The Stubborn Pride of a Prison Guard

Hong Zhengquan, a former blacksmith who later served as a prison guard in the underworld, sought deliverance through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This interview, recorded on April 5, 2024, chronicles his journey from a life of arrogance to his eventual rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Hong Zhengquan speaks:

"Today, I am deeply grateful for this magnificent karmic connection. The Buddha is right before our eyes, and countless beings are being sent to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss by Practitioner Su. We chant together, and with a single recitation of 'Namo Amituofo,' we arrive at the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The magnificence and beauty of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is the true spiritual destination for every soul.

I am grateful to Namo Amituofo for granting us a kingdom of ultimate bliss, where every wish is fulfilled and there is not a single affliction. Everyone who arrives at the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is filled with gratitude, their faces radiant with smiles.

I am grateful for this good karmic connection and for the help I received from Practitioner Su. I am also grateful to King Yama for selecting me as one of the sixty representatives of the prison guards today."

The Pride of the Master Blacksmith

"In my past life, I was a blacksmith. Everything I forged—whether knives, scissors, or various tools—was exquisite. Every customer who bought from me would shower me with praise. At first, when one customer praised me, I did not think much of it. But when ten, twenty, and then every single customer said the same thing, I truly began to believe I was the best. A sense of superiority took root in my heart; I felt that what I created was superior to anything else.

From that point on, I became incredibly arrogant. My business was booming, but whenever someone came to seek guidance from me, I would first examine them with an extremely haughty attitude to see if they were truly sincere or if they just wanted to steal my skills. I only taught those who were perfectly sincere. If I discovered someone was not sincere enough, I would drive them away, never wanting to see them again.

Word spread outside that I was a man with a very eccentric temper, so those who interacted with me were always extremely cautious."

A Life of Solitude and Transformation

"In that lifetime, I never married. My elders had long since passed away, and I lived and worked alone for many years. I let myself become thin and gaunt, and my bones even became deformed in several places. When I breathed my last, I was still clutching my forging tools. I never expected that I would then be reborn as a piece of iron.

I first entered the depths of the earth, where I remained for three hundred years. I did not pay much attention to that dark space; in my ignorance, I felt the subterranean layers were quite quiet. The environment suited me well—I did not need to talk to anyone, and I just kept my eyes fixed forward, not thinking much of anything.

After I was dug out from the depths of the earth, I was surrounded by light. I did not know how to react, only hearing the workers nearby say, 'We are so lucky! We have found top-quality iron.' The so-called top-quality iron referred to me. I had become iron, yet deep within my bones, a certain quality remained."

The Vessel of the Master

"I was first forged into a vessel used by a high-ranking official, often displayed on important occasions. I detested those occasions; they were incredibly noisy. I watched the people coming and going, and often, their hearts were not true to one another, even though they spoke many pleasant words on the surface. Time and again, it made me feel nauseated. I did not understand why these people had to be so hypocritical, and in my heart, I only hoped that one day I could leave that place.

Suddenly, one day, I was picked up and placed into a simple yet elegant high-end box. I knew I was about to leave that place, and I prayed that I could go somewhere better—at least somewhere quieter. While I was focused on this thought, I was picked up. I could feel the hustle and bustle of the city outside, and the box containing me was vibrating slightly; the person holding me was extremely careful.

Not long after, I found myself placed in a certain location. I felt the external magnetic field was quite peaceful, and I heard a continuous, rhythmic sound: 'Namo Amituofo—Namo Amituofo—Namo Amituofo—' I did not recognise this music, but I felt more and more peaceful the more I listened to it. I had never experienced such a feeling before.

While I was still very unfamiliar with the environment, I felt a pair of hands take me out of the box and place me somewhere, and then something like water was poured into me. A voice said, 'Master, please have some tea.' From that day on, I became the vessel for the Master's tea."

Awakening to the Dharma

"I could feel that the Master's heart was very peaceful, and that same 'Namo Amituofo—Namo Amituofo—' was always being recited in his heart. When the Master gave lectures, I was placed right in front of him. The Master's steady voice urged every one of us beings to awaken and to transcend the cycle of rebirth. At first, I did not quite understand, until one day, while the Master was lecturing, he touched me and picked me up, telling the audience, 'This vessel also has a spirit and should also awaken and transcend.' The Master's action suddenly woke me from my daze, as if a trapped space had suddenly been opened.

From that day on, every Dharma teaching the Master gave, I listened to intently. I began to learn to chant the Buddha's name along with the Master, and under the Master's guidance during his lectures, I began to change the foul and stubborn self that existed deep within me. I followed the Master like this for twenty-five years, until the Master's human life reached its end. The Master chanted the Buddha's name so diligently every day; I believe the Master went to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

The Path of the Prison Guard

"After the Master departed, I chanted the Buddha's name very diligently, taking every single recitation into my heart. I also prayed that I could follow in the Master's footsteps to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Unexpectedly, as I chanted 'Namo Amituofo' over and over, my soul left the space of the vessel. As soon as I saw the light, I moved toward it. It turned out that what was guiding me was a beam of white light, and I entered a mother's womb. After ten months of pregnancy, I was born, and my parents named me Hong Zhengquan.

My mother was a Buddhist practitioner, and from a young age, I loved following her to the temple. Even as a small child, I would follow everyone in chanting the Buddha's name. In the temple, everyone loved me, this little Bodhisattva. I never liked going out to play with others; I preferred to do volunteer work at the temple. The monks and lay practitioners in the temple all said I was born to practice, and they were very optimistic about my cultivation.

But I knew in my heart that I still had a very stubborn personality. This personality would prevent me from softening whenever I encountered difficulties. I accumulated great merit in the temple; I did everything others would not do, and I was very diligent, waking up early. But my personality held onto me. No one guided me; all I heard around me were voices of praise. No one saw the real problems in my practice. My practice was lost in the applause. I thought I was doing well, but whenever my true personality manifested, I chose to ignore it."

Repentance and Deliverance

"I never expected that this way of living would harm me. At the end of my life, I could not successfully chant the Buddha's name to go to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Instead, I was seized by a group of karmic creditors, which made my mind unclear, and I did not even have the motivation to chant the Buddha's name. When I breathed my last, I arrived before the Hall of King Yama. King Yama looked at me with a stern gaze and said, 'Do you know why you have come before the Hall of King Yama?' I looked around and saw all my karmic creditors, and I cried out loudly, 'I was wrong. I did not change. I repent; I truly repent before all beings.'

After the judgment, King Yama announced that because I had cultivated great merit in the temple, I could serve as a prison guard to serve other beings. I was filled with gratitude and accepted. When I served as a prison guard, I assisted King Yama in recording everything everyone did, whether good or evil, one by one, clearly and logically. Only then did I know that no one in the world can escape the laws of karma and cause and effect; the records of karma are crystal clear.

In the hells, there is wailing everywhere, and I felt it deeply in my heart. During this period, I joyfully listened to Practitioner Su's lectures, examined my past self, and chanted the Buddha's name, hoping to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Finally, I waited for this day, the day I could be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Today is a great day for me. I am grateful for all the realizations I gained in the world, in the hells, and in the Hall of King Yama. I am not attached to anything. I chant the Buddha's name loudly, and together with the other fifty-nine prison guards, I have arrived at the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I am grateful for everything.

Namo Amituofo.

Hong Zhengquan, kneeling and bowing."