The Second-Hand Shop of Compassion

This is a record of an interview with Chai Guangquan, 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 as a jailer in the hells. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on April 5, 2025.

Chai Guangquan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I never imagined that the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss could be so close to us. After Practitioner Su reached out to guide us, we arrived in an instant. It is truly inconceivable—the most inconceivable thing I have ever experienced. We were so stunned that we had not even processed what had happened. Someone even asked, 'Have we really arrived?' I looked around, and with absolute certainty, I replied, 'We have! We have truly arrived in the West! This is the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss!'

We were deeply moved, our hearts overflowing with gratitude. That Practitioner Su would grant us this opportunity to reach the West is something we never even dared to dream of. What a tremendous blessing! It is truly a tremendous blessing, and we cherish it with every fibre of our being. We are so incredibly grateful to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su."

A Life of Business and Benevolence

"I am Chai Guangquan. From a very young age, I followed my father, learning the ropes of business. Our family engaged in many different trades—if I were to count them all, from the time I was five years old selling cakes on the street with my father, until I grew up, we had run at least eleven different types of businesses.

It might sound as though our business ventures were unstable, requiring us to constantly switch from one to another, but that was not the case at all. The reason we took on so many different trades was that my father’s goal was never simply to make money. Our family was not lacking in wealth; even without any business, our ancestral property and the wealth my father already possessed were more than enough to support our family comfortably. Life was secure.

However, one cannot simply sit idle every day, can one? That would be such a waste of life. That is why my father wanted to run small businesses. He had no intention of making a fortune; rather, he wanted to use these ventures as a way to see if he could help those in need.

In the beginning, we sold cakes—the very same cakes my mother often fried for us. She told us she had learned the recipe from her own mother, my grandmother. She would fry them in lard until they were incredibly fragrant. Every time we smelled those cakes, we children could not help but drool. The aroma was so intoxicating that even the mice would come out to peek, and I caught them in the act more than once!

Because my mother’s cakes were such a success, my father decided we should sell them on the street. The business was booming! Every day, there were long queues, and customers came in an endless stream. My mother was so busy she could not keep up; as soon as a cake was fried, it was sold. It was physically exhausting for her. She was often so tired she could barely walk, and her hands felt as if they did not belong to her anymore.

That was our first business. Eventually, because my mother was simply too exhausted, we closed the shop. Besides, we realised that by selling cakes to those who just wanted a treat, we were not really helping the people we truly wanted to assist. So, my father decided to close the shop and rethink our approach."

The Second-Hand Shop of Hope

"After that, we tried several other businesses. One of them was so successful that I continued running it even after I grew up. But here is the irony: this 'most successful' business actually made us no money at all. In fact, most of the time, we had to pay out of our own pockets to keep it going.

The way it worked was this: because we were determined to help the poor, we had previously donated all our profits to them. But we soon realised that was not a long-term solution. We could not just keep handing out money indefinitely. So, for this new venture, we asked everyone to contribute a little. People would bring us items from their homes that were still usable but perhaps a bit worn. We would clean them up, repair them, and make them look at least sixty percent new. Then, we would sell them at a discounted 'second-hand' price.

A portion of the proceeds went to the poor families who provided the items, and another portion covered the costs of our processing and repairs. However, sometimes the items were so old or the repair costs so high that we could not raise the price enough to cover expenses. In those cases, my father would quietly pay the difference out of his own pocket, ensuring that the poor families still received their share of the earnings.

Of course, not every household could always provide items. So, my father encouraged them to try their hand at simple handicrafts, drawing, or anything they felt they could share with others. As long as they could produce something, my father would find a way to help them earn money from it.

My father had a brilliant business mind, and I learned so much by his side. As I said, our goal was not profit. Even if the items the poor families brought were unremarkable, we always found a way to sell them. We might, for instance, ask a customer who was already buying something they liked to add just a little bit more to purchase an item provided by a poor family. It required a great deal of strategy, but more importantly, it required a heart of sincere service. You had to truly want to help these struggling families for the customers to be moved.

