The Karmic Truth Behind a Business Empire

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Chang Yung-fa, the founder of the Evergreen Group, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life and his transition beyond the cycle of rebirth. This interview was recorded on June 6, 2017, and transcribed by the chief writer, Venerable Shi Fa.

Chang Yung-fa speaks:

"My fame is such that I hardly need an introduction or a grand entrance—who in the world does not know Chang Yung-fa? Yet, for a long time, no one came to find me. I cannot blame you all, as the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre has only recently opened its doors to the outside world. But now that you have received my message, are you still hesitant to come? Is humanity truly so pragmatic? The moment one stops breathing, everything one built becomes meaningless. I knew that the moment I passed away, my family would fight over the inheritance and turn against one another. Is that what you call a family? In this vast world, the only people who truly share a connection are those few, yet they choose discord—it is like lifting a stone only to drop it on one's own feet! If I had not received the messages here, I would not care about any of this. I am in the Western Pure Land, cool and at ease. It just so happens that this reminds me: all your reckless actions have their causes and effects. I will speak of serious matters now. By what merit did I, Chang Yung-fa, reach the Western Pure Land? It was because I had accumulated virtue."

The Hard-Won Path of Entrepreneurship

"I spent my entire life striving for my career. From the moment I started working on ships, I never dared to relax. I worked with fear and trembling, and only when I had gained a certain insight and mastery of the shipping industry did I dare to venture out and build my own business. I, Chang Yung-fa, have always been careful and cautious; those who know me understand my character. I started with my core business—shipping—and founded Evergreen Marine. I had observed the market for a long time; I knew that if I were to start, I had to be different. I had to have my own uniqueness. I designed many contingency plans, as starting a business required investing so much capital and resources. I did not come from a family of great entrepreneurs; I was told that success was the only option, failure was not permitted. This constant pressure reminded me to maintain an attitude more serious than anyone else's, because I believe that one's sincerity is written on one's face. How much heart you put into your work is always visible. The journey of entrepreneurship is not easy, and I persevered through it all. When I saw a business opportunity, I did not hesitate. Right is right; one cannot retreat. One must be bold and daring. It was not easy to establish the Evergreen Group! But now, everything is empty. Ha! It is truly interesting!"

The Limitations of Worldly Merit

"In the past, while striving for my career, I had the opportunity to earn great wealth. Since I was a child, I was closest to my mother. The principles she taught me were that only by planting good causes can one reap good fruits. From the beginning of my career, I told myself that no matter what, I must give back to society. Whatever benefits I earned from society, I would return when society had need. Only in this way would my blessings not be exhausted. One must know how to enjoy blessings, but also how to accumulate them. Therefore, I have always been involved in charity throughout my life. Even during major disasters, I donated large sums of money. However, these actions were not ultimate; they were not enough to lead me to the Western Pure Land."

A Search for Truth in Faith

"My whole life, I followed my mother's faith, I-Kuan Tao, and became one of its most devout followers and a well-known entrepreneur. Everyone knew of my faith. I often felt distressed by the chaos in society, so I traveled everywhere to guide fellow practitioners, hoping to propagate I-Kuan Tao. To make my mother happy, I also began to eat vegetarian. Actually, I became accustomed to it, and it is a very good habit—compassionate, hygienic, and healthy. I believed deeply in I-Kuan Tao, and I believed it could lead me to the 'Limitless Truth Heaven.' But after I died, I do not know why I did not go there, but instead arrived at your Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. I heard you calling me. After I died, I was still waiting by my body, waiting for the lotus boat from the Limitless Truth Heaven to carry me away. Before I could wait, I was surrounded by a light you call 'Buddha-light' and brought here to listen to the sutras every day. It is very special."

