The Burden of the Mandate: A King's Confession

This is a record of an interview with Shang Tang, the founding Emperor of the Shang Dynasty, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his life approximately 3,600 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Ru, on April 1, 2026.

Shang Tang speaks:

"The Xia King received the mandate of Heaven, yet I extinguished the Xia to establish the Shang and welcome a new era.

Though the mandate of the people followed my heart, the karma of slaughter is unavoidable and requires atonement.

My virtuous governance for the people has never faded, yet it is a pity that my merits and demerits have not yet been balanced.

Having served my time in the ghost realm as a king, I have protected the Divine Land for three thousand years.

I never truly intended to vie for the position of the sovereign of all under heaven. The reality was that the Xia Emperor, Jie, was utterly dissolute and devoid of moral foundations.

The Decay of the Xia Dynasty

I witnessed with my own eyes the heavy taxes imposed upon the common people, and the mass conscription of civilians to construct unnecessary, extravagant palaces and monuments. The grievances of the people were rising like a tide. However, this was not merely the fault of Xia Jie alone. In truth, the Xia Dynasty had been in a state of decline for many generations under various sovereigns. The successive kings of the Xia had sat upon the throne for so long, enjoying a life of luxury in the capital, completely detached from the reality of the common folk, that they had gradually forgotten the true needs of the people.

The very meaning of the title 'Sovereign of All Under Heaven' had long since ceased to exist. A true sovereign is one whom the people collectively revere and rely upon—a leader who guides the people in their survival and prosperity. Only such a person is worthy of the title. Yet, the central government of the Xia, long steeped in debauchery and focused solely on personal pleasure while ignoring the suffering of the masses, was no longer fit to hold this name. They did not empathise with the people, nor did they understand the hardships of daily life. They acted on their own whims, imposing crushing taxes and forcing the people into hard labour to build massive, opulent palaces. These structures served only as playgrounds for the monarch and his inner circle of sycophants; they provided no real benefit to society or the welfare of the world. The people were deeply bewildered by this, and in the eyes of the various feudal lords, these actions were utterly ridiculous. In truth, every feudal state understood that the Xia Dynasty had entered a period of terminal decay. Anyone could have taken their place; even the smallest of the feudal states was more in touch with the people and more beloved than the dissolute sovereign at the centre.

A Reluctant Rebel

As the ruler of one of the major feudal states within the Xia territory, I understood this truth all too well. My only desire was to govern my own region well, to ensure that the people of the Shang state could have a small patch of land where they could survive and thrive. However, Xia Jie viewed me as a hidden danger to his dynasty, perceiving me as a major threat to his power. When I simply ceased my tribute payments, he dispatched troops to suppress me. Even after I offered my apologies, he imprisoned me and sought to kill me. It was this that truly forced me to make the decision to change the course of history.

I had originally intended only to hold my ground, to foster stability, and to provide a peaceful life for a portion of the population. Yet, this very act was seen by the sovereign—who should have been concerned with the welfare of all—as a threat to the stability of the Xia. He not only imprisoned me but attempted to take my life to remove what he saw as a threat. This left me feeling deeply cold. After all, I had dedicated myself to helping the country and the people find stability, actively assisting them in developing basic infrastructure, only to be treated in such a manner by the sovereign, even to the point of facing an assassination attempt. This convinced me that the sovereign of all under heaven could no longer distinguish right from wrong. If this situation were allowed to continue, the saying 'if the upper beam is crooked, the lower ones will be askew' would surely hold true. Those with virtue naturally congregate with the virtuous, but looking at the conduct of Xia Jie and the descendants he raised with his consort, Mo Xi, how could they be anything but corrupt? They would inevitably lead the nation into an even deeper state of ruin.

The Strategy of Liberation

Rather than allowing that to happen, it was better to let the people escape their sea of suffering sooner. At that time, the desire to overthrow Xia Jie was shared by everyone—not just in my Shang state, but among all the feudal lords, large and small. After all, the harm caused by Xia Jie had reached every corner of the realm; everyone had suffered under his tyranny. Of course, I must admit that in launching the campaign against Jie, I did harbour a sense of personal vengeance.

