Defeated by the Twelve Lights

This interview was recorded on February 6, 2024, by Chief Writer Shi Fajing. The subject is a primordial demon known as 'Withered Form,' who has wandered the universe for 2.8 billion years. After attempting to interfere with the body of Practitioner Su, this entity was subdued by the Twelve Lights and subsequently underwent Chao Du. The demon now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, having been given the Dharma name 'Shi Mingzhang.'

Shi Mingzhang (Withered Form) speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. My withered appearance does not mean my demonic power has weakened or vanished. Rather, I intentionally maintain this form to let everyone know the ultimate fate of those I control: they end up exactly like this—withered and hollow.

The Trap of the Self

I have looked everywhere, and it is nearly impossible to find a heart that is truly pure and devoid of self. As long as one possesses a human body, one will inevitably cling to the 'self.' When everyone clings to the self, there is no room for a simple, pure heart. When you are thinking for yourself, that 'I' becomes exceptionally large, turning into selfishness. Whatever you do in that state is absolutely devoid of consideration for others.

When someone is told not to be selfish, those with heavy attachments often ask with confusion: 'If I do not look out for myself, who will?' I have also heard people say, 'If I do everything for others, who will do it for me?' or 'I am not related to them, why should I care?' These are just different ways of saying the same thing. Everyone is clinging to their own position, protecting their own body, wanting to maintain themselves first, refusing to let this body or themselves suffer any harm, and certainly refusing to suffer any loss.

The Universal Hunger for Flesh

I have observed many planets. The inhabitants of many planets possess bodies, and it seems that as long as they have this body, they easily view it as their own. It is quite peculiar; the inhabitants of different planets may have different physical forms, but regardless of whether they are round or flat, tall or short, ugly or beautiful, everyone loves their own body. They want to protect it, care for it, and think only for it. To protect themselves, every sentient being with a human body commits various sins. Even if they harm others in the process, it does not matter to them; their own survival comes first.

This selfish nature is truly terrifying—it is practically a great demon, and I love it. I love these selfish beings. The more selfish they are, the more I like them, and the more compatible they are with me. Having wandered the universe for 2.8 billion years, I, the 'Withered Form,' have been searching everywhere for such people, all to use their human bodies to commit evil. Every time I commit an evil deed, my demonic power increases. Therefore, to elevate my skills and realm, I never stop searching for bodies. Once I find one, I never let it go; I control them all.

The Vastness of the Demon Realm

If I could, I would love to occupy a body all by myself, but that is difficult. The reason it is difficult is that there are simply too many of us demons. Never underestimate the Demon Realm. How large is the entire Demon Realm? Even I, a demon, do not know. I have even wondered if our Demon Realm is as large as the universe, or perhaps even larger? It is not impossible. Because there are so many places where Goodness and evil are mixed, every corner of the universe contains both. Wherever there is evil, there is the existence of demon nature. Does that not mean we demon crowds are everywhere? Indeed, we are.

Since I have become a demon, I must be a great demon. I do not want to be a small fry or a minor demon being ordered around. I have always been very ambitious. Whatever I want to do, I must do it to the best of my ability—the best, the greatest. I want no one to surpass me; I must always be the strongest. It is with this mental note that I am so selfish. To achieve my own success and pursue everything I desire, I have already harmed many people around me. I am referring to the time when I still possessed a human body.

A Cold-Blooded Philosophy

At that time, the people around me said I was selfish. For my own sake, I abandoned my parents, leaving my two elderly and disabled parents to beg on the streets. My neighbors, relatives, friends, and everyone who knew me felt that I was no longer myself. When I heard them say this, I laughed three times. Someone asked me, 'What are you laughing at?' I replied, 'Although I was born to my parents, my parents cannot live my life for me; I still have to manage my own life. If I were to keep my parents by my side and let them drag me down, would the three of us not just perish together? Only when I stand up and succeed first can I possibly take care of my parents and give them a good life.' I insisted on my own concepts and ideas. No matter how the people around me talked or criticised me, I insisted on doing it. Because no matter what they said, they could not help me succeed, so why should I listen to them? Of course, I had to listen to my own voice; only I could help myself.

Why did I have such an intense selfish nature? Why did I care so much about this 'I'? This is a question I never thought about before. Now that I am speaking about my past and reflecting on it, I realise that the education of a family is extremely important.

The Roots of Resentment

Others saw my parents and felt they were pitiful, but I did not feel they were pitiful at all. I do not think I was cold-blooded; it was simply that they treated me the same way when I was young.