The Magnificence of the Western Pure Land

"The whole world says that Chang Yung-fa is dead, but only here do you say that I do not have to die. In the lotus seat you manifested, I feel very comfortable. The space is vast, and the scenery is beautiful! I, Chang Yung-fa, am a person who knows how to enjoy life, and what I can praise is truly extraordinary. I admire the scenery here; I live inside it very happily. I do not need to use a restroom, and whatever I wish to eat, it appears. When I listen carefully to the content of your Dharma talks, it is quite good. I have had the experience of listening to 'the Way' my whole life, but this is the first time I have heard your Dharma talks, and they are excellent. It is also the first time I have heard of a different Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. I have heard how beautiful and magnificent the West is. Through this opportunity, I truly believe, and I have abandoned the Limitless Truth Heaven I pursued my whole life. I-Kuan Tao was the faith I pursued for a lifetime, but not only could I not ascend there, I had only accumulated worldly blessings. According to the calculations here, I had not a shred of practice; it was very worldly. On the contrary, everything here is magnificent."

The Hidden Reality of a Man's Life

"One day, Practitioner Su was very compassionate and guided many famous people to the West. It was very fast and simple to reach the West—this is a skill that cannot be found in the human world. They are true practitioners. I, Chang Yung-fa, have officially been reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Knowing gratitude and repaying kindness is my character. Now that you ask me to speak, I am very clear about what you want me to say: the Truth. You want me to speak the Truth. I, Chang Yung-fa, am very open. I have a sincere heart to help establish the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. From the moment the Buddha's teachings mentioned building the Great Buddha Temple, I wanted to come down and help, but the causal conditions were not sufficient, and I could not. It was not easy for you to call me down, but the help I can provide is limited, because my descendants in the world have long since stopped believing in these things. They would rather believe the fact that their father is dead."

"I, Chang Yung-fa, have not done anything evil in my life. I have done all good deeds and made large donations, so my blessings are truly abundant. The blessings I exhausted were quickly replenished. I did everything with sincerity; I could not do things that were fake, though the basic competition in the business world is not included in that. I married two wives, and there were others outside as well; for an entrepreneur, this is unavoidable. In my struggle outside, what I hoped for was to enjoy life. How can a man enjoy life without the company of women? So, the women in my life were not few, but this is a secret that cannot be spoken openly. My three hun souls and seven po souls—I only heard about this now. When I was alive, I had never heard of it. Now that you ask me to look, I understand: my soul was hollowed out by others. The reason was my playing with women. Once one has money, one starts to act out; this is a common ailment of men. Because of this pleasure—sigh! Which entrepreneur has not played? If you try to deceive me, I will not believe it. As my career soared higher, more and more people flattered me. Some even knew I loved 'powdered flavors' [women] and would introduce them to me or arrange places for entertainment. I had my fixed spots. I did not like the women I loved to be complicated. I could pay any amount of money, but I did not like complexity. I was also afraid of death."

The Illusion of Dreams and the Loss of Self

"When my career was stable and my income was steady, my sons began to get involved in the business operations. Although they were still green, I was somewhat satisfied. Sometimes I wanted to push them, as managing such a large business requires someone capable. I had my unique way of teaching my sons, and everyone had a basic respect for me. Often in my dreams, I would see naked women—not just one, but often a group. I was, of course, happy. I always forgot that I was in a dream. Until dawn, I was reluctant to part; we were always holding each other tightly, unable to separate. But when I woke up and saw it was a dream, and then looked at my wife beside me, I would always sigh deeply. Every night, I looked forward to dreaming of women again. In my dreams, I always became very young and powerful; I was very satisfied. But I did not notice the changes in my body. My face became bloated. It turned out that these women who came to find me in my dreams were all women I had abandoned in the past."

The Karmic Debt of a Former Emperor

"The reason I, Chang Yung-fa, was so successful in this life is that I had accumulated virtue in the past. In my past life, I was Emperor Gaozu of Tang, Li Yuan, so I had both merits and faults. In this life, my career was very successful, and my family was not too bad, but we were not very harmonious. Everything I accumulated in my life was merely worldly blessings. Because I had a 'heart'—and an entrepreneur values having a heart and having actions—I did not understand how to act without a heart. Although I, Chang Yung-fa, donated without counting the cost, I had too much calculation and weighing in my heart. I was very sharp and saw things very accurately. In your terms, it means I had practiced in the past."

