The Plague God's Testimony: A Cycle of Retribution

This interview was recorded on March 11, 2020, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. The speaker, the spirit of a man named Li Fuchuan, sought deliverance after a long period of wandering as a vengeful spirit. He now resides within the light of the temple, having been guided by Practitioner Su to reflect upon his past and the karmic origins of the current pandemic.

The spirit of Li Fuchuan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Li Fuchuan. In this modern era, where humanity prides itself on constant civilisational progress, the most malicious human thoughts, arrogance, and reckless behaviours have surfaced to the point where they are no longer even considered wrong. You ask where I come from, and where my ability to spread this virus originates? I tell you all: I have gathered the 'bad cells' born from the dark hearts of humanity and grown strong from them. Essentially, when a person's actions and thoughts become crooked, their cells begin to change, planting the seeds of mutation within their own bodies. At that stage, it is still hidden. But as human selfishness intensifies, we cover them like a shroud, causing them to succumb to sudden, fatal illnesses with lightning speed. Those who carry intense competitiveness, a desire for achievement, and a tendency to compare; those who are duplicitous to protect themselves; those who sacrifice others for personal gain; and those who lack a conscience and abuse medical resources—these are the people to whom the virus clings without mercy."

The Judge of Karmic Retribution

"Though I am called a Plague God, to put it bluntly, I am a King of Viruses. My growth and the speed of my expansion satisfy me. Everything is still burning. We seek out those with twisted minds and hearts, becoming the fair judges of their actions. We judge them as guilty, deserving of retribution, and so we deliver that retribution. Today, the speed of karmic retribution and 'immediate retribution' is just that fast. This is a warning to humanity. Of course, we cannot touch those who are truly good-hearted; they are not our targets. The viruses under my command are currently searching the world for those who resonate with their frequency. You all see us as terrifying, but who knows that we, too, were once victims at the hands of such people? When we were first harmed, no one sympathised with us. We could only watch helplessly as we suffered and died in agony."

"As the current pandemic's viral cells divide and prepare to expand rapidly once more, I discovered a counter-force—a positive energy that has somewhat blocked our path. This makes me feel angry and indignant. Why should anyone be able to do this? This human catastrophe is merely the manifestation of the Truth, a response to the laws of karma and cause and effect."

A Farmer's Tragic End

"Let me speak of my past. You may be curious, and I will not be stingy in sharing it—I do not want you to think that only you are the victims! The evil gaze you see now is what I have become. Before I was harmed, I was just a kind, simple farmer. I lived through the great changes of the era: the corruption of the Nationalist government, the Chinese Civil War, and the land requisitions by Chairman Mao's People's Liberation Army. Our family barely survived in those chaotic times. Our ancestral land, spanning several hectares, was all requisitioned by the government, leaving us only a tiny plot to farm for survival. Even then, we had to pay a portion of our harvest to the government to satisfy the national communist system."

"Just as life finally settled, the government, for the sake of national development, reached an agreement with local landlords to jointly develop a factory on their land. Before the factory was built, local officials gave us farmers and residents a large sum of money and kindly informed us that a factory would be built, but that its operations would not affect the local residents. Half-coerced, we all knew we had no right to say no. I was a man of integrity and honesty; I did not want to accept money I had not earned through my own hard work, so I returned the money they gave me. Not long after, the factory was built. At first, it was fine, but gradually, the factory began to emit thick, foul-smelling grey-black smoke. It choked the residents until we could barely breathe; the air was filled with such a stench that we could hardly draw breath. The residents gathered, protested, and surrounded the factory, hoping they would solve these problems. The factory sent an old manager to appease everyone's emotions and promised improvements. Indeed, not long after, the factory reduced the stench. The village returned to its peaceful days, until a week later, when the villagers discovered many animal carcasses floating in the irrigation ditches and rice paddies, and even the leaves had withered."

