The Merchant's Deception and the Fox's Penance

This is a record of an interview with Zhao Tianma, 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 as a merchant in the late Ming Dynasty, his subsequent rebirth as a fox spirit, and his later life as a farmer in the Qing Dynasty. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on March 2, 2025.

Zhao Tianma speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. This is an incredibly rare opportunity, and I know that I must cherish and grasp it with all my heart. I am deeply grateful to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su. On behalf of all the prison guards, I bow in gratitude for the Buddha's grace and the grace of Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo.

I was once known as Liu Dexing, born during the final years of the Ming Dynasty. I was a merchant, and my family business dealt in tea and medicinal herbs. For generations, my ancestors had prided themselves on honesty and kindness, and we lived a modest, comfortable life. However, the world was a difficult place, filled with the chaos of war, and I gradually came to the conclusion that honesty alone would never lead to great wealth.

The Price of Greed and Deception

I began to master the art of 'cleverness.' I would mix low-quality tea and herbs with the good stock, processing them just enough to deceive customers who lacked expertise. When famine struck, I hoarded supplies, waiting until the prices had multiplied several times over before releasing them to the market. I even refused to discard medicinal herbs that had gone mouldy; instead, I would dry them out and process them again, selling them as if they were fresh and potent.

'It is not as if they will die immediately from eating it,' I would tell myself to soothe my conscience. 'In these times, who isn't doing business this way?'

One day, a woman in tattered clothes arrived at my shop, clutching a frail child. The boy’s cough was hoarse, and his complexion was a sickly yellow. The woman begged me, 'Shopkeeper, I implore you to have pity on us. We have so little money; could you please sell this to us for a lower price?' I looked down at the few copper coins she held in her trembling hand. For a brief moment, my heart softened, but then the thought struck me: 'If I lose this profit, I will have one less meal of fine wine and meat.'

The Haunting Dreams of the Departed

After a moment of hesitation, I grabbed a bag of damp, mouldy herbs and handed it to her with a cold tone. 'Take it and go,' I said. The woman bowed repeatedly, thanking me and promising that once her child recovered, she would return to repay a kindness. As I watched her leave, filled with hope, I felt no guilt at all. Instead, I felt smug, thinking, 'Giving things away for free is impossible. Every little bit of profit counts.'

Yet, only a few days later, I heard that the child had passed away after taking the medicine. I frowned, feeling a flicker of unease, but I quickly pushed it aside. 'People die like blades of grass,' I told myself. 'Natural disasters and human calamities are unpredictable; how could this possibly be my fault?' As my business grew, I became even more callous. I did not just hoard grain and inflate prices; I insisted on charging exorbitant rates even when I knew the civilians were suffering in extreme poverty, refusing to lower the price by even a fraction.

My only thought was: 'Making money is the most important thing. Who told them to be poor?' But before long, my complexion turned pale, my body grew increasingly weak, and I could never sleep soundly at night. I began to dream of those who had bought my medicine. They would stand before me, their eyes filled with resentment, whispering, 'Give me back my life...'

A Century of Penance in the Fox Realm

The most terrifying part was that the woman and her deceased child were always at the front of these dreams. The woman would weep, 'Please, save my child...' and the child would stare at me with hollow, empty eyes, his voice raspy and low: 'Give me back my life...' I would wake up drenched in cold sweat, but I never dared to speak of it to anyone.

Finally, one day while walking in the street, the world began to spin. My vision blurred, my legs gave way, and I lost consciousness. When I awoke, I found myself in a dark, eerie place shrouded in mist. When I tried to stand, I discovered that my limbs had become long and thin, my skin was a sickly blue, and my eyes had become unnaturally sharp. I looked down at my reflection in a pool of water and saw that I had become a fox.

Nearby, many foxes, weasels, and snakes were gathered, their eyes flickering with a mixture of cunning and sorrow, as if they were waiting for something. A white-bearded old fox sighed and spoke slowly: 'This is the fox realm. All those who deceived others and harmed lives for wealth in their past lives are reborn here as foxes. Your soul must remain here for a century until the karmic retribution is exhausted.'

A Second Chance at Life

I was shaken to my core. As memories of my past life flashed through my mind, I finally understood that I was paying for my sins. At first, I was unwilling to accept this, and I tried to use my cunning to thrive among the foxes. However, every time I attempted to deceive another, a searing pain would shoot through my throat, and my entire body would burn as if an invisible karmic fire were consuming me. The old fox shook his head: 'This is your spiritual obstacle. You deceived so many in your past life; now, every lie you tell burns your own body.'

I finally repented in agony and began to help the other foxes find food, striving to change my ways. Gradually, my body felt lighter, my soul was no longer heavy, and my heart was no longer so restless. One day, a practitioner dressed in white arrived in the fox realm, reciting the Sutras. A brilliant light radiated from him, and the sound of the Buddha-name echoed through the air. Listening to that name, a wave of sorrow surged within me, and tears flowed uncontrollably. The practitioner said, 'If you are willing to change your ways, you must chant the Buddha-name, and you will be reborn in a good realm.'

I knelt and chanted, 'Namo Amituofo.' The light slowly enveloped me, and I vanished from the fox realm. I awoke as a child in an ordinary farming family during the Qing Dynasty, named Zhao Tianma. From a young age, I had no interest in money; instead, I found joy in helping others. My mother would often say, 'This child is too soft-hearted; how will he ever do business in the future?'

Finding Liberation Through the Dharma

One day, while in the city, I saw a medicine shop owner secretly mixing inferior herbs into his stock. In an instant, the memories of my past life flooded back. A white-bearded elder tapped me on the shoulder and said in a profound tone, 'Zhao Tianma, how will you choose to face the karmic fruit of your past life?' I looked up and realised he was the very same practitioner who had chanted in the fox realm. I wept with joy and immediately made a vow to perform good deeds, opening a medicine hall specifically to provide free medicine to the poor.

In that moment, I finally understood that my past greed had caused me to fall into the fox realm. In this life, I was determined to do good and never again commit evil. The laws of karma and cause and effect follow us like a shadow; only through repenting and performing good deeds can one truly find liberation. I am so grateful for the arrangement of these Causal Conditions, which allowed me to step through the door of liberation. Throughout the rest of my life, I did my utmost to help those in need, and in the process, I discovered the beauty of goodness.

I am happy now, and my heart is content. Until my final days, my heart remained steady. At the very last moment of my life, I departed with great peace. When I regained awareness, I found myself before the King of Hell. He was reviewing my life's experiences, and I knelt quietly to wait. When he finally spoke, he told me the result of my judgment and gave me an opportunity to serve, allowing me to continue accumulating merit and virtue. I am deeply grateful for the King of Hell's compassionate arrangement, and I resolved to serve with all my heart. After an unknown passage of time, I was fortunate enough to hear Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks, and my heart and mind were truly opened.

The Sutras that Practitioner Su teaches moved me deeply. I knew these were the truths I needed to awaken to, and I vowed to seek liberation and do my best to help more sentient beings. I am so grateful that today I can be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. On behalf of all the prison guards and sentient beings with karmic affinity, I bow in gratitude for the Buddha's grace and the grace of Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo."

Zhao Tianma, with palms joined.