Interview with Stanley Ho (The Gambling King of Macau)

Summary: An influential entrepreneur and philanthropist in the Hong Kong and Macau regions, known as the Gambling King of Macau. He possessed mixed Jewish, Dutch, British, and Chinese heritage and came from the famous Ho Tung family in Hong Kong. He held a 40-year monopoly in the Macau gaming industry, not only building a massive business empire (such as SJM Holdings and Shun Tak Holdings) but also making significant contributions to Macau's economic prosperity and modernisation.

Interview by: Venerable Fa Hui

July 17, 2026

Stanley Ho:

Namo Amituofo.

At this moment, I, Stanley Ho, am at the Western Land of Dharma Nature at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. My goal now is to attain Buddhahood. Since arriving at the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I have deeply experienced the compassion and greatness of Namo Amituofo, realised that I possess this same immense potential, and understood that I, too, have the opportunity to become a Buddha like Namo Amituofo. I have been actively chanting the Holy Name "Namo Amituofo," hoping to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss in the future.

After reaching the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, I will follow Namo Amituofo in my practice, step by step elevating my spiritual quality until I perfect and accomplish the Buddha-way. Only when I have truly attained Buddhahood will I have the ability to save all boundless suffering sentient beings.

Reincarnation was something I did not truly understand while I was alive. Now I know that the body is merely a body and was never the true self; the soul within the body represents the true self, and the soul never dies.

That the spirit never dies has been a great revelation to me. After all, when I previously regarded this body as real, I naturally pursued wealth, fame, status, and lust in the world. Once I realised that everything in the world is merely a combination of multiple karmic conditions and is impermanent—that nothing can exist forever—and that after death, the various sins committed during one's life follow the soul closely, I suddenly awakened to how important it is to plan for one's soul as early as possible.

If I had known this earlier, I certainly would not have been deluded by worldly wealth, fame, status, and lust. Instead, I would have shifted my focus to cultivating my soul, which holds true value and meaning. After all, the existence of the soul is long-lasting, and if one can nurture it well, it is of great benefit.

In this life, I was born into the famous Ho Tung family in Hong Kong and was considered an influential entrepreneur.

Many people honoured me as the Gambling King of Macau. Through decades of deep cultivation in Macau, I built a massive business empire. Although I was the Gambling King of Macau, I often told people: "Actually, as long as you do not gamble, you have won." After all, how can one always win at gambling? There will always be times when one loses. Often, one loss is enough to lose everything one owns. The thrill of gambling is immense, but the pain after failure is unbearable. Although I was the Gambling King of Macau, I never gambled in my life. It was precisely because I operated such a business that I knew more deeply the horror and severity of gambling.

For me, interacting with people seemed to be an innate instinct; socialising was never difficult. When with others, I could naturally display my advantages and charm, and everything felt just right.

From a young age, I was unwilling to fall behind; no matter what I did, I wanted to win. This strong competitive spirit can be said to be the foundation upon which I built my massive business empire. But in truth, it was also my downfall, because in the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way, there is no such thing as "competitiveness." Instead, one should learn to be accommodating, humble, and modest. Therefore, for a long time, due to this competitive personality, I violated the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way many times, and my soul paid a heavy price for it.

I deeply craved and loved everything in the world. I possessed immense wealth and a successful career, and I married four wives. Lust is indeed a desire that is difficult for people to resist in the world, especially for a successful person full of energy like me. After pursuing one partner, I would start a karmic connection with another at some point; everything felt so natural, and I enjoyed it. In this life, I had many descendants, which represents my enthusiasm for reproduction.

I have tasted all the flavours of life and lived a spectacular life. In doing so, I satisfied the various desires of my body and pursued all kinds of physical and mental pleasures. Wealth, fame, status, women—I lacked nothing I desired, and in the end, I obtained them all.

However, after arriving at the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I slowly understood that the driving force behind obtaining all of this was a strong demon nature hidden deep within my heart. It was a strong inertia branded into my soul from when I served as a Demon King in the Demon Realm in the past, and it also represented the karmic entanglement between me and the many sentient beings I harmed during my time as a Demon King.

My career in this life was a huge success, and I earned abundant wealth. At one time, a very large proportion of the workforce in Macau was employed by me, and the businesses I operated had a decisive influence on the entire economy of Macau. It can be said that in terms of wealth and career reputation, I had achieved the absolute peak of the human world.

