From Ghost King to Lotus Seat: A Journey of Redemption

This is a record of an interview with Liu Maofu, a spirit who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his long journey through the spirit realms and his eventual deliverance. It was recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on December 13, 2025.

Liu Maofu speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Liu Maofu. Humans have the human world, and spirits have the spirit world. While these two realms may seem separate, they are, in truth, deeply interconnected. Now, as I look upon everything from the Western Dharma-Nature Land at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, I reflect on my past life as a human and my subsequent existence as a spirit—a journey that has seen many trials.

A Life of Wandering and Vows

The years have passed like shifting sands, a cycle of countless turns and returns. Having lost so much only to regain it all in this rebirth, I am determined to honour the vows I made long ago. It was unexpected, but the fire in Hong Kong served to illuminate so many of my brothers and sisters who had been buried in the deep, silent layers of the spirit realms for ages. They had suffered immensely, layer upon layer of agony, until they were nearly forgotten. Yet, when the Buddha-light illuminated the land, they were reborn from that very brightness. I, too, found redemption in that light, completely shedding my thousand-year-old foul garments. Fortunately, due to ancestral virtue and my own ability to seize the Buddha-affinity amidst countless conditions, I did not let my remaining goodness and Buddha-nature vanish. That is why I now sit upon a lotus seat in the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, walking with the Buddha.

The Merchant of the Tang Dynasty

I was once a merchant in the Tang Dynasty, making me an old soul of over a thousand years. I was always glib-tongued, quite proud of my eloquence and my extensive experience. I travelled across the length and breadth of China seeking business opportunities. The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty was admired by all, and my tobacco business thrived. However, because selling tobacco was not the righteous path, the laws of karma and cause and effect caught up with me at the time of my death. I died young; I had earned much wealth, but I lost everything to the unfailing principle of karma. Unexpectedly, relying on ancestral virtue and my remaining good fortune, I became a Ghost King—a guardian spirit for the people of that land. I was not a god, but I held a small measure of fame in the ghost realm. I served in this capacity for three hundred years. During that time, I knew to repent, and I diligently fulfilled my duties as a minor local official in the spirit realm, settling batch after batch of people to live peacefully there.

Choosing the Path of the Spirit

At that time, the area was a Hakka settlement in Guangzhou. The people there were adventurous, often travelling far before returning home in their old age, or settling down permanently. I watched over these comings and goings, striving to make amends for my past mistakes and genuinely looking out for others. When my term as a Ghost King ended, I had the opportunity to reincarnate as a human. However, a sense of compassion arose within me. I wanted to stay and continue helping, yet I feared becoming human again—I was terrified of losing my way and forgetting everything after drinking Meng Po’s soup. This fear haunted my soul, so I continued to serve as a local guardian, moving from place to place, a wandering spirit spreading seeds of goodness throughout the towns of the south.

The Clarity of the Spirit World

I seemed to prefer being a minor figure in the spirit world. Being human is not inherently bad, but spirits see humans with such clarity and thoroughness. I understood that human nature is volatile and difficult to steer, and that humans cannot know their own destiny or the intricate workings of karma. The spirit world seems complex, but it has a simple side. Thus, I chose to remain a ghost who was somebody in the spirit realm—unnoticed by the living, yet capable of doing good for them. It was not difficult to quietly be a good spirit.

Seeking the Ultimate Home

I once stayed in Hong Kong, though it was not known by that name then. It was not as prosperous as it is today; compared to other southern towns, it seemed quite backward. I did not stay long before finding a more suitable place to guard. Sometimes I would hide in the shade of trees to shelter people from the sun and rain, or I would push gentle intentions into the space around them, encouraging them to do a little less evil and a little more good. I found this existence light and free: it is better to be a good ghost than a human! I also quietly helped separated relatives reunite and broken families mend. Do spirits interfere with the laws of karma? I truly do not know, but I, Liu Maofu, have weathered many storms and do not concern myself with such minor personal gains or losses.

