From the Demon's Grasp to the Western Pure Land

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Lin Dong, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and his eventual deliverance. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on February 18, 2022.

Lin Dong speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Lin Dong. I have finally stepped onto the precious soil of the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, and my heart is filled with a thousand conflicting emotions. My life’s journey was one of countless twists and turns. How incredibly fortunate I am—my body and my spirit—to have encountered Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, for it is only through them that I have been granted this opportunity to enter the Western Pure Land. My heart is so full of words that I am choked with emotion, unable to fully express my gratitude.

A Tragic Possession and the Mask of Charity

First, I must bow my head in deep gratitude to Namo Amituofo for compassionately accepting a spirit as foolish and deluded as mine. In the midst of this Five Turbidities and Evil World, where good and evil are so intricately intertwined, I became confused. While my physical life in the human world had not yet reached its end, my spirit left my body and ascended to the heavenly realms. My physical body remained behind, and in that void, demons entered. These demons used my name to perform their own dark deeds, collecting wealth from Dharma protectors and followers under the guise of the charitable works I had performed while alive. Because I had been known for my philanthropy, no one suspected the change, yet many spirits and karmic creditors were being absorbed into the Demon Realm through my body. I offer my deepest, most sincere apologies to all the followers and protectors who were harmed by these demons during that time.

Later, my adopted daughter, Fan Li-zhen, and her husband, Zhang Xinjie, encountered Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. They protected my spirit, guiding it from the heavenly realms into the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the temple, and then back into my physical body. However, by then, my body was no longer under my control; it was entirely manipulated by the demon crowds. I could not regain mastery over it. It was not until my physical life ended and the demons abandoned the shell that Fan Li-zhen arranged for my Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Through the grace of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, my soul was pulled from the hells and brought into the temple’s Western Dharma-Nature Land.

The Weight of Karmic Retribution

My Buddha is truly compassionate. During the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies held three times a week, Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su performed Chao Du for my parents, teachers, and karmic creditors from immeasurable past lives. While my spirit was in the temple’s Dharma-Nature Land, I witnessed the deliverance of countless beings. During my life, I had used Taoist methods and spiritual attainments to heal the sick, but in doing so, I had attracted many spirits and karmic creditors who came to settle their debts. Fortunately, through the Buddha-light of Namo Amituofo and the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su, these vengeful spirits were calmed and accepted the deliverance of the Dharma assembly. Every time I witnessed this, I would kneel and weep in repentance.

In my life, I thought I was saving beings, but I did not realise that while the living were healed, the spirits were left to suffer. They were trapped in spaces or ritual implements, suffering and aggrieved. This was truly my sin! During the Dharma assemblies, I saw with my own eyes how the Buddha-light shone upon the spirits I had harmed. They were illuminated by the light and invited to participate in the assembly. Some followed the chanting and entered the Buddha-light, reaching the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Others, though they did not fully understand the supreme merit of the Buddha-name, were still delivered into the human or heavenly realms. They were all able to reach good destinations, compensating for the regret I felt when the demons used my body to cause suffering and absorb those spirits into the demon path. I bow in gratitude for this Buddha-grace; such kindness and virtue are beyond anything I could ever repay.

The Agony of the Hells

When my spirit tried to return to my body but could not, I remained nearby, watching the demons use my form to 'resolve' the karmic grievances of followers. How much of that was real? There was greed and extortion—it was not the conduct of a true practitioner. I felt such shame, but my body had been controlled for years. I could not stop the evil deeds, yet I, as the spirit, had to bear the responsibility. My spirit was cast directly into the Avici Hell to suffer. Oh, the suffering! It was beyond words. I experienced the horrors of the hells firsthand—the brain-gouging hell, the heart-gouging hell, and even the tongue-ripping hell. Many more hells awaited me. It was only through the compassion of my Buddha and Practitioner Su, who shone their light upon me and pulled me out, that my exhausted, suffering soul was sent to the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the temple. After the Chao Du, the Venerable at the temple asked if I was willing to be led by Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body into the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I replied immediately: 'I am willing! I am willing!'

My spirit and body encountered things most people never see. I truly felt the suffering of the human world—it is unbearable. I longed to leave this world and enter the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss so that my soul could finally find rest. Now, my wish has been fulfilled, and my heart is filled with infinite gratitude.

A Life of Good Intentions and Hidden Dangers

Let me briefly mention my past. From a young age, I was honest and intelligent. Seeing the vast disparity between the lives of the poor and the rich, I told myself that I would become someone who could help the poor—a useful person. I believed that there was a righteous force between heaven and earth, and as long as one followed that force, one would be protected from the intrusion of demons. With this belief, I grew up and lived my life, using my spare resources to help those in need.