People can always sense when someone is being sincere. You cannot fake that kind of heart; even if someone tries to disguise it, the truth shows in their eyes. Besides, we were not just doing this for a day or two; we were there every single day. You cannot fool people for that long. Over time, the trust people placed in us grew, and they praised the kindness of my father and me. Naturally, more people came to support us, willing to spend their money to buy these goods.

In business, you must build a reputation and earn trust. My father was truly remarkable, and I learned so much from him. The most important lesson was honesty. If you can conduct business honestly and never try to take advantage of others, that state of mind will naturally be protected by the God of Wealth. It also removes so much interference, allowing the business to flourish. This is something I have always believed in."

A Lesson in Kindness

"Our second-hand shop never closed, and the money we earned always went back into the hands of those poor families. For them, it was a source of pride and accomplishment. Many of them began to collaborate with us; they would make simple goods, and we would handle the sales. With our help, some families began to change. They were no longer living in poverty without the ability to work; instead, the whole family would work together to create products or find sources of goods.

In our eyes, this was a truly successful business. Even though we did not make a single cent of profit—and in fact, we often spent our own money every month—it did not matter. It was of no consequence to us because our family was not lacking. Compared to the labour and money we invested, seeing these struggling families lead different, better lives was far more important and valuable.

I remember one time, a little boy of about five years old walked up to me. I was about fifteen at the time. He shyly took out his only toy—it was quite worn out—and said it was the only thing he had to sell. I asked him what he needed the money for, and he said his mother was sick and he wanted to earn money to buy her medicine.

Looking at that little boy, my heart was heavy, yet deeply moved. I immediately accepted his toy and asked him how I could contact him later. My father and I quickly set to work to sell his toy. Of course, it needed some care—cleaning, repainting, and so on. Then, my father paid for some similar toys to display on our stall. Soon, a woman came by wanting to buy something for her child. My father then brought out the boy’s toy and told her his story. The woman was deeply touched and immediately paid several times the asking price.

That day, I went to find the boy. I will never forget the look on his face when he ran out of his house—his eyes were filled with such anticipation. When I handed him the money, he was overwhelmed with emotion and kept thanking me. He was so surprised that his little toy could fetch such a price. I told him about the woman’s kindness, and I took the opportunity to teach him about helping others—how benefiting others is also benefiting oneself.

About twenty years later, that boy appeared before me again. I almost did not recognise him because he had grown up. He told me he was now a successful businessman, but like us, his goal was not just to make money; he used his earnings to help others. My heart was deeply stirred by his kindness, and I became even more convinced that our work was worth continuing. I was not just working or providing a service; I was doing something significant—keeping the spirit of kindness and good deeds alive, teaching everyone to open their hearts to help others. Even a small gesture can truly help those in need."

From the Painting to the Hells

"I lived to be over seventy years old. Eventually, I transferred the second-hand shop to a young man who was willing to take it over. He was young, capable, and wanted to do good just as we had. After several conversations, I decided to pass the shop to him so he could continue the work.

Before I passed away, my heart was still attached to that shop. It held so many memories—it was full of them. In the end, my spirit remained in a painting inside the shop. That painting was not for sale; it depicted my father and me running the shop, showing the layout and the two of us standing there. It had been hanging in the shop for decades. My spirit just stayed there, within the painting.

Decades later, my spirit suddenly walked out of the painting. I was quite startled at the time. Soon, two officials appeared and took me into the hells to see King Yama. After that, King Yama gave me the position of a jailer, and I began my service in the hells.

A few years ago, I began to hear Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks. I heard them while I was in the hells. At first, I did not understand, and I did not know what was being said because I had never heard the Buddha’s teachings before. But as I listened more, I began to understand, to comprehend, and to be moved. I finally realised that this was the Great Dharma that could save us. I learned that as long as we chant the name of Namo Amituofo and truly repent, we can save ourselves.

I encourage everyone to listen to the teachings. Many other jailers have heard Practitioner Su’s teachings just as I did, and they are also actively encouraging the beings in the hells to listen to the sutras, to repent, and to chant the Buddha’s name. I finally saw hope and light in the hells. In the end, I made a vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land, and today, that wish has been fulfilled.

I am so grateful to Practitioner Su for compassionately guiding us; only then did we have the chance to reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. On behalf of all the jailers here today, I once again express my gratitude to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su.

Chai Guangquan bows in reverence."