The Call of Namo Amituofo

Centuries passed, and the details of the past became blurred. Yet, I always felt that the good deeds I did must have an end, a destination. Where was my home? I do not know when my Buddhist affinity ripened, but when the thought arose, the six characters Namo Amituofo appeared in my mind. Ghosts also revere the Buddha; Namo Amituofo is the King of Buddhas, praised throughout the realm of ghosts and gods. But how does one draw near to the Buddha? How does one walk the Buddha's path? During my centuries as a human and then a ghost, I never had the true opportunity to walk with the Buddha. However, I kept the principle of karma that links our past, present, and future lives together deep in my heart, never daring to deviate from the universal principle or violate the truths that both the living and the dead must follow.

The Fire at Wang Fuk Court

When my time as a ghost seemed to be drawing to a close, I arrived at this precious land of Hong Kong. Although the Tai Po district is not very famous, it was a good place for me to stay. Naturally, my wandering heart seemed to settle. Having been a ghost for so long and seeing through the various aspects of the human and spirit worlds, I discovered that the self deep within my soul did not belong to either. I felt I could move toward a better place. I did not know what it was, but my recent recollection of Namo Amituofo gave me a vague concept of the Buddha, and even a sense of longing. I would murmur to myself: Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo. Magically, with every recitation, I felt my spirit become a little lighter. This lightness meant that I no longer had such strong attachments or rigid demands; I became more at ease, more grounded.

I walked the streets and buildings of Tai Po, reciting Namo Amituofo in my heart. I continued this because I trusted my profound intuition that Namo Amituofo was my true home, even if I could not yet see or touch it. My heart was certain. Then, one day, I heard the great news from the spirit world: a massive fire had broken out at a building in Tai Po! I thought, I have seen fires before; perhaps I can change something with my intentions. I rushed to the location, but I was dumbfounded. The fires I had seen in my centuries of existence were nothing compared to the raging inferno consuming multiple buildings! I tried to gather strength, hoping to use my connections in the spirit world to form a volunteer corps to pray for the fire. This was the moment to remember Namo Amituofo! The Buddha-affinity I had waited for was silently sprouting. I did not realise it then, but the spirit world witnessed it, and we resonated with one another, greeting each other with Namo Amituofo as a sign of respect.

Deliverance by the Buddha-Light

We, the volunteer corps, guarded the area around the Wang Fuk Court, and we even ventured inside the building. From the moment the fire started until it was extinguished, we never left, though our positions shifted. We had heard that the building was bathed in light, but we were not there at the time. By the time we received the news and went to check, the light had faded, leaving behind a lingering fragrance. The news spread throughout the spirit world: the Buddha has come! Namo Amituofo has come! And Practitioner Su from the human world came with them, bringing such bright light and lotus flowers, taking away many fortunate spirits! Although we felt a sense of regret, we did not lose heart, believing that the next light would soon arrive.

Indeed, while patrolling, we often heard that the Buddha-light had arrived, but we never managed to return to the place illuminated by the Buddha in time. Until a few days ago, the spirit world seemed to announce in advance: Namo Amituofo is coming! Namo Amituofo is coming! The spirits who heard this gathered at Wang Fuk Court to wait. Those who knew Namo Amituofo chanted Namo Amituofo together. Before long, the surroundings fell into silence, for the Buddha-light had swept through, and the spirits who were taken were settled into the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. In an instant, everyone's destiny was rewritten. Humans and spirits, spirits and humans—all transformed into future Buddhas sitting on lotus seats. I, Liu Maofu, have spent centuries as a human and a ghost, and now I follow the Buddha. The passage of time is, after all, an empty illusion.

Liu Maofu sits upon the lotus seat, having waited centuries for the Buddha-affinity to ripen. From the very first Namo Amituofo, the lotus began to bloom. Looking back at the past, having been a human and a monk, I was helplessly pulled by the ocean of karma in this Saha world. After turning in circles for so long, I have finally regained my path. Reconnected by the Dharma-affinity of Hsiang Kuang, I have finally reached the Dharma-Nature Land in this lifetime.

Liu Maofu is grateful to the Buddha, Namo Amituofo, for His compassion, and to Practitioner Su for her compassion. I am grateful to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre for leading the way in this world. From now on, Liu Maofu will recite the name of Amituofo to the end, following the Buddha to save sentient beings and achieve rebirth in the Western Pure Land.

Namo Amituofo.

Liu Maofu"