The Stubborn Stone: From Earthly Obstinacy to Western Bliss

This interview features Wang Gong, a man who spent his life defined by an unyielding and stubborn nature. After a lifetime of solitude and a subsequent existence as a stone in the wilderness, he eventually found himself serving as a prison guard in the hells. Through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su, he was able to repent, transform his heart, and secure deliverance to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This testimony was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on May 27, 2023.

Wang Gong speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. With the help of Practitioner Su, we sixty prison guards have arrived at the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss today. This is the day we have dreamed of, the day we have finally waited for. If not for the assistance of Practitioner Su, we would still be adrift on the boat of reincarnation, never knowing where we might be dropped off or into which realm we would be reincarnated. Fortunately, we left that boat early and boarded this compassionate vessel bound for the West. We have arrived at the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and our gratitude is beyond measure.

I am Wang Gong. If I had told my family while I was alive that one day I would reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, they would never have believed it. I was a man with a terrible temper and an incredibly stubborn nature.

A Traditional Household and a Stubborn Son

I was born during the Ming Dynasty. In fact, by the time I was born, there were already people in my family who practised the Buddha’s teachings—my grandmother. After my mother married my father, my grandmother led her to study the Dharma as well, so there were two people in the house who were Buddhist. Ours was a very traditional family, and it was quite patriarchal. That was the way of the dynasties in the past, and at the time, it did not seem strange to anyone. Because of this patriarchal structure, when my grandmother studied the Buddha’s teachings, my mother was willing to follow her. As for my grandfather, my father, my younger brother, and me, none of us were willing to learn. We would not even utter a single 'Namo Amituofo'.

My situation was even more severe than that of my grandfather, father, or brother. I had been stubborn since I was a child. No one knew where I had learned such a personality, as no one else in the family was like me. Once I became stubborn, no matter what anyone asked me to do, if I said I would not do it, I absolutely would not. Even if my grandfather or father came to tell me to do something, I would refuse. I would rather be beaten by them or forced to kneel all night than give in. That was my stubborn and unyielding character.

Because of this personality, when I did not want to study the Buddha’s teachings, no matter how my grandmother or mother tried to teach me to chant, I would not even open my mouth. Eventually, they gave up, knowing that it was impossible for me to study the Dharma in this lifetime. Under such circumstances, if I had told them that I would one day go to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I suspect they would certainly not have believed it. But now, I have truly arrived. This is the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. It is truly inconceivable.

The Paradox of a Kind Heart

I mentioned that I was a stubborn person. Although I was stubborn, I possessed a very kind heart. That might sound contradictory—to be both stubborn and kind. In reality, it is not a contradiction. My heart was kind, but I still had that stubborn personality that I had not changed. In such a situation, where would I end up? I would still be reincarnated to receive karmic retribution.

I was born into a very wealthy family, which is why my grandmother had the opportunity to study the Buddha’s teachings; she could spend her days chanting sutras without having to do anything else, and my mother was the same. Growing up in this household, I received both Buddhist education and traditional moral training. Although I was unwilling to study the Dharma, the teachings my mother gave me using the Buddha’s wisdom were deeply planted in my heart. I knew what should be done and what should not, or how I should think correctly when encountering situations. She taught us these things constantly from a young age, which is why, from a very early age, I understood the importance of helping others. My mother said this was a form of Generosity. I did not calculate how much I gave; I only had one thought in my heart: as long as I had the ability, I was willing to help those in need. This was my mental note from childhood, which later turned into a fixation—a stubborn insistence that I must do so.

The Price of Unyielding Conviction

When I was twenty-one, I had already planned to get married, but my fiancée ran away because I did something she could not accept. As I mentioned, I had a fixation on helping others. When I decided to help someone, I would definitely do it, regardless of my circumstances or how much ability I had. I would always find a way to help the person in front of me.

At that time, my fiancée and I were due to be married in a month. My grandfather had already prepared a house for us, and we were just waiting to move in. My fiancée was full of joy, wanting to marry into a wealthy family. Who would have expected that, just a month before the wedding, I sold the house we were about to move into in order to help someone? I lent all the money to that person and did not even intend to ask for it back. When my fiancée found out, she was furious. She felt that I was an unreasonable person. She worried that if she married me, I would do even more things she could not accept, and she would have to live an unstable life every day. That is why she decided to abandon me and not become my bride.

