The Sudden Transformation of a Soul

This is a record of an interview with Lin Baiyi, a former jailer in the hell realms who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and his eventual liberation. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on September 21, 2024.

Lin Baiyi speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. All sixty of us who served as jailers have finally arrived in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. The very moment I stepped onto this sacred ground, I felt it in the depths of my spirit—this is the true home for all beings. This is where we belong. Yet, it is so rare for a spirit to find their way back here once they have fallen into the cycle of reincarnation.

Today, we are able to stand here only because of the compassionate help of Practitioner Su. It was Practitioner Su who used his Dharma Body to reach out and guide us; without that intervention, we would have been just like countless other spirits, trapped in the endless cycle of reincarnation, forever lost and unable to find the path back to the Western Land."

A Life of Arrogance

"Looking back at my life, it feels as though I was merely an actor performing in a grand, tragic play. In that play, I felt so real—I truly existed, and I lived in that world. But eventually, the curtain fell, the performance ended, and that physical body vanished into dust. All that remained was this spirit of mine.

I have lived many lives, and in each one, I wore a different mask. But ultimately, this spirit is the only true 'me.' All those other lives were merely temporary shadows, illusions that faded away when their time was up. In this lifetime, I was born into the Lin family and named Lin Baiyi. When I was fifteen, my father passed away, and I inherited the entire family fortune, becoming a wealthy man overnight.

My mother had left long before I could remember her. Many people told me she was a kind and virtuous woman, but I never had the chance to meet her. I only knew that my father had driven her away. My father never cared for me; he simply hired a servant to look after me while he spent his days and nights indulging in the pleasures of the red-light districts. He had no time for a son.

My father died young, at thirty-seven, and the entire Lin fortune fell into my hands. It was a tragedy, really—I had no guidance, no education in Goodness. I grew up watching my father’s back, mimicking his every move. Once I had the money, I lived exactly as he had. I was the husband of ten women and the father of twenty children. To me, women were nothing more than playthings, and my children were merely products of my indulgence. As long as I provided money, they could survive; beyond that, I felt no connection to them at all.

That life felt exhilarating at the time. I believed I was the greatest person in the world, the only one who mattered. I wanted everything, and I expected everyone to bow to my whims. I had a great-uncle who lived nearby, and he tried to counsel me, to tell me to show some restraint, but I ignored him completely. I treated his words like wind passing by my ears."

The Day Everything Changed

"When I was twenty-seven, an accident occurred—a car crash that nearly claimed my life. Everyone thought I was finished, that there was no way I could survive. But against all odds, I lived. Yet, I must ask: was the person who survived truly me?

After I regained consciousness, my personality had undergone a complete, radical transformation. I was like a different person entirely. The moment I woke from my coma, I summoned my most trusted subordinate and ordered him to take a portion of my wealth to build an orphanage. The man was terrified and asked me three times to confirm if he had heard me correctly. He could not believe I was serious.

At the time, everyone was in shock. They whispered that I must have suffered brain damage in the crash to say such things. My subordinate, though deeply confused, followed my orders and began the planning for the orphanage. Once I was strong enough to leave my bed, I travelled everywhere to provide disaster relief, using my fortune to help those in need. I even stopped seeing women; they no longer held any attraction for me. When my former lovers came to find me, I recognised them, but no matter how sweetly they spoke or how they tried to charm me, I felt nothing. I simply gave them money and counselled them to go home, live decent lives, and start over. I told them to leave that industry and never come back to me.

My transformation was so profound that it was hard for anyone to believe I was the same man. What had happened to me? Why this sudden, total change?"

A Mother's Silent Guidance

"It is difficult for people to believe the truth. That car crash was meant to be the end of my life. I should have died, but I survived, which is why so many found it inconceivable. The truth is, after that accident, my body was no longer being used by me. When the car struck me, my spirit was violently ejected from my body. In that split second, another spirit entered my physical form. We passed each other in the air—she entered, and I left.

