Whether hells, the pure lands, or the City of the Wrongfully Dead—are fundamentally manifestations of the mind

In Chinese Buddhist and Taoist folklore, the City of the Wrongfully Dead (冤魂城, Yuanhun Cheng) is the place where souls who died unjustly (such as by murder, false accusation, or suicide) are said to reside until their grievances are resolved.

However, in the teachings of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua, the existence of this city is not treated as a physical, geographical destination. Instead, it is an allegorical state of mind resulting from one's attachment to karma, delusion, and unresolved grudges.

The Venerable Master's perspective on such realms includes:

Mind-Only Creation: Master Hsuan Hua taught that all worlds—whether hells, the pure lands, or the City of the Wrongfully Dead—are fundamentally manifestations of the mind. If your mind is consumed by hatred, attachment, or the belief that you were unjustly treated, you create this "city" for yourself within your own consciousness.

Transcending the City: To him, the way to "leave" the City of the Wrongfully Dead is through understanding karma, letting go of attachments, and practicing forgiveness. When you stop clinging to suffering, the "wrong" ceases to have power over your spirit.

Contrast with Physical Places: He frequently contrasted these illusory mental states with places of genuine refuge.

For example, he founded the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in northern California.

Unlike the City of Wrongful Death, which is a prison of the mind, his physical monasteries were established as places of awakening and proper dharma to help beings escape the cycle of suffering entirely.

If you would like to explore this concept further, we could dive into:How karma and reincarnation function in his teachingsSpecific commentaries he gave on Buddhist sutras regarding the afterlifeThe history and purpose of the City of Ten Thousand BuddhasLet me know which direction you'd like to take!