Of course, I was sad, but I knew she was right. Perhaps after we were married, I would suddenly encounter someone who needed help and give away all our savings, leaving us to live in poverty. That was a real possibility, and I knew it. So, when my fiancée decided to leave, I did not try to stop her. I felt that with my personality, I was only suited to live alone. Forcing another person to be with me would only bring them suffering. Therefore, I lived alone for the rest of my life and never met another partner.

The Stone of Solitude

My stubborn personality accompanied me throughout my life. Do you know where my spirit went after this life ended? I became a stone—a very, very hard stone, just as hard and stubborn as my personality.

This stone was not small. Because I had helped quite a few people during my life, the stone was somewhat large. It was big enough for people to climb onto and sit to rest; two or three people could sit on it without any problem.

What was very special was that this stone appeared in a very clever location, right under a large tree in the wilderness. It was not exactly the wilderness, as people often walked by. Usually, only those who had travelled long distances would reach this spot; they had to pass through here to get to another city or even further away.

Everyone walked this road with great difficulty. When they arrived at my stone, they would surely stop. It happened to be under a large tree, so they did not have to endure the scorching sun, and there was a stone to sit on for a short rest. Some people would lie directly on me and fall asleep. I used my strong stone body to support them, allowing their exhausted bodies to rest well. Once they had replenished their energy, they would continue on their journey.

Although I was a stone, I was truly happy to be a stone that could help people. Once, an old monk and his disciple passed by here and stopped to rest. The old monk sat on me, while his disciple leaned gently against me, not sitting on me with the old monk. This was his way of showing respect to his master.

As soon as the old monk sat on me, he immediately sensed the presence of my spirit. He said to the disciple beside him, 'There is a man inside here.' The disciple looked at me in great surprise. He did not have the old monk’s sensitivity, so he could not feel me and found it hard to believe.

The old monk taught his disciple to chant for me and take refuge, teaching me to chant Buddha’s name so that I could leave the stone soon. However, stubborn as I was, no matter what the old monk and his disciple said or chanted, I remained unmoved. I felt that I was doing just fine as I was. Even as a stone, I could still help people, allowing everyone who passed by to have a chance to rest on me. I was very happy. So, even when they chanted for me and took refuge, I was unwilling to follow along, nor did I want to leave the space of the stone.

That was the only time I met people who studied the Buddha’s teachings. For the next hundred years or more, I never met anyone else. No matter how much time passed, I remained in the same old spot, waiting for someone to walk by and sit on me to rest.

The Breaking of the Stone

A full hundred years passed. The area began to be developed. Workers used tools to move me, and the large tree that had accompanied me for over a hundred years was also about to be removed. We faced a very painful separation. I did not want to leave, but I was helpless against human beings. Whatever they wanted us to do, we had to do; I had no power to resist.

During the process of them moving me with their tools, I rolled down from a high place. Everyone let out a loud cry. My body fell with great force due to gravity and broke into two halves. In an instant, my spirit left the stone and was taken away by the prison guards of the hells, arriving in the underworld.

King Yama said that I had accumulated merit both during my life and while I was a stone. Although my personality was stubborn, the good deeds I had done had accumulated quite a bit of merit, which gave me the opportunity to serve as a prison guard.

Serving in the hells, I saw many criminals who were just as stubborn as I had been. They had not done as many good deeds as I had in life, so after death, they were all dragged into the hells for punishment. Seeing their extreme suffering, I was completely terrified. Only then did I realise how terrible it is to be so stubborn, and the tragic consequences it brings upon oneself. I became determined to change.

After I changed, I was no longer the stubborn person I once was. That is why, when I heard the voice of Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks, I began to listen attentively and even started to chant Buddha’s name. I shared my own experiences with the beings in the hells, counselling them to chant along, to repent for their sins, and to thoroughly change themselves. Those beings in the hells who were willing to listen, when the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su came to the hells to save them, all chanted and repented loudly, leaving the hells. I felt so happy for them.

When I learned that I had been placed on the list to be led to the West by Practitioner Su, I was truly overjoyed. I was filled with delight, waiting every day for this day to arrive. Today is the great day of my arrival in the West. At this very moment, I am already standing on the golden ground of the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I kneel and kowtow to express my gratitude to the Buddha’s compassion, and to express my gratitude to the compassion of Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Wang Gong bows in reverence."