Beyond the Headlines: A Spirit’s Journey to Peace

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Abby Choi, who sought Spiritual Deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon her life and tragic passing in Hong Kong. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable Hai Yuan, on June 1, 2026.

Abby Choi speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Abby Choi. This name once caused a wave of shock throughout society. I was only twenty-eight years old when my life was cut short in the most horrific manner imaginable—as a well-known model, my body was dismembered, minced, and cooked. That event sent shockwaves through the Chinese-speaking world. At that time, because my spirit was filled with such intense agony, fury, and resentment, I was pulled directly into the hells. The reason I am able to speak these words so calmly today is that four days ago, I was saved by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. They brought me to the Western Land of Dharma Nature at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. It is incredibly bright and luminous here. As I sit upon my lotus seat, my heart feels a profound sense of peace that I never knew in my previous life."

A Daughter’s Apology to Her Mother

"Mother, my heart was initially very calm, but now that I mention you, I cannot help but feel a surge of sorrow. Your daughter has been unfilial. To have the 'white-haired person send off the black-haired person' is the greatest grief in this world. Mother, please know that I am doing very well now. All the suffering, all the pain—it has all passed.

Mother, in this lifetime, I was blessed with beauty and success, yet because of the karma I created in the past, the laws of cause and effect brought me to meet those people. A human life is not limited to just one existence. Throughout our many lives, we have had deep connections, kindness, and even profound hatred with those who eventually harmed me. That is why I faced such a karmic retribution today. I truly believe in the laws of karma now; this is the reality of cause and effect, and I am the one who lived through it."

The Rescue from the Brain-Gouging Hell

"Fortunately, I am now here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This bright and radiant world has washed away the sorrow in my heart. Four days ago, I was granted salvation by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. I was suffering in the brain-gouging hell, enduring unimaginable agony, when suddenly I heard someone call out, 'Abby Choi.' I was stunned, and in that instant, a brilliant light and a powerful force pulled me up from the depths of hell and brought me here.

The speed of this transition was incredible. For a moment, I did not know what was happening, but because this place is so luminous—unlike the dark, bloody, and terrifying environment of hell—I knew immediately that I had escaped. As I sat on my lotus seat, my body was still trembling uncontrollably. My spirit had been fragmented and incomplete, but after entering this place, I was miraculously restored to my original form. My heart is filled with such gratitude. Who could possess such immense power to allow a broken, suffering soul to leave hell and be restored to wholeness? It was Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su who saved me!"

A Message to My Family

"Mother, I am doing very well now. I am no longer the broken, shattered soul I once was. Please, do not grieve for me anymore. Your sadness only adds to the pain in my heart. The past feels like a dream—a beautiful dream that ended in a terrifying nightmare. A human life is full of partings and reunions, moving from birth directly to death, often without the chance to grow old or even fall ill. It was a heart-stopping journey—short, beautiful, yet horrifying. It was both a beautiful dream and a nightmare, but the most important thing is that I am at peace now.

To my children, please do not be sad for Mommy anymore. Mommy is doing very well. I must thank Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. I never imagined that after I died, I would have the opportunity to speak to my loved ones in the human world again. I am so grateful for this. From the depths of resentment and the torture of hell, to arriving here three days ago, my past sorrow has been washed away and replaced by tranquility."

The Reality of the Spirit World

"It is true that when people die, their spirits survive. And those spirits must face judgment and retribution based on what they did in their past and present lives. The hells are real. Mother, this is all the law of cause and effect. When I was suffering in hell, I wondered who could possibly save me. But I never had the chance to cry out; one torture would end, and the next would begin immediately. Now, I deeply understand what it means to call life a 'dream' or an 'illusion.' I spent my life pursuing perfection, yet I left the human world in the most tragic way possible. But these things are in the past. I hold no hatred for anyone. Listening to Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks has allowed me to calm my heart and accept everything that has happened.

Youth and beauty are ultimately empty. All the hard work and money earned in the world cannot be taken with you. Mother, I have learned to chant Namo Amituofo here, and I listen to Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks. My dearest daughter hopes that you, too, will listen to these teachings. In the human world, wealth and status cannot be taken with you, and impermanence is always by your side. No one knows when they will leave or how they will depart. So, there is really no need to be so attached to things. Leave everything to time. I am no longer a person of the human world."

The Value of Generosity and Practice

"If I could have heard the Buddha’s teachings and Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks earlier, my life would have been different. I had wealth, and I would have donated it to the temple to help more people and spirits in need, so they could be saved just like me. Even after death, these blessings and merits follow you. Money should be used where it matters most. Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su saved me, and I have no way to repay them, so I sincerely hope that you will donate to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This is my request to you, Mother, and to our family.