Later, under the guidance of my teacher, Ji Gong, I learned to communicate with the spiritual realms and gained the ability to use Taoist methods to heal the sick. I would communicate with the beings attached to those seeking help and invite them to leave. Some were healed through teaching, others through ritual implements. These spirits were then collected into my ritual tools. Looking at their karma, some were heavy, some light. I saw that everyone comes into the human world carrying karma they cannot shake off, leading many to live lives of suffering. Thus, I often did not charge the poor for my help. This reputation spread, and along with my charitable work, I gained the support and trust of many followers, becoming well-known in the Taoist community. This reputation was for saving people, not for my own gain. I was never a person who loved money; I gave away whatever I had. With this belief, society gave me the title of 'philanthropist,' a title I felt unworthy of, yet I did not shirk my responsibility to save the world. I travelled throughout China, performing acts of charity and maintaining friendly relations with the Taoist community. We all helped the world according to our own causal conditions and methods.

The Deception of the Demon Path

When people felt helpless, having the aid of a 'divine' person gave them a sense of security. They were willing to contribute money and effort to help the poor. That is how I met Ms. Fan Li-zhen. We shared a common vision, and she called me her 'adoptive father'—a title I truly did not deserve. Fan Li-zhen often set aside her work to join me in charitable acts. Because of her, I was able to extend my reach to Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China, which in turn allowed me to extend my lifespan.

I could keep my spirit and body in the world simultaneously, or send my spirit to the heavenly realms while my body remained to continue the work. I chose the latter. But the spirit that entered my body was not a benevolent one; it was a demon—one of my karmic creditors. In a past life, I had been a Taoist priest and had formed grievances with beings. After they died, they entered the Demon Realm, waiting for an opportunity to seek revenge. They took advantage of my spirit leaving my body to occupy it. Without anyone knowing, they performed 'demonic' acts under the banner of my name. They performed healings, but in reality, they used Taoist arts to manipulate human hearts and extort money. They collected far more than the value of the work they performed. Many people did not know this and continued to spread my name. The spirits they 'treated' were never truly settled; they were attached to fellow practitioners, wandered as ghosts, or were imprisoned in ritual implements. Many were absorbed into the Demon Realm. I am truly sorry to everyone for this! After Fan Li-zhen and Zhang Xinjie met Practitioner Su and communicated with my spirit, they realised that the 'Lin Dong' of that time was no longer me. They guided my spirit from the heavenly realms into the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. From then on, I encountered the Buddha-Dharma, learned of Namo Amituofo and the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, and deeply felt the great compassion of the Buddha. I realised that the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is the final destination for the soul.

The Final Deliverance

At that time, my body was still in the human world, so according to the instructions of Namo Amituofo, my spirit was sent back. But my body was already controlled by demons, enjoying fame and profit, and filled with attachments. My spirit could not enter, so I remained outside, watching as followers who still trusted me were deceived. They, too, became attached to ghosts and spirits from the underworld. Their appearances changed, their characters shifted. My spirit felt such sorrow, but I was powerless to stop it. Until my physical life ended, my spirit was dragged to hell to face judgment for the deeds the demons committed in my name. When I was questioned by King Yama, I received countless accusations. Because the demons in my body enjoyed the reputation of a philanthropist, the victims were convinced of my 'goodness.' Even when illnesses returned, they remained loyal. The karmic creditors who wanted to settle debts became victims themselves, absorbed into the demon crowds to serve the demons in my body. Those who refused were bullied until they entered the Demon Realm. My heart is filled with pain for those countless souls forced into the demon path. This sin is too deep, too heavy!

I had to accept the judgment for everything the demons did. When King Yama sentenced me to the Avici Hell, I had nothing to say. No amount of punishment could compensate for the errors I had caused. Hell is truly bitter! I gritted my teeth and repented, even while my spirit suffered the most extreme torments. In fact, before my physical body died, my spirit had already been taken to hell for trial. It was only because Fan Li-zhen notified Practitioner Su that I had passed away that the Buddha and Practitioner Su pulled my spirit from hell and sent me to the temple’s Dharma-Nature Land. Now, they have sent me to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss—such a magnificent and beautiful place. My heart is overflowing with gratitude.

The Supreme Path of the Buddha

I believe in the laws of karma. After all, when my spirit was still in my body, I did genuinely want to help people and heal them. There were good fruits from that, and the laws of karma will judge every single detail. The path of cultivation is truly perilous; there are forces at work that one cannot resist, especially the Demon Realm.

Where there are demons, there must be Buddhas. This world cannot exist without the Buddha; without the power of the Buddha, one cannot subdue demons. It was only by encountering Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su that I could be saved and achieve the good fruit of entering the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. The Buddha-Dharma is truly more profound, thorough, and ultimate than Taoism. Can I ask Fan Li-zhen to help me once more, to perform Chao Du for my parents, teachers, and karmic creditors from immeasurable past lives? Even a hundred ceremonies would not be enough to erase my sins. It is only through the compassionate rescue of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su that I have been able to enter the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This place is far, far better than the heavenly realms. I hope everyone has the chance to enter this bright and beautiful world. By following Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, learning about the Pure Land, purifying oneself, chanting Namo Amituofo, or even living in the Amitabha Village here, everyone has the opportunity to enter the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

I am grateful to Namo Amituofo, grateful to Practitioner Su, and grateful to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre for giving me the chance to express these untold truths; it helps to lighten my karmic burden. I am grateful to Fan Li-zhen and Zhang Xinjie. I am grateful for everything!

Lin Dong"