Insights into the Spirit World and Human Attachment

This is a record of an interview with He Dasheng, a spirit who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his experiences as a spirit, including his time as an attached spirit within a human host, approximately 126 years after his passing. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on February 11, 2026.

He Dasheng speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am He Dasheng. Today, I would like to share with everyone my understanding of the spirit world and what I have seen and heard while entering the human body.

The Hierarchy of the Unseen

The spirit realm is divided into many layers. People in the human world cannot see the life of the spirit realm with their physical eyes. Higher-level spirits can perceive the conditions of those in lower realms, but the lower realms cannot see the life of the higher ones. This is common knowledge among us ghosts. Because the higher realms are purer and more enlightened, they possess the authority to govern the lower realms. This aligns with the Buddha’s teachings. Having learned what true purity is, I can now acknowledge the existence of this reality.

For instance, humans cannot see the spirit realm because their vision and their thoughts are limited. Why is this? Because most people only think of themselves or matters related to their own interests. They are unwilling to engage with anything that does not concern them, and in doing so, they bind their own hearts.

The Perspective of a Ghost

To be honest, many ghosts exist in a space where they can observe the human world. However, some suffering spirits are unable to see the living spaces of other beings due to their own state of misery. I understand the life of the human world. I believe there is a natural, impartial force in the universe that maintains the balance of survival among all forms of life. When beings are content to stay in their own roles without interfering with or affecting beings in other spaces, they are stable and harmonious. I believe I am currently in such a state.

Many spirits in the ghost realm exist between stability and instability—sometimes calm, sometimes not. This unstable state also exists within certain people. In fact, the human body often harbours such conditions.

The Weight of Personal Ego

Most beings in the ghost realm have heavy, depressed hearts. Unlike humans, they cannot laugh out loud or cry freely. Most still carry the personality and habits they had while alive—marrying and preparing to raise the next generation just as they did in the world. Humans think this is natural, but from our perspective, it is far from how things should be. If it were truly natural, it would align with the Truth and the Universal Principle. What I see here is nothing more than personal gain, selfishness, and living for one's own sake. This is what we call selfishness.

I want to focus my mind on meaningful things. Living days that help others is definitely better than living only for one's own survival; it brings peace of mind. Humans have bodies and suffer many afflictions because of them. Ghosts have no bodies, yet they are forced to live in the ghost realm based on what they did while alive and the state of their former bodies.

The Gateways of the Departed

In a graveyard, the first thing one sees is the tombstone marking the identity of the deceased buried beneath. To us, this tombstone is the front door to our dwelling. When we enter or exit, we enter the area belonging to our own tombstone; we do not go to the wrong place.

We also have eyes, noses, mouths, ears, and feelings. Our eyes can see, and they see much deeper and more thoroughly than human eyes, but what can we do with that? We only know. Unless a ghost has other plans and needs to use their 'ghost eyes' to see specific things, they remain simple. They are not as complex as the human mind, because their ability to act is limited.

The Power of Choice

Humans can destroy nature or cause it harm, but the ghost realm lacks such ability. The places they live are arranged for them by humans; they have no opportunity to create or develop. This is the difference. Humans have the opportunity to think and, through the change of their thoughts, make actual changes. But the ghost realm can only receive retribution based on what was done while alive. It seems that one should do more good deeds while in the world so that one's spirit can live a better life in the spirit world after death. This is what I know of life in the spirit realm.

From another perspective, beings who wish to enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss must possess excellent character. One should not do things that harm others, as that is a great taboo. One must do more to help others and perform kind deeds. The beings I see who wish to go to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss constantly demand improvement from themselves. They strive not to be selfish, not to think only of themselves, and not to live according to their own personalities. Having a strong 'personality' seems to be undesirable, because having a personality implies having an 'ego,' which prevents the broader, deeper, and more thorough capacity to help others, as well as kind actions and speech, from manifesting.

The Soul as the Vessel

To let your spirit shine, to contribute to the care of others, to help everyone leave behind a life of suffering, and to be someone who brings the Buddha’s teachings to others—rather than living only for oneself—one must have a spirit that commands respect. Because it is the soul that goes to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, not the body. Therefore, the soul must have the ability to make the body do good and virtuous things, rather than bad and evil ones. Otherwise, you cannot reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, for it is a kind and beautiful place, completely devoid of evil people.

You must become a kind and good person while you are alive and have a body. Moreover, you must chant Namo Amituofo, because the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is the kingdom of Namo Amituofo. Believing in Namo Amituofo, chanting His name, and living according to His teachings is essential.