I left without being able to say a word or write a note. After these years of suffering and the peace I have found now, I know how helpless the spirit world is. Without a physical body, one has no power to argue or fight for anything. But while you have a body, you can do so much. Mother, you must take good care of your health. Do not grieve for me anymore. You should perform good deeds, and the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is the best place to do so. Please, Mother, trust me."

The Dedication of the Fourfold Assembly

"I see the fourfold assembly of disciples at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre working so diligently. They begin their prostrations, chanting, and sutra recitations at 1:30 AM. After their morning meal, they are busy with the work of saving beings, or listening to Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks. During the three-day Thrice Yearning Ceremonies held every week, they work from morning until night, saving spirits and sentient beings. I have seen it with my own eyes—Namo Amituofo, Practitioner Su, and the fourfold assembly are truly extraordinary!

Living in the human world, people cannot see this, but in this corner of the world, there are people so actively working to save spirits who no longer have bodies. No one knows, even though they send out the message, hoping everyone will come to draw close to Namo Amituofo. Namo Amituofo resides at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. He can lead everyone away from aging and illness—free from aging, free from illness, and your spirit never dies—to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. They try so hard to tell everyone, yet so few know. However, countless spirits from the spirit world come to seek deliverance from Namo Amituofo, and they are all saved."

A Call to Seek Deliverance

"We have all seen the incomparably tall and radiant Buddha-light of Namo Amituofo. Many spirits have been guided by this light into the Western Land of Dharma Nature, which is where I am now. While people in the human world are enjoying what they think is a good life, or while they are sleeping, there are so many respectable and admirable practitioners busy saving beings. It is because of this that I had the chance to be saved. So, the Buddha—Namo Amituofo—is truly this compassionate. Namo Amituofo and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss truly exist; it is a pure and tranquil world.

Mother, do you believe me when I say this? Whether you believe it or not, the truth is the truth. This is what I have seen with my own eyes. Their diligent practice makes me feel such respect, and suddenly, I feel that I, too, must let go of everything—let go of the past.

I knelt before the Buddha and prayed: 'Compassionate and Great Buddha, Namo Amituofo, please accept this suffering soul. I have no power to save myself, and I cannot change what has happened, but at this very moment, I kneel before you to repent and pray. I want to live a peaceful life; I do not want to return to hell, and I do not want my beloved family in the human world to grieve for me. I hope everyone can return to their normal lives. I hope even more that I can be like these compassionate practitioners. I now know that having a body is meant for saving others; that is the true meaning of living and the value of life. I once displayed my beauty in the flashy world, but now I kneel before the Buddha in simple, clean white robes, sincerely begging for the Buddha’s grace.'

When I was alive, I would never have wanted to encounter or understand these things. But now, because of this, I have found peace in my heart. This is the blessing of Namo Amituofo’s power. I have come to know the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Through Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks and the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, I have seen many beings come to seek deliverance, wanting to go to the Western Pure Land. I know now that it is a place without any suffering, only joy, and a place where one can practice to become a Buddha.

So, I hope to go to the Western Pure Land. Mother, could you please perform Chao Du for me? Please perform it here, as I want to go to the Western Pure Land. I want to become a disciple of Namo Amituofo and no longer live a life of collecting debts, repaying debts, or settling scores of gratitude and resentment. This is my request to you, Mother, made from a place of peace. Can you do this? Please perform Chao Du for me at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Practitioner Su can lead me to the Western Pure Land. It is very tranquil here, and I hope you can come here too. Although you cannot see me, you can talk to me. You must do this to move past the grief of losing your daughter.

I hope you will learn the Buddha’s teachings, chant the Buddha’s name, and draw close to Namo Amituofo here so that you can find peace and a final destination for your spirit. It is true that when people die, their spirits survive; the hells are real, and Namo Amituofo and the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss truly exist. This is what Abby Choi wants to tell her mother.

Mother, you can search online for the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. You will find the Namo Amituofo billboards and the centre’s phone number. Or, leave your contact information and tell them, 'I am Abby Choi’s mother, please contact me.' Mother, I hope so much that you will do this. The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre has Namo Amituofo billboards on highways in Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung in Taiwan, on highways in Queensland, Australia, and at Narita Airport in Chiba and in Tokyo, Japan. It is that very Namo Amituofo who saved me.

Namo Amituofo.

Abby Choi"