The Vengeful Cycle of Rebirth

This is a record of an interview with Zeng Zhencheng, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his life and his subsequent service in the hells. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on May 28, 2022.

Zeng Zhencheng speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Now that I have arrived in the Western Land, I cherish and appreciate this opportunity even more. I know clearly in my heart that this is an incredibly rare chance. If it were not for the help of Practitioner Su, it would have been almost impossible for us to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Therefore, all of us who have already arrived here, as well as all the prison guards still waiting in line to come to the West, cherish this deeply.

During my days living in the world, the one word I remember most vividly is 'suffering.' It was truly suffering; life is genuinely full of misery.

The Weight of Human Suffering

I have repeated the word 'suffering' three times because I have truly and deeply experienced the agony of living in this world. If one cannot find a way to leave suffering behind while still in the world, it is truly tragic, for one does not know where they will be reincarnated in the next cycle. From a very young age, my physical eyes were able to see into different space. I could perceive many things that are invisible to the naked eye.

I remember clearly that when I was a child, there was a Mrs. Wang who lived next door. Her personality was extremely volatile. From the time I was three or four years old and just beginning to understand the world, I could hear her screaming and shouting every single day. Sometimes she was arguing with her husband, sometimes with her parents-in-law, and at other times she was beating and scolding her children. Her life was nothing but constant turmoil; there was not a single day of peace.

A Child’s Witness to Tragedy

One day, as I was passing by Mrs. Wang's house, I heard her crying loudly inside. I stood at the doorway for a long time, wondering, 'Should I go in?' At that time, I was only a six-year-old child, still quite naive and ignorant of many things. I only knew that Mrs. Wang was angry every day and that her life was very unhappy. Without thinking too much, I decided to go in and check on her. When I found her, she was sitting in the corner of the room, covered in blood. I rushed over to ask what had happened, and she told me her husband had beaten her.

Seeing her covered in wounds, I ran home to ask my mother to come and help. My mother carefully bandaged every one of her wounds and took the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart talk with her. During their conversation, I listened intently from the side. It was then that I realised how much suffering Mrs. Wang carried in her heart. She had given everything for her family, only to be met with betrayal and injury from those she loved most—especially her husband, who caused her the deepest and most painful wounds.

The Vow of Vengeance

My mother provided counseling to Mrs. Wang, urging her to let go of everything and stop living in such constant agony. Mrs. Wang agreed that it made sense and decided to make some changes to her life. My mother and I were convinced that this conversation would truly help her. However, to our shock, that very night, we heard the sounds of arguing from the Wang house again. This time, it was even louder and more violent. We kept hearing the sound of dishes being smashed, and we were so frightened that we could not sleep at all.

Lying in bed, I clearly heard Mrs. Wang say during the argument: 'After I die, I will definitely come back to take revenge on your Wang family! I will not let a single one of you off!' After she said this, Mr. Wang let out a burst of laughter. I felt a chill run through my entire body. How could Mr. Wang laugh with such a terrifying sound? I had never heard it before. The house did not quiet down until very late that night, and I do not know when I finally fell asleep.

The Sudden Departure

When I woke up the next morning, I immediately sensed that my parents' faces were heavy with concern. I asked my mother what had happened, and she said, 'Mrs. Wang died yesterday.' I was stunned. How could she have left so suddenly? My mother explained, 'She and Mr. Wang argued from their home all the way to the riverbank yesterday. Mrs. Wang never returned home. Early this morning, villagers found her body floating in the river. She had passed away.'

After Mrs. Wang was gone, the noise in the Wang house ceased. The villagers assumed that Mrs. Wang had been the one causing all the trouble, and no one knew the depth of her inner suffering and sorrow. What shocked me was that less than three days after her passing, the Wang family had already finished her funeral arrangements. Mrs. Wang was no longer associated with them in any way. I even saw Mrs. Wang’s mother-in-law laughing happily. That image left a deep impression on me, as I could not understand how she could be so joyful only three days after Mrs. Wang had left, as if nothing had happened at all.

