Guan Zhenshan, a civil official who has served in the underworld for over a millennium, sought deliverance through the compassionate teachings of Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre. This interview, recorded on April 25, 2021, captures his reflections on the relentless nature of and his profound gratitude for the opportunity to finally transcend the cycle of suffering.
Guan Zhenshan speaks:
". I am deeply grateful to Practitioner Su. I am a civil official within the hells. For these past few years, I have been working in coordination with King Yama to process the case files concerning the who have brought accusations against the fourfold assembly of disciples at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Over these years, I have watched Practitioner Su continuously break through and elevate his practice. Every civil and military official in the underworld holds Practitioner Su in the highest esteem! I am profoundly grateful to Practitioner Su for bringing this magnificent into the hells, saving countless beings and alleviating the immense suffering of those trapped within.
The Weight of Gratitude
I offer my deepest thanks to Practitioner Su. I, Guan Zhenshan, stand here as a representative—representing the underworld officials who have attained rebirth today, as well as all sentient beings—to kowtow in gratitude for the Buddha's grace and for the grace of Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo.
The reason I have been granted this opportunity to practise today is entirely due to the of Practitioner Su, which has allowed us to find liberation and escape. I am grateful to King Yama for appointing me as a representative today. I have served as a civil official in the hells for over a thousand years. In all this time, I have reviewed countless individuals and witnessed innumerable instances of karmic retribution. These laws of and cause and effect are truly the result of the ignorance of worldly people. Because they lack proper education, they become blindly obsessed with the world, which is a great tragedy! The suffering of enduring retribution in the hells is beyond words, beyond description.
The Transparency of Cause and Effect
In the past, a millennium ago, the hells did not suffer from the overcrowding we see today. Many beings sent to the hells to undergo punishment had not yet exhausted their natural lifespans, but because they had committed so many sins, they were frequently brought to the hells for interrogation and punishment. If the people of the world could clearly see these scenes, surely no one would dare to create karma again. The laws of karma and cause and effect are not empty; beings should restrain themselves. Every positive cause and every negative cause created is clearly recorded. Do not remain ignorant of these transgressions.
Beings in the cycle of rebirth all possess a past spanning countless lives. As samsara continues without end, beings have long since forgotten their history. Life after life, they continue on, and one can see that beings have become lost within this cycle, no longer possessing the awareness to awaken. The and the causes and effects of each life, the entanglement of emotional karma, and the many complex causal links—these are common occurrences within samsara. They cause beings to cling tightly, unwilling to let go.
The Records of the Underworld
I have seen much in the case files of these beings. One karmic event after another—all of these are things that occurred in the world, but here, they are reduced to mere stacks of case files. Having reviewed these files, I know deeply that samsara is truly a bottomless abyss. Beings should know to escape it; do not remain lost in suffering, creating sins out of ignorance!
The processing of cases in the hells follows strict rules and regulations; not a single detail is omitted. Many people in the world believe that the things they do in secret will never be known. They do not realise that the moment the thought to create evil arises, it is already marked in the files. Once the evil act is carried out, the files record it in meticulous detail, waiting only for the day of judgment to apprehend them and bring them to justice. The laws of karma and cause and effect are not false. People of the world should know that the world is like a transparent vessel; the laws of karma and cause and effect are always clearly visible. It is only because people are obstructed within their own ignorance that they do not see it.
The Path to Liberation
This is the absolute truth. The causes and effects of the world are governed by Universal Principles, and every moment is recorded. I wish to warn the people of the world: you must stop the cycle of rebirth yourselves. Do not continue to drift within samsara. As long as samsara does not cease, beings remain in a sea of suffering. You must escape; you must seek liberation.
Practitioner Su’s explanations of the sutras are thorough and point directly to the truth of many lives and the Universal Principles. These are the keys to liberation within the cycle of rebirth. People of the world are lost in the world, and beings are attached to illusory appearances and the entangling power of karma. Every time they appear in the world, they are pulled back into entanglements, making it difficult to escape throughout many lifetimes. This is a common scene in the world today. If one does not possess a powerful sense of urgency to awaken, one will never be able to escape the cycle of rebirth. What Practitioner Su teaches is the essence. If people of the world will listen, they can break through the cycle of rebirth and attain liberation in this very lifetime.
