A Fifteen-Trillion-Year Journey from Light to Darkness and Back

This is a record of an interview with Mo Chengdan, a primordial demon who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his spiritual life spanning approximately fifteen trillion years. Recorded and transcribed by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on April 16, 2025.

Mo Chengdan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. My name is Mo Chengdan. The name 'Chengdan' implies the act of taking on responsibility, though the full depth of its meaning was never quite articulated in my past. I wish to reassure my younger demons in the Demon Realm: I am living a wonderful life now. In the Western Land of Dharma Nature, we spend our days in comfort, free from the crushing pressures of our former existence. I truly hope that all of us can continue to live these stress-free days here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

The Long Life of a Spirit

I grew up in the Demon Realm as a 'demon child.' Just like children in the human world, we grow from birth until we become Demon Kings, and eventually, we transition into 'ancient demons.' This entire journey is filled with the bitterness and sweetness of life. Spiritual life also undergoes the processes of aging and illness, though we do not experience death in the way humans do. What you call death is merely the decay of the physical shell; the spirit itself does not die, which is why our lives are so incredibly long. The ancient demons who have come here to be subdued are, like myself, aged in the hundreds of trillions of years—my own age is twenty-seven trillion years.

Spiritual life can be this long, and in truth, it can extend infinitely. Why do I say 'infinitely'? Because space and time are one. If you wish to explore how long time truly is, you must ask how long the universe and the Dharma Realm have existed; the life of the spirit lasts just as long. If the lifespan of the universe cannot be measured, then the lifespan of the spirit cannot be measured either. The appearance of an ancient demon who has lived for twenty-seven trillion years is a tremendous help to the public in understanding the nature of spirits—at the very least, we know it has been twenty-seven trillion years!

The Fleeting Nature of Existence

My own life as an ancient demon has already spanned fifteen trillion years. When you add the causal conditions from my past lives, the total likely exceeds twenty-seven trillion years. This is a fact worth reporting to everyone. It illustrates how incredibly brief your current life is when viewed from the perspective of spiritual existence. Even if a human lives to be one hundred, or if an ancient demon lives for fifteen or twenty-seven trillion years, honestly, it is merely a single chapter in the life of the spirit. This is my understanding of spiritual existence.

The brilliance of the Buddha’s teachings lies in revealing the truth of all things. Practitioners, in particular, must be mentally prepared to accept things they have never heard or seen before; these are things you will encounter during the process of purification. When you encounter them, you must keep your heart steady and never be led astray by external environments. For instance, when demon crowds interfere with humans, they often manifest 'demonic realms.' Where do these realms come from? I tell you, they come from your own Alaya consciousness. These realms are designed to attract you, to fix your heart upon them. They present things you find beautiful, things you are reluctant to leave, things you hold dear. This is not limited to your current life; it includes your past lives. Every joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness from your past is recorded, bit by bit, in your Alaya consciousness.

The Illusion of the Demonic Realm

When demon crowds manifest these realms, it is to lure you in—otherwise, they would not be called demonic realms. These are scenes extracted from your own Alaya consciousness. Now you see that the things you experienced in the past were merely illusions. If they can still be used to attract your heart now, then the present moment is even more so. These shocking past events, and even your current encounters, remain in your Alaya consciousness until you realise your true nature. They are all demonic realms that the demon crowds can use to pull you into their space. There are so many of them! It is no wonder that once someone is drawn into such a space, it is so difficult to change the situation.

Changing one's personality is truly important; at the same time, adjusting and transforming the heart is equally vital. Once the heart is transformed, the Alaya consciousness follows. If a practitioner truly transforms their heart and karma, the things they were once attached to—a heart-wrenching romance or deep-seated family ties—will also change as the karma changes. The intensity fades, and it no longer feels like it is 'carved into the bone.' Only then can you face yourself; only then have you truly made progress; only then can you truly 'let go.' To achieve this, the most important thing is to have a correct understanding.

The Necessity of a True Spiritual Friend

In the process of practice, you must have a true spiritual friend to guide you. If you do not meet a true spiritual friend but instead encounter demon crowds, you have entered the demon path. If you have the guidance of a true spiritual friend, you have the opportunity to become a Buddha. These two paths are vastly different! Therefore, whether one encounters demons or Buddhas and Bodhisattvas depends on one's own karmic fortune and destiny.