The Truth Behind the Smoke

"The entire village was shocked. Everyone's first instinct was that it must be the factory's fault again. We surrounded the factory, but without proof, the old manager who spoke for the factory denied everything. He even claimed the factory would help fund an investigation, but in the end, there was no follow-up at all. A month later, the people in the village began to suffer from skin ulcerations. After a doctor examined us, he discovered that we had been poisoned by what we had ingested. Our skin, itching unbearably, began to fester. The residents lived in such agony. We tried various traditional Chinese medicines, or used connections to buy Western medicine from the big cities, but nothing worked on the ulcerated skin. Besides the skin conditions, some residents died from respiratory failure. The villagers fell into a panic. I wanted to find out the truth, so I crept out in the dark to observe the factory. I waited and waited from dusk until nearly midnight. The factory lit up, and I followed the lights. I saw several large water pipes, and before long, they began to discharge a massive amount of water. This water was semi-transparent and had a strange odour. I began to follow the flow of the water and discovered that it was pouring into the irrigation ditches for our fields. The rice we grew was all contaminated by this water. Everywhere this water passed, many living things could not survive and died. Even the smoke emitted by the factory contained toxins, causing the trees near the factory to wither. Such a terrifying factory—no one knew what it was doing. The workers who walked out after their shifts were wrapped tightly from head to toe and left quickly. Everything was laid bare. My heart was filled with rage and hatred. I returned to the factory gate, preparing to confront the factory people after dawn. Unexpectedly, just as dawn was approaching, I began to feel as if I could not breathe. Finally, I collapsed on the ground, rolling in agony, and before long, I breathed my last."

From Victim to Vengeful Spirit

"After I died, my spirit wandered around the village. I saw many residents continuing to suffer and even dying in pain. I jumped with rage and anger, wanting to tell everyone the truth. This man-made disaster caused almost all life near the village to vanish, leaving only this factory in constant operation. I hated, I was furious. Just as my desire for revenge arose, a force pulled me into a space. I began to wait—waiting for an opportunity for revenge, to teach these selfish people a severe lesson, and to seek justice for all the suffering victims. When I entered that space of hatred, I was very clear that the people leading the factory, along with the workers who harmed everyone, were my first targets. I used the power of hatred to make their deaths even more miserable than those of the villagers. In fact, they already had toxins in their own bodies. When I entered to strengthen the effect, their bodies died in even more painful and unbearable ways. Just like that, I had my revenge, and I also became a very powerful virus, acting as a judge for those in this world who create karma for themselves, causing them to fall ill. This pandemic is also me, from my perspective, emitting a force of justice, carrying the virus and spreading it everywhere. We flip and flip again, divide and divide again. This rapidly growing power is just like the rapidly changing state of the human heart. This is everyone's karmic retribution; it is unstoppable."

A Change of Heart

"Just as I had selected my next target area and was preparing to spread the virus widely, a voice echoed in that space, calling for help with this pandemic. Many viruses and Virus Kings heard it too. I followed the sound in that space with a cold gaze and arrived here. I heard that this was a temple, and it was incredibly bright. I saw the person who was speaking, and I tried to block the media that wanted to help save the situation or attack this human. Just as I was about to launch an attack, a wall-like group of Dharma protectors shouted loudly at me: 'Do not be unreasonable!' They blocked me and advised me to go and find out about Practitioner Su, who saves beings. Such a sin is not one I could bear. Indeed, the person before me, known as Practitioner Su, is different from most humans; there is no selfish contamination of humanity on his body. Surprisingly, he had the ability to calm my heart. After communicating with him, I was sent into a peaceful, sacred space to listen to him give Dharma talks. Indeed, the concepts he taught in his Dharma talks were all beneficial to humanity, and he urged humans to change. The power of saving the world on him moved me. Only then did I calm down, look at my own past, and speak it out. After listening to the Dharma, I gradually regained my reason and am no longer so extreme. I am still trying to understand everything that is happening before me. From this perspective, I advise humanity not to panic because of the pandemic. Maintaining a heart of Right Mindfulness together is the best way to get through this. This is an education for all of humanity, and even more so, a reflection. It requires leaders of all countries to stand up and lead together to change the human heart. This is the way Practitioner Su before me wants to save everyone."

The interview message was recorded by the chief writer, Buddhist disciple Shi Faxin.

Namo Amituofo.