As a subject, I understood that rising up against the sovereign was not in accordance with moral principles. However, when the government forces the people into rebellion, it becomes impossible for the common folk to survive. For the sake of the survival of all the people of the Xia Dynasty, and to prevent the sovereign and his descendants from repeating their atrocities, I resolutely launched the war against Jie. I knew that the opponent was the sovereign of all under heaven, and his military strength was not to be underestimated. This act of rebellion had to be precise and carefully calculated to succeed in one stroke. How much strength did the sovereign truly possess? I had to have a clear grasp of this before acting. Otherwise, a reckless move would result in the total destruction of the Shang state, and I would become the greatest sinner in our history. Therefore, every aspect had to be executed with extreme caution and meticulous planning.

First, I needed to gauge the heart of the world: how much loyalty remained for the Xia, and how much was turning toward the Shang? When I raised my army to attack the Xia, how many feudal states would stand with me? How many would resist the rebel forces to protect the sovereign's regime? This required detailed and accurate calculation before the war began. If I misjudged the situation, it would lead to the annihilation of my state.

I first stopped my tribute payments to test the attitude of the Xia King. He used this as a pretext to mobilise his army to wipe out the Shang, which proved that he viewed the Shang as an enemy and also demonstrated that at that time, Xia Jie still possessed formidable military power and authority. He held me under house arrest, and only after I resumed my tribute payments did he release me. Fortunately, he did not eliminate me at that time. After I returned, I became even more cautious in calculating every step, determined to succeed in one go, and dared not test him recklessly again. I knew that many feudal states remained firm allies of Xia Jie and would not easily betray him. Therefore, before launching the final assault on Xia Jie, I had to systematically eliminate his allies one by one.

The Oath of Tang and the Final Battle

Before raising my army, I always proclaimed to the world the righteousness and legitimacy of my cause, and I proceeded to crush the feudal states that were allied with Xia Jie, though I did not explicitly declare war on the Xia court. The other feudal states understood my intentions; those who did not send troops to aid the allies of Xia Jie showed me where their loyalties lay. By destroying these states, I understood the direction of the world's heart. Since they did not intervene, it indicated that their hearts were aligned with my goals.

However, did other feudal states also intend to replace Xia Jie and become the sovereign of all under heaven? At that time, the Shang state I led was the most powerful among all the feudal states, so when they saw that I had made my stance clear, they all supported me. Seeing that no one obstructed me as I took down the states allied with Xia Jie, I gained even more confidence in moving toward the goal of extinguishing the Xia.

I successively destroyed the states of Ge, Wei, Gu, and Kunwu. Throughout this process, my tribute payments to the Xia court actually increased. Although the consumption of military resources and tribute payments was like burning the candle at both ends, this was necessary to stabilise the central government, to keep them from becoming suspicious, and to prevent them from labelling me a traitor before my power was sufficient to destroy them.

Relying on my own formidable military strength, I kept the various feudal lords at bay, waiting for the situation to unfold. Once I had successfully destroyed the states of Wei, Gu, and Kunwu, I knew the time was ripe to launch the final offensive to eradicate Xia Jie. I also knew that this was an act of treason, and many of my own subjects had doubts about whether 'attacking the sovereign' was righteous, whether it would bring about their own destruction, or whether it violated the laws of Heaven and Earth. I had to dispel these doubts one by one to truly allow the people to attack the Xia forces without hesitation on the battlefield. In the document known as the 'Oath of Tang', I emphasised that all these actions were in accordance with the will of Heaven, thereby relieving the psychological burden of treason among my subjects. I also enforced strict military discipline and a clear system of rewards and punishments, demanding that all soldiers and civilians be united in the crusade against Xia Jie. I knew that if this war failed, the entire Shang state would be wiped out by Xia Jie, so this was a battle that could only succeed. Because of this, the instructions and decrees I emphasised in the 'Oath of Tang' were quite clear and strict, hoping that all my subjects would be united and determined to do their utmost to defeat Xia Jie. By using the will of Heaven as support, and by framing the campaign as a divine punishment, I allowed the entire army to march forward with a single purpose, without hesitation, to act on behalf of Heaven.

