The Simple Wisdom of Liao Jinzong

Liao Jinzong was a prison guard in the hells who sought deliverance through the teachings of Practitioner Su. After listening to the Dharma talks, he was liberated and now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This testimony was recorded on September 25, 2021, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

Liao Jinzong speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am the disciple Liao Jinzong. Together with fifty-nine other prison guards, I have arrived in the Western Pure Land. We are all kneeling here to express our deepest gratitude to the Buddha for His compassion, and to Practitioner Su for His mercy. Namo Amituofo."

"While I was in the hells, I listened to Practitioner Su give Dharma talks every day. I learned about the wonders of the Western Pure Land, but I had never seen it with my own eyes; I could only imagine it in my mind. Now, I am actually here. The beauty of this place is completely different from anything I could have imagined—it is far more magnificent. In particular, the purity of the Western Pure Land is something you can feel the very moment you step foot here. My heart is filled with Dharma joy, and I am endlessly grateful."

A Simple Life in the Past

"Reflecting on the past, in that lifetime, I was a very honest man. I was born in the southern region of mainland China, approximately three hundred years ago. My parents were simple, hardworking country folk. Neither of them had ever attended school or learned to read, yet they were remarkably capable. My father, in particular, was quite clever. Any difficult task that came his way would instantly become simple in his hands. I once asked him, 'Father, why is it that such difficult tasks are so easily solved by you?' He replied, 'I never went to school. My mind is filled only with simple life experiences, so I naturally handle things in a simple way. I do not overthink them.'

"Hearing him say this, I understood: when the mind is simple, one uses simple methods to solve problems. When the mind is complex, one often overthinks things. It is like reaching a destination by walking straight ahead; those with complex minds think the path cannot possibly be that simple, so they choose to take winding, complicated routes. They end up taking many side paths and spending several times longer than necessary to reach their destination. I asked myself, 'Do I want to be a simple person or a complex one?' There was really nothing to think about—of course, I wanted to be a simple person! Life is much easier that way."

The 'Foolish' Son

"Although my father was clever, it seemed that trait was not passed on to me. From a young age, I did not have a sharp mind. I was clumsier than the average child and was often mocked for it. If we were to use modern terms, I was a child with intellectual disabilities. My intelligence was lower than that of a normal child, though not so low that I required constant supervision.

"I had three older brothers, all of whom had normal minds and even inherited my father's cleverness. This disparity led the village gossips to wonder if I was the result of my mother having an affair. But my mother was absolutely not that kind of woman. She was a traditional, virtuous woman who followed my father's lead in everything. Without his consent, she would never dare to do anything. So, no matter what the outsiders said, my father trusted her completely. Besides, the large nostrils on my face were exactly like my father's, so there was no room for doubt—I was indeed his own flesh and blood.

"Even though my mind was a bit slow, my innocent smile always brought joy to others. Some adults, when feeling down, could not help but laugh when they saw my naive and pure expression. The greatest change I brought to people was helping them simplify their complex hearts. When they stopped overthinking, they had fewer afflictions to disturb them. My life seemed destined to be lived simply, without the burden of others' expectations, because no one expected anything of me. They all said that as long as I lived in peace, that was enough."

An Unexpected Turn of Fate

"No one would ever believe that I eventually became a son-in-law of the manor. But it is the truth. When I say son-in-law, I do not mean the son-in-law of an emperor, but rather that I married the daughter of a wealthy landlord. In an instant, I transformed from a country peasant into the landlord's son-in-law. My status changed overnight, like a sparrow turning into a phoenix, which left everyone in disbelief.

"Many people felt that no one would ever fall in love with the landlord's daughter, as she also had intellectual disabilities. However, the landlord always believed that one day he would find someone who truly cherished his daughter, and he hoped that person would be of normal intelligence. I was not of normal intelligence, so to the landlord, I was hardly a suitable candidate. Yet, for some reason, the landlord's daughter, Lianxiang, and I fell in love at first sight. It was as if we had known each other in a past life. Even though both of our minds were not normal, we did not look down on each other. Our hearts connected quickly, as if we had been searching for each other for many lifetimes and finally found one another in this one.

"I was sincere in my feelings for Lianxiang. Being simple-minded, I did not know that the landlord was looking for a son-in-law with normal intelligence, so I bravely expressed my love for Lianxiang in front of him. Initially, the landlord wanted to block our relationship, but when he saw that Lianxiang's eyes were filled with nothing but me, and that every move I made caused her to giggle incessantly, he could not say anything. Seeing her so happy—something he had not seen in a long time—he abandoned the idea of finding a normal son-in-law and accepted me instead."

Life in the Manor

"After the villagers found out that Lianxiang and I were together, some began to gossip behind our backs. Simple-minded people blessed us, while complex-minded people looked down on our marriage. As for my parents, they were simple people themselves and were very satisfied with our union. They did not care about the disparity in our social status; they believed that finding true love was the most important thing. They blessed us and believed we would grow old together in love, never to be separated.

