The Teacher Who Found Redemption in the Hells

This is a record of an interview with Hong Hao-chun, 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 as a teacher in Taiwan during the mid-twentieth century and his subsequent service in the hells. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa-ru, on April 11, 2026.

Hong Hao-chun speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. I am Hong Hao-chun, and today I represent sixty fellow prison guards in expressing our profound gratitude for the grace of Namo Amituofo, Practitioner Su, and the fourfold assembly of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre.

A Long-Awaited Deliverance

Today, being able to arrive in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I am truly thankful to Practitioner Su for saving us from the sea of suffering. It is incredibly difficult for beings in the hells to attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Before our names were placed on the list, I always hoped that I might one day be among those sixty guards. I knew my sins were heavy, and I dared not hope for too much, yet deep within my heart, I always prayed for this day to come.

The Path of an Educator

I was born in Taiwan and worked as a teacher. This was during the early years of the Republic of China, just after the government had relocated to Taiwan. At that time, Taiwan was experiencing a clash of cultures. Most people were actually quite happy to see the government move to Taiwan, as it meant the region would receive focused governance and development.

I grew up during this era. Back then, I was not particularly diligent in my studies. Taiwan was in a period of rapid construction, and the requirements for workers in business and industry were not very high. Initially, I worked as a child labourer for several years, but I felt that my true calling was to become a teacher.

Guiding the Underprivileged

To achieve my goal, I returned to school, first attending night classes, and eventually, I was successfully admitted to a university to undergo formal teacher training. After graduation, I went to the north to teach at a secondary school. During my time as a teacher, I encountered many students who, like my younger self, did not care much for studying. They came from diverse backgrounds, some from the most complex and impoverished layers of society.

At first, I did not hold high expectations for these children. Having walked that path myself, I knew how difficult it was. To truly escape the plight of the lower social strata, one usually had to rely on a sharp mind and exceptional business acumen to get rich, or perhaps use education as a ladder to change one's fate.

A Turning Point in Teaching

However, most of these children lacked the patience and ambition to invest in their studies. They preferred commerce or relying on personal connections to do business. Often, these efforts were short-lived. Because they were not keen on learning in school, they failed to grasp fundamental knowledge. When faced with business difficulties, they could only learn through constant trial, error, and correction.

Although the economic climate of the time allowed for some success in small and medium-sized enterprises, it was rarely enough to truly transform one's life. Throughout that era, I consistently encouraged these children to study. There was one student who was deeply affected by his family background. His father had passed away, and he was raised by his mother, who worked in a less-than-formal industry. He desperately wanted to change his circumstances and hoped to earn money through business to support himself and his family, but I urged him to study instead.

Retirement and Continued Service

At first, he was hesitant, and his resolve was unstable. But through my persistent encouragement, his path began to shift, and he eventually succeeded in getting into a very good university. For a family in extreme poverty, this was no small feat. He told me that his future ambition was to remain in school as a researcher or to enter a factory to work in development. Whether in research or development, these were excellent paths, and I was genuinely happy for him from the bottom of my heart. This example inspired me and changed my attitude and direction in teaching. I began to actively encourage every student to study, regardless of their background, their willingness, or the academic atmosphere of the class. I did my best to promote education so that they could receive the best possible foundation. The students could feel that, as their teacher, I had not given up on them.

I retired at the age of fifty-five, but I still frequently returned to the school to help. I served as a guidance counsellor, assisting students who were unclear about their academic plans or lost regarding their life goals and future paths. I was always happy to help. Being retired, I had no financial pressure and no children of my own, so I treated every student as if they were my own child. I genuinely considered their life goals, their circumstances, and whether their families could support them. For students who were truly struggling, I was willing to provide financial aid and encouraged them to apply for student loans to help them through the most difficult part of their education.

The Karmic Debt

Many students returned to visit me after graduation, expressing their relief and gratitude that I had been so active—even somewhat forceful—in pushing them to study. They felt satisfied and grateful that they were able to have a different life, escaping the environment they were born into. I continued working until I was sixty-five, when my health began to decline. A hospital check-up revealed that I had cancer. I did not seek treatment, as I felt that life is simply like that. I had done my best to help some students improve their lives. It was not a grand achievement, but to me, helping even one person was enough. I passed away at home at the age of sixty-eight.

After I stopped breathing, I arrived before the King of Hell. The King showed me that in my past lives, I had karmic affinities with many of these students, which is why I had the opportunity to counsel them. My inability to access much education early in my own life was because, in previous incarnations, I had been overbearing and had obstructed others from seeking knowledge. This lifetime was my way of repaying those debts by helping students who could not otherwise study. The King of Hell told me that everyone's sins are immeasurable and boundless, and he asked if I would be willing to serve as a prison guard to accumulate merit and continue to make amends for my past mistakes. I told the King that I was very willing to do so.

The Hope of the Western Pure Land

While serving in the hells, I often heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks and introducing the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and Namo Amituofo. I shared these key points with the inmates, letting them know that they could repent and turn towards goodness; they did not have to follow their original paths. Just as I had once urged my students, they did not have to define themselves by their past or believe their lives were destined for suffering—there were many possibilities for change. Every time I introduced the Western Pure Land to the beings in the hells, I yearned for it even more, hoping that one day I could be reborn there.

And just this week, I was placed on the list of sixty beings to be guided to the West. I am so grateful. I am grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for truly giving me this opportunity to immigrate to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Hong Hao-chun expresses his gratitude once again to Namo Amituofo, Practitioner Su, and everyone. Namo Amituofo."