The Demon of Infinite Greed

This is a record of an interview with Qian Fugui, a spirit who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately 1,500 years ago. Recorded by the disciple Shi Hailiang on March 18, 2020.

Qian Fugui speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Most people do not truly understand what greed is. Let me give you a simple example: suppose you have eaten three steamed buns and your stomach is already full. Because they taste good, you decide to eat one more. That extra thought—that impulse to take more than you need—is greed. In terms of eating, it is easy to spot; the greed of the palate is simple to detect. But when we talk about other things, greed is all-encompassing.

The heart is incredibly difficult to fathom. Sometimes it feels satisfied, seeing everything as good and hearing everything as pleasant. At other times, the heart feels hollow, unable to be filled by anything. It has sharp edges and deep voids that can never be satisfied. I have heard it said that everything arises from the thoughts of the heart. Whether the heart is good or bad can change in an instant. As long as you are thinking only of yourself, as long as you are selfish, that is greed. Wanting more when you already have enough, wanting better when things are already good—this is all greed. For instance, having a wife is not enough; one must have concubines. From the past until now, humanity has been harmed by selfishness and greed, forever chasing endless desires. Thus, we see greed for marital affection, greed for children, greed for wealth, greed for lust, greed for fame, greed for sleep, greed for the body, and greed for food.

The Many Faces of Attachment

Consider the greed for marital affection. Between a husband and wife, there is a constant preoccupation with the other, whether they are in love or arguing. Even in a happy marriage where a couple grows old together, caring for each other through illness, they are still thinking of one another until the very moment one of them passes away. This marital bond is truly a form of greed! Then there is the greed for children. From the moment a child is born until they are grown, they remain the focus of a parent's heart. The moment a parent thinks of their child, worry arises. They fret over whether the child is eating well, whether they are warm enough, or if they have put on a coat. Even when eating, a parent thinks, 'This is my child's favourite food.' To most parents, their children never seem to grow up; they always require care. It is only when the parents are old that they finally realise the children must now care for them. This is the common view—the idea of 'raising children to provide for one's old age'—which is simply a manifestation of the greed for children. It is a fundamentally flawed concept.

Then there is the greed for wealth. No one ever complains that they have too much money; the more, the better. Some people acquire wealth through proper channels, like an entrepreneur running a business with integrity, sharing profits with employees, and giving back to society. But those consumed by greed will try anything—short-term speculation, seizing upon the greedy nature of others, illegal operations, and profiteering to line their own pockets. Think of stock market manipulation, gambling, the sex industry, or loan sharks.

The Trap of Lust and Fame

Look at the greed for lust. There are two types of people in this world: men and women. When a man meets a woman, or a woman meets a man, and a spark of attraction arises, it is as if their souls have been hooked. They become distracted and lose their composure. When the object of their desire appears, their eyes involuntarily follow, stealing glances, their hearts racing—thump, thump, thump! They want their heart rate to slow down, but it beats faster. To make a good impression, they pretend to be calm, but when they finally meet, they stutter, unable to express their true feelings. It is only after becoming familiar that they exchange affections, sometimes even dreaming of each other. In this modern era, those greedy for lust see a woman wearing revealing clothing and immediately give rise to lustful thoughts. Conversely, women may cast flirtatious glances to entice men. Modern technology has only exacerbated this; with pornographic websites, one only needs to see an image or hear a sound to trigger desire. Even posters or the curves of a body can lead to wild fantasies. There are so many people consumed by lust, regardless of gender. The source of it all lies in the six roots, such as the eyes and ears, giving rise to greed.

Then there is the greed for fame and profit. Those with wealth want power and influence, like the CEOs of large corporations. Once they have money, they want to hold office. Women with good looks want to stand out. Those without wealth want fame to create wealth, like entertainers, stars, and models. Those without looks or wealth must find their own niche—athletes, politicians, or religious leaders—to gain followers and fame. Even politicians putting on a show for media coverage are almost all driven by the greed for fame and profit. In short, from what I have seen and understood of humanity, almost everyone lives behind an exquisite mask.

The Illusion of the Self

Consider the greed for sleep. A baby sleeps for over ten hours a day, eating and sleeping, growing quickly. As we grow, our need for sleep decreases. Most people use sleep to rest and adjust their bodies. However, some use sleep as an escape, and those who are ill, affected by medication, use sleep to buffer their pain. There is a saying: 'Rest is for the sake of a longer journey,' so sleeping is justified. But for practitioners, the greed for sleep must be overcome. One must shed the habit of excessive sleep because it hinders practice, leading to drowsiness and an inability to wake up. This is the result of greed for sleep; it easily leads to a reversal of day and night, damaging one's health. As the ancients said, 'Work at sunrise, rest at sunset.'

Then there is the greed for the body. Everyone has a body. From childhood, we provide it with nutrients, growing into a healthy physique. All bodies have the same features and functions, but our actions differ. Good people use their bodies to do good, while evil people use them to commit bad deeds, to rob and destroy. After middle age, when illness strikes, the body is no longer under our control; it fails and decays. If one does not use this body to perform good deeds, it will simply wither and age. The pain of the body takes control of everything, yet we cannot master it. This is called greed for the body—clinging to the sensations of the body until it decays and dies.