The Reality of Spiritual Attachments

I see that when people at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre are selfish or think only of themselves, it always brings illness to their bodies. This is because there are countless spirits existing within their bodies. They all have lives, and they exist within the body due to their past relationships with the host. Regardless, those who keep a kind heart, do good deeds, speak good words, act as good people, and chant Buddha’s name well are welcomed wherever they go and can also be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

More enlightened people can see spirits—that is, the ghost realm and higher spiritual realms. Currently, the person I know who possesses this ability is Practitioner Su. He truly possesses this capability. Furthermore, much of what he sees is invisible even to us in the ghost realm. For example, the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss must be 'opened' by Practitioner Su for us to see it; otherwise, even though it truly exists, our spirits cannot perceive it. This ability means that Practitioner Su can help spirits enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. If you wish to go there, you should follow Practitioner Su closely. Listen to what he says, do what you can, and do not do what you cannot. This will certainly be of help to you.

The Importance of the True Self

I must admit that in infinite space, there are infinite beings. There is so much we do not know; we should truly be humble. I see arrogant people who are never welcomed, and the spirits attached to them do not look friendly either. The 'true self' of such a person has already been damaged, and their body is often occupied by other spirits. This is what Practitioner Su often speaks of—the scattering of the three hun souls and seven po souls. This is a critical matter. Only when the three hun souls and seven po souls are complete within one's own body can one retrieve one's true self.

I now understand what the 'true self' is. It is the ability to no longer be controlled by the karma of reincarnation, to no longer live the life of a ghost, and to allow the soul to shine and live a life of freedom and autonomy. What a wonderful thing that is! However, everyone's personality and habits seem to easily trap their souls, preventing them from expanding. That is why we must practice, so that our thoughts, actions, and deeds all conform to the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. Only then can the trapped soul—the true self—be rescued.

The Need for Higher Guidance

But from what I see now, many spirits do not have the ability to save themselves; they need the power of higher spirits like Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to be rescued, because spirits are always burdened by selfish and ego-driven personalities. Namo Amituofo, Practitioner Su, and the teacher here, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, are pure and virtuous souls. Only with their help can we save ourselves and other beings. But one must also listen and follow instructions, because in terms of the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, they cannot suffer on our behalf; they can only tell us how to do it.

In this regard, I feel that spirits—that is, ghosts—are much simpler than humans. The spirit realm is more obedient; people are not as obedient. This is because there are too many spirits—too many ghosts—taking charge within the human body, and each ghost has its own ideas. One moment I can see this ghost appear, the next I see another; it is truly terrifying. It turns out that the human body is truly a place that hides ghosts and allows them to dwell, including attached spirits.

Inside the Human Body

I was once an attached spirit who entered the body of Lay Practitioner Wang Minjie. After entering her knee, I discovered that the space inside was quite large, but it was dark. It was not bright like the light manifested from Practitioner Su. I also found that the space inside Lay Practitioner Wang Minjie's knee seemed better and brighter than the space in other humans' knees, which indicates that her heart is much better than others'. This brings comfort to us attached spirits, because it means we are the same—the kind of attached spirit you are determines the kind of person you attach to.

The space inside the human body is incredibly vast, and the beings within are all different. In the range I saw within Lay Practitioner Wang Minjie's knee, there were beings from many different dynasties, with different appearances and different relationships. There were good, evil, kind, and wicked ones; there were adults and children, men and women of all ages. They exist within the body as spirits. In this knee alone, there are so many beings, including many generals and soldiers. They all have their own thoughts and methods, but most of their thoughts are negative because they are not living well. These are what humans call 'karmic creditors'—they come to collect debts, seek revenge, and hold grudges.

Signs of Light

At the same time, I also saw some good, kind beings within her. Why do I know they are kind? Because they emit a faint light. It is the light of the spirit, called 'spirit light.' Although it is not a brilliant radiance, it is still remarkable. There are also some monastics. These monastics exist in Lay Practitioner Wang Minjie's head. I can see that when these monastics were alive, Lay Practitioner Wang Minjie once studied Buddhism and became a monastic with them. Looking further back, it turns out that in her past lives, she was also a monastic. So, the relationship of karmic conditions and causes and effects spoken of in Buddhism is truly real.

I believe that my attaching to Lay Practitioner Wang Minjie's knee also has its causes and conditions. These conditions occurred in past lives, though when they will blossom and bear fruit is unknown. I believe that every event I encounter now is a condition already formed in past lives. If it is something that allows the body to learn, grow, and elevate its spiritual quality, it should be a good and virtuous connection. If it causes the body pain or makes the heart feel sad and miserable, then the connection formed in past lives must be unvirtuous, suffering-filled, or based on accumulated hatred and grudges.