"Looking at my past, establishing the Tang Dynasty—ha! That was not easy either. Perhaps, if you calculate it, it is the same as this life: I had merits and faults, and I could not reach the West, continuing to reincarnate. If I had not met Practitioner Su and the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in this life, I might have continued to reincarnate. I do not wish to express opinions on the practice of I-Kuan Tao; after all, I believed in it for a lifetime. But taking this opportunity, I want to say: it is not ultimate, it has no achievement. I hope everyone will think twice. I am now enlightened; I know that at best, it is only the Heaven Realm, and it is still very far from the true world of liberation. Alright, I will not comment further. In the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, listening to Namo Amituofo compassionately lecturing on the Dharma, I understand that a practitioner must change their personality. If one does not change their personality, one cannot be called a practitioner at all. I was a practitioner of I-Kuan Tao, but I did not change my personality. If I had changed my personality, I would not have gotten sick and died. No matter how much money one has, one still has to spend it on medical treatment, and one still has to suffer."

The Final Years: A Hollow Existence

"The latter half of my life was vague and hazy because my spirit was kicked to the side. I was like a wandering ghost. So, when I was about sixty, my mind began to grow dizzy, and my brain became less and less clear. Compared to before, the difference was huge. I started 'opening women' [playing with women]—I started having my soul snatched when I was in my thirties, all in my dreams. The initial reaction was that I was easily tired, but at that time I was striving for my career, so I had no time to care about these things. However, I was truly interested in 'powdered flavors.' The speed of soul-snatching was very fast. I began to lose strength. For a man, how shameful this is! I saw traditional Chinese medicine doctors, and I secretly took supplements. Forget it, talking about this now seems a bit embarrassing. In short, I kept having my soul and spirits snatched. My face began to change. I was possessed by others—my body was occupied by others—when I was in my fifties. But sometimes, when my spirit was better, I could still 'make the decisions.' If my body was weaker, I would let the external spirits make the decisions, operate, and control, all in the flavor I liked—the 'powdered flavor.' In my later years, I had no feelings for my wife. I preferred freedom and excitement, often using business and social engagements as excuses. Now that I think about it, it is very difficult for an entrepreneur to have a complete family. If everyone gets involved in the issue of asset contention, it is truly impossible for this family to be complete. The fighting between each household is like the struggle for the throne in an ancient imperial palace. No one has a good face, and everyone is afraid of 'suffering a loss.' It is truly terrifying!"

A Call to the Living

"However, I, Chang Yung-fa, want to appeal to everyone, to appeal to a fact: if the spirit is snatched away by others, it has no value at all. Just like me—from the age of sixty-five, I was empty. I was completely kicked out of my body, and I could not enter my body again. I was unaware of all the things that happened later. My face kept changing, and my eyes were not focused. The medical diagnosis was dementia; in fact, it was that I, Chang Yung-fa, was no longer in this world. I had long been suffering retribution in hell, repaying the debts of this life and past lives. I spent my whole life striving for my career. Although I believed in I-Kuan Tao, I neglected the part about karma and karmic creditors, so I still suffered birth, aging, sickness, and death. Moreover, my temper and personality made my sons resentful. Sometimes I did not want to do that, but there was a force that wanted to make us, father and son, fall out. I am a person who does not forget his roots; of course, I have deep feelings for my sons, but I did not know how to express them. In the later period, when it was no longer me, I was actually very afraid. When I was in great panic, I found myself in darkness. I called out the names of my predecessors and the holy names of the Living Buddha, but it only became darker. I spent decades in darkness. Until the moment I died, this darkness dissipated. The darkness turned out to be all the civilians and officials I had killed in the past. The moment I truly died, they left, having finished their revenge. Only then did I stay beside my body, wanting to wait to reach the Limitless Truth Heaven, but in the end, I was sent to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. This moment was the most blessed moment of my life. Coming here, I finally reached the West and truly transcended birth and death."

"My greatest blessing is being able to come out and talk to my descendants again. After reading this, whether the children believe it or not, later when Dad was sick, he started not to be himself. Some words were not what Dad meant, but because of being controlled, Dad lived for nearly thirty years a life that was not his own. Now that there is an opportunity, I hope everyone can come and listen to what I want to say. I am at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. There are also reporters and media. I, Chang Yung-fa, usually treated everyone quite well, and I was very generous. Press conferences were often held, and treating reporter friends was always lavish. I know that every profession has its hardships."

