The Redemption of a Prison Guard

This is a record of an interview with Xu Zhiyuan, 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 as a teacher and his subsequent service as a prison guard in the underworld. Recorded by Venerable Haize on January 15, 2019.

Venerable Haize speaks:

"We respectfully invite Xu Zhiyuan, the representative of sixty prison guards who have been delivered to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, to accept this interview."

Xu Zhiyuan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Xu Zhiyuan. Together with my sixty fellow prison guards, we offer our three prostrations to everyone here. We are filled with immense gratitude to Practitioner Su and the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre for the great kindness and virtue shown in delivering us to the Western Pure Land."

A Childhood Forged in Poverty

"I grew up in a family of extreme poverty. Our home was bare, with nothing but a round table, two long wooden benches, a large bed, and a few simple cooking pots. That was the extent of our worldly possessions. I was the youngest of three children, and as far back as I can remember, this was our reality. I did not know any other way of life, so I never felt that anything was wrong. I possessed a naturally cheerful disposition; I was the only one in the house who would laugh. My parents, whose faces were always etched with worry and whose brows were perpetually furrowed, would only see their own corners of their mouths lift when they looked at my smile.

My father was originally an official in the imperial court. However, he was framed by others, stripped of his position, and forced to move our family. This sudden, catastrophic change in our circumstances altered the very nature of my parents. My mother sold her jewellery to keep us afloat for a time, but it was not a sustainable solution. We were far from our relatives, and as the saying goes, 'distant water cannot put out a nearby fire.' My father, once a man of status, had to find the strength to carry on. To survive, he would go to the streets to sell calligraphy and poetry he had written himself, while my mother took in sewing and embroidery. It was a struggle just to keep us fed."

The Shadow of a Fallen Official

"My father taught us how to read and write, but after a few years, he succumbed to the weight of his grief and passed away. My mother watched him go with tears in her eyes, lamenting the helplessness of life and the impermanence of all things. Yet, she somehow managed to raise us. My older brother went to work as a helper for a wealthy family, while my sister stayed home to help my mother with needlework. She eventually married a neighbour, which allowed her to stay close and look after our mother.

I was the luckiest of the three. I followed my brother wherever he went. When he became a helper, I did the same. As it happened, I was quite refined in appearance and had a natural charm, and I was always smiling. The master of the household took a liking to me and made me his personal page. He taught me many principles of conduct and introduced me to deeper Confucian studies. I was twelve years old at the time. Because my duties required me to be by his side constantly, the master sent a sum of silver to my home and visited my mother personally. I never expected that the moment my mother saw his eyes, her expression would shift to one of intense fury. The tea she was holding dropped to the floor and shattered. My brother and I rushed to support her, knowing that something profound and painful must have occurred."

A Shocking Revelation of Betrayal

"The master’s face turned deathly pale upon seeing my mother. The air in the room grew cold, and for a long moment, there was complete silence. Finally, my mother spoke, her voice trembling: 'You have caused our family such misery! Such misery!' Great, heavy tears rolled down her cheeks. The master did not utter a word at first, but finally, he asked, 'Sister-in-law, where is Brother Xu?' My mother, with a shaking hand, pointed toward my father’s memorial tablet. The master suddenly knelt before the tablet and cried out, 'Brother Xu, I was wrong! I was so wrong! For all these years, I have been searching for you. I never imagined that your son would be right by my side, and I never imagined you were living in such dire poverty. I was wrong! Brother Xu, please forgive me.'

My brother and I were stunned, frozen by the scene before us. Yet, from their exchange, we began to piece together the truth. Indeed, this master was the very person who had framed my father, causing him to be dismissed from the court, forced into exile, and eventually broken by grief. He had been promoted only because my father had mentored him, allowing him to live a life of luxury and fine silks. Driven by jealousy and the fear that my father would outshine him, he had resorted to such a despicable scheme. He had spent years searching for us in deep regret, only to find that my father was no longer in this world."

Choosing the Path of a Teacher

"After that day, the master did everything he could to care for my mother and our family, but she would not accept his gestures. She continued to live a life of extreme simplicity. However, the master treated my brother and me as if we were his own children. My brother, deeply scarred by the hatred of what had been done to our father, refused to work for him, much like our mother, though he silently accepted the help that changed our family’s circumstances. As for me, I was torn between the pain of my father’s death and the gratitude I felt for the master’s mentorship. In the end, I chose to leave his service. The master helped me find a position at a private school, where I studied under a teacher. Eventually, I took over the teacher’s role, educating students. I opened the school to children from the village who could not afford tuition; as long as a child was willing to learn, they were welcome. I married, had children, and spent my life teaching."

From the Underworld to the Western Pure Land

"At the age of fifty-eight, surrounded by my students and family, I fell ill and took my final breath. Two underworld officials led my spirit before the King of the Third Hall, who assigned me to work as a clerk. I performed my duties well and was later transferred to the Fifth Hall for support. Eventually, I was nominated by the King of the Fifth Hall to be included on the list for Practitioner Su’s deliverance. I waited for three years, and today, my wish has finally been fulfilled. I have entered the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am so grateful to Practitioner Su and to everyone here.

Life is impermanence. Everything that happens is governed by the Law of Cause, Condition, and Effect, and it is difficult to escape the arrangements of fate. Today, under the guidance of Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, I have been able to learn the great Dharma, find my true self, and live a life where I can finally be the master of my own destiny. This is truly precious. I hope that everyone will study Practitioner Su’s practice diligently and then help more people be reborn in the Western Pure Land. If we do this, there will be far fewer suffering creatures in this world, and many more will be able to leave their suffering behind and enter the Western Pure Land.

Once again, I offer my deepest gratitude to Namo Amituofo, Practitioner Su, and all of you. Namo Amituofo."