Finally, there is the greed for food. Satisfying the palate is very simple. There is a saying: 'The hungry are not picky.' They will eat anything. But if you encounter a gourmet, it becomes troublesome; the food must be perfect in colour, aroma, and taste. They eat only tiny portions but require a huge variety—this is also greed for food. Eating non-stop when hungry is also greed for food.

The Rise and Fall of Qian Fugui

The reason I am called the 'Demon of Greed' is that I possessed all of the above: greed for the heart, for marital affection, for children, for wealth, for lust, for fame, for sleep, for the body, and for food. I was a great landlord with three wives and twelve sons. Because I inherited my father's estate, the land—as far as my physical eyes could see and beyond—was all mine. I did not know how much land I had; I only knew how to spend silver to hire people to plant various crops: rice, vegetables, beans, melons, and all kinds of fruits. This was all thanks to my clever first wife, who arranged everything. My second wife managed my shops—the cloth store, the pawnshop, the teahouse, the inn, and the rice shop. The money earned was managed by my loyal head steward, who showed me the account books and reported to me daily. My third wife managed the rules of the household, reporting to the first wife every day. My twelve sons were all grown, the eldest twenty-seven and the youngest seventeen. I distributed everything equally; every piece of land was divided among the twelve, and the profits were shared equally. Although I was greedy, I taught my twelve sons to be united, so they lived in harmony. The only thing that happened occasionally was someone saying, 'Hey, you haven't given me that money,' or 'You haven't paid me back.' We were very precise about money in our house, because my name was Qian Fugui. My birth brought my father much wealth, so the townspeople called me Master Qian, and our family was known as the Great Qian Clan. My sons were named One-Tael, Ten-Tael, Hundred-Tael, Thousand-Tael, Ten-Thousand-Tael, Silver-Note, One-Gold, Ten-Gold, Hundred-Gold, Thousand-Gold, Ten-Thousand-Gold, and Gold-Note. My wives and I were delighted with these names.

I sighed. Ah! Everything changed! My eldest son took a fancy to a young lady—not a daughter of our family, but a girl from town. After she married into our home, chaos ensued. She was dissatisfied with the steward who managed the accounts and began inciting my eldest son to divide the family property. She wanted to manage the accounts herself. It took great effort to convince my son and his wife, explaining that our loyal steward had given his life to the Qian family, never marrying, and was like a brother to me. Only then did she abandon her ambition.

Betrayal and the Demon Realm

I did not expect that while she appeared to accept this, she had not let go of her stubborn thoughts. She began to carry out a plan in secret. Every day she was respectful and polite, often bringing me tonics. I did not suspect anything. After drinking the tonics, I felt strange; I grew weaker and weaker. I thought I had caught a cold and stayed in bed to rest. To my surprise, a month later, I was even weaker and had no appetite. I had wasted away. My whole family was worried. I heard that a doctor in a neighbouring village could cure me, so my eldest son accompanied me to see him. My daughter-in-law said she had never left the Qian estate since marrying in, so she insisted on coming along. On the first night in the neighbouring village, at dusk, she asked my son to take her for a walk in the street, leaving me alone, promising to return quickly. About an hour later, two masked men broke into my room. They said, 'Master Qian, do not blame us. Blame your daughter-in-law. We take money to do people's bidding.' Without another word, they plunged a knife into my chest. Blood poured out, and I screamed for help, but no one came. A wave of resentment rose in my heart. I never imagined my daughter-in-law could be so cruel, or my son so foolish. I decided I would not let them go. Before I died, I looked at the night sky outside the window and shouted in my heart, 'I will have my revenge!' The world spun, and my spirit was sucked into a dark world. I became a part of the demon realm. Because my hatred and desire for revenge were so strong, I was easily put to use by the Demon King. In the world of the greed demon, I, who had the most greed, was experienced. I could control people, letting their greed expand and expand.

The word 'greed' is prevalent among beings in the ghost realm; they all entered the ghost realm because of greed. To be able to become a 'greed demon' means one is even more attached to greed and has a thorough understanding of human greed. During The Pandemic: A Message from Namo Amituofo, we greed demons appeared because the demon kings of various realms gathered, and the selfishness and greed of humanity summoned us. We can control more people because there is not a single human who is not greedy. I have been in the greed demon realm for 1,500 years, and no one has been able to escape our control and temptation. Coming here this time and listening to Practitioner Su give Dharma talks, it was explained so clearly: as long as there is a 'self,' it is all selfishness, all greed. If this message spreads, our world of greed demons might disappear. I reported to the Demon King and urged him to come and listen to the Dharma talks. The Demon King said, 'Things are not looking good. We had better obediently take refuge in the Buddha’s gate.' The Demon King asked me, 'Are we being greedy for life and afraid of death?' I replied, 'This is a wise move—let us go and become a Buddha!' We will all have Dharma names given to us by the Buddha. The Demon King did not hesitate any longer and led his demon children and grandchildren to take refuge in the Buddha’s gate! Namo Amituofo!

Disciple Haize joins his palms and asks the Buddha: The greed demon has taken refuge in the Buddha’s gate; please, Buddha, bestow a Dharma name.

Buddha: The name is Shi Fayuan.

This interview message was written by the chief writer, disciple Shi Hailiang.

Namo Amituofo."