Hongzan was a famous Buddhist monk in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. His extensive writings were related to his aspirations, as he once said, "Instead of preaching to limited sentient beings in one lifetime, it's better to write more essential books for the benefit of future generations." Hongzan's works include the three-volume "Dou Shuai Gui Jing Ji" (Mirror of the Tortoise of the Six Realms), also known as the "Initial Collection". The first volume describes stories of "Manifestation of Miracles", the middle volume describes the story of "Entering the Inner Court of the Upper Realm", and the last volume describes the continuation of the story of "Entering the Inner Court of the Upper Realm". Additionally, the "Final Collection" contains eleven pieces of scripture, spells, and vows. The preface of the book was written by the Buddhist monk Shi Kaijue, a disciple of Nanhai Baoxiang Temple, in the tenth year of the Kangxi reign (1671) and provides the background of the text. The entire book revolves around the stories of Maitreya's faith and the effects it has had on the people's beliefs. This paper will use this literature as the basis to comprehensively analyze the construction and significance of Maitreya's faith in the revival of Buddhism and the spiritual world of the people during that period.