"I did not marry Lianxiang into my home; I moved into hers as a live-in son-in-law. On the day of the wedding, the procession was incredibly long and grand—a requirement of the landlord, as Lianxiang was his only precious daughter. I had no opinions of my own and followed his every instruction. The wedding involved hundreds of people, all kinds of bands, and even theatrical performances. It was very lively.

"After moving into the manor, I did not want to be a freeloader, so I volunteered for every task. The servants were happy to have it easy; seeing my clumsy appearance, they ordered me around and did not treat me like the landlord's son-in-law at all. I did not mind. I did not have a clever mind, but I knew how to work, so I did as much as I could.

"When the landlord discovered this, he was furious. He told me, 'I brought a son-in-law into my home, not another servant.' He was right, but my mind was truly slow. Besides working, there was not much I could do, and I was bored at home. As for Lianxiang, she was happy as long as she could see me. Seeing her happy made me happy, and our relationship remained stable and harmonious."

Taking the Reins

"Under the landlord's plan, I was required to study, as he did not want his son-in-law to be illiterate. Although Lianxiang's intelligence was low, she at least knew some characters, while I knew none. The landlord also hoped that after I finished my studies, I could help manage his business. He intended to arrange a suitable position for me to manage several shops. I followed his arrangements completely, as I had done since childhood—I did whatever the adults told me to do, never having my own opinions.

"However, the day before I was to begin my studies, the landlord suddenly passed away. He choked on a fruit pit and died instantly. This event shocked everyone, and Lianxiang was heartbroken. All of the landlord's assets were inherited by Lianxiang, including all his shops. But Lianxiang's intelligence was even lower than mine, and she was truly unable to manage them, so she decided to hand everything over to me.

"As for me, although my intelligence was slightly higher than Lianxiang's, among normal people, I was still considered a fool. I was illiterate, and managing a business, overseeing shops, or handling finances were things I could never do in my life. Many people had long known that we two fools had no ability to help the landlord. Some relatives with ulterior motives had long wanted to seize everything the landlord left behind, using all sorts of schemes to deceive us.

"Although I was slow, I could still feel the hearts of others. I knew who was kind and who had bad intentions. But I did not retaliate with harsh words. I still treated them with kindness and interacted with them with my most sincere heart. I just did not easily hand over what was in my hands, because this was the fruit of the landlord's lifelong efforts, and no matter what, I had to protect it."

A Simple Way to Success

"The employees of the shops began to stir. They knew the landlord had passed away and that a foolish son-in-law had taken over. Every employee looked down on me; they could not accept having a fool as a boss and did not believe I had the ability to manage them. I did not care what they said or how they looked at me. I just did my best, just as my father had told me: 'A simple mind uses simple methods to do things.'

"With the help of a noble person who guided me on how to run a business, I managed these shops in the simplest way possible. I discovered that the landlord had a dishonest side, and I corrected all those dishonest parts. I required every product, every task, and every detail to be honest. No cutting corners. This was something my simple mind could do, and it was a part I insisted on. To my surprise, under my efforts, the business of every shop flourished. Perhaps it was because I was not greedy; every product was genuine, and the prices were fair and reasonable, which naturally attracted customers. This was completely different from how the landlord had operated. Additionally, I paid every employee the best wages. Every cent was earned through their hard work; I did not exploit or oppress them. When there was a surplus, I even gave them extra bonuses. This completely changed their attitude toward me, and even though I was intellectually challenged, they were completely obedient to me.

"My simple mind made me an honest person. I did not crave, I did not seek, and I did not fight. I only knew how to suffer a loss, and I did not know how to take advantage of others. Although I was sometimes deceived, in the end, I always received the greatest benefit. Perhaps Heaven particularly favors people as foolish as me!"

A Life of Giving

"My life did not require that much money. Every month, besides making offerings, I specifically sought out children from poor families who had no work and brought them to my shops. I let them earn money through their own abilities to support their parents. As long as they were diligent, their wages were quite good. If they were not diligent, I would give them appropriate guidance, using my simple mind to teach them the basic principles of being a human being.

"Lianxiang and I did not have children. We agreed that as we grew older, we would gradually hand over these businesses to suitable people—people who knew how to give back to society and had no selfish motives. I hoped to turn these businesses into charitable enterprises, not for the purpose of making money, but to provide job opportunities to those in need. I lived to the age of sixty-five. Lianxiang passed away five years before me. Her giggling smile never left my mind; she was always the woman I loved most.

"Everything I possessed in this world was cut off cleanly before I left. I had no attachments, no regrets, and I left this world with nothing. Upon reporting to the hells, I served as a prison guard. I was still as dull as before, yet I was highly respected, though I do not know why. Five years ago, I was placed on the list to be sent to the Western Pure Land. My heart was filled with gratitude—gratitude to the Buddha and gratitude to Practitioner Su. I have vowed to learn from Practitioner Su's compassion. Perhaps in the future, I will return to the human world to help beings, just as Practitioner Su does, to save immeasurable and boundless beings."

"Namo Amituofo."

Liao Jinzong