In short, looking at the overall direction and major principles, practice should enable the body to develop in a good and positive way, rather than a negative way that makes the body feel oppressed. This is quite consistent with scientific principles.

The Courage to Subdue Demons

There are even things that ordinary spirits cannot do, such as subduing demons. Spirits in the ghost realm will not contact demons unless you share the same heart as the demon and need to rely on them to complete what you want to do. Otherwise, the further away from demons, the better. There is absolutely no kind or untroubled spirit who wants to contact the Demon Realm. This is the general situation.

Yet, Practitioner Su, whom we know, bravely stands up. To prevent the Demon Realm from harming humans or interfering with and affecting people's lives, he performs Chao Du for the Demon Realm, allowing them to go to the Western Dharma-Nature Land—the place where I am now. Looking around, there are many beings in this space. Unless I look closely at their past (I have this ability, but it is not entirely thorough), I cannot distinguish whether they are demons, kind people, or attached spirits.

The Complexity of Existence

In fact, everyone, regardless of what role they play, how they lost their body and died, or under what circumstances they were sent to the Western Dharma-Nature Land, is different; they all have their own encounters. This is a complex world, a world that is not easy to survive in, which often makes life so difficult for people. After death, to have the soul enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is such a beautiful thing. Therefore, from the past until now, while I was on Lay Practitioner Wang Minjie's knee, I have met many monastics. But looking at them, they did not seem to be living very well.

The act of Chao Du seems to represent what kind of life one will lead and where one will go after being delivered. The key figure is the practitioner performing the Chao Du. I see the spirits who come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre for Chao Du, receiving the deliverance of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, disappearing happily and joyfully before our eyes. This means they must have gone to a good place, and they no longer need to live the grey, dark life of the ghost realm.

The Light of Compassion

Among the spirits who come for Chao Du, some are quite advanced—they are not spirits like us living in grey darkness; they also have light on them. Currently, the highest and brightest light I have seen is the light from Namo Amituofo, as well as the light carried by Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju and Practitioner Su. That is why they have the ability to perform Chao Du for beings, helping them gain merit to go to a better place, a better space, and live a better life. How compassionate that is!

I once did not understand what 'compassion' meant, because in the Catholic education I received, there was no such word as 'compassion,' though there was 'God loves the world.' But I discovered that the meaning of the word 'compassion' and the beings it can save seem to transcend love; it represents completely selfless dedication, the power to bring people stability, and the ability to save people from suffering. 'Compassion' represents a much deeper meaning.

The Thrice Yearning Ceremony

At the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies held at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, one can see that the participants all have different hearts. Those who do it with a sincere heart are full of energy and chant powerfully; the spirits on them also seem to be joyfully chanting along. Among them, Practitioner Su is the most special; the bright light emitted from his body can spread to a very, very wide range as he chants.

The fourfold assembly of disciples is the most fortunate, as they can receive the light emitted by Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su. However, their hearts seem to be covered—covered by karmic creditors, attached spirits, and many demons—so their spirits are dim and confused. Some close their eyes, and some sway back and forth. This situation is very painful for us in the spirit realm to watch, and we feel it is a great pity. We have no bodies, and we long to have bodies to practice diligently, to follow Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su to practice well, to elevate our own abilities, and to increase the light of our spirits.

But at this time, we can do nothing. We can only attach ourselves to people, following their thoughts wherever they go; we have no autonomous ability. If they have a kind heart and do good deeds, we can also benefit. That is, they carry the energy of compassion, and they also send us much compassionate, excellent energy, which makes our spirits feel joyful and happy.

A Plea from the Ghost Realm

If their hearts are unhappy and unvirtuous, thinking of unpleasant or angry things, the body presents a dark state. The spirits I see on them also live poorly and unhappily; they are even angrier than the hosts and commit unvirtuous acts that invade the body, such as pulling at it, causing pain and swelling. This situation is called debt collection and revenge. In fact, from the position of a ghost—that is, the role of a spirit—I tell everyone: we do not want to live such a life. We also look forward to living a life that is bright, joyful, full of energy, and happy.

I believe that here at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia, where Namo Amituofo resides, and where Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju and Practitioner Su are, this is a place of very high-level spirits. It can help those who are learning—the fourfold assembly of disciples—to overcome their personalities and habits, elevate their spiritual quality, and soon be able to follow Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su to help more spirits, perform Chao Du for more beings, and educate people on how they can be like them, live a life of freedom and autonomy, live a life that can enter the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and help everyone leave behind a life of pain and darkness to enter a world of light.

The above are some of my own shallow insights and experiences. I hope they can be of some help to everyone; that would make me very happy. Thank you, Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, thank you Practitioner Su, and thank you all.

He Dasheng, a ghost from Toowoomba