Before I even spoke of myself, I have already shared these teachings. Actually, I dare not call them 'Buddha’s teachings,' but I have some understanding of them, so I can report a few words to you. Why? Because I, too, am a practitioner—it is truly shameful to say! In the Demon Realm, there is no shortage of practitioners. Why does one who practices the True Teachings end up in the Demon Realm as a demon? It is the transformation of the heart. The heart can turn toward goodness or evil; it can turn toward peace or toward turbulent, surging waves. Everything depends on this heart—do you want to be a Buddha or a demon? Perhaps you cannot decide your place of birth at the beginning, but when you reach the stage of death, a practitioner should ideally be under the influence of the Buddha’s teachings, entering the final stage in peace. But in reality, if everyone’s karmic retribution were so beautiful, how wonderful that would be?

The Matter of Life and Death

When a practitioner enters the final stage, they should face the process with a calm heart. A well-practiced individual will also have plans for their next life. This is a matter of life and death. If you have a human body, you must plan well; do not wait until you have lost it to cry out to heaven and earth, for no one will be able to help you. Therefore, while you have a human body, if you meet a good teacher, you have a chance to succeed on the Buddha’s path. If you encounter demon crowds during your practice and are led astray by them, can you still practice well? I tell you, if you can perceive that you are being controlled by demon crowds at the beginning, there is still hope. Wake up quickly, and you can recover your original energy and ability. This is a crucial matter.

In the Western Land of Dharma Nature, we receive the illumination of Buddha-light every day, we can listen to the scriptures at any time, and we can use the Dharma assembly to deliver the beings within our own bodies. Most importantly, we can be led by Practitioner Su to enter the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, along with our family members.

A Past in the Luminous World

Fifteen trillion years ago, I was born on a bright planet in the Dharma Realm. I grew up in a world of light, which requires immense karmic fortune. The term 'karmic fortune' is very abstract to many demon crowds; they cannot understand it because their hearts are filled with extreme thoughts and ideas. Unless, like me, one was once kind, sensible, and empathetic—which were the common characteristics of the people on our planet. Therefore, the brightness of our planet had its reasons; it was the light of goodness.

We were once proud of our planet and felt very satisfied, because occasionally beings from other planets would come to us. Those who adapted would stay; those who did not would leave. Those who left often did so with hearts that loved our home but could not live there, because their own nature was so dark that it caused unrest, leading to their expulsion by our people. At that time, the hearts of the people were kind, and such good days lasted for a very long time.

Sixteen trillion years ago, the days I spent on that bright planet were days of light. It was a world of spirits. I know now that the ruler at the time had respectfully invited a Buddha. The king was very wise and understood the Buddha’s teachings, so he invited a Buddha to our planet to educate the people, lecturing on the scriptures without interruption. We knew what a Buddha was, and we knew what the Truth, the Right Way, and the reality of the universe were. Everyone followed the law, and thus the brightness of the planet continued.

The Descent into Darkness

Until the king’s lifespan ended, the planet had no successor, and it slowly entered a dark period. Naturally, the Buddha departed, and from then on, we entered a state of total darkness. This is called impermanence. Later, the planet was invaded by external enemies, our homes were destroyed, and the sight was unbearable. At that time, my identity was that of a practitioner. I had originally wanted to learn from the Buddha, to be as bright as the Buddha, to bring energy to everyone, and to lecture on the scriptures. However, ever since the country turned into a dark period, my nature changed. Without the continuous support of the Buddha’s power, many practitioners’ natures turned negative. Without guidance to return to the Right Way, we continued to drift. Once you drift off the path, it is difficult to return to the right.

Afterward, the planet entered a dark period and was ruled by demon crowds. Many practitioners had nowhere to go and entered the demon path. Just like that, I transitioned from being a practitioner to entering the Demon Realm. At the time, many of the Buddha’s teachings could have been used for righteous purposes, but later, influenced by 'magic,' these teachings were transformed into magic; the True Teachings became evil teachings.

