The Traitor’s Retribution and the Path to Deliverance: An Interview with Prison Guard Du Hanmin

On March 1, 2020, at 11:05 AM, Venerable HaiZe invited Du Hanmin, the representative of sixty prison guards who were recently delivered to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss through the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, to share his testimony.

Du Hanmin speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. On behalf of the sixty prison guards, I wish to express our deepest gratitude to Namo Amituofo, Practitioner Su, and all the virtuous practitioners at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. We are eternally grateful for the grace that has delivered us to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss." (Du Hanmin, followed by the fifty-nine other prison guards, bows three times in respect to the assembly.)

A Humble Life and the Seeds of Virtue

"I am Du Hanmin. I grew up in an ordinary family without any illustrious background or high academic achievements, but I possessed a heart that was open, respectful, and reverent toward the heavens and the earth. My parents were honest farmers who tended to the single acre of land left by my grandfather to support our family of ten. Our life was simple: we worked at sunrise and rested at sunset. Although my mother lived the life of a typical village woman—the husband managing affairs outside and the wife managing the household—she was actually the daughter of the village chief. As the youngest of five sons and the only daughter, she was the apple of her father's eye. She was literate, well-mannered, and sweet-natured, yet she chose my father, who was illiterate but honest and sincere. Everyone said it was like a beautiful flower planted in cow dung, but my father was delighted by such comments. He would always tell us children that it was due to the ancestral virtue of the Du family that he was blessed with such a virtuous and capable wife.

We rarely saw our parents disagree or argue. At most, when my father could not win an argument, he would scratch his head and say, 'Alright, alright! We will do as you wish!' My mother would quickly add, 'Thank you, husband!' and my father would just shrug with a helpless expression. I grew up in such a household, so we siblings rarely fought. Our personalities were such that the boys took after our father, and the girls after our mother. Under our mother's guidance, we learned to read and memorise poetry, which gave us a touch of literary refinement compared to other village children, blended with the rustic charm of our home. Everyone in the village knew every one of the ten members of the Du family.

The Sudden Onset of Tragedy

The peaceful days of our family changed when I was twelve years old. It began when my two elder brothers were out and accidentally encountered a rampaging bull. They could not dodge in time and were struck by the out-of-control animal, suffering fatal chest and abdominal injuries. This was a massive shock to our once-tranquil home. The event happened so quickly that my parents found it impossible to accept. My eldest brother was ten years my senior and had cared for me like a father; his sudden departure was the first time I experienced the agony of the white-haired person sending off the black-haired person. Furthermore, both brothers had been engaged to be married on the same day; the double joy turned into a double funeral, and the villagers grieved deeply for our family.

Soon after, my eldest sister suddenly ran out of the house in the middle of the night, crying and laughing, before throwing herself into a well to end her life. This, too, happened with terrifying suddenness. That day, my parents were out with us, leaving my eldest and second sisters at home. My second sister was too young to stop her. When we returned, our neighbour rushed us to that well. When my sister's body was pulled up, she was already lifeless and cold. My parents were devastated. My eldest sister was the child who looked most like my mother and received the most praise from our elders; no one expected her to leave the world in such a way. From then on, the well was sealed. After experiencing these bizarre tragedies, my parents were filled with sorrow and worry, wondering if they had done something wrong and fearing that more misfortune would strike our home.

The Path of Repentance and Practice

Consequently, they went to a temple to seek guidance. The Venerable there was compassionate and invited my parents to listen to the Dharma and attend the temple's Dharma assembly. After several sessions of guidance, my parents understood the laws of karma and cause and effect. They realised that these calamities were the result of negative causes from the past. They were instructed to chant the Buddha's name and dedicate the merit to their departed relatives to help dissolve their karma. From then on, my mother’s prayer beads were always in her hands, and she would constantly chant the Buddha-name. After some time, her heart became much calmer. She became a volunteer at the temple and a dedicated practitioner. She taught us about the laws of karma and cause and effect, urging us to practice Generosity (Giving), keep our hearts filled with Goodness, and do good deeds to avoid evil and attract auspiciousness. I kept my parents' words firmly in my heart and followed them throughout my life.