As for women, not to mention the many beautiful women I pursued and captured. In the process of being with them, the pleasure and satisfaction that naturally arose in the body made me deeply addicted.

Regarding these life experiences known to the world, I must be very honest here and tell everyone that most of them were the result of the manipulation and influence of countless demon crowds.

Why did I enter hell after I died in this life? It was caused by the demon nature in my own heart, but it was also the result of the control of countless karmic creditors and demon crowds. I will not blame anyone; I can only say that people really should learn what the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way are. While you still have a human body, if you encounter the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, you must cherish it and seek the Dharma, because in fact, only here can one be taught what the true Truth is.

If one fails to follow the Truth, it will make the spiritual life very difficult on the long road ahead. If one enters hell, without special karmic conditions, how long must one suffer before having the chance to leave? This is an unknown. However, regardless, to create huge sins for the sake of these false things in the world, causing one's spirit—which was originally capable of attaining Buddhahood—to fall into the six realms of rebirth, is truly not worth it.

After a brilliant and spectacular life, my next stop after leaving the world was the brain-gouging hell. In this hell, I suffered endless torture. The repeated brain-gouging torture made me suffer unbearably and made my soul weaker day by day.

When I was alive, I often had strong confidence in myself, as if everything was under my control. However, after arriving in hell, I realised that there is nothing one can control. Because in hell, I was merely a helpless, lonely soul passively enduring torture. Each time the torture occurred, my mind became more and more muddled.

I do not know how many years passed before I was recently saved by Practitioner Su of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and brought to where I am now, the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

At this moment, on the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I cannot help but shed tears of gratitude. I am grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for saving my sin-ridden soul, allowing me to come here and have the opportunity to truly repent. It turns out that as long as one's heart and actions violate the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way in the slightest, one has planted the seeds for entering hell. Not to mention that I, Stanley Ho, as the Gambling King of Macau, operated a gaming business, and too many people were greatly harmed because of it; every bit of that sin must be borne by me.

In short, from a spiritual perspective, if one's actions are to satisfy the desires of the body, or if the business one operates is to help people obtain various sensory stimuli, or to help them obtain various physical pleasures (even the joy, experience, satisfaction, and comfort in life), then at such times, one is already helping these people create unimaginable sins, and one will pay the price for it.

After listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma, I gradually understood that as long as one is born in the world but forgets the Ultimate Vow to save the world and sentient beings, and fails to make "leading oneself and countless sentient beings to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss in this life" the primary goal, it is difficult to avoid creating various sins. Because if the direction one walks in the world is not to help oneself and sentient beings go to the West, it is equivalent to letting oneself and sentient beings fall into reincarnation. At that time, oneself and countless sentient beings with karmic affinity will continue to repeat the entanglements of debt collection and repayment, and gratitude and resentment, and various sins will be continuously generated.

So, why is following the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way so important? Only by aligning with the Truth and keeping one's heart forever settled on the Holy Name "Namo Amituofo" can one truly stop the operation of karma, let the gears of fate stop, and no longer continue to reincarnate.

I am grateful to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su for letting me, Stanley Ho, deeply understand that for every person, there is only one path: rebirth in the Western Pure Land. In this world, we should only engage in the work of saving the world and sentient beings; we must not touch anything else.

When I first arrived at the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I felt as if I had come to a beautiful world I had never imagined. It is full of light and peace, without any conflict. The various evil thoughts and negative emotions of the world cannot be found here; there is only the never-extinguishing golden light and the Holy Name "Namo Amituofo" playing continuously.

When I chant this "Namo Amituofo," I feel my soul surrounded by a warm power, healing my wounds bit by bit. Today, I, Stanley Ho, have been completely transformed; I no longer have that face full of demon nature and aggression. At this moment, my face is pure, dignified, and bright; even I cannot believe this is truly my appearance. The Western Land of Dharma Nature is truly a magical place; can all the spirits here possess such a huge transformation?

In fact, the Western Land of Dharma Nature has a vitality that can help us, the residents of the Land of Dharma Nature, slowly find the unborn and undying Buddha-nature in our hearts. The Western Land of Dharma Nature is a Buddha-land established by Practitioner Su; he is a flesh-body Buddha who has realised his true nature and attained Buddhahood in the human world, truly a treasure of the human world. Because Practitioner Su is of the same heart and vow as the Buddha, he can sense that Namo Amituofo resides at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia.

