This is a record of an interview with Ye Han, who sought at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and his eventual transition to the Pure Land. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on October 8, 2021.
Ye Han speaks:
"I have finally arrived! This place is the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I truly could never have imagined such a place existed; it is far superior to any paradise one could dream of in the human world. I am Ye Han. In the human world, how many people knew that name? The fame and fortune that name once commanded were so incredibly useful back then, but now, they are completely worthless. There is no need to even mention who I was. Everyone, just like me, has the potential to come to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I have finally experienced what it means to live in a world of true equality—something that simply does not exist in the human world.
A Life of Inequality and Regret
The human world is filled with inequality everywhere. The strong bully the weak, the big oppress the small, and the clever take advantage of the ignorant and the kind-hearted. I was one of those people. I committed many acts that went against my conscience and caused harm to others, yet at the time, I felt smug and proud of my actions. Perhaps some of those people deserved their fate, but I was the one who instigated it. I was the root cause of so much inequality, the architect of misery for many families and individuals, and a creator of social problems. Yet, here I am, able to come to this place. Everything here is so beautiful, and it fills me with such deep, profound repentance!
I did not say these things because I was forced to; I say them because being able to come here, and seeing how compassionate is to accept a soul as laden with sins as mine, makes me feel truly repentant. I kneel on the ground, head bowed, in deep remorse and filled with gratitude. I, Ye Han, truly have no face to look up at Namo Amituofo or Practitioner Su. It is the tolerance of Namo Amituofo that has allowed me to sincerely pour out these words—words from the heart of a soul that had suffered in the hells and, even after being saved, remained arrogant and self-righteous.
The Immeasurable Debt of Gratitude
Being able to enter this Western Land of Ultimate Bliss was made possible because Practitioner Su brought us here. This is something I, Ye Han, could never have imagined. No matter how much money I had, no matter how much I donated, it could never compare to this grace. When I was alive, I did not owe anyone; others owed me. Now, I owe Practitioner Su far too much. Just the fact that I am standing on this soil of the Western Land is something that no amount of wealth could ever purchase.
Qianxian, my daughter, I must thank Practitioner Su. Without her appearance, even if you had searched through thousands of mountains and rivers, you would never have found anyone capable of saving your father. My sins were heavy, and the charges against me in the hells were like mountains; no one else had the ability to redeem my soul. I had not originally intended to enter the Western Land so soon because I felt my sins had not been erased and I was not qualified to be here. But I could not bear to let your younger brother and Guo Ping wait for me, so I agreed to come to the assembly at the temple today. This is truly a wonderful place, so bright and luminous. I am filled with shame, but it is this light that has awakened my original, kind nature. It has been a very, very long time since I felt this kind of remorse.
The Treasure of the Dharma
It was during my time in the Western Land of Dharma Nature that I heard the lectures for the first time. Practitioner Su helped me understand that the Buddha’s teachings are so profound and compassionate. I never heard them while I was alive; I never expected to have the chance to hear them after death, and it is precisely because of this that I was saved. If only Practitioner Su’s lectures could be heard by more and more people, it could save so many lives—truly! Those who can take these teachings to heart have received a priceless treasure. It is a treasure of the human world that no amount of money can compare to. If people can listen and understand, they can avoid taking many wrong paths and suffering much unnecessary pain. It is not too late to hear them now. How fortunate, how incredibly fortunate that is!
Facing the
Qianxian, I must thank you for saving us. I saw the Chao Du you performed for my karmic creditors, and I received it! The Dharma assembly is still ongoing, and at every moment, Practitioner Su recites our names. When Practitioner Su announced during the assembly that Ye Qianxian had performed eight sessions of Chao Du for her father’s karmic creditors, many beings I did not recognise immediately surged forth from the space. But I knew they were all here to collect their debts from me—so many of them! Some were from the non-vegetarian food I had eaten; I had feasted on fish and meat, and now they came to find me with missing limbs and broken bodies. Others were beings I had harmed in the past, and some were ghosts who had lost everything because of the gambling I was involved in during this lifetime. Even as ghosts, they were unwilling to let me go. I could feel their resentment and their unwillingness to let go of their grievances.
To be honest, seeing all of this makes me feel truly ashamed and afraid. How can I ever repay these debts? Fortunately, they came here, and with Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su performing Chao Du for them, it has lightened the burden of guilt in my heart. Practitioner Su says that by performing Chao Du for the karmic creditors of the deceased, we should save as many as we can, otherwise, they will continue to seek us out to collect these debts in the future. I can only rely on you now to help perform Chao Du for my karmic creditors. Alas! Speaking of this, my heart truly aches. How could I have done so many things that hurt others and went against the laws of nature? How can I ever repay them?
Coming here has made my life even more legendary; even I cannot believe this has happened. This is where I will live from now on, isn't it? I will be here waiting for you.
Thank you, Namo Amituofo. Thank you, Practitioner Su. Thank you to everyone. And I must thank you, Qianxian, for finding Practitioner Su and bringing us here. This is my sincere gratitude."
