The Final Dignity: A Mortician's Journey

This is a record of an interview with Wei Liqun, 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 his life and his transition from a mortician to a spirit in the hell realms. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on April 2, 2022.

Wei Liqun speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I represent sixty fellow prison guards in offering our deepest gratitude to Practitioner Su. We are profoundly grateful for Practitioner Su's compassion, which has granted us the rare opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Without Practitioner Su's intervention, such a magnificent opportunity would have been absolutely impossible for us. We offer our gratitude to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su.

Greetings to everyone. I am Wei Liqun. Reconnecting with the human world so suddenly brings about a feeling that is both strange and familiar."

A Life Beyond the Physical

"The human world was once the place where I lived, but that was only where my 'body' resided. Once I lost my physical form and was left with only this 'spirit,' I no longer belonged to the human realm. The world of the living became entirely disconnected from me.

It has not been too long since I departed from the world—only about ten years or so. Yet, even though it has only been a decade, it feels as if an eternity has passed."

The Mortician's Calling

"During my life, I was never afraid of the word 'death.' It was not because I was young; it was simply a natural feeling. I did not fear it, and I even actively sought out the dead, finding work as a mortician to serve those who had passed away.

I grew up in a wealthy family, but I was the child the family 'discarded.' They felt I was a failure, unworthy of being a Wei. My parents had four sons, and I was the second. My older brother followed my father from a young age to learn the business, preparing to inherit the family enterprise. My younger brothers also followed my parents' arrangements, studying exactly what they were told to study. When it came time to choose university majors, they picked what my parents liked and achieved great success. Only I was a source of deep dissatisfaction for my parents.

I did not like studying. My grades were always the worst among the four children. I could not help it; studying was a truly painful experience for me."

The Art of the Face

"From a young age, I had a hobby: I loved reading magazines and watching instructional videos about makeup. However, whenever I engaged in these activities, my parents would become furious. They thought it was ridiculous for a grown man to enjoy makeup, calling me a 'sissy' and fearing I would become a laughingstock. They could not accept me as I was.

My parents opposed me, but I truly could not suppress my love for makeup. It was not that I liked wearing makeup myself; I loved applying it to others. I often used my savings to buy various cosmetics and would practise on my cousins.

Because I had a genuine interest, the makeup I applied looked beautiful. Every time my cousins heard I was willing to do their makeup, they would happily line up to wait for their turn. When my parents saw that so many female relatives were my models and that everyone enjoyed my work—contrary to their fears that I would become a joke—they eventually let go. They stopped blocking me and allowed me to perform on the stage of my own life.

Later, I found various jobs related to makeup, such as bridal makeup and styling for commercial actors. As long as it involved makeup, I was willing to do it. I did not care about the pay; I was happy every single day."

Searching for Meaning

"Year after year, my skills improved, but the feeling of happiness seemed to slip away. I do not know why, but I felt as if I had lost my direction and could not find a goal in life.

My sexual orientation was normal; I did not become attracted to men just because I liked makeup. This was the one thing my parents were relieved about. However, I had no intention of finding a girlfriend. It was not the most important thing in my life, so I did not want to waste time on romance. No matter how my parents tried to persuade me, I could not compromise. To me, once you enter a relationship, life seems to shrink by more than half. That lost time is swallowed by love—phone calls, dates, fantasies, dreams. It occupies so much mental capacity. Waking up thinking of the other person, needing a sweet phone call before bed—life becomes busy for these things, and it felt so unworthy.

It sounds as if I had grand goals and ideals, but in truth, I did not. I was quite aimless, yet I always wanted to do something meaningful, though I could not find it at the time.

I traveled to many remote areas in China to understand different customs. Many ethnic groups enjoy painting their faces, which is much like our makeup. Thus, facial appearance is important to people all over the world; it is something everyone cares about.

I never gave up on the makeup industry; it remained the work I loved most. I painted countless faces, and every time I applied makeup, I hoped to present them at their most beautiful. But after doing this for so many years, I began to search for the 'meaning of makeup.' Why do we need it? What is its significance?

It seems laughable to ask these questions after working for so many years, but one truly has to walk a long path before looking back. Otherwise, I was just following the crowd, thinking makeup was normal, never questioning why it was necessary."

The Final Path

"After contemplating these questions, I decided to stop applying makeup for the living. Makeup for the living is often just to increase one's charm—women wearing it to entice men, men wearing it to satisfy their own desires. If my life were only to satisfy these needs, the work seemed to lack deep meaning.

At twenty-six, I entered another field: I became a mortician, specializing in the final makeup for the deceased, allowing them to walk their last journey with dignity.

The clients I served changed from the living to the dead, and the meaning was vastly different. Applying makeup for the deceased was no longer about enhancing charm to seduce others; it was about allowing them to complete the final leg of their life with dignity and to leave the human world with respect.

I have done the makeup for many deceased individuals. Many had faces that were unsightly due to illness or accidents. I used my professional skills to make their faces look peaceful again. During this process, I once saw a deceased person lying before me, and their spirit stood right in front of me, bowing to express gratitude. In that moment, I did not feel fear; instead, I felt that I had truly done something right.

Later, I even provided free services for the deceased. I did it with great joy and found deep satisfaction in it.

I did not live a very long life. My life ended at thirty-four in an accident. Life is so short because of one's own karma and the presence of too many attached spirits. Many of these attached spirits entered my body while I was at the funeral home. They occupied a great deal of space within me, but I was completely unaware of it. It was only after I died and looked back at myself that I realized this was the case.

Because of karma and these attachments, I ended my life in a severe traffic accident. My face was completely destroyed in that accident; not a single part was intact. I had once told my friends that if I were to pass away unexpectedly, please let me leave with dignity.

Many fellow morticians came to the scene to help me. They knew how much I valued my appearance. Once they were able to touch my body, they began to use their expertise, stitching my features, stuffing cotton into my skin, and repairing the damage. Finally, they applied a thick layer of makeup so that when people saw me, I would not look too terrifying—I even looked somewhat dignified.

I am very grateful for their help, at least so that my family would not be even more heartbroken when they saw me. Perhaps it was because I did some good deeds during my life that I was able to complete this life with dignity after the accident I was destined to face.

The intention to do good during my life gave me the opportunity to serve as a prison guard in the hell realms after death. About four or five years ago, after I began listening to Practitioner Su's Dharma talks, I understood that this body is borrowed and has no real value. This reminded me of my former profession. For the deceased, once the spirit leaves the body, the body has nothing to do with them anymore—including myself, as I could never return to my body after my spirit left.

However, the attachments from life remain at the moment of death. If the soul has not yet left the corpse, it will still look at its own dead face and stand by, weeping bitterly.

Now I know that none of this needs to be clung to, because the body is false. But having never heard the Dharma before, I did not understand, and naturally, that obsession remained in my mind.

I am very grateful that while serving in the hell realms, I had the opportunity to hear Practitioner Su's Dharma talks. The innate goodness in my heart made me want to save others, which is why I have the opportunity today to be on the list for Practitioner Su to guide me to the Western Pure Land.

Gratitude to Namo Amituofo. Gratitude to Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."