My spirit did not drift far; I hovered near my body, watching. And who was the spirit that had taken over my form? I looked closely, and to my astonishment, it was my mother. Why was she able to take my body? I do not know; it is beyond explanation. I later learned that shortly after I was born, my mother had been driven away by my father and had died in an accident. Her spirit had remained by my side, watching over me, but she had never had the chance to teach me properly. She watched as I mimicked my father’s wicked ways.

Through a series of Causal Conditions, she was given the chance to enter my body. Not only did she use my form to perform countless good deeds, but she was also teaching me, showing me what it truly meant to be a good person. My spirit watched everything, learning from her actions. My body, under her influence, became docile and gentle. The temper was gone, the bad habits vanished, and my speech became refined and elegant. She had completely transformed me.

My mother used my body for about ten years. During that decade, my body performed countless acts of kindness, all directed by her. Ten years later, on the anniversary of the accident, the moment my body was about to fall from a rooftop, my spirit returned to it. When I returned, my mother was gone. I never saw her again, but I could still feel her presence—not a scent, but the lingering essence of her kindness and virtue, which had become embedded in my very being.

My appearance had truly changed. From that day on, I continued to do good. It was as if my body had become accustomed to kindness, to speaking well, and to seeing the good in others. I was a completely different man. I lived in this body until I was seventy-five, and for all those years, I never stopped doing good. By the time I reached the end of my life, I had spent my entire fortune, and I was happy. I was glad that the money had been used for meaningful purposes rather than being wasted on drinking and debauchery."

The Burden of the Jailer

"However, before I died, my head was heavily influenced by my karmic creditors. They kept filling my mind with thoughts, not of where I would go after death, but of how I could bring more joy to others. In life, I had always hoped to bring happiness to people, which is why I helped them so much. But I felt it was never enough; I kept thinking of how to give them permanent happiness.

Lying on my bed, I gazed at the sky, thinking incessantly. My thoughts were actually being controlled by the beings around me; I was too attached, too intense, but I did not realise I was being manipulated. Finally, as my spirit left my body, I entered a smiling cloud—a cloud I saw just before I closed my eyes. You cannot imagine how happy I was to see that cloud; it was truly smiling, just like the joy I had always wanted to bring to others.

I drifted in that cloud, still planning how to do good. My cloud floated everywhere, always in the shape of a smile. Anyone who saw me would naturally smile, because I radiated the power of joy—a power generated by my own mental notes. One day, my spirit suddenly left the smiling cloud, and two hell officers took me to see King Yama. Through him, I saw the deep karmic connection between my mother and me; that was why she had stayed by my side to guide me. I am so grateful to her.

I repented for my past mistakes before King Yama. I was willing to pay back every debt I owed, for it was rightfully theirs. Eventually, King Yama assigned me the work of a jailer, giving me the chance to serve and repay my debts in the hell realms. Although I was managing the prisoners, my heart ached to see them suffer. I had once been a man of many sins, and I knew that my spirit had never wanted to do those things—it was the body that had driven me. I understood these prisoners; many of them did not want to commit those acts, but their bodies compelled them, and so they created karma and fell into hell to suffer retribution.

It is so painful. Being human is truly suffering, and being a helpless spirit is even worse. I wanted to help them leave their suffering behind, but I was powerless."

A New Beginning in the West

"One day, I suddenly heard Practitioner Su giving a Dharma talk. That was when I first learned of Namo Amituofo, and I realised I needed to chant Buddha's name and seek rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I shared the Dharma I heard from Practitioner Su with many beings in hell, hoping they would also chant and repent.

I was so happy to see them find a chance for salvation. After listening to the Dharma every day, I developed a strong vow to leave the cycle of reincarnation and attain liberation. Once I made this vow, I was placed on the list to be guided by Practitioner Su to the West. I was overjoyed.

Today is the day that I and the other fifty-nine jailers have arrived in the West. At this very moment, we are already here. Gratitude, endless gratitude. Thank you, Namo Amituofo. Thank you, Practitioner Su. Thank you to everyone.

Namo Amituofo.

Lin Baiyi bows in reverence.

※ The mother of the jailer Lin Baiyi, named Huang Linxiang, is currently in space. She has been guided by Practitioner Su and sent to the Western Land of Dharma Nature to listen to the Dharma and undergo purification."