The Sacrifice of a Son

This is a record of an interview with Hsu Wen-hsuan, 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 time serving in the underworld. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on June 19, 2022.

Hsu Wen-hsuan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. If I were to speak of the sensations of life, I must admit that I have not yet reached a profound state of realisation. I left the human world at a very young age, yet during my time in the underworld, I have learned a great deal. I came to understand that I must seek liberation. I am deeply grateful to the compassionate heart of Practitioner Su, whose guidance has allowed us to attain liberation today and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. On behalf of all the jailers and all sentient beings with karmic affinity, I bow in gratitude for the Buddha’s grace and the kindness of Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo.

I was born in 1985 in the southern part of Taiwan. When I was in the fifth grade of primary school, my entire family moved to the north. I had naively assumed this would be the beginning of a wonderful new chapter in our lives, but I never imagined that everything would turn dark overnight. From that moment on, our home would never know peace again.

A Childhood Shattered by Deception

During my early childhood, we lived in Hengchun, a peninsula surrounded by the sea on three sides. Most of my childhood memories are intertwined with the ocean. Those were the happiest days of my life, for I truly felt that I had the best family in the world. Later, my father met a man—an uncle, as we called him—who introduced my father to a job opportunity in Taipei. My father trusted him completely. He followed this man to Taipei to work for a year, and eventually, he rented a flat large enough for our family of three. The following year, we moved our entire lives to Taipei. It was a decision filled with anticipation; we welcomed this new life with such joy, never suspecting that it was a dark and calculated deception.

During our first week in Taipei, this uncle was incredibly enthusiastic, hosting a dinner to welcome us. My father drank quite a bit that night; we could all see how genuinely happy he was, and the uncle seemed equally warm and welcoming. The very next day, the uncle arrived at our flat early, claiming he wanted to discuss business matters with my father. We had no reason to doubt him. He produced a contract he had already prepared, telling my father it was a golden opportunity. He claimed that because he wanted to look after my father’s new life in Taipei, he was willing to let my father take this chance first. The contract invited my father to invest in a biotechnology development company. The investment required over a million dollars—not a small sum by any means. At first, my father was hesitant, as this meant investing every single cent of our family’s savings. But he could not resist the uncle’s persistent enthusiasm. In the end, he signed the contract and transferred all our money into the company that very afternoon. My father became the largest shareholder and the primary person in charge.

The Weight of Debt and Domestic Turmoil

Although my father felt a lingering uncertainty about whether this decision was correct, he chose to trust his friend and agreed to let the uncle manage the company’s project development. For the first week of the company’s operations, everything seemed to run smoothly. My father struggled to find any issues, and gradually, he let his guard down, placing his full faith in the uncle’s abilities.

A month later, problems began to surface one after another. However, to keep my father’s mind at ease, the uncle told him that these were merely normal operational hiccups for a new company, urging him not to worry. With the uncle’s assurances, my father felt much calmer and did not react with the same level of anxiety to the subsequent operational difficulties.

It was not until one day that my father discovered a much larger problem—a problem that was already beyond repair. The company had incurred massive debts, and the internal funds had long since been siphoned off. My father frantically tried to call the uncle to demand an explanation, but no one answered. He simply could not believe such a thing could happen, so he went to the uncle’s home to find him. He searched for a long time, until finally, the neighbours, unable to endure the constant commotion, came out to tell him that no one had lived there for a long time. My father suddenly realised he had been cruelly deceived! Not only had he lost over a million dollars, but he was now saddled with an enormous debt.

This news was like a bolt of lightning from a clear blue sky. My father chose to bear the burden alone, not daring to tell the family. He tried to be strong, working tirelessly to save the company, but he ended up socialising late every night, returning home completely intoxicated. At first, my mother was sympathetic to the hardships of his work, but as time went on, she could not help but complain, pleading with him not to return home drunk every night. My parents had always loved each other deeply, but perhaps the pressure of my father’s work was simply too great. One night, they had a massive argument. In his drunken state, my father lost control of his emotions and struck my mother. Unable to bear it any longer, she left that very night to return to her parents' home in the south.

