to lose her innocence and become depressed, anxious, and uneasy. There are too many things one holds onto that are destined to be lost.

The Burden of the Family Frame

I saw so many different scenes. It turns out that life is just like this: half bitter and half sweet. When happy, one is very happy; when in pain, one is in deep agony. I still did not know where I would go in the future, but I did not want to be a human again. Being human is far too exhausting. I walked and drifted, thinking these thoughts.

Suddenly, I stepped into empty space and fell, falling continuously. I did not know where I was falling to. Unexpectedly, amidst a strong sense of compression, I was born into the world again. I do not remember everything from the past, but there has always been a force within my heart—a force that lets me know not to be attached to this world.

I was born into a wealthy and prominent family. My father’s branch of the family was deeply loved by my grandmother. Every time my aunt visited our home, she would speak to my mother very rudely, often saying, 'You are just more favoured, you are just more capable. I have lost to you in everything.' My aunt would give my mother a cold look. I could see that my mother was very distressed, but for the sake of family harmony, she endured it all. My mother was also very aware that my aunt was jealous of her, jealous that my grandmother loved my father and also loved me.

Such family gatherings happened every month. The day before the gathering, I would see that my mother was internally very resistant, and her mood would be particularly irritable. My aunt’s family was also quite well-off, but my aunt’s son—my cousin—had a congenital disability, and my aunt often had to spend a great deal of effort caring for him. Facing such a scene, I knew that my aunt, who cared so much about her reputation, would feel she had lost face. But based on responsibility and love, she still had to take good care of my cousin.

The Hardened Heart of a Practitioner

My aunt, being the youngest, was loved by the whole family, and she had married a good husband. She seemed to have the smoothest life, yet eight years after her marriage, she lost the husband she loved and who loved her most. With no children, she instantly became a lonely person. Her whole being collapsed, and she was a far cry from the radiant person she had been before. Looking no further than my own family, I felt that life was incredibly bitter. Everyone lives within a frame—a frame that is their own ideal image, and also the image that society expects them to become.

Trapped within that frame, no one can speak of being free. I saw that everyone’s heart was locked, so I did not want to be like them, to be a person trapped in a frame. I sought freedom of the heart. Finally, in my thirties, I encountered the Buddha’s teachings. When I stepped into the temple, I felt that my spirit was very compatible with the Buddha. The peace I felt, which I had never experienced before, surprised me.

After listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma, I made a vow to volunteer at the temple. In the temple, everyone shared the same philosophy: to let go of the self and serve all beings. In the process of volunteering and interacting with others, I saw a great deal of conflict, dissatisfaction, and even the fire of anger within my own heart. It turns out that wherever there are people, there will be friction; this is the test of practice. I tried, time and time again, to lower myself and truly serve all beings. During my time serving at the temple, I let go of my body and mind, becoming a long-term servant of the temple. I got along harmoniously with everyone, almost treating the temple as my home.

However, as my physical strength gradually faded, my body also began to fail. On the day my life was to end, I knew I was leaving. On my seventy-ninth birthday, I asked everyone to help me by chanting Namo Amituofo to send me on my way. Deep in my heart, there was still fear, but I tried hard to counsel myself to let go. The moment I took my last breath, I arrived beside Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. It was only after practicing beside Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva for fifty years that I saw that when I had a human body, I still possessed a very deep-seated stubbornness. I insisted on what I saw and insisted on my decisions. This persistence was extremely rigid, with no room for negotiation. Because I had studied the Buddha’s teachings for so long—listening to the sutras until I could almost recite them by heart—I had failed to see this rigid side of myself. This side created a flaw in my practice, and no one dared to tell me because I was completely unable to accept it.

Service in the Underworld and Final Deliverance

In the laws of karma and cause and effect, it was recorded very clearly: I had served with merit, but the part of me that had not changed in awareness also acted as a barrier. After realising this, although I was beside Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, I hoped in my heart to relearn how to serve all beings. When my firm mental note arose, I was grateful that King Yama summoned me to the Hall of Yama and gave me the position of a prison guard, allowing me to serve all beings. During my time serving all beings, I saw human nature—that is, personality. The beings in the hells are all paying the price for their own personalities: their rigid attitudes and their inability to listen to counseling. Although I felt regret in my heart, it was also the Causal Conditions of each spirit, so I counseled them as the conditions allowed.

I am grateful that while in the hells, I could listen to Practitioner Su deliver lectures, which allowed me to know about the Pure Land and to practice chanting the Buddha-name 'Namo Amituofo' to the very end. I did not expect that every time I chanted Namo Amituofo, my whole body would be filled with energy; it was the response given to me by the Buddha’s compassion. I made a vow in my heart that one day I would follow the Buddha and seek rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I am grateful for the Causal Conditions that allowed me to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss today. I am grateful to King Yama for nominating me and giving me this opportunity. I am grateful to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su. My spirit has finally found a place to settle. I hope that more spirits can wake up, depart from this world, and no longer suffer.

Gu Tianle bows in prostration. Namo Amituofo."