Greetings to everyone. I am Ke Shilun. I am deeply grateful for this magnificent opportunity to share my story today. It is only through the grace of the great Practitioner Su and the compassionate of the Buddha that we have been able to attain rebirth in the of Ultimate Bliss. I offer my most sincere thanks. On behalf of sixty fellow prison guards and all sentient beings connected by karmic affinity, I bow in gratitude to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su.
My arrival here today was entirely arranged by Causal Conditions. During my time in the world, I spent many years diligently practising the Buddha's teachings. However, my practice back then was not as clear or as direct as the teachings provided by Practitioner Su in his talks, which point straight to the core of the matter. I am deeply thankful for the tireless effort Practitioner Su puts into Pure Land education. He helped me break through my old, rigid ways of thinking and allowed me to learn the true essence of Pure Land education. The Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way taught by Practitioner Su represent the real meaning of life, and I have benefited immensely from these lessons.
The Karmic Bond of Life and Death
I was a Buddhist disciple who followed the Pure Land Dharma Gate, and my family members were all believers in the sutras as explained by Venerable Master Chin Kung. Decades ago, my family was fortunate enough to obtain a disc of the Venerable Master's teachings. After watching it, my grandparents were filled with and immense gratitude that the Pure Land Dharma Gate could be spread so widely. From that point on, my family began to believe in and follow these teachings. We actively participated in many temple activities, hoping to bring our hearts closer to the Buddha, to engage in diligent practice, and to attain Buddhahood.
After coming into contact with the Pure Land Dharma Gate, my mother began to practise vegetarianism, advocated against killing, and actively participated in various life-release ceremonies. During one such ceremony, my mother felt nauseous and wanted to vomit. The creatures being released that day were three large baskets of black eels. My mother initially thought her discomfort was simply due to the strong, fishy smell of the eels, so she did not think much of it after resting for a while.
About four months later, my mother finally realised the reason for her physical condition: she was pregnant. For many years, my mother had prayed for a child but had been unable to conceive. This news brought immense joy to our entire family. After ten months of pregnancy, my mother successfully gave birth to a son—that was me. In my previous life, I was one of those black eels released by my mother. When I was first captured by the fishermen, I had suffered severe injuries, and by the time of the release ceremony, I had already lost my life. My mother's nausea at that moment was exactly when my spirit was leaving of the black eel at the time of death. Because my mother’s heart was filled with for the suffering of those eels, hoping that they would all find liberation after being released, my mind became in sync with hers. Due to this karmic connection, I became her child and returned to this world.
The Path of Intellectual Pursuit
From a young age, I was exceptionally filial to my mother; this was my way of expressing the gratitude I felt in my heart, even if it was on a subconscious level. When I was in my mother's womb, the pregnancy was initially unstable, but my connection with her allowed me to enter her womb and become the life force that sustained the fetus. I fought to survive, which allowed me to be born safely into this world.
After I was born, my family became even more devout in their faith in the power of the Buddha's teachings and actively promoted the Pure Land path. My family performed many meritorious deeds, hoping that more people would recognise the vast power of and learn the Pure Land Dharma Gate. I grew up within this Pure Land education. As I matured, my mother arranged for me to study professional subjects related to traditional Chinese culture, as the sutras explained by Venerable Master Chin Kung emphasised the importance of promoting these values. My mother hoped that I would cultivate expertise in this area so that I could serve the world in the future.
My mother had immense faith in the teachings of Venerable Master Chin Kung, and I trusted my mother's arrangements. I began to study traditional Chinese culture, memorising the Four Books and Five Classics, as well as the Analects of Confucius and Mencius. I became highly specialised in the beauty of Chinese ethics, but gradually, I drifted away from the Pure Land practice. My mother focused solely on my academic achievements, arranging for me to conduct extensive literary research and participate in profound course discussions. I became a researcher, but I was no longer a practitioner of the Pure Land path, which requires internal .
The Search for True Liberation
Without realising it, my mother’s original, pure heart of practice had transformed into a pursuit of worldly status and a fanaticism for the Dharma. She became obsessed with the beauty of Chinese characters and the promotion of moral education. After my mother changed, our lives took a different turn. In her later years, my mother developed uterine cancer, which quickly spread throughout her body. Before she passed away, she kept reminding me to remember to promote traditional culture and to pass on the teachings of Venerable Master Chin Kung to more people. I kept my mother's words in my heart, but the way she passed away had a profound impact on me. I did not know what the ultimate goal of practice was, because I saw that even at the very end of her life, my mother was still filled with the suffering of the world. The question, "What is true liberation?" began to arise in my heart, because I knew that my mother had not attained it.
Following my mother's wishes, I remained active in traditional cultural education. I opened a small studio where I organised literary materials and arranged time to teach children about moral stories and traditional culture, providing these classes for free. I thought this was the most meaningful thing I could do. This continued for several years until I fell ill. All the money I had earned through the studio was spent on my medical expenses. On the day I collapsed, I was diagnosed with brain cancer. The feeling of receiving that news was one of utter helplessness. The doctor told me that because the tumour was pressing on my nerves, I would soon lose my sight. The tumour was too large and had already grown to wrap around many nerves, so it was confirmed that surgery was impossible. The doctor asked me to consider my subsequent medical plans and to prepare for the worst.
Finding the Way Home
I felt that my life had become a void of darkness. I did not know what was left for me. Returning home and looking at the documents I had brought back from the studio, I felt lost because I could not find a way for my life to attain liberation. I sat alone at home, day after day, unable to find an answer. I took out the discs of Venerable Master Chin Kung's teachings and listened to them over and over again, but I still could not find the answer. Eventually, I lost my sight. Because I had no preparation, my life fell into chaos. Later, someone helped me and took me to see a doctor again, but because my condition deteriorated so rapidly, I spent a long time in the hospital, and it exhausted all my savings. As I saw my life coming to an end, I could not even bring myself to chant the Buddha-name, because my heart was filled with hesitation and helplessness.
I passed away in the hospital. After my death, my spirit followed Venerable Master Chin Kung because I wanted to find a way to liberation. Later, I heard the voice of Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks, and I finally found the direction. I eventually came to serve in the underworld, accumulating merit and virtue while waiting for the opportunity for rebirth. During my time serving in the underworld, I listened to Practitioner Su explain the truths of life many times. His words are deeply moving, and I am very grateful! It has been about two years since I came to serve in the underworld, and I am so thankful to Practitioner Su for helping me find the path to liberation. Looking at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, I see a Pure Land—it is a blessing for all beings. I hope more people will come to know this place, for it is truly the final destination for the liberation of life.
Everyone should prepare for the liberation of their life; this is a matter of utmost importance. Everyone's life is so precious; you should know how to perfect it, break through its limitations, and fully realise your potential. I am grateful for this opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss today. On behalf of all beings, I bow in gratitude to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su. Seeing the great vow of Practitioner Su to save the world, I will also actively practise so that I may join the ranks of those saving and rescuing beings, walking alongside the Buddha forever.