Because of our family's tragic experiences, we could not bear the thought of anyone else meeting such a fate. Finally, under the protection of the Buddha, we enshrined Namo Amituofo in our home. We went from being vegetarian on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month to being fully vegetarian every day. My father’s farming always followed the seasonal cycles. We often had surplus grain, which we would donate to the temple or give to the elderly and helpless in the village. I participated in this, married, had children, and took over my father's land. I became an honest farmer and a practitioner, raising two sons and a daughter. After my mother passed away, we enshrined a memorial tablet at the temple under the guidance of the Venerable to chant for her Chao Du. At that time, I did not know one could chant to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land; I only knew that chanting and being a good person would bring good rewards, a peaceful passing, and a good destination.

The Summons of the Underworld

When I reached the age of fifty-three, my legs became difficult to move, and I rarely went out. One night, in a half-awake, half-dream state, I saw two officials who called my name: 'Du Hanmin, Du Hanmin, wake up! The time has come; come with us.' I was still wondering how they had entered and where we were going when, in an instant, I arrived before the King of the Fourth Hall of Hell. I had heard my mother speak of the King of Hell—it was the place one went after death to be judged for the good and bad deeds of one's life, and to be sentenced to the next realm. Only then did I realise that when the officials said 'the time has come,' they meant my lifespan had ended. I was dead! I was not shocked. Because of my family's history and my mother's teachings, I understood that death is merely the beginning of a new life. Therefore, one must cherish every causal condition in this lifetime, as we might meet again in the next. With this understanding, one can live life well.

Just as I was thinking this, the King of Hell struck his desk to wake me up. He recounted my life: I had merits and I had faults, but my small merits were continuous, and I had no major sins. He told me that my two brothers, my eldest sister, and I shared a collective karma; in a past life, we had been traitors, causing a general and many soldiers to die. The rampaging bull was that victimised general reincarnated to seek revenge. My eldest sister had been the military strategist for the brothers, inciting the rebellion, which led many spirits to seek revenge. When my parents were away, she saw these spirits and, losing her mind, threw herself into the well. I, too, had been part of that rebellion, but because my mother practiced Goodness and chanted the Buddha's name, and I followed her example, I had transformed the karma that would have otherwise led to a violent death. However, while the heavy retribution was avoided, the light retribution was unavoidable, manifesting as the inability to walk in my later years. This karmic debt was now concluded. Hearing this, I broke into a cold sweat. I was deeply grateful to the Buddha, the Venerable, and my mother for their guidance, which saved me from a violent end.

Serving as a Prison Guard

There happened to be a vacancy for a prison guard in the underworld. Under the arrangement of the King of Hell, I became a guard in the Fourth Hall. I witnessed countless prisoners suffering. Some did not know that their bad deeds in life would lead to such evil consequences, thinking that no one would know. Little did they know that upon arriving before the King of Hell, everything is clear, and even the smallest details cannot be hidden. The punishment of the laws of karma and cause and effect is not limited to hell; even after being reborn from hell, one must still pay one's debts. It is truly terrifying! I urge everyone to be extremely careful, to be cautious in speech and action, to do good deeds, and to chant the Buddha's name often. There will certainly be good rewards.

I am grateful for the care of the King of the Fourth Hall, who placed me on the list for Practitioner Su to deliver us to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The Western Pure Land is the world that practitioners yearn for; I never expected that I would have such great karmic fortune. I waited for three years and eight months, and during that time, I worked even harder as a prison guard because my mother had said that every person one encounters in every lifetime is a connection, and one must cultivate good affinities, not evil ones. I also remembered that the Venerable at the temple would always say 'Namo Amituofo' to everyone. So, if I had a karmic connection with a soul I was sending out of prison—a ghost—I would also say 'Namo Amituofo' to them. In these past few days, I have benefited greatly from listening to Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks. I now understand that the power of this Buddha-name is so immense that it can even successfully call for rain! Even the Dragon Kings, in order to go to the Western Pure Land, diligently completed their tasks of bringing rain.

The Western Pure Land is so wonderful, and now we are already here. Accepting this interview at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, I, as the representative of the sixty prison guards, offer my deepest gratitude to Namo Amituofo, Practitioner Su, and the many Venerables and lay practitioners. It is because of you that we are now in the Western Pure Land. Thank you, thank you!"

Du Hanmin and the sixty prison guards bow three times in gratitude for the Buddha's grace.

Interview recorded by the disciple, Venerable HaiZe.