If a Buddha teaches, even evil teachings can be turned into True Teachings. This statement makes sense, because a true practitioner can see clearly what is the Truth and the Right Way, and what violates them, and can turn those who have drifted—whether they are situations or people’s hearts—back to the Right Way. Such a practitioner is very precious and must possess true attainment. This attainment is the ability to see the root capacity of the other person; I was one such person. After entering the demon path, the opposite happened: even the True Teachings could be spoken of as evil teachings or magic, causing many spirits to become my 'demon children and grandchildren.' Their nature was not yet settled; they accepted what I said because it sounded reasonable, and they were absorbed into my sect to become my demon children and grandchildren. Of course, my teaching continued incessantly. In my group, conquest was not the most important thing; rather, it was how to live well in the Demon Realm. If you did not want your life to be threatened, you had to be skilled at inner transformation.

The Art of Inner Transformation

This is the same as the Buddha’s teaching that 'all dharmas are mind-only' and that one must put in the work from the heart, but the direction of the transformation is different. The Buddha’s teachings aim to adjust toward the right, toward goodness, and toward excellence—'give rise to all roots of goodness and achieve the fruit of Bodhi'—which is how the Buddha’s teachings educate everyone in the Pure Land. But in magic, it is the exact opposite: 'give rise to all roots of evil, and the demon path will be achieved.' Thus, evil roots grow, and roots of goodness naturally disappear. What are evil roots? Killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and intoxication are the five evils, are they not? We must do all five; if you cannot do them, it means your ability is insufficient. If you can do them, you have the basic attainment.

Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt, as well as wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep—these can be deep or shallow. If your attainment is insufficient, your foundation is only preliminary, and naturally, your ability to control others is limited. If your attainment is deep, your greed is strong, and the part of the other person’s body you are responsible for will have even stronger greed. If someone already has that personality, and the demon crowds add fuel to the fire, if you see someone who is very greedy, you know they are absolutely controlled by demons.

Demon crowds need energy, and the source of that energy, in the case of Earth, is the human body. If it is the body of a sage, it is not suitable for the survival of demon crowds. Humans are full of seven emotions and six desires; demons find people with personalities similar to their own, enter their bodies, and absorb their essence, energy, and spirit to enhance the demon’s spiritual power. The more evil the essence, energy, and spirit, the more it helps the demon crowds enhance their power.

The Law of Cause and Effect

Therefore, if someone does all kinds of evil, saying they are controlled by demons is not wrong at all. There is a situation that is 'seemingly correct but actually wrong': they look like they are doing evil, but they also look like good people. The demon controlling such a person is also very clever, benefiting from both sides. This is when they do a little good to give people a 'sweet treat,' making everyone trust them, and then they do evil after gaining that trust. The damage is high, and the level of influence is far-reaching. Most of this appears in many important figures. If the demon crowds are powerful enough, the things they want to do are also spectacular, and they will target such people.

Therefore, those with higher status and position often have a great influence through their words and actions. If they lack awareness, the negative karma they create will have to be borne by their spirit later—this is no joke. There is only one true self. If this one is under the control of demon crowds, it depends entirely on how the demon’s intentions are expressed. If they are expressed to the fullest, doing extremely evil things, the one who suffers is the soul of this person, and it is counted against them. However, the demon crowds must know that they, too, will be recorded. The laws of karma and cause and effect do not turn a blind eye, because it is recorded in your Alaya consciousness, which no one can erase.

So, will the laws of karma and cause and effect find the wrong person? Rest assured, they will not. Your Alaya consciousness records every bit of your life; it will not be wrong. This is the natural law of the universe. When the causal conditions mature and the fruit of retribution manifests, you cannot escape it. I tell this to my demon children and grandchildren. I am different from other Demon Kings; other Demon Kings avoid talking about cause and effect, but I do not. I believe that there is karma in the dark governing everything. Demon crowds who understand can avoid a disaster; there is nothing wrong with showing a little mercy when doing demonic deeds. For those who do not understand, they will just charge ahead and do all kinds of evil—there is nothing wrong with that either, because demons are naturally like that; it just shows their demon nature is a bit stronger.

