The Agony of the Flames: A Final Account

Being burned to death is truly, unimaginably painful. It is a slow, agonizing descent into death, where every inch of your body screams in torment. From the moment your consciousness is clear, to the point where your limbs, your back, and your entire body are engulfed in agony—this is a continuous, relentless suffering. Who could ever truly imagine such a thing?

A Reluctant Testimony

This is a record of an interview with Hu Zhaorong, 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 the tragic fire at Wang Fuk Court, located at 3821 Tai Po Road, Yuen Chau Tsai, Tai Po District, Hong Kong. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on December 2, 2025.

Practitioner Su: "Hu Zhaorong, you were a victim of the fire at Wang Fuk Court, 3821 Tai Po Road, Yuen Chau Tsai, Hong Kong. How did the fire occur? You lost your life there. You are now in the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. With the compassion of the Buddha, I invite you, Hu Zhaorong, to recount the events of that disaster exactly as they happened, so that your family may come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to communicate with you. I respectfully invite Hu Zhaorong of the Western Dharma-Nature Land."

Hu Zhaorong speaks: "I originally did not want to be interviewed, but the other victims here encouraged me to speak properly, saying it would be for the best. Honestly, I do not understand it. Why would I want to recount the process of my own death after experiencing such a massive fire? Is there some mistake? Where is the benefit in this? It was miserable enough already—must my death be turned into entertainment news for everyone? I despise interviews, and to be interviewed about my own death? Could anything be more ridiculous? Who, after dying, would want to turn their painful final moments into a story? Sigh, thinking about it makes me even sadder. Why must I encounter such things even after death? But it seems these complaints can only be voiced through an interview. I usually lived alone, and there was no one to complain to. Even when I had so much to say, there was no one to listen. To think that it took my death for someone to finally listen to me—it is truly sorrowful."

The Rise and Fall of a Businessman

"Since I must speak, I will say my fill! In my youth, I was something of an upstart. I was in business, handling overseas trade, and the money was very good. I was sharp and decisive; I was not afraid of offending people. As long as there was profit to be made, I would strike immediately. I never left any profit for others. I calculated everything with precision, and nothing ever slipped through my fingers. Who could have known that a series of poor decisions would follow, leading to constant losses? I had originally intended to make even more money—just like my name, Zhaorong, which implies prosperous glory. Who knew that things would go from bad to worse? Consecutive investment failures and cash flow problems left me in debt. I will not go into the details of those struggles. At the very least, I managed to keep this apartment. While it was not a luxury mansion—hardly worth mentioning compared to the homes I once lived in—it was enough to keep the wind and rain away. Who knew it could not keep the fire away?

"The building did not look poorly designed, so how could it lack a fire safety system? The fire was so large, yet I heard no alarms, there were no automatic sprinklers, and there was not even a fire-safe refuge area. Perhaps it was because the building was forty years old; I could not expect too much. The designs back then were different from modern architecture."

The Final Moments in the Bathroom

"I was essentially living out my retirement at Wang Fuk Court. Life there was not too bad. At the time of the fire, I was in the shower. You tell me, how could I have reacted in time? It is too miserable to have to recount this. I was in the bathroom, completely unaware of any fire. I was never fast on my feet, and I was not showering quickly either. I had just taken off my clothes and started when I heard a massive noise. At first, I thought I should just continue—I was already halfway through. But then the sounds became increasingly chaotic. I felt like something was happening outside, but I could not see out from the bathroom. I tried to wash as quickly as I could, but my speed was limited. By the time I finished and dressed, some time had already passed. I hurried to the bathroom door and discovered that flames were already licking through the cracks. I desperately tried to find something to block the fire, but nothing seemed fire-resistant. I grabbed a bath towel, soaked it in water, and threw it in front of the door, hoping to block the blaze. I was terrified, so I hid back in the bathroom and closed the door.

"I do not know how much time passed, but the door began to feel hotter and hotter. It was not fireproof—what was I to do? I turned on the water and splashed it, hoping to cool it down, but it had little effect. Later, I saw the fire burn a hole right through the door. I kept splashing water at that hole, but the hole only grew larger. The fire surged in, and in an instant, the entire bathroom was filled with it. I quickly soaked my entire body, but the fire spread too fast. Eventually, the water ran out, and the water on my body and my wet clothes gradually dried up. I hurriedly knelt and crawled on the floor, hoping the fire would not reach my face. Gradually, my whole body was in pain; my clothes must have caught fire too. I was so nervous. I never thought my life would end in such a ridiculous place. Given my net worth in my youth, how could my life end so pathetically? To be huddled and crawling on the floor in such misery—it is truly hard to speak of."

A Light in the Darkness

"I am so unwilling to accept this ending. It is too ridiculous, truly hard to talk about. But if I do not say it now, who will know I died here? Who would guess that this is how I died? Now that I have said it, sigh, I am not afraid of being laughed at. Let them laugh! Everyone dies, but what kind of death is considered dignified? Of course, being burned to death is truly, unimaginably painful. Especially this slow burning, slowly welcoming death—from the moment your consciousness is clear, to the point where your limbs, your back, and your entire body are engulfed in agony—this is a continuous, relentless suffering. Who could ever truly imagine such a thing? I have seen all kinds of deaths, big and small, but only after experiencing it myself did I realise that dying is not so simple. I never imagined I would die in such agony.

"I do not know how much time passed after that. The fire just kept burning until a light suddenly shone upon me, and the pain stopped. But I still did not dare to move or look. I was afraid the fire had only stopped temporarily and might suddenly flare up again. I remained kneeling and huddled, wanting to ensure I was safe before I dared to relax. If I had opened my eyes rashly, the fire might have burned my face. But my body no longer felt pain. I was not sure if it was because I was burned to a crisp or if it was all gone, so I did not dare to confirm; I just stayed huddled. Gradually, I began to hear Namo Amituofo—the sound of the Buddha's name chanting came to me. I had encountered this in my youth; after all, when doing business, one must respect all kinds of ghosts, gods, Buddhas, and the God of Wealth. It is better to believe they exist so you do not lose money for no reason. Later, my heart gradually calmed down. After listening to a few interviews, I knew there was no fire here and that it was very safe. So, I opened a tiny gap and moved my hand slightly to confirm what kind of place this was. It was so bright, truly so bright, but very gentle. Although it was bright, it did not sting my eyes. I felt at ease and opened my whole body, no longer huddled together. I sat up and looked around. There was really no fire; it was very safe. I looked closer—what kind of place is this? I travelled all over the world for business, but I had never seen such a place. It was so bright and beautiful. Is this really Earth? Or did I die and go to Heaven? A voice told me this is the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. What is Dharma-Nature Land? I did not understand. I understood Buddhist Centre, but how did I end up in Australia? Did I hear wrong? But it was indeed Australia. After listening to Practitioner Su's Dharma talks, I realised that Namo Amituofo had brought me here. I had never sincerely worshipped Namo Amituofo in my life. Does that mean I need to fulfil a vow? But I have no body, so I do not know how to fulfil a vow. A voice said, 'Just chant the Buddha's name.' Very well, then I will chant the Buddha's name.

"Alright, although I did not really want to make this painful death process public to the news media, I am a man of my word. Since I accepted the interview, I will make it public. It is hard to survive in the business world without principles, although I no longer need to do business now. I am grateful to Namo Amituofo. I am going to chant the Buddha's name to fulfil my vow now.

Namo Amituofo.

Hu Zhaorong"