In the final Battle of Mingtiao, I successfully extinguished the Xia. I captured Xia Jie, but when considering his fate, I discussed it with Yi Yin and concluded that we should demonstrate benevolent governance and the righteousness of acting for Heaven. After all, Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life. Using the will of Heaven and divine punishment as the justification for war was intended to end Xia Jie's regime and replace it with a benevolent government, allowing the people to rest and recover. What was needed most at that time was to win the hearts of the people, to make the world believe in the virtuous governance of the Shang, and to encourage the various feudal states to surrender voluntarily. On this basis, it was truly inappropriate to kill Xia Jie. After discussion, I decided that exiling Xia Jie was the beginning of a virtuous government for the world. Furthermore, I had already destroyed all the feudal states that supported the Xia, so even if Xia Jie had remnants of his forces, they were not enough to shake the current situation. After calculating, I had Xia Jie exiled to the south. However, the south was filled with miasma and pestilence; how could his noble imperial body survive there? As expected, news soon arrived that Xia Jie had passed away in the south. From then on, the Xia Dynasty was no more, and there were no further worries. I then followed the situation of the time, first letting the people rest and recover, implementing benevolent and virtuous governance, hoping to settle the people down first.

On the other hand, I also hoped that other feudal states in the world would voluntarily surrender, making the territory of the Shang Dynasty more secure. At that time, there was an urgent need to reorganise the internal administration, as everything was in ruins and many people needed to be resettled and begin new lives. Before the war, I promised generous rewards to the subjects who were willing to rise up with me, and later I carried out extensive rewards, granting them various territories. As for the feudal states that were willing to surrender and did not obstruct me, or those that surrendered voluntarily after I successfully extinguished the Xia, I appointed them as new feudal states of the Shang Dynasty in the name of the sovereign of the Shang, formally confirming their original territories. To reward them and ensure their loyalty to the Shang, I even expanded their territories and jurisdictions, which also helped in the stability and development of the various regions at that time."

Namo Amituofo.

As for Yi Yin, who assisted me with all his might, I appointed him as Prime Minister. Together with Zhong Hui, these two ministers continued to support me, stabilising the subsequent development of the Shang Dynasty.

Regarding the old tribes and forces of the Xia Dynasty, I did not exterminate them. To do so would have violated the principles of the Heavenly Way, and the world would not have accepted such brutality. Instead, I arranged for them to be settled within limited territories like the states of Qi and Zeng. These areas lacked natural barriers and were unsuitable for military development, ensuring they would have no capacity to stage a comeback. This action allowed the remnants of the Xia Dynasty to survive, and it also convinced other feudal states and civilians—who had been wavering in their loyalty between the Xia and the Shang—to submit to me. They believed that I was truly a virtuous ruler, leading the entire Shang Dynasty toward a more glorious era.

The Burden of a Founding Monarch

As the founding monarch of the Shang Dynasty, I believe I gave my life my absolute best effort. Establishing a new nation is no easy feat, and the fact that I succeeded brings me a great sense of relief.

At the end of my life, I passed away after a severe illness. After death, I arrived before the King of Hell to face judgment. I knew that my decision to launch an attack on the Xia was, in fact, an act of treason. Regarding whether this aligned with the Heavenly Way—although I had emphasised to the people that I was acting on behalf of Heaven—deep down, I knew that launching a war, harming, and slaughtering the Xia army were still acts that violated the laws of karma and cause and effect. Whether I would be spared from punishment remained for the King of Hell to decide.

As the King of Hell recounted the verdicts one by one, I understood that every single karmic debt of killing had to be repaid. Consequently, I descended into the hells to undergo punishment. I spent time in the Hell of Cutting and the Hell of Pounding and Burning. How long that time lasted, I myself did not truly understand while I was enduring it.

The Weight of Guilt and Redemption

During the process of my punishment, I felt that since I had saved the world from the tyranny of Jie of Xia, I was willing to bear these penalties. However, I truly felt guilty for the lives of the Xia soldiers and civilians I had killed. Perhaps it was this genuine sense of remorse that allowed me to have my sentence reduced by several years.