A Teacher in the Demon Realm

Therefore, I am considered an educator in the Demon Realm. I have no interest in expanding my territory, but my demon children and grandchildren are indeed increasing. Some who want to seek what the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way are will come in to listen to my teachings. I am very objective; I will speak of both the Buddha’s teachings and magic. Why do I dare to do this so boldly? Unless there is a very powerful force to change one’s nature, it is impossible to turn evil into good. This requires a very powerful force. Therefore, most of the demon crowds who have heard my teachings are still in the Demon Realm, but I believe that the seeds of the Buddha’s teachings have been planted in their Alaya consciousness, allowing them to have a little more kindness when doing demonic deeds. Therefore, seeing Practitioner Su working so hard in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I hope everyone can change their personality—it is truly not an easy thing to do. This is my conclusion as an educator in the Demon Realm, because the karma is too heavy. Those who become demons have created deep negative karma and have evil natures; once the personality manifests, it is not easy to erase, nor is it easy to dissolve the karma.

Therefore, kind people must never joke with their own Alaya consciousness. Do not look at evil things. Keep your six roots—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—as pure as possible. Do not let them be polluted. Once polluted, when the environment manifests, it is not easy to remain pure. Because you have encountered such environments countless times throughout your many lives, people’s karma usually does not lead to good things when it manifests, unless their roots of goodness are deep and a Buddha or Bodhisattva has come to the world to respond, which can withstand the evil things before them without their thoughts being polluted. This itself requires considerable meditative concentration; otherwise, for the average person, most will just 'go with the flow' and join in the evil.

The Preciousness of Practitioner Su

For example, regarding emotions, when truly facing various emotional relationships, how many people can resist? Most enter the cycle of the five desires and six dusts. Even practitioners often break the precepts because they cannot control their own emotions. This is the terror of desire, unless one has deep meditative concentration or is a highly cultivated practitioner. Actually, most of these people are Buddhas or Bodhisattvas who have come to the world to manifest; they are objects worthy of learning from, but they are rare and hard to meet. In your short life, if you meet such a true spiritual friend, you must cherish it!

The Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is currently in this position, which is extremely precious. The most precious thing is the appearance of Practitioner Su, who can subdue the demon crowds of the Dharma Realm, especially the ancient demons. Although he pays the price of suffering physical pain and being subjected to magical attacks to deliver these ancient demons into the Dharma-Nature Land, Practitioner Su is a very wise practitioner, and he always says it is well worth it. Wisdom, when combined with compassion, allows one to do things that benefit all beings. This is why it is said that meeting such a practitioner is the karmic fortune of all beings.

'Karmic fortune'—as I said before, those who have not met it cannot understand what it means. After encountering tragic events and then receiving the kindness of a practitioner, one knows that this is something that can only be received because of karmic fortune; only then will one understand what karmic fortune is.

The Light of the Western Land

In the Demon Realm, few can understand the meaning of 'fortune' because everyone’s nature develops toward the dark side, while fortune brings positive guidance to everyone. Spiritual life is peaceful and joyful, without afflictions; this is not the life that demon crowds lead. But now, in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, we are indeed given such a life. It seems that every demon crowd is very calm, peacefully accepting this arrangement, and often smiling on their faces. This shows that goodness, fortune, compassion, and mind-capacity are all things that people need at their core. They need such development, but one must have karmic fortune to obtain it; otherwise, it cannot be obtained. In the Demon Realm, I speak of these things according to the capacity of the audience; as for how much they receive, it depends on their own development.

In the end, I found that being 'empty-handed' is not difficult. Some are reluctant to leave the demon group they built with their own hands, but I am not, even though my territory was vast and I had many demon children and grandchildren. I always feel that things arise and cease according to causal conditions; meeting is due to karmic affinity, and parting is due to the lack thereof. This is very natural.

Therefore, around ten trillion years ago, my demon age was long enough. I spoke less and less, wanted to speak less and less, and did not want to see any movement; I just wanted to settle down quietly. So, I left my demon group. Of course, those who could continue to stay inside were also skilled at lecturing on the scriptures and observing the capacity of the audience. What they spoke was magic, but they did not reject the Buddha’s teachings, nor did they reject cause and effect. Everyone accepted what they heard according to their own karmic affinity. This is very open-minded, right? Unlike many ancient demons who refuse to talk about cause and effect. Do not harm the next generation, letting them not understand and create evil, or even make huge mistakes.

