The Redemption of a Prison Guard

This is a record of an interview with Li Yueshan, 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 hell realms. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxin, on September 29, 2023.

Li Yueshan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Today, seeing the Buddha and being able to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, my heart is filled with boundless gratitude. I am deeply thankful to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su for their willingness to accept a soul like mine—a soul that had created so much negative karma. When I first beheld the Buddha, I fell to my knees in profound repenting. The Buddha did not speak; He simply smiled at me. I understood His meaning immediately: He was telling me to let go of the past and embrace the future. I am eternally grateful for the Buddha's great compassion, and I thank Practitioner Su for guiding me and the fifty-nine other prison guards to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I have felt, in the deepest part of my being, the Buddha's infinite compassion for every single living being.

My name is Li Yueshan, and I am from Guangdong. My parents were honest, hardworking people who ran a small business. Growing up in that environment, I learned early on how to read people's faces and how to say exactly what they wanted to hear to secure a sale."

The Duality of the Heart

"Watching my parents struggle to earn money by catering to others, I adopted the same methods. Although I felt unhappy every time I did it, my body seemed to react instinctively, as if it were programmed to behave that way. I often felt as though there were two voices inside me—one urging me to be good, and the other tempting me to do wrong. I was constantly trapped in a dilemma. The 'bad' voice usually promised immediate benefits, while the 'good' voice offered no tangible reward, only the quiet comfort of a clear conscience.

When I was still in school, I knew I should strive to be a good person. I often remembered the earnest advice my teachers gave me. However, after I finished middle school, my mother did not allow me to continue my education; she insisted I stay home to help with the family business. Once I began helping, my parents were certainly less burdened. I proved to be quite skilled at attracting customers—often better than my parents. People loved buying from me, and my parents were so pleased that they would sometimes leave the shop in my care while they went out to enjoy themselves with the neighbours."

The Temptation of Easy Profit

"One day, two men visited our shop. They looked around, circled the premises, and then approached me. 'Young man,' they said, 'we have some excellent goods that you could sell. For every sale, you take six parts of the profit, and we take four. This is something many people are looking for right now. You should consider it.' I asked what it was, and they showed me: it was a type of hand-rolled tobacco that could fetch a high price. 'Just hang this sign in front of your shop,' they told me, 'and people will know they can buy it here. I will give you five days to think about it. I will return then.'

During those five days, I wrestled with my conscience. My dream was to expand our shop so my parents could live in peace, but selling this tobacco felt wrong. It made me feel uneasy. Whenever I felt that hesitation, the 'bad' voice in my heart would tell me not to overthink it—that success requires seizing opportunities. The 'good' voice was much quieter, whispering that I should refuse. For days, I went back and forth, but in the end, I decided to give it a try."

The Cost of Success

"Five days later, the men returned. I didn't say a word; I simply nodded, and they nodded back in understanding. They left some stock, a sign to hang outside, and a price list. Before the afternoon was even over, several elderly men had already come to the shop specifically asking for the tobacco. They muttered, 'I didn't know Ah Dan's shop sold this! Now I don't have to travel so far.' Day after day, people came to buy it, and they would often purchase other items while they were there, creating a surge in our business.

Seeing the shop doing so well, my parents stopped asking questions. They didn't know I was selling tobacco; they only saw the profits. Among the customers were not only older men but also some young people. I remember watching a young man smoke the tobacco in front of me. He looked completely relaxed, lost in a cloud of smoke, appearing almost delirious. Although his expression seemed happy, I could sense a deep, profound sadness within him. Some looked hollow, even terrified. I began to wonder: was I really doing the right thing?

As I looked at my account book, I told myself that if I earned just a little more, I could buy my father a car—his lifelong dream. With that thought, I hardened my heart and continued. I promised myself that once I bought the car, I would stop selling the tobacco."

A Bitter Harvest

"Six months later, I achieved my goal. When my father saw his dream car parked in front of our house, he was overjoyed. 'Which wealthy person came to our shop to buy something?' he asked. I smiled and said, 'This is your car, Father.' He couldn't believe it. 'Mine?' I nodded and handed him the keys. He drove the whole family around, beaming with pride. He even boasted to the neighbours, 'My son is so good at business, he bought me a car!'

That night, I told myself to keep my promise. I took down the tobacco sign and stopped ordering stock. But a few days later, the two men returned. They looked menacing and demanded I put the sign back up, or they would smash my shop. I refused to be intimidated. To my horror, they trashed the place, the noise alerting my parents and the neighbours. That was when my parents discovered that much of our money had come from selling tobacco. They were furious and demanded I return the car.

From that day on, the shop was constantly harassed. I endured it all, but eventually, they reported me to the police for selling tobacco without a license. I was sentenced to three months in prison. I knew this was the consequence of my own actions, so I didn't complain. I resolved that when I got out, I would live an honest life."

From Tobacco to Hell

"After my release, my parents refused to forgive me and severed ties. I had no home, no shop, and had to survive on odd jobs. I tasted every bitterness and sorrow, yet my heart felt far more at peace than it ever had before. At thirty-seven, I died in a car accident. In my final moments of consciousness, I heard my parents calling out to me, their voices filled with regret, which made me want to weep. Suddenly, the scene shifted. I saw a pile of tobacco. As I stepped forward to look, I was pulled into that very space—I had become the tobacco itself.

In my consciousness, I knew this was a harmful substance. I became a particularly foul-smelling batch of tobacco. Whenever I appeared, my scent would permeate the rest of the stock, making it so repulsive that no one wanted to use it. Many people who bought their first cigarette from me were so disgusted that they never bought tobacco again. Life after life, I was reincarnated as tobacco, doing my best to prevent others from being harmed by it. But my efforts were limited, and often, they had no effect at all. This pained me deeply. I prayed constantly that I would stop hurting people. Because of this sincere intention, after only ten years as tobacco, a powerful force brought me before the King of Hell."

The Path of Repentance

"Kneeling in the Hall of the King of Hell, the King looked at me with great solemnity. He reviewed my many lives and nodded. 'Because you have a heart of repenting, I will give you another chance.' There are so many beings in the hell realms who have done evil and refuse to turn back. The King ordered me to use my own experiences to counsel them. I donned the robes of a prison guard and began to serve the beings in hell, sharing my life story whenever the Causal Conditions were right. I wanted them to understand that the only way to change their destiny was to change their ways.

Even though I tried to counsel them one by one, the results were minimal. Each being had such a stubborn personality. I felt lost, not knowing what to do. Not long after, I was fortunate enough to hear Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks. Every word and every sentence awakened me. Seeing the suffering and the cycle of reincarnated beings in hell, I realised that I, too, had been trapped in this cycle for countless lives—creating karma, suffering the retribution, and reincarnating endlessly.

I used the insights I gained from listening to the Dharma to counsel the hell-beings again. Some began to listen, though they could not change immediately. But I did not give up. I tried again and again, believing that they could be different. Throughout this process, I solidified my resolve to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Today, I have attained that rebirth. I am grateful for all the Causal Conditions, and I am grateful for the compassion and grace of the Buddha and Practitioner Su. I will continue to chant Buddha's name with a sincere heart, hoping that more people can attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Namo Amituofo.

Li Yueshan, kneeling in gratitude."