The Pure Heart of the Prison Guard: Chi Shuhai

This is a record of the deliverance of sixty prison guards who sought refuge at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Among them is Chi Shuhai, who recounts his life of simple honesty, his time as a guardian spirit of the land, and his eventual service in the hells before being guided to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss by Practitioner Su. This interview was recorded by Chief Writer Shi Fajing on August 24, 2024.

Chi Shuhai speaks:

"Dressed in solemn white robes, sixty of us prison guards waited eagerly for this day to arrive. We knelt in deep emotion, waiting for the moment. When the time came, Practitioner Su immediately used his Dharma Body to guide us to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

At this very moment, we have truly arrived in the West. Tears of gratitude stream down our faces; after wandering in the cycle of rebirth for so long, we have finally come home. We prostrate ourselves in gratitude, thanking the Greatly Compassionate Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su.

A Childhood of Simple Honesty

I am Chi Shuhai, though everyone calls me 'Bamboo Pole.' Because I am tall and thin—no matter how much I eat, I never gain weight—I have looked like a long bamboo pole since I was a child, and the nickname stuck. It was a name that defined my appearance, but perhaps it also defined my life: long, thin, and easily swayed by the winds of others' intentions.

Since I was young, I have been very simple-minded. Whatever people told me to do, I would do it. Being long-limbed and tall, I was quite useful to others. However, the people who asked me for help were actually ill-intentioned. I do not know why, but there were always people around me who wanted to exploit me. At the time, I did not think of it that way. Because I was so simple, they saw me as 'stupid,' so they would make me do all the bad deeds. When trouble arose, they would all vanish, distancing themselves completely and leaving me to take the blame alone. I was the perfect scapegoat for their misdeeds, and I was too naive to even realise I was being used.

The Price of Naivety

Once, they told me to jump onto someone's roof and crawl inside through the chimney. The method they taught me was to climb a tree first and then leap from the tree onto the roof. It was a reckless plan, born of their cruelty and my own inability to say no.

This task seemed impossible, as the distance between the large tree and the roof was over three metres. If I failed, I would certainly fall to the ground and be severely injured. At that time, being foolish and simple, I did not think twice. They told me that because my legs were long, I could definitely do it, and I believed them. Guess what? Did I succeed? Of course not. No matter how long my legs were, I could not jump that far. I fell heavily, face-first onto the ground. My right leg was severely injured, leaving me unable to walk for nearly two months. My nose was broken, and I was left with a deep scar on my forehead. That scar was a permanent reminder of my own foolishness and the malice of those I called friends.

After that incident, my parents finally realised that I had been manipulated into doing things that went against moral foundations. They began to focus on my education, ensuring I would not be easily deceived into doing things I would regret later. They were heartbroken to see their son so broken, both physically and in spirit.

A New Beginning

In truth, my parents had not been neglecting me; they were simply busy working and caring for my grandparents and maternal grandparents. They had no time to spare, which is why I was left to wander with that group of people. Once they learned how I had been exploited and taught incorrect values, they dared not let me go out to find friends easily. About three months after that incident, my parents moved us away from that place.

They took my grandparents and maternal grandparents with us so we could care for them together. The reason for this move was entirely for my sake. Although our new life was difficult—we had to start from scratch and live in a rented house instead of our old family home—my parents were dedicated. They told me, 'Ah Hai, you are a very simple child. We haven't had enough time to look after you, so we must provide a better environment where you won't be so easily influenced by the outside world. The people here are kind, and it is sparsely populated. We are happy here. We feel more at ease letting you play outside now, unlike before, where the people were complicated. We only found out too late that you were being taught to do bad things.'

I understood my parents' intentions. Although I am not clever, I am a filial son. Whatever my parents said, I would listen and follow. I was grateful for their sacrifices, and knowing how hard they worked, I became even more obedient, helping with chores every day to reduce my mother's burden. I wanted to be a source of comfort, not a source of worry.

Listening to the Voices of Nature

In this new environment, I rarely encountered people, as it was a remote, mountainous area with beautiful and serene surroundings. My friends became the flowers, grass, stones, soil, branches, insects, and ants. I played with them every day. Seeing me play with nature, my parents were finally at ease, knowing these things would not harm me or lead me astray.

One day, my mother was about to go to a grocery store further away. Before she left, I said to her, 'Please wait an hour before you go.' My mother looked at me, puzzled, and asked, 'Why should I wait an hour?' She intended to leave anyway, but my grandmother called her to help with a bath, so she did not leave immediately.

When she finally left an hour later, she returned home shortly after, running in to say, 'Ah Hai, how did you know something would happen? The only road I could take was blocked by a massive boulder. The neighbours said it fell within the last hour. They are trying to move it now, and thankfully, no one was crushed. If I had left when I originally planned, I would have been under that rock. You saved me! How did you know the rock would fall?'

I replied, 'The rock told me. It said it would roll down from the mountaintop within an hour because the heavy rain yesterday had loosened the soil beneath it. It could not withstand the shifting earth and would roll down quickly due to gravity and speed.' My mother was covered in goosebumps. She had never heard of such a thing and found it hard to believe, but she knew it was the truth because I would never lie to her. It was as if the world had opened up to me, and I could finally hear the whispers of the earth itself.

The Path of Transformation

After that event, I seemed to hear the voices of all things in heaven and earth more clearly. When my heart became still, I could see spirits that looked like immortals in the sky. I could foresee the future and even see a person's past. One day, I saw many people walking into darkness in a dream. I watched from afar and finally understood: they were going into the darkness to suffer. I woke up, wondering why, and a voice told me, 'Because their hearts are not good.' It was a profound realisation that struck me to my core.

I decided to save everyone. I led them to change, to turn their hearts toward righteousness and Goodness. It was not easy, but I started with myself and influenced others. Many were moved by my pure kindness and my ability to foresee the future, so they followed my lead. Eventually, I saw beautiful seven-coloured clouds in the sky, a sign that everyone's fate had changed because their hearts had changed. This gave me great confidence. I used my abilities to help others, hoping everyone would become better. My heart remained pure, simple, and kind throughout my life, never wavering in its intent to do Good.

From Spirit Stone to Prison Guard

I did not suffer from many illnesses in my life and passed away naturally. Yet, at the moment of my death, I was still concerned for everyone on this land. My spirit entered the largest stone on the land—a spiritual stone that guarded the area. The spirits within the stone shared my heart and my desire to protect all beings, including humans. Because my heart and attachments were the same, my spirit entered the space within that stone.

I did not stay there long. During a severe natural disaster, I exerted all my strength to push the stone open to save everyone. The stone, having existed for a thousand years, possessed immense power. When I pushed, it split into two, the surface as smooth as if cut by a knife. The power of the stone erupted, resolving the disaster, but the stone was sacrificed. My spirit was released and brought before the King of Hell, where I was granted the position of a prison guard. It was a strange turn of events, but I accepted my duty with the same simple heart I had always possessed.

In hell, I continued to help others by using my pure heart to transform them. Later, I began to hear Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks in hell and realised that such a great Dharma existed. I was deeply moved by the sutras Practitioner Su taught. Every time I finished listening to a talk, I would share it everywhere, hoping more spirits would benefit. My heart remained purely good, and perhaps that is why I had the Causal Conditions to be brought back to the Western Pure Land by Practitioner Su.

Today, all sixty of us prison guards have returned to the West. Every face is filled with emotion and gratitude. I lead everyone in prostrations before the Buddha, thanking Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Chi Shuhai prostrates in reverence."