The Reality of the Demon Realm

Actually, demon crowds are not qualified to say these things, because they themselves are in the role of making huge mistakes. But when you are in it, you will not admit it. Only when you enter the bright Dharma-Nature Land and your nature is completely transformed will you realise that everything you did in the Demon Realm was a complete mess. Because when you obtained a human body, you did not let yourself dissolve your spiritual obstacles; instead, you used this body to create negative karma. Everyone says, 'I am a demon who rarely speaks, what negative karma could I have created?' Do not forget, every thought and intention of the beings in the world is karma, and every one is a sin. Do you dare to say you have no thoughts or intentions? Even if you do not open your mouth, your heart will move, right? Or do you dare to say, 'I am one whose body moves but whose heart does not'? A practitioner who can say this has some attainment.

Returning to the subject, after I entered the Demon Realm for about ten trillion years, I left my demon group. Where did I go? I chose to be alone, but I had told a few trusted confidants beforehand. I did not have a single family member by my side. All my family members were killed when our dark planet was attacked. Actually, the spirit has no birth or death; they are unborn and undying. Their spirits had shrunk into the ground. Now that I am a demon, I once wanted to save them, but my magical cultivation was not enough, so I could not save them. I had to accept it, turning a blind eye and not thinking about it anymore. But not thinking about it does not mean their spirits do not exist; sometimes I can even hear their cries for help.

The Secret Dwelling

After I left the demon group, the place I chose to settle down in—everyone will surely be surprised—was inside my own demon palace. Before I left, I had a wish: to restore my past home and find my family. This was a kind thought.

The place I settled down in after leaving the demon group was inside the demon palace I had built myself. This is a very special thing, but for five trillion years, it was never discovered by the younger demons in the Demon Realm. Because in the demon palace, as you know, the walls have a thickness—of course, that is the world of spirits, which can also be thought of as the material world, just without a physical body. But spirits always manifest things very similar to physical objects to live in. The secret place I found to settle down was under the ground of the demon palace, a dark place. However, most of the areas where our younger demons were active were on the ground, so they rarely entered the underground. Therefore, I found a dark corner inside and settled down. I never expected that once I settled down, it would be for five trillion years.

Until one day, I woke up because of a vibration. The vibration was that the demon palace disappeared and was gone. If it had turned into flat ground in an open space, I could still see the appearance of the collapse, but now it had turned into 'nothing.' This was too miraculous. At the same time, before it turned into 'nothing,' the spirit I had underground felt the vibration. I am a living spirit, not a shrunken spirit, so after I woke up, I could move. At that time, to be honest, I did not know how long I had been in samadhi; in samadhi, there is no limitation of time or space. After waking up, the demon palace was gone. I even thought, 'Did I move?' Where did the demon palace go?

The Shock of Buddha-Light

My appearance caused a shock among the younger demons around me. They told me about Practitioner Su. Every time Practitioner Su’s Buddha-light appeared and shone on the demon palace, it would turn the palace into flat ground. This gave me a huge shock! For these five trillion years, my demon palace had been very solid and was always on the ground, where it could be found. But why did it turn into flat ground as soon as the light shone on it? I had never heard of such a thing.

After listening to the younger demons describe Practitioner Su, I had an idea in my heart: 'Is Practitioner Su a Buddha?' Some demon crowds said, 'That is so! There is also a legend that Amitabha Buddha came with Practitioner Su.' From these bits and pieces, everyone was talking about it, and I vaguely sensed the clue: it must be that Amitabha Buddha had appeared for such a thing to happen.

Therefore, I decided to enter samadhi to see what was happening. It really surprised me! When I entered samadhi to observe the situation on Earth where Amitabha Buddha and Practitioner Su were, a bright light appeared before my eyes, which was very similar to the bright world I lived in at the beginning. I went to see, 'Amitabha Buddha, have you returned?' I felt a burst of joy and a burst of worry in my heart. The joy was that the Buddha had come, and everyone could be saved and enter the world of light; but the worry was that I had lived in the Demon Realm since I was a child and had the experience of living in the Demon Realm. Now that I am a demon, so many younger demons in the Demon Realm are terrified, have no place to live, and where will everyone go?

