The Guardian Spirit of Wang Fuk Court

This is a record of an interview with Wu Daojin, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his experiences following the massive fire at Wang Fuk Court in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong. Recorded by the chief writer, Fa Ning, on December 12, 2025.

Wu Daojin speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I, Wu Daojin, am now a spirit. It is a fact that took me a very long time to accept. I wandered for quite a while, drifting from the site of the fire to the interior and exterior of the buildings, and even to the surrounding areas. I walked those paths over and over again, yet I had no goal and no direction. I did not know what was left of me after the fire. For a time, I could sense that the environment and the state of the buildings had improved significantly. Many spirits had vanished. The scene, which was once one of utter misery with spirits weeping and grieving, had suddenly been swept clean. In the darkness, there was even a faint glimmer of light. This left me completely dumbfounded. What on earth had changed?

The Discovery of the Western Dharma-Nature Land

This time, I finally understood! I had heard that there is a Buddha in the human world called Practitioner Su. After learning his skills from Namo Amituofo, he is able to take us—the wandering, helpless spirits—to a world of the Buddha called the Western Dharma-Nature Land, located at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Many of us were thrilled when we heard this. It sounded like wonderful news. We all yearn for a world of light. In truth, we are a group of quite sensitive spirits; we did not wander aimlessly because we found it amusing. We were desperately searching for an exit, for ourselves and for the many other spirits who could follow in my footsteps.

In reality, I, Wu Daojin, had already left the human world before the fire occurred. However, my spirit continued to guard the grounds of Wang Fuk Court. This was very much in line with my personality when I was alive; I enjoyed helping people from the shadows, making them feel a sense of warmth. After I passed away from illness, I was essentially trapped within the small space of Wang Fuk Court. But before long, the range I could travel seemed to expand. I could fly beyond the boundaries of the court, though I could not go very far. At most, I would hover near the court, watching the place where I grew up, silently making wishes that everyone would be safe and well. I simply loved using my mental notes to help people. Although my power was not great, I continued to do it regardless.

The Night the Flames Danced

When the fire broke out, I happened to be out wandering near the rooftop of a nearby building. My heart was always filled with good intentions. I hoped that even though I was just a small spirit, my sincerity would allow me to exert some influence. When the fire started, I was startled. Was this the Wang Fuk Court I knew? Why did it seem to be ablaze? The fire spread so quickly, dancing in the wind, burning without a shred of mercy! I watched from afar, but even as a spirit, I dared not approach. I kept sending out a plea from the depths of my heart: 'Heavens, please see this! Do not let it burn any longer! Let the fire stop!' But the fire did not stop at all. It grew larger and larger, spreading to the next building, then the next, and the next, until a whole row of buildings was engulfed in flames.

I looked at the spirits around me, wondering if they knew what we could do. They all shook their heads; they had no ideas and no experience. We clearly saw the scenes of people fleeing for their lives. From a distance, we watched as the fire continued well into the night. The surroundings were chaotic; fire trucks and rescue teams were everywhere. The entire Wang Fuk Court was immersed in a sea of sorrow. I sent out many mental notes of Goodness, hoping the fire would subside, that people would have time to escape, and even imagining that time could stop so the residents of Wang Fuk Court could get out. I could feel that when I did this, many spirits around me followed suit. There is strength in numbers; perhaps we could help in some way—saving even one person would be worth it. This was the most heartbreaking event I had witnessed in all my time silently guarding the Wang Fuk Court buildings. In an instant, it seemed that as the court burned to ashes, my role as a guardian had vanished into nothingness.

A Mission of Compassion

Oh, no! I forgot—the buildings were gone, but the spirits remained! What about those poor spirits inside the buildings? They must have been devastated! Having experienced this catastrophe, they were still trapped in their suffering, many of them still wailing. So, I decided to fulfill my role by using my mental notes to soothe these wounded spirits. When I entered Wang Fuk Court again, I was filled with a sense of mission. This place was home to my relatives, my neighbours, and my brothers. I tried my best to project thoughts of hope, giving them a chance to shift their perspective, to turn toward the brighter side, toward the side of hope.

