The Tragic Curtain Call of Choi Jin-sil

Disciple Li Jiaxian: I perform ten bows to the Buddha and respectfully invite the South Korean actress, Ms. Choi Jin-sil. Namo Amituofo, in His great compassion, created the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Practitioner Su, with immense mercy, has performed Chao Du for Ms. Choi Jin-sil, guiding her to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Could you please explain the causal conditions that brought you to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and describe your journey to rebirth? Namo Amituofo.

The Allure of the Spotlight

Choi Jin-sil: "Namo Amituofo. When I was young, I was filled with curiosity about the dazzling, colourful world of the entertainment industry. Perhaps it was the influence of vanity, but my heart was full of anticipation and envy. Every day, I watched those stars—each one more beautiful than the last, wearing clothes more fashionable than the next—and I longed to enter that world myself. Through a stroke of luck, I successfully entered the industry and took on many roles in television dramas and films. While I was not an overnight sensation, I eventually gained fame.

However, the path of the entertainment industry is not something outsiders can truly understand. It appears bright and glamorous, but behind the scenes, there are far too many complex relationships that the public never sees. Sometimes, to make an actor popular, directors would manufacture false scandals to create news, giving the film or drama a chance to be in the spotlight. To make a production a hit, it does not rely entirely on physical beauty; one must also rely on genuine skill and acting ability. In my life, I did star in several successful dramas. Yet, the industry is filled with so many hidden, dark secrets that I eventually wanted to retire from acting."

A Life Behind Closed Doors

"Later, I met my Japanese husband and we married. I thought to myself that I would become a virtuous wife and a loving mother, staying home to care for my children. Unexpectedly, things did not go as I had hoped. My husband had a tendency toward domestic violence. Especially when he was in a bad mood or had been drinking, if things did not go his way, I would be subjected to abuse. Once we had children, I wanted to give them a complete family, so I endured the pain and continued to live with him. I hoped that my sincere treatment of him would transform him, but that was not the case.

When I was pregnant, my husband suffered a setback outside the home. He returned in a low mood, having consumed a great deal of alcohol, and took all his frustrations out on me. With one swing of his hand, he knocked me to the ground. I suffered a miscarriage at that moment. I could no longer forgive him. I chose to divorce him and return to my own country. I had to raise my children, so I stepped back into the entertainment industry. For the sake of my children and our livelihood, I endured things I should never have had to bear. I was forced back into that environment just to survive."

The Final Act

"There were too many rumours and false reports from the outside world, which broke my heart. Because of the domestic violence, I could not regulate my emotions, and the pressures of life became too much to bear. In the end, I chose that path of no return. In the bathroom where the incident occurred, I was trapped, endlessly repeating the performance of my final act. I could not stop. Suddenly, someone was calling out, 'Choi Jin-sil, where are you?'

Following the Buddha-light, I arrived at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. I saw the compassionate Practitioner Su, who invited me to the Dharma-Nature Land to listen to the sutras. Practitioner Su, in her great mercy, held my spirit during the Thrice Yearning Ceremony and guided me to rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I no longer have to repeat the agony of my own passing in the human world. Seeing my life—the domestic abuse after marriage, the hardships, the return to the entertainment industry, and the hidden struggles that led me to end my life—I realise now that all of this was governed by the laws of karma and cause and effect."

A Past Life of Deception

"Looking back, in my sixth previous life, I was a human trafficker. I used deceitful means to trick daughters from impoverished families, telling their parents that I would send their girls to work as maids for wealthy households. I used large sums of silver to make the parents believe me and feel at ease handing their daughters over to me. But I, ignoring my conscience, sold these young girls into brothels, forcing them into a life of servitude where they had no freedom. Some of these girls, unable to bear the humiliation, chose to commit suicide. For the sake of my own profit, I trafficked so many girls, leaving them in a sea of fire from which they could not escape. I am so sorry to these girls I sold. Here, Choi Jin-sil sincerely and truly repents. I hope that Practitioner Su can save these innocent girls I harmed, so that they may also be received by the great compassion of Namo Amituofo and be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I am eternally grateful. Namo Amituofo."

Disciple Li Jiaxian: Namo Amituofo. Thank you, Ms. Choi Jin-sil, for accepting this interview.