The Call to Surrender

At this time, I heard that Amitabha Buddha had arrived at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, and could accept the surrender of the demon crowds. The word 'surrender' is something demon crowds have always disdained and looked down upon. How could demon crowds possibly lower their status to surrender? But if it is surrendering to Amitabha Buddha, it is different. Amitabha Buddha is one who has become a Buddha, the Universal Buddha, whose grace covers the entire Dharma Realm. Beings wherever he goes can receive the grace of Amitabha Buddha and leave behind their suffering lives and spiritual spaces.

Therefore, I immediately made a decision and told the younger demons around me, 'The current strategy is not suitable for magical attacks. Since Amitabha Buddha is here, how can we use magic to attack Amitabha Buddha? How can we use magic to attack Practitioner Su? Since Practitioner Su is following Amitabha Buddha to deliver the demon crowds, it is equivalent to Amitabha Buddha’s intention. How can we attack? The karma created would be huge!'

I said before that the matter of cause and effect is not taboo to be mentioned in my demon group. Everyone has a concept of cause and effect, but their understanding of the Buddha is weak because no one has ever seen a Buddha. I am a demon with considerable karmic fortune, having lived on a planet where a Buddha resided, so I can give a concrete introduction to karmic fortune, letting the younger demons know. I told the younger demons that using magic against a Buddha requires bearing a huge price, and the retribution received is very bitter. This is not something demon crowds should do; the Buddha should be respected by the demon crowds. Only a Buddha can save demons, and only a Buddha who has made great vows can possibly deliver the Demon Realm so actively. Since even ancient demons can be delivered, one can know that the Buddha’s vow power is very great.

A Path to Salvation

Generally speaking, after a demon is subdued, the connection is concluded. But Practitioner Su’s action of actively going to the Dharma Realm to deliver demon crowds and even ancient demons indicates that there must be something more important behind this, which prompted Practitioner Su to have this vow power to come to the Dharma Realm to do these things for the younger demons. I told myself that there must be a good reward for this, because the Buddha I know always delivers the beings he saves to a place better than the space they originally inhabited.

After the younger demons heard what I said, they gave up the idea of attacking Practitioner Su. But they could not accept the matter of surrender for a while; after all, demon crowds had never encountered such a thing before. I explained again that I believe the Buddha will make the most appropriate arrangements for the demons who surrender and will absolutely not let them return to dark places. Among them, we heard about the Western Land of Dharma Nature, which is the place where the demons delivered by Practitioner Su are sent. At that moment, I looked at the situation of the Western Land of Dharma Nature, and it was also a bright light, so I did not continue to look. I understood in my heart that this is also a world built by a Buddha, which is why it could have such radiance.

Therefore, I told the younger demons, 'The Western Land of Dharma Nature is also a world of light, and it is also a world built by a Buddha, so don’t worry, it will not cause us any harm, and there are even benefits.' After the younger demons heard me say this, most of their hearts were at ease. Because the words I spoke were true words that I knew and understood. I would not say false words to achieve a goal, because that would require bearing the karma. We have created too much evil, so we cannot create any more verbal karma.

Entering the Pure Land

Afterward, I came to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and asked the younger demons who were willing to go with me to surrender to the Buddha to accompany me. Suddenly, many younger demons appeared; some belonged to their own groups, and some were demons who had become helpless because their demon palaces had disappeared and their Demon Kings were nowhere to be found. Hearing that I was going to surrender, they also wanted to find their Demon Kings or wanted to surrender. Suddenly, many younger demon crowds appeared before my eyes. I also said, 'Good! Welcome everyone to join our ranks of surrender, let’s go!' At that time, I did not estimate how many were going with me; they were layered, appearing from all directions. Later, I entered the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, and there were already many demons before my eyes. There were ancient demons leading younger demons preparing to surrender, and we joined them, making the space full of demon crowds.