The Illusion of Worldly Desires
I have seen so much in the hells; samsara is truly suffering! Whether it is the suffering of retribution in the hells or the suffering endured in the world, samsara is truly a state of profound ignorance. Beings are obsessed and refuse to awaken. They cling to their identities and relationships, they are attached to emotional desires and love, and they are possessive of fame, profit, and desire. People of the world have forgotten what is real and what is false. They only immerse themselves in the various illusions of the moment, not knowing how to wake up. The pain of being hurt, the pain of unrequited love, the pain of not obtaining what one wants, the pain of loss—all these forms of suffering are what beings experience within samsara. But in truth, after this life passes, none of these things will remain. I hope everyone can wake up. Now that there is such a magnificent Dharma guiding everyone, you should know the right path.
A Lesson from the Past
In the past, I was born into the household of an Imperial Envoy. My grandfather was an Imperial Envoy, a man second only to the Emperor. However, while in office, driven by fame, profit, and greed, my grandfather chose an improper path and created a vast amount of negative karma. His policies caused the deaths of many people, and as a result, my grandfather still suffers in the hells to this day, unable to escape. Originally, my grandfather was a naturally kind-hearted scholar. After years of diligent study, he finally attained his official position. Later, with the help of noble people and the appreciation of the Emperor, he was appointed as an Imperial Envoy. During this time, my grandfather put in a great deal of effort and devised many schemes to secure his position. Although our family enjoyed immense glory and wealth because of his position, and our were great, the karma he created while in office eventually exhausted those blessings. After he was framed and our family was ordered to be executed, our household fell into the depths of despair overnight. This is the best example of a family sharing both blessings and collective karma.
After the Emperor ordered the execution of our family, no one dared to remain in the residence. Everyone fled in the middle of the night, fearing that a single decree from the Emperor could lead to the execution of our entire clan. Many distant relatives who had been living in our home at the time fled far away, refusing to even meet us. They changed their names and were desperate to distance themselves from us. Yet, before fleeing, they did not forget to take the opportunity to plunder many of our family's priceless treasures, hoping to find a chance to rise again elsewhere. I witnessed with my own eyes how, during our family's most prosperous period, so many people wanted to cling to us for power; and when the family fell, how these same people sought only to protect themselves, showing no loyalty or righteousness. My parents were not surprised by this; instead, they taught me that no matter how the external environment changes, or how others change, we must never forget our roots. This home is where we were born and raised; we must not abandon it. No matter what mistakes my grandfather made, he was still our family, our elder. We could not abandon him.
The Legacy of Responsibility
After my grandfather was executed, my father quietly transported his body and, using our last remaining strength, gave him a proper burial. After laying him to rest, my father told me: "Your grandfather's life is a lesson for us forever. We should be grateful for his goodness, but we must never repeat the mistakes he made." This was the last time my father spoke to me about my grandfather. I knew that my grandfather's death was also very painful for my father, especially since my father had never agreed with the mistakes my grandfather kept making. I remember when my father left the cemetery, he wiped away his tears in silence and said to my grandfather: "I hope this outcome allows you to recognise your mistakes, and I hope this punishment allows you to start anew."
Since then, we returned to a simple life. We no longer sought fame or status. Having been well-educated by my grandfather in my youth, I began teaching children in our village, sharing with them the importance of literacy and the fundamental principles of life. After my parents passed away, I remained in the village, living a solitary, humble life. These experiences taught me that the difference between right and wrong often lies in a single split second of thought. Those relatives who fled in fear of their own lives ultimately faced even greater calamities. Karma cannot be escaped by running; it must be faced and transformed through repentance and change. I have lived my life since then in accordance with these truths, and I am deeply grateful to King Yama and Practitioner Su for this opportunity for liberation. Namo Amituofo."