At this time, the Buddha has come to the world to announce to the people that the gate to the West has been opened, waiting for everyone to take their tickets. The ticket does not require any fee or expensive payment; it simply requires sincere belief in Namo Amituofo, belief in the Holy Name "Namo Amituofo," and the vow to save the world and sentient beings, and one will have the opportunity to return to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

At this very moment, everyone on Earth should quickly join the Namo Amituofo salvation team and follow Him to save the boundless suffering sentient beings in the world. In this process, contribute as much as you can. As long as you can help with the salvation work of Namo Amituofo, you are actually helping your own soul achieve liberation.

Here, I would like to especially thank my benefactor, Practitioner Su. He is so fierce and fearless; after attaining Buddhahood, with his ability of countless manifestations, he is constantly performing great Chao Du all over the world. He places the spirits in the world who do not know where to go into the Western Land of Dharma Nature, giving them the opportunity to truly be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss in the future.

In addition, the scope of Practitioner Su's Chao Du covers the vastness of the Dharma Realm, the Milky Way, the universe, and even beyond the heavens, including the immeasurable and boundless demon crowds in every corner of every country on Earth.

I see on the Land of Dharma Nature that immeasurable and boundless demon crowds, under the Chao Du of Practitioner Su, are led to the Western Land of Dharma Nature. When the Holy Name "Namo Amituofo" rings from the heart of Practitioner Su, Namo Amituofo shines with great golden light. Under the illumination of the golden light, in an instant, these demon crowds are all placed in the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

How many there are, I do not know how to describe; in short, they are countless, immeasurable, and boundless demon crowds who, under the Chao Du of Practitioner Su, have the opportunity to come to the Land of Dharma Nature and be transformed.

At this moment, they are just like me, Stanley Ho, receiving the illumination of Buddha-light upon the lotus seats in the Dharma-Nature Land. Many demon crowds have transformed from their original dark, fierce, and twisted countenances into gentle, compassionate, and dignified appearances. Each one looks so radiant that it is impossible to imagine that they were previously the demon crowds who manipulated countless humans in the world, causing them to suffer immense pain.

This is also the most shocking thing I, Stanley Ho, have experienced since arriving in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. It turns out that people in the world are, in fact, often being interfered with and controlled by demon crowds from the spiritual realms. Many people might say that their lives are going well, or that they have achieved success and are riding the crest of a wave.

I am telling you clearly here that if you are increasingly addicted to the pleasures and enjoyments of the body, you have, in fact, been targeted by demon crowds without even realising it. It is very likely that the one in charge within your body at this moment is no longer your true self, but rather your karmic creditors or demon crowds.

This is a widespread phenomenon in the world, yet people remain unaware of it. Why has Practitioner Su been so actively performing Chao Du for demon crowds? This is the very reason. Because he deeply understands that the interference and control of demon crowds over worldly people is far too severe, leading many to commit acts that go against the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. In the end, it is the true self of these individuals that pays the price.

How exactly do demon crowds manipulate and control humans? They utilise people's attachment to this body and their various sensations, including desires. As long as there is greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, doubt, and the pursuit of wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep, it is difficult to avoid becoming a puppet of the demon crowds.

Seeing all this in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I have come to understand more and more the terrifying nature of karmic retribution. In the past, I was also a human, and after death, due to the deviation and mutation of my mental notes, I entered the Demon Realm. After becoming a Demon King, I harmed many beings, and many of these beings I harmed also entered the Demon Realm as a result. They naturally sought out my spirit to inflict upon me the various evil deeds I had once committed against them. It turns out that reincarnation is a drama where: It continues to grow and consume beings without pause. Today I hurt you, and tomorrow it is your turn to hurt me; it happens bit by bit, without any deviation.

How can one transcend and escape from this negative cycle on the path of reincarnation where we harm one another? It must rely on the Dharma education of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Only by truly learning what the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way are, can one prevent their karma from manifesting; by walking on the path of Truth, one can avoid awakening the karmic creditors and beings within the body. Only by truly being willing to let go of everything worldly, replacing this heart entirely with the Holy Name "Namo Amituofo," and leading the countless karmic creditors, demon crowds, and cellular spirits within one's body to chant "Namo Amituofo" together, is there a possibility of liberation.