When I was a child, my parents each had their own interests. Besides working, they would go everywhere to satisfy their desires. My father liked to gamble; there were many gamblers on our planet, and my father was one of them. My mother liked to go out and have fun with her friends. No matter where they went, they never wanted to take me with them because I would cry and make a fuss, wanting food. This made them feel troubled, annoyed, and they even felt that I was ruining their good times. For this reason, they would rather not take me out, leaving me alone at home at such a young age, rather than let me disturb their peace.

At such a young age, in an empty house, I was truly terrified. I often cried from morning until night, and no one paid any attention to me. Before my mother went out, she would place all the food I needed for the day where I could reach it and tell me to get it myself when the time came. Watching my mother about to leave, I would cry and beg her to take me with her. At that moment, she would immediately fly into a rage, pick up a stick, and beat me, telling me not to make a noise. Gradually, I knew that it was impossible to change anything. No matter where they went or how long they stayed, I would no longer cry and beg to follow them. However, in my young heart, a powerful hatred had already formed—a hatred that went deep into my bones, a hatred born of fear and dread. These various kinds of hatred caused my soul to enter the Demon Realm, even though I still had a shell living in the world.

The Soul Enters the Demon Realm

What was the difference between me, whose soul had entered the Demon Realm, and my original self? In the eyes of my parents, I still looked the same; there was not the slightest difference. That was where they were wrong. What they saw was only my appearance, but in truth, my appearance had already become distorted; their eyes simply could not see it.

Besides my appearance beginning to distort, the biggest change was my 'heart.' Originally, I was still innocent, willing to beg my parents and wanting to act spoiled with them, but the rewards I received made me feel deeply heartbroken. A person who is angry at home every day—eventually, the soul quietly enters the Demon Realm. The key to entering the Demon Realm was that my mental notes were in sync with them, and they were strong enough to pull me into the Demon Realm.

After my spirit entered the Demon Realm, my heart began to become less and less like myself. I would absolutely never cry or beg them for anything like I used to. I began to become very cold. Even when they returned home, I would not have much of a reaction. Watching them happy in their own ways, I would not be happy with them; instead, I felt angry inside.

A Heart of Revenge

I also began to have many negative thoughts, each one evil, carrying a strong demon nature. Growing up like this day by day, it seemed like nothing was wrong, but in reality, the situation was dire.

Once, my parents went out together. Not long after they left, someone came to the house to tell me that they had both had an accident. A normal child, upon hearing that their parents had an accident, would surely be nervous and run out, wanting to see their parents immediately to confirm if they were okay. But I, having already entered the Demon Realm, did not have such a reaction. When I heard that my parents had an accident, the corners of my mouth actually curled into a cold, slight smile. I did not get up immediately; I remained seated, only responding slightly to the kind person who came to inform me: 'Okay, I know.' After the kind person finished speaking and left, I still did not stand up. I finished the glass of water in my hand before slowly moving to put on some clothes and prepare to go out.

Throughout this entire process, one could see that I did not have much worry, nor did I care much. My heart seemed to be seeking revenge, just like that cold smile at the corner of my mouth. My spirit, which carried demon nature, was thinking: 'Finally, you have received your retribution.' The resentment I held in my heart toward my parents was that although they gave me a human body, they brought me endless pain. The experiences of my childhood became a lifelong shadow, influencing my entire life.

It was also during the time I spent alone as a child, in the process of fear and pain, that I learned to protect myself. No one was by my side to protect me; only I could protect myself. I gradually closed off my heart, not easily revealing it to anyone, because I was afraid of being hurt. I did not know how others would treat me, so I preferred not to expose myself.

For the sake of my own life, I selfishly abandoned my parents. This must also have been the work of my demon nature, demanding that I use this method to take revenge on my parents.

The Demon 'Withered Form'

After this life ended, I did not immediately go to receive retribution. Instead, my three hun souls and seven po souls merged, and I returned to the Demon Realm to join the ranks, becoming the demon I am now: 'Withered Form.'

I am everywhere, searching for selfish shells and the selfish hearts within those shells. When I searched like this, I discovered that there was not one person who was not selfish; everyone was selfish. Did I want to control them all? Of course, I wanted to control everyone.

However, I discovered that selfishness also has degrees. The degree and form of selfishness in each shell and each heart are different. The more selfish a person is, the more severely they are controlled by me. Their body probably does not have much time or space for them to use themselves; it has almost been completely replaced by my demonic power.

I have searched for many inhabitants of planets to control. Searching until now, I have come to Earth and am prepared to achieve great things here. I am very satisfied with the performance of the people on Earth. I see very clearly that everyone hides great selfishness in their hearts, not just a little bit. I especially chose Mainland China because there is a lot here that allows me to perform.

Since I am called 'Withered Form,' it means I can make the human form and appearance wither. I just mentioned that I mainly control selfish humans. Most selfish hearts carry a bit of evil. Never underestimate this bit of evil; it is precisely this bit of evil that completely sells out one's soul, causing them to completely surrender their body to us demon crowds, becoming our puppets.