After about two hundred years of punishment, I was released from hell. At that time, my spirit was still quite clear, and I had some awareness of my own actions. The King of Hell asked me, "Do you know your mistakes? Do you know how to repent?" I nodded to the King of Hell, indicating that I indeed understood where my faults lay.

I knew that the environment at the time was extremely severe and that only by overthrowing the government could I bring a stable life to the civilians. However, the many karmic debts of killing created during that process, as well as the deviations in my own beliefs, still required me to pay a price. I understood this principle, and I was willing to bear it all, sincerely repenting to the lives that had been taken.

Service in the Ghost Realm

The King of Hell, noting that I had worked diligently to govern well and had practised benevolence during my life, contributing to the rest and recovery of the civilians and the stability of future generations, arranged for me to go to the ghost realm to serve as a prince. To be honest, I do not know how to interpret the term "prince" precisely, but it was a position of a ghost deity responsible for looking after a specific region.

I continued to protect the descendants of the Divine Land from there. In the ghost realm, the only way to help people is to improve their hearts. When their hearts are selfish or deviated, I can perceive it. After all, having suffered in hell myself, I deeply understand that every deviation of the heart has its own laws of karma and cause and effect. Because of this, I am very sensitive to the changes in human hearts and can easily detect subtle deviations in their thoughts. I often communicate with people through mental notes, attempting to transform their deviated thoughts into selfless, altruistic, and righteous thoughts. I served in the ghost realm for nearly three thousand four hundred years, and the changes in the world and human hearts have left me feeling deeply lamentable.

Modern people have long since lost the simplicity of the past. They are selfish and profit-seeking, and their various deviated actions and evil thoughts far exceed those of the past. Looking back at the civilians of three thousand six hundred years ago, they still knew how to revere the Heavenly Way and follow the laws of Heaven. They respected ghost deities, believed in the existence of the invisible, paid homage to heaven and earth, and held the laws of the Heavenly Way in immense reverence.

The Modern Disregard for Heaven

In the modern era, the Heavenly Way and ghost deities are viewed as superstition—things that must be broken, rejected, and resisted. This causes me great pain. After all, the operation of the Heavenly Way will not change because of people's rejection or resistance. If people act against Heaven, they will eventually be consumed by the backlash of heaven and earth and suffer the consequences themselves. When I was suffering in hell, I understood deeply: even though I rose up to save the civilians suffering under tyranny, I still slaughtered countless Xia people, and these were karmic retributions I had to repay. Furthermore, when I decided to become the ruler of the world, the subtle, selfish thoughts in my heart also increased the severity of my punishment.

For these acts against Heaven, I naturally had to enter hell to be punished. Yet, modern people lack this concept and recklessly violate the laws of Heaven; how could they possibly be spared from punishment? In the space of the ghost realm, I observe the subtle changes in human hearts with my supernatural powers. Nowadays, the deviations in people's hearts are no longer subtle; they are entirely for their own sake, creating many sins.

Whether it is the evil theories and fallacies that harm others and oneself, or the evil thoughts, evil views, and evil words circulating on the internet, the number of people affected is countless. These bewitched people further aggravate the deviation of their hearts, creating even heavier sins, forming a vicious cycle.

A Witness to Unprecedented Deliverance

I was powerless in the space of the ghost realm. With my limited heart, how could I overcome the overwhelming tide of evil thoughts and evil views? This left me feeling very lamentable and helpless.

In recent years, China has begun to undergo different changes, and the magnetic field in the space has started to shift. I heard that this was because a leader from the spiritual realms, Practitioner Su, was conducting great Chao Du within China, saving countless suffering spirits. Many spirits in the space were able to leave. Hearing this, I was shocked and felt a sense of relief, hoping that one day I could see this team with my own eyes.