"So, finally, I want to say to everyone as Chang Yung-fa: the West is truly good. When I was alive, I liked to share practice with everyone. Now that I am dead, having the experience of rebirth in the Western Pure Land, I want to share it with everyone even more: one does not need to die to reach the West. Only the media can help with this. I hope everyone can help me one more time. I beg you! Based on my understanding of my sons, perhaps it would be faster for you media reporters to interview me directly than for my sons to come find me. I hope you believe me once. I am Chang Yung-fa, and I am waiting for you here. Namo Amituofo."

Venerable HaiZe: "Mr. Chang Yung-fa, in the previous interview, you mentioned that when you were alive, your three hun souls and seven po souls were not in your body, and your body was controlled by karmic creditors. May I ask how the three hun souls and seven po souls were snatched away? Who was the spirit controlling your body? What was your relationship with them? Where were your souls locked? At what age were your souls locked? After you passed away, where did the controlling spirit go?"

Mr. Chang Yung-fa: "Indeed, this is a very special question! When I was alive, I was interviewed by reporters and asked many questions, but none were as eye-catching as this one—to ask me to talk about the three hun souls and seven po souls when I was alive. This matter was mentioned in previous interviews, but it was not explained very clearly. Now that I understand the three hun souls and seven po souls better and can see them more clearly, let me add some more!"

"Successful people in society mostly need to socialize and entertain; I was the same. So, life just passes day by day like this. It looks truly worthless! Although I used my brain and physical strength to strive, I also ate, drank, and played. Once it passed, it was gone. When I was young and striving, I was actually less concerned about matters between men and women. After reaching middle age, I gradually had some time of my own, and my family was accustomed to me needing to use my time for interpersonal relationships to expand my business needs, so they would not ask much."

"Dreams are what made me lose my soul. In my dreams, I was lured by women—each one was beautiful and had a great figure. It was inevitable that I would enter the dream. As soon as I entered, I was snatched. One soul was snatched at a time. Let's see how many times you can endure! Those were all women I knew in past lives, women I had abandoned and failed. To put it bluntly, they were my karmic creditors using this method to collect debts. How many men can withstand such dreams? So, one cannot owe women debts; women collect debts this way! When I woke up, because of the consumption of essence and energy, I would sometimes feel more tired. Sometimes I remembered the situation in the dream, and sometimes I did not. If I woke up and found traces left by the dream, it was a 'spring dream,' nine times out of ten. If a man is often like this, he must be careful! Sometimes it is because of one's own thoughts, and one will dream of it at night. In fact, those are all karmic creditors. They know what you want. They manifest the scene in the dream to lure your soul into the dream. Of course, they must manifest the scene you like; otherwise, how would your soul enter? The consequence will be drowsiness and weakness, unable to lift one's spirits."

"It started around my thirties. After that, one soul and six po souls were snatched away by women in dreams several times. One soul was snatched away when I went traveling around the age of sixty-five and spent the night with a female companion, but it was brought back by the karmic creditor and locked in my body. One soul was called into hell to suffer. It was truly miserable! My body was possessed; my waist and legs were weak, and my spirit would suddenly lose focus. Outsiders could not see this because I would still keep my back straight, but I knew clearly that my body was going downhill day by day. There were also times when I had good physical strength. If I attended important meetings, I often needed to refresh myself to keep my spirit up."

"Since my own soul was not in my body, yet I could still eat, sleep, talk, and even hold meetings with everyone! Who was the one expressing opinions, writing articles, and publishing books? It turned out that the karmic creditors were using my body to live their lives. And one of my souls was locked in a dark, black place around the age of sixty-five. It was not outside; it was on me, in a dark corner of my heart. No matter how you shouted or got angry, no one would know, and no one would pay attention to you. Later, I just squatted weakly in that dark corner until the moment I was about to die. When those karmic creditors left my body one by one or in batches, including the controlling beings, my main soul was liberated and left that dark corner, left my body, but I was already unable to make decisions. My body had no sensation at all. This is what is called 'dead'! My life ended like this."