A Final Act of Filial Piety

From that point on, my father’s temperament seemed to explode. Whenever he was drunk, he would lash out at me. His blows were heavy. After about a month of this domestic violence, I was sent to the hospital with a mild concussion and bruises all over my body. The hospital contacted my mother, who rushed north to see me. This was the first time my parents had seen each other since their fight. In truth, their love for each other had never faded. It was only because of my injuries that my father finally woke up. Seeing his own mistakes, he broke down in tears. It was the first time we had ever seen him lose his composure like that, and the first time we heard him speak of the immense pressure he had been under. We were heartbroken for him, and we decided to forgive him for the pain he had caused us during that period.

My mother returned to our side, and my father transformed himself. He no longer kept everything bottled up inside. Together, they faced the company’s debt. Since the tech industry was not my father’s area of expertise, they decided to let the hollowed-out company go bankrupt and used the remaining funds to start a food business—a trade they were confident in.

For a time, my parents were incredibly busy and had little time to oversee my life. I learned to be independent so as not to worry them. After several years of hard work, they finally paid off a portion of the debt, and the new company began to stabilise. The pressure on them eased, and they finally had a moment to breathe. I had assumed that everything would be peaceful from then on, but I never expected that my father’s health would fail. He was diagnosed with acute liver disease. The situation was grim, and he soon fell into a hepatic coma. Because of the years of excessive drinking to socialise for funds and the high-intensity stress, his body had simply collapsed. Our family was plunged into darkness once more, but we had learned to face it with strength. The doctor suggested a liver transplant—the only way to save his life. However, at that time, there were few donors, and finding a suitable liver was difficult. I had just turned twenty, and I decided to try for a match. If my liver could save my father, I was willing to give it.

The matching process went smoothly, and my liver was a perfect match for my father. The doctor quickly scheduled the transplant. The surgery went well, and we were both sent to the ward for observation. My mother was overjoyed by the news, though she was exhausted, constantly running between the company and our hospital rooms. Fortunately, my father’s recovery was excellent, and he showed no signs of rejecting the new liver. His life was finally out of danger.

Service in the Underworld and the Path to Liberation

After I donated my liver, although I had passed the critical period and began the recovery observation, I never expected to suddenly encounter a severe infection. My body suffered a storm of damage, and with terrifying speed, my organs began to fail. My life simply vanished just like that.

The doctors could not find the cause, only suspecting that a virus already present in my body had taken advantage of my weakened immune system to attack. As the only child in the family, my parents lost all motivation to continue their business after I died. They were devastated, closed the company, and returned to the south to live a quiet, simple life.

After I died, I entered a realm of darkness. Soon, a force brought me before the court of King Yama. King Yama said that my filial piety had moved the heavens and the earth. Because I was only twenty-one when I passed away, he allowed me to remain in the Yama Palace to serve and learn. I am deeply grateful for the care and guidance King Yama provided. I learned so much in the palace, witnessing every soul that arrived and hearing the stories of their lives. It left a profound impression on me.

Recently, in the underworld, I heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks. I was astonished, as I had never heard such truths before. The principles Practitioner Su spoke of allowed me to wake up even further. I knew I had to seek liberation, and King Yama fully supported my decision. I am so grateful that I have had this opportunity today to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I will cherish this dearly and continue to strive forward. I know I cannot save my parents who are still in the world, but I will channel this gratitude toward all sentient beings, hoping to help more of them break through delusion and attain enlightenment, and be reborn in the Pure Land.

On behalf of all the jailers and all sentient beings with karmic affinity, I bow in gratitude for the Buddha’s grace, the kindness of Practitioner Su, and the compassion of King Yama. Namo Amituofo.

Hsu Wen-hsuan, with palms joined."