The Return of the Spirit

Less than a week later, Mr. Wang remarried. I heard my parents talking, and they both felt it was so unfair to Mrs. Wang, who had given her whole life to that family only to end up with such a result. Mr. Wang and his new wife soon had a baby boy. However, it was said that this infant suffered from a congenital illness and was extremely difficult to care for, crying from morning until night, making it impossible for the Wang family to live in peace. I never saw the baby, as the family kept him hidden away to avoid him catching a cold or being exposed to evil spirits.

Ever since the baby was born, Mr. Wang and his new wife began arguing daily. The sound of their fighting seemed to return to the way it was when Mrs. Wang was alive. When they argued, the baby would cry even louder, and the voices of the grandparents would join in. The entire household was in constant chaos. One day, as my mother and I passed by the house, the grandmother was standing at the door holding the baby. My mother politely greeted her, and I also said, 'Good morning, Grandma Wang.' She smiled at us, but I clearly saw that her smile contained the word 'suffering' hidden within it.

The Truth Revealed

My mother, seeing how cute the baby was, teased him a little, and the baby actually smiled. The grandmother said, 'This child rarely smiles; he only cries all day. I never expected him to smile at you.' She looked genuinely surprised. I stood on my tiptoes to get a look at the baby in her arms. When I saw his face, I was completely terrified, but I remained silent. As my mother and I continued walking toward the market, I could not help but tell her, 'I just... I just saw that the boy is Mrs. Wang!' My mother was startled by my words. She said, 'Ah Cheng! Shh! Don't say such things. Mrs. Wang is already dead; how could you say that!'

I insisted, 'I am not mistaken. That boy is Mrs. Wang reincarnated. My eyes would never be wrong.' My mother knew that I could see into different space. She was silent for a moment and then said, 'Ever since this child was born, the Wang family has been arguing non-stop, just like when Mrs. Wang was alive.' As she said this, I recalled the day Mrs. Wang died and what she had shouted at Mr. Wang: 'After I die, I will definitely come back to take revenge on your Wang family! I will not let a single one of you off!' I felt a chill again. Mrs. Wang had truly returned. Later, the Wang family steadily declined. They were no longer the wealthy, prominent family they once were. Eventually, they sold their house and moved to a more impoverished area. My mother told me that not long after they moved, the grandparents passed away due to illness. Mr. Wang and his new wife continued to argue until they finally divorced. As for the baby, after the family had been completely torn apart, he passed away one night due to his congenital illness.

A Life of Reflection

The rise and fall of the Wang family played out right before my eyes, and the entire experience deeply influenced my life. What I witnessed was the 'suffering' of human existence. Seeing how Mrs. Wang could not let go of her hatred even after death made me understand that if a spirit cannot release the resentment in their heart, they will suffer the same misery throughout the cycle of rebirth. My life was inspired by this. I did not want to pursue what others in the world chased after. I lived my life diligently, enjoyed helping others, and sometimes offered guidance to those in need.

Unfortunately, in that lifetime, I did not have the Causal Conditions to encounter the Buddha’s teachings that could help me transcend life and death. Although I sought the truth, I only learned the methods of practicing Buddhism, such as chanting mantras and performing Goodness, but I did not know how to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. After my spirit leaving the body, I served as a prison guard in the hells. This was the result of the Blessings I had cultivated by doing good deeds while alive. In the hells, I saw the deep regret of every spirit. It was only after they had lost their human body that they truly regretted not cherishing it. About ten years ago, I heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks in the hells, and I was so moved that I wept. It was then that I truly understood what it meant to practice Buddhism and that I should seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I listened to Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks every day in the hells and shared them with the other beings there, hoping that every spirit would have the chance to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and truly find liberation from suffering. Namo Amituofo."