A Grandmother's Journey Through the Flames

This is a record of an interview with Hong Yushan, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon her life and her passing during the massive fire at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on December 9, 2025.

Hong Yushan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am currently sitting on a lotus seat in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, watching over everyone. I truly feel that I am incredibly fortunate! For over a week now, I have been watching so many spirits arrive here. They come in like a flood, and the lotus flowers are densely packed everywhere. Everyone here knows that they will soon become the 'big brothers and sisters' of this place, because there are simply too many spirits arriving after us. It is almost like watching a movie. My heart, which was so nervous and helpless when I first arrived—even though I no longer had a physical body, my heart felt like it was pounding rapidly—has now become one with this place. I have even become quite familiar with the people and events at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, where the Western Dharma-Nature Land is located. This is truly a brand-new world, an end to life that I never imagined in all my years. That is why I keep repeating to myself: 'I am so lucky! I am so lucky!'"

The Weight of a Lifetime of Worry

"I used to worry so much about the regrets I might leave behind. I cared deeply about my family and my old friends; I have always been a person with very heavy emotions. The concepts of impermanence and the inevitable cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death were all subjects I was terrified to face. Naturally, this was even more true regarding my husband. We spent decades together, arguing our whole lives, yet I was always worried about his health, and I would worry about what would happen to our son's life in the future. Looking back, I lived such a tiring life. I never stopped worrying about something, but I was just an ordinary wife and mother. I could not do much, and I could not change anything. Now that I have been detached from all of that, I have truly been able to relax."

The Nightmare at Wang Fuk Court

"When I recall that day—the greatest nightmare of my life—I still feel a lingering fear. How could someone as ordinary as me end up in such a situation? A fire... a fire... it should have been something very far away from me. Not long ago, I heard that my son was going to give me a grandchild. I was so excited at the time; I had finally reached the age of being a grandmother, and the prospect of holding my grandchild was something I truly looked forward to. Alas, my grandchild did not have the fortune to be held by his grandmother, but he is also lucky to have a grandmother who can go to become a Buddha. I truly hope that when he grows up, he can read his grandmother's story; it will surely provide a different inspiration for his life.

But enough of that, the focus today is on the fire, isn't it? Sometimes I am too lazy to look back; I feel that I have already disconnected from my original world, and the place where I am now is so wonderful. But then I think that I cannot be selfish; good stories must be shared with more people! Alright, I will tell it. Please do not mind if I speak poorly or if it sounds a bit messy."

Life in the Market and the Day of the Fire

"To tell you the truth, this seventy-six-year-old woman is named Hong Yushan, and I spent half my life in the wet market. I used to sell fish, and later I sold vegetables. I have always held a sense of nostalgia for the traditional market; I feel that I am a very boisterous person, someone who belongs in the hustle and bustle of the city. I had many, many friends, though many have already passed away. At my age, I have reached the average life expectancy, so it is normal that many friends around me have died. How I wish I could see my old friends here in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, but unfortunately, I have not seen a single one. Perhaps none of them were as lucky as I was to come here!

Let me talk about the fire. I was fast asleep at the time, because spending the entire morning at the market is already a heavy burden for someone my age. I had switched to selling vegetables because, when I was younger, I thought selling fish was a form of killing, and I feared it might be bad for me and my family. So, I changed my trade. The afternoon was my favorite time to be alone, as my husband liked to go out to drink tea with friends at that time, while I would choose to sleep or do my own things. We didn't interfere with each other; we only gathered for dinner in the evening.

When it happened, I was startled awake from my dream because I heard someone knocking on my door very loudly, shouting: 'Sister Hong! Sister Hong! Have you run away yet? Hurry up! It is too late!' I wondered what had happened, but when I sniffed carefully, I smelled something burning. It was truly terrifying. I quickly gathered myself and ran out the door to see. I was shocked! There was already fire in the small square in front of my door! There were scattered patches of fire elsewhere, and although it was not yet a sea of flames, fire was almost everywhere. I was a bit stunned and did not know which way to run, but there was only one staircase. I tried my best to avoid the places where the fire was starting to burn, especially where things were piled up, dodging back and forth until I reached the stairs. At my age, walking down stairs is not very steady, and I usually hold onto the handrail. But this time, that seemed impossible; the handrail was so hot, and there were several places on the way down where the fire had already started. I could only dodge and weave, taking it one step at a time. I saw a young man below waving at me, telling me to hurry, or else everyone would have already escaped. I wondered, did I really sleep that soundly? I couldn't even smell the heat and the thick smoke. When one gets old, these dangers are always present."

The Final Moments and Deliverance

"I walked down very carefully, but in an instant, my legs caught fire! It was so hot, so hot! I kept screaming to allow myself to... well, to balance out the tension. I shook my body violently, trying to shake off the flames, but I didn't know that it only made it worse. I cried out in pain. I cried so sorrowfully, thinking, 'It is over. I won't be able to see my grandchild.' The thought that he would have to know his grandmother was burned to death in a fire made me feel so heartbroken. I felt heartbroken for my whole family. An old mother, an old woman, ending up on such a miserable path. Perhaps I did something wrong in the past; maybe it was those years of selling fish, killing too many, and now I have to pay the price! My whole body was trembling, and I kept crying, unable to stop. The fire spread so quickly. I was just screaming and crying, and when the pain reached its peak, I begged myself to die quickly! It was too painful, too cruel; I really couldn't take it anymore! I struggled to breathe, and at the very last breath, I gave up. Then, it was as if everything vanished... a vast emptiness surrounded me. I seemed to have consciousness, and yet I seemed not to, but all I could feel was a vast expanse of nothingness. This emptiness was like a dream; I seemed to be in a semi-conscious state, struggling a bit, but I felt I had no control over anything.

At one moment, I suddenly regained my strength, as if I had come back to life. I opened my eyes wide and looked around, slowly remembering that I had been in so much pain, but now, was I dead? My body was different from before; I realized I no longer had a body. The people around me were like me, not quite sure where we were or what we were doing, but we vaguely knew that we were all people who had died in the fire, because the burning building was still around us, only we seemed unable to touch it anymore. This feeling is hard to describe; we could see it, but we were not in the same place. I remembered that when I was afraid in the past, I had heard of the Greatly Compassionate Namo Amituofo and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. Although I did not specifically worship them, I knew in my heart that this was the time to chant 'Namo Amituofo' or 'Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva'. So, I chanted silently. Although it was not very sincere because my heart was constantly fluctuating, I did not stop; I kept chanting them silently."

A Blessing Beyond Measure

"After quite a long time, I became clearer and clearer, and I understood my death and my past much better. Suddenly, there was light shining upon us! I followed the light with excitement; it must have been a response to my chanting of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva! I didn't feel so sad anymore! I instantly entered the light and sat on a lotus seat. Because the place I arrived at was not an ordinary place; I truly saw the place of Namo Amituofo! I already knew how to chant the Buddha's name, and now I can chant even better. My faith—my faith in the Buddha and my faith in my future—has become very firm. I, Sister Hong, actually have this kind of fortune! Meeting the Buddha is truly a great blessing; I believe most people would agree with that."

Interviewer: "Hong Yushan, do you have any words for your family?"

Hong Yushan: "I want to tell my family, my husband, and my children, that I hope you can all come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. You can come and talk to me. Do not worry about whether I am doing well or not, because I am certainly doing better than you are. I only hope that you can have the same good fortune as I do, and that you can also come to know Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. You can know that people do not have to die in such a miserable way, and that after death, you can have the same good fortune as I did to come to this place, the Western Dharma-Nature Land. I hope that you can all come here in the future.

Namo Amituofo.

Hong Yushan"