At that time, I heard Practitioner Su say, 'Please, demon crowds, do not use magic to attack me and the fourfold assembly of disciples, and let them practice well and achieve success.' So this was Practitioner Su’s voice. At that time, our location was a long distance from Practitioner Su’s human body; however, Practitioner Su’s voice could break through space, and to me, it sounded as if it were spoken right in front of me.

I told the younger demons who came, 'Did everyone hear what Practitioner Su said?' Some nodded, and some shook their heads. From this, one can know whether these demon crowds can hear the lectures on the Dharma, which is related to their past Dharma affinity and their current demon nature. The demon crowds who shook their heads had very powerful demon nature and weak Dharma affinity; the demon crowds who nodded had their goodness already manifested, their demon nature was weak, or they had formed deep Dharma affinity in the past, and now all conditions were mature, resulting in good fruit. I told the younger demon crowds, 'Practitioner Su reminds everyone not to use magic to attack him, and not to interfere with the fourfold assembly of disciples.' At this time, they all looked at the fourfold assembly of disciples, because they had never seen what the fourfold assembly of disciples in the human world looked like. This was their first time seeing the appearance of monastics in the human world. Some shook their heads, some nodded, each having their own meaning in their hearts? In short, just do not interfere.

Gratitude and Repentance

Therefore, in the waiting line, we appeared on the list of demons surrendering that Practitioner Su read every morning at the Buddha temple. We were one of the batches of demons surrendering. Therefore, after the chime bowl was sounded, all of us entered the Western Land of Dharma Nature. The sound of the chime bowl was very crisp and loud; the crispness carried stability and loudness, transmitting into the space. This is what it means to have true attainment; the sound of the Dharma Jewel produced is just like this. Therefore, we entered the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This place was the same as the brightness of the Western Land of Dharma Nature I saw in samadhi, and even more so than what I saw at that time. My heart felt very comforted; I had found a place to return to. I had returned to the world of light where I was born and lived. This was a wish I had kept deep in my heart after I entered the Demon Realm. But this wish was never mentioned to other demon crowds, and even I did not dare to uncover it. Because at that time, it was a pain; knowing there was no chance, why bother to touch it?

At this time, I unexpectedly encountered the Greatly Compassionate Amitabha Buddha and Practitioner Su delivering the demon crowds of the Dharma Realm on a large scale, allowing one of the ancient demons who surrendered to be saved, and allowing the wish deep in my heart to be realised. My heart is very grateful! Especially when I saw the Greatly Compassionate Amitabha Buddha appear in the Dharma-Nature Land, smiling at us, I could not help but kneel down and kowtow to the Buddha three times—not just three times, but kowtowing fiercely! Many demon crowds in the same space at the beginning, some saw Amitabha Buddha, some did not see Amitabha Buddha, but seeing me, this ancient demon, kneel down and kowtow, they also followed and knelt down to kowtow. It should be so; everyone, hurry up and kneel down! The Buddha is before our eyes; kowtowing to the Buddha can dissolve many spiritual obstacles. Although this is a selfish thought, it is what the demon crowds urgently need! Where can the sins created be dissolved from?

The Path of Practice

I tell everyone, right here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, on your respective lotus seats, you can diligently prostrate to the Buddha, diligently chant the Buddha’s name; this is also a world where wishes come true. As long as you think in your heart, 'I want to recite the sutras,' the Infinite Life Sutra will automatically appear in your hands! Such things cannot happen in the Demon Realm. Even ancient demons with great attainment have the ability to manifest what their demon children and grandchildren want in their hearts, but it will absolutely not be the sutras; it must be a tool to harm others, or a cloak, or energy or methods needed for magic to teach you; it will absolutely not be something that makes you kind and pure, allowing you to be purified and dissolve karma.

Therefore, after some demon crowds heard me say this, they diligently prostrated to the Buddha, and even diligently chanted the Buddha’s name and recited the sutras. In my view, these demon crowds had formed deep Dharma affinity with the Buddha’s teachings in the past. Now that there is an opportunity for such an environment to appear, their nature has completely transformed, and they can accept prostrating to the Buddha, chanting the Buddha’s name, and reciting the sutras, and they are fiercely diligent! I was very moved in my heart when I saw this. Firstly, the practice and learning I had in the bright world before could now be told to the beings in the same space, allowing them to receive the benefits of the Dharma. Secondly, I was also benefiting from it, feeling very relaxed in my heart, as if I had returned to being the simple and kind person on the planet I was at the beginning.