It turns out that in the process of consuming one another, to truly break free, one must not merely seek one's own liberation. One must sincerely hope that these suffering spirits entangled with oneself can be saved; only then is it possible for us to stop harming each other.

Why should we firmly and unswervingly chant the Holy Name "Namo Amituofo"? It is precisely because we understand the depth of our own karma. A single wrong thought could potentially summon countless karmic creditors or demon crowds to manifest, causing us to be subjected to their powerful interference and control. At that time, not only will one's own body, mind, and spirit have to endure immense suffering, but it also effectively causes severe secondary harm to the beings one has hurt in the past. This brings no benefit to anyone.

Only by truly seeing the suffering and pain of oneself and the karmic creditors and demon crowds within one's body, and by being truly compassionate to oneself and to them, can one let go of all burdens and encumbrances on the heart. Stop being tainted by anything in the world, and completely dedicate your heart to the salvation work of Amitabha Buddha, keeping your heart firmly settled on the Holy Name "Namo Amituofo."

This is true wisdom and compassion. Only in this way can both parties, who are entangled and inseparable in reincarnation, be saved. As long as every cell in the body chants "Namo Amituofo" together, there is an opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss together.

This is the preciousness of the Buddha coming to the world: it allows the deep karma that was originally difficult to resolve to have a chance to be resolved. It allows the drama of consuming one another and the tragic fate that plays out repeatedly to finally come to an end. In each and every recitation of the Holy Name "Namo Amituofo," we can truly achieve and perfect one another, find our original, unborn, and undying true self, and allow ourselves and the countless karmic creditors and demon crowds within us to attain Buddhahood together. A person who can do this is a true hero. Practitioner Su is such a person, and I believe everyone in the world should learn from him.

I am grateful to Amitabha Buddha and Practitioner Su for actively carrying out the work of saving the world. I hope to help everyone gain the true benefits of being free from aging, free from illness, and the spirit never dies. The causes of aging, illness, and death are, in fact, due to the fact that one's heart cannot be the master. Because the heart cannot be the master, one's spirit and body also cannot be the master, becoming so impermanent and changeable, without a single day of stability.

If you wish for your body, mind, and spirit to truly reach a state of balance and stability, you must follow the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. If every thought is the Holy Name "Namo Amituofo," you will be able to obtain the true benefits of being free from aging, free from illness, and the spirit never dies.

In fact, no matter what kind of being it is, even a demon, in the eyes of the Buddha, they are merely children who lack education and proper guidance. The Buddha never looks at the bad in beings; He only looks at the compassion and goodness in their hearts that has never disappeared. Because the Buddha deeply understands a fact of truth: every being is the same as the Buddha, originally a Buddha, but because they became deluded, they fell into the six realms of reincarnation; as long as one can truly awaken, one can become a Buddha in that very moment.

Why does Amitabha Buddha always teach everyone to chant the Holy Name "Namo Amituofo" well? Because by settling your heart on this Holy Name, you can radiate great light with every thought, connecting heart-to-heart with the Buddha's compassion and vows. It further helps everyone awaken to the fact that they were originally this simple and kind, and helps them recall the great vow to save the world that they once made.

"Chant one Buddha's name to the end" is a simple phrase, yet it is the supreme teaching given by Amitabha Buddha to the masses, encompassing all merits within it. By chanting the Buddha's name with a single heart, one naturally has the opportunity to regain the same compassion, wisdom, and virtues as the Buddha.

Attaining Buddhahood is not only for oneself but also to help beings with karmic affinity attain Buddhahood together. This is the only career we should pursue in the world—the great undertaking of becoming a Buddha, and even more so, the great undertaking of saving the world. Because only when you first attain Buddhahood do you have the true ability to help beings leave suffering and gain happiness. This is the core truth that Practitioner Su teaches us.

It is a pity that I, Stanley Ho, no longer have a body and cannot continue to move forward on this path of practice. But in the world, those with karmic affinity who see this letter at this moment possess this precious human body. Do not waste this precious vessel; please be sure to use it to properly "use this temporary body to find the eternal truth." If you can truly find your original face, that would be the greatest blessing for all beings.

I am grateful to Amitabha Buddha and Practitioner Su for their great compassion and great kindness, allowing me, a person full of sins, to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss in the future.

Namo Amituofo.

Stanley Ho