I ran through every building; my presence was everywhere. I drifted in and out of the Wang Fuk Court buildings in this fragmented way. I watched the people in the human world suffer, and the souls who had become spirits also wept. Yet, I could not act as a bridge; I had no way to connect the two sides. I could only watch both sides continue to grieve. This must be the fate of humans! Just like my own fate—I had no control over it. Once I died, I just kept drifting and drifting, able to enter and exit, but with nowhere to go. Until one time, when I wanted to enter one of the buildings at Wang Fuk Court again, I discovered that it had changed! Many spirits were gone; it was as if the place were empty. Even the air felt different. I could not describe the feeling, but I knew it was a positive one. I had no choice but to leave Wang Fuk Court and continue searching for the next place where I could be of use.

The Light of the Buddha

After the events at Wang Fuk Court, many of us spirits began to become more willing to help others, whether they were humans or spirits. It was as if the relationships between beings in the spiritual realms had suddenly drawn closer. Our hearts became more expansive, and we became more united; the power of our collective mental notes perhaps grew stronger. Later, I heard that the great change at Wang Fuk Court came from the help of the Buddha-world! It turned out that the last time I was entering and exiting Wang Fuk Court, I had missed a moment of being bathed in Buddha light from the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. That time, Namo Amituofo and a Buddha in the human world called Practitioner Su had come from Australia to shine a great light, taking away many, many spirits—one could say all the spirits who were in Wang Fuk Court at that time! They were taken to a world of light called the Western Dharma-Nature Land!

This news spread further and further, and everyone was excited. We wondered when the light would come again. Later, we learned of several more arrivals of the Buddha-light, but we happened to miss them while drifting in and out. We only knew that Practitioner Su often came to perform Chao Du. Whenever he knew that more people had passed away, Practitioner Su would make a trip. Through these comings and goings, he saved quite a few spirits!

I was happy from the bottom of my heart. Although I had not yet witnessed this light, I firmly believed that my opportunity would come soon. I believed so strongly in the power of Goodness. We, these spirits of Goodness, had been guarding this land, and we were silently waiting for the Buddha-light to arrive once more. Our voices grew louder and louder, and it seemed we finally caught the attention of Practitioner Su. Practitioner Su appeared once again. Ha! This time, more of us spirits gathered here. We knew this was it! The Buddha-light was coming! Sure enough, the compassionate Practitioner Su, upon hearing our plea for help, quickly performed a powerful Chao Du for us at the Wang Fuk Court buildings, as well as for the spirits in the surrounding areas. It was a day of celebration for all of us—a scene so lively and bustling that you could hardly imagine it! Some of us spirits had guarded this land for decades, some for hundreds of years, and some even for thousands or tens of thousands of years! I am just a young spirit, but I followed everyone else into the light.

A New Life in the Western Dharma-Nature Land

We had heard a little about the world within the light, but we never imagined it would be so vast. The entire Western Dharma-Nature Land is boundless; it seems that no matter how large it is, it can always become larger, and the lotus flowers can never be filled. We marvelled at the power of the Buddha; it truly is beyond anything we could have imagined! The spirits of Wang Fuk Court were also covered in a vast field of lotus flowers. After being purified here, everyone was renewed. We sang the Buddha-name happily, never tiring and never stopping. We also watched the figure of Practitioner Su—a very compassionate elder. Many emanations constantly emerged from the top of his head, flying everywhere to save more spirits and bring them back to the Western Dharma-Nature Land. We were all dumbfounded. So, this is a practitioner from the human world who has become a Buddha because he followed Namo Amituofo! We listened to him give Dharma talks. The teachings were so powerful that they touched our hearts instantly. Sometimes we would chant Namo Amituofo while listening to the Dharma, or perform prostrations while listening. Just like that, we followed the Buddha, living our new lives in a down-to-earth way.

We used to enjoy using our mental notes to help people, hoping they would be well, hoping the spirits would be well. But there was not much we could do, and our power was limited. This time, seeing the Chao Du performed by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su—where immeasurable and boundless beings poured into the Western Dharma-Nature Land like a flood—wow! It made us so envious! We made a vow to practice in this way as well. When we reach the point where we can become a Buddha, our mental notes will truly be as vast as those of the Buddha!"

Namo Amituofo.

Wu Daojin