A Final Warning

Therefore, I advise the current ancient demons: those who can hear these words spoken by Mo Chengdan when interviewed at the age of fifteen trillion years, and who take them to heart, will know that they should respectfully bow to Amitabha Buddha and Practitioner Su, rather than using magic to attack. Respectful bowing can help everyone dissolve karma and reduce sins, and even surrender to enter the Dharma-Nature Land. Using magic to attack makes you create deep sins; if you obtain a human body later, or are born in other realms or other spaces, you will suffer and receive retribution—it is not worth it! Because the Buddha is before your eyes now, the final destination is to come and seek surrender. This is my advice to the younger demons and the Demon Realm.

Perhaps the reason why I was not sucked away by cause and effect before I entered samadhi and lived in seclusion was that I would also speak some Truth and Right Way in the Demon Realm, which is equivalent to turning the Buddha’s teachings into magic to tell everyone. This is also karma, and it is also creating karma, but from the perspective of the Demon Realm, it is considered doing a little good deed. Because I told many who had the affinity to hear about the concept of cause and effect, perhaps some of them were afraid of cause and effect and did not dare to create too much evil, which is also the greatest comfort in my heart.

Looking at it this way, there is already a very clear direction for the salvation of the Demon Realm: come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to accept surrender. Or, for those who do not want to leave the Demon Realm yet, please stay in your own position and do not use magic to attack Practitioner Su. The Greatly Compassionate Practitioner Su sends demons who use magic to attack him into the Western Land of Dharma Nature; this is 'repaying evil with kindness.' Such a thing cannot happen in the Demon Realm. If you use magic to attack me, if I catch you, the consequences will definitely be more serious than the magic you used on me. But the place where the Buddha and the demon are different is seen clearly here. The Buddha sacrifices his own body, letting the body suffer and bear the sins, and lets the demon who used magic enter the Dharma-Nature Land to be saved. Everyone should be grateful!

The Hope of Rebirth

As for how to save the human world, perhaps the interview with the ancient demon can be spread, allowing those with roots of goodness to be warned and know that the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is a group that truly saves the world and delivers beings. It does not just save the human world; it can save the demon crowds and ancient demons of the Demon Realm that the human world fears, which shows where the attainment lies. Since Amitabha Buddha is residing here, everyone has hope of being reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This is also a thing that makes Mo Chengdan happy in his heart.

In the bright world where I lived at the time, I once heard the Buddha teach and mention the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. At that time, I was very envious and once asked the Buddha, 'How can I enter the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss?' The Buddha said, 'The Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is in your heart. If your heart is extremely pure and extremely kind, and you can chant the name of Namo Amituofo, then the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss is in your heart. When your spiritual life is about to wither, hurry up and chant the Buddha’s name, or chant the name continuously, and receive the response of Amitabha Buddha, and perhaps you will be led into the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.' At that time, I spent a period of time very sincerely chanting the name of 'Namo Amituofo,' but I was still on my planet. Perhaps it was that connection in the past that allowed me to be saved this time.

Listening to Practitioner Su lecture on the scriptures here, I heard that 'the name of Namo Amituofo is the Vajra Seed of Bodhi; once it enters the ear, it will forever be the seed of the path,' which makes me very grateful! The name of Namo Amituofo, after being chanted by a child on a bright planet fifteen trillion years ago for a period of time, fifteen trillion years later, he was saved and entered the world of light.

The story of me, Mo Chengdan, is truly a story like a dream and an illusion. But at this time, I know that grasping the present is the truth. Let me give everyone a precious Buddha name, 'Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo.' Please engrave it in your heart, put it on your lips, enter it into your ears, raise the Buddha’s name at any time, and constantly chant the Buddha’s name; it will definitely bring great harvest to everyone. This is the content of the interview I, Mo Chengdan, have accepted.

Gratitude to Amitabha Buddha. Gratitude to Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju; I have heard many teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju and have benefited greatly. Gratitude to Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo

Mo Chengdan