Not long ago, Practitioner Su began a massive Chao Du of the five thousand years of Chinese history, and I am a person with karmic affinity to this five thousand years of Chinese history. The ghost realm space where I resided was opened by Practitioner Su, and under the illumination of the golden light, I arrived at the Western Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. On the Dharma-Nature Land, I watched with my own eyes as Practitioner Su repeatedly conducted massive Chao Du for various spaces in China, covering the six realms of existence and the ten directions.

The depth and breadth of this Chao Du have exceeded the scope of what my supernatural powers can understand, and it is difficult to describe in words. What I saw before me was truly vast. Even in the most subtle spaces and dimensions, even if there was only a difference of a hair or a microsecond, Practitioner Su could shrink his Dharma Body to fit that dimension and enter and exit freely. Once inside, the space was incomparably vast. Practitioner Su's Dharma Body instantly transformed into immeasurable and boundless forms, continuing to penetrate deep into the space. In such rapid Chao Du, countless spirits, including those in the depths of space who had never seen the light of day for years, were all able to see the golden light. Many who had karmic affinity with the Buddha, even at the moment of being illuminated by the golden light, became clear-headed and, by instinct, entered the golden light and the Dharma-Nature Land.

Awe at the Buddha's Power

This left me feeling deeply shocked and full of admiration. To think that there is such a great practitioner with such ability, capable of saving endless beings over thousands of years—this truly commands my deepest respect. I guarded the ghost realm for over three thousand years and had never seen such a situation, nor did I have the ability to help so many beings myself.

I watched with my own eyes as people were born as humans, entered various spaces after death, and reincarnated within the six realms of existence, yet they were never able to leave those spaces. Even if they left one space, they simply entered the next, continuing to reincarnate. Those who can truly receive the illumination of the Buddha's light and escape reincarnation are only the beings saved by Practitioner Su and the salvation team.

Practitioner Su's Chao Du of beings in the spaces covers the ten directions and also includes various Demon Realm spaces. These Demon Realm spaces appear dark, yet they are incomparably bizarre and beautiful. In their deepest parts, there are countless "demon children and grandchildren," and the palaces they have built are called demon palaces. The demon palaces are incomparably magnificent, yet they disappeared without a trace under the illumination of the golden light. Everything happened very quickly and was completed in an instant; immeasurable and boundless palaces vanished in a flash, and immeasurable and boundless "demon children and grandchildren" also entered the Dharma-Nature Land in an instant. This left me dumbfounded. I had never seen such Buddha-power, and seeing it for the first time left me incredibly astonished.

The Path to the Western Pure Land

I am diligently hearing the Dharma on the Dharma-Nature Land, learning the Buddhist education. I have gradually come to understand that this Chao Du must be initiated by those in the human world who have the aspiration, who are single-mindedly devoted to the Buddha, learning from the Buddha, and using the Buddha-heart, Buddha-vow, and Buddha-actions to save so many beings.

I, Shang Tang, did not learn the Buddha's teachings while I was alive. As the founding monarch of the Shang Dynasty, I entered hell after death and subsequently entered the ghost realm. In the ghost realm space, although I served as a ghost deity, if you were to ask me when I would be able to leave or where I should go, I actually had no answer. All I knew was to perform my duties in my position and help spirits correct their deviated thoughts. However, how to escape everything in this world? And what lies beyond this world? I had no concept of it.

It was not until I learned the Buddhist education of Amitabha Buddha that I realised the destination of the spirit is the "Western Land of Ultimate Bliss." That is a Buddha-land built by Amitabha Buddha, and entering the Buddha-land is for the purpose of becoming a Buddha so that one can return to all parts of the world to save beings with whom one has karmic affinity. Once I understood this, I realised that the salvation team exists to allow beings to return to the Western Land and then return to save their respective beings with whom they have karmic affinity. This is the true meaning of Amitabha Buddha creating the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss to "save all suffering beings."

Although my understanding is only partial, it is what I can comprehend within the scope of my ability, and this is already far superior to everything I have known for three thousand years. I am very grateful to Amitabha Buddha and Practitioner Su for giving me this opportunity to learn such a great Dharma.

I also make a vow to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, and thereafter follow the Buddha to save countless suffering beings.

Gratitude to Amitabha Buddha, gratitude to Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Shang Tang