"The one who controlled my body was a tough being, tall and strong. He was an official I had offended in the past, who was executed along with his whole family because of me. He was capable of both literature and martial arts and followed me for seven lives. He knew me very well. When my energy was weak, my spirit was lost, and my soul was not there, he grabbed my main soul, locked it in my heart, and then controlled my body. My career just happened to be able to let him display his talents. His personality was rigid, his judgment was accurate, and he spoke with boldness, just like my personality. But he made my family unable to be harmonious. Although he made good use of my son's talents to stabilize the business, there was friction in our interactions. Just like the family of that being was executed, he would not let my family be complete, making my body age step by step, weak, taking medicine, getting injections, and suffering."

"When I was about to run out of breath and was about to die, this controlling being just left and walked away, leaving my body. He was collecting debts by controlling me in my body, and what he did on me was equivalent to what he did; it also had to be interrogated. He has to bear the cause and effect of right and wrong, good and evil. However, during those days, he used my body to do quite a few good deeds for I-Kuan Tao and social welfare. I see that he is now a ghost."

"On the surface, Chang Yung-fa's shipping and aviation businesses earned hundreds of millions, which was also the good fruit brought by past blessings and the continuous accumulation of good deeds. In my later years, my brain gradually forgot many important things; in fact, at that time, it was no longer me making the decisions. My personality changed; it was the personality of the karmic creditors from the past. My family thought I was old and stubborn, so they followed my wishes and took care of my daily life. My body was a bit shaky and unstable, so my family could take care of my safety. This was my life in my eighties and nineties."

"Although I lived to ninety, when the news of my passing came out, because of my contributions to the country, society, and the world, everyone felt sorry for me! The world lost someone everyone knew! I left a large amount of property to my descendants, but I could not take any of it with me. What I took with me was bit by bit of karmic retribution. Although I also did charity work while alive and helped some people in need, merits are merits, and faults are faults. Merits are what you did, and others cannot take them away; faults are the sins you committed, and you have to repay them yourself. This is life."

"Not long after I died, Practitioner Su called my name, settled my spirit in the Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, and listened to the sutras. Later, Practitioner Su saved me to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, allowing my spirit to start another new life until now. This is a world that the human world cannot compare to. I, Chang Yung-fa, am grateful to Namo Amituofo. I am grateful to Practitioner Su."

Venerable HaiZe: "Mr. Chang Yung-fa, can beings trap and lock your main soul so that you cannot make decisions? Is it allowed to control you like this?"

Mr. Chang Yung-fa: "I am also a victim. I only know what I am telling you now. Is it allowed? I do not know. But I know he is a ghost. These things may involve the laws of the underworld. It would be better to ask the King of Hell. Because where one goes after death, and where one goes after collecting debts, are all managed and judged by the King of Hell."

Venerable HaiZe: "May I ask Chang Yung-fa's karmic creditors, where are you?"

Being: "I am Chang Yung-fa's karmic creditor. When he was alive, I trapped his main soul in his heart. I am the official he framed and had executed along with his whole family. I am now suffering retribution in hell. After he died, I returned to the ghost realm and was quickly snatched to hell for interrogation. Because at the beginning, I was allowed to collect debts from him, but it was not said that I could trap his main soul so that he could not make decisions. This violates the Truth. I hated him too much—the hatred of exterminating my family—and I did not want him to have a good time. Although I was on him and took the opportunity to do some good deeds, helping some people in need; but trapping his main soul in his heart at the beginning, these are two different things. Good deeds have good rewards, but that is a matter after suffering retribution in hell. Currently, I am in the Heart-Gouging Hell, making me taste the pain of heart-ache that is more painful than trapping his soul in his heart. Sigh! Even if it is a legal debt collection, one must act according to reason and law; one cannot do whatever one wants; otherwise, one will suffer retribution oneself. When I am speaking now, my heart still hurts. The laws of karma are so terrifying! Can you save my family? My wife also burned incense and worshipped the Buddha, but because of me, she was also executed. I do not know how she is now? My name is Liu Wancheng, and she is called Zhong Meiqin. Namo Amituofo."

Note: Practitioner Su's Chao Du: The official Liu Wancheng, whose whole family was executed by Chang Yung-fa, is in the Heart-Gouging Hell. His wife, Zhong Meiqin, was a chicken and a sentient being with karmic affinity who was executed. (Both entered the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre's Western Dharma-Nature Land.)

Message content written by Buddhist disciple Venerable Shi HaiZe.