The Treasure Land of China

I did not come to Mainland China very long ago; it was only a few decades ago. When I discovered Earth, there were already many demon crowds circling and gathering here. Only then did I realise that everyone had long ago discovered this precious land, and I was the only one who had just found out.

Seeing the people here, I can feel that they are truly suffering. Their suffering lies in the fact that they are completely manipulated by this body. Looking at these people, whether adults or children, everyone's body is completely controlled. They live lives that are not their own, yet no one knows this truth.

I was very surprised that this truth was discovered by Practitioner Su. However, when I first arrived in Mainland China, Practitioner Su had not yet appeared, which allowed me to commit evil there for a period of time and control quite a few Chinese citizens.

Life is so bitter; where can one find true happiness? Happiness has never existed; only 'suffering' follows like a shadow. We see many people wanting to resolve suffering, but how can suffering be resolved? In my demon eyes, suffering cannot be resolved unless, after losing this body, one attains eternal liberation.

The Suffering of Children

Now, the targets I am mainly looking at are these children. I clearly feel that there is a large group of children here who are not happy at all. The reason they are not happy is entirely caused by the environment.

We can clearly see now that China is full of competition. It is not just domestic competition; it is also an important country on the international stage, full of competitiveness. To compete with the world and become a top-tier country, all the children have become the hope of this country's future. In a country with such a large population, how does one become the one who stands out? There is no other way; one must 'win.'

If you want to be seen, you must, of course, be the one who stands the highest in the crowd. The people around you are friends, but they are also enemies. You can be friends with them, but when it comes to competition, they are your enemies.

Facing such a situation, how should children get along with the people around them? It is very simple: be a two-faced person. When children become two-faced, how much of their heart is still sincere? Absolutely none of it is sincere. In this way, what will the children become? They all become terrifying; they are sick, their hearts are sick.

The Pressure of Perfection

Parents demand a perfect score of one hundred from their children. If they get ninety-nine, it is not a pass; the goal is one hundred. The children also agree; the goal is one hundred. If they do not reach one hundred, they condemn themselves, feeling they have not done well enough or worked hard enough. For this reason, children put immense pressure on themselves. No matter how late they study or how much effort they put in, they must get a perfect score. In our view, these children are not only sick in their hearts, but their souls have also been completely kicked out by us under this kind of mental note. Most children's souls are in space—some in the space of panic, some in the space of books, some in the space of dark competition, some in the prison of their own hearts. There is every kind of space. This group of children pursuing glory are all in a space of suffering, unable to escape.

Some children have a competitive spirit that far exceeds others. These competitive, strong-willed children are especially the targets of our control. Their souls enter space, and their entire bodies are controlled by our demonic power. Now, many children have already embarked on the path of suicide, and many more are waiting in line behind them. Why do these children want to commit suicide? Because their attachment to gain and loss is strong, and the people around them are constantly using grades to evaluate their learning results. Even grades represent whether the child is good or bad. To give adults a good feeling and to receive praise, children put immense pressure on themselves. Therefore, when they fail or cannot reach the goals they want, they feel they cannot breathe, feel they have no dignity, and produce intense negative emotions and feelings.

The Demon's Dialogue

When they appear in this situation, we begin to have a dialogue with their inner hearts. I once spoke to a seventeen-year-old boy. The boy asked himself in his heart: 'Am I really that bad?' At that moment, I was inside his heart, heard the voice of him asking himself, and replied: 'Yes, you are really that bad, terrible. No one in the world is as bad as you. Are you still fit to live in this world? You have let down your father and mother's expectations for you, as well as your school teachers and the relatives around you waiting to see your performance. You are too disappointing.' The boy heard my voice, and he truly believed that this was the answer, so he began to fall into a low mood, as if falling into a deep valley, his will depressed. No matter who spoke to him, it was as if he did not hear them. He kept thinking alone in space, and the space of thought he entered was entirely dark.

In my expected goal, this boy would inevitably embark on a dead end. His competitive spirit was too strong; from childhood to adulthood, he was always the top of the class, but this time he was surpassed by other classmates. He truly could not accept it, which is why various negative emotional reactions appeared.

This boy truly could not walk out of it. By his side was his mother, who constantly scolded him. His mother is a highly educated person who uses her son as a tool for showing off. This time, her son's grades could not be used for her to show off, causing her to lose all face. The boy's mother could not accept it and scolded the boy every day, saying he was truly a useless son.

I fostered his negative thoughts in the boy's head and heart, and I had already successfully helped him plan the method of suicide. I only had to wait for a perfect opportunity to let the boy end his own life. Once this boy died, I would take him as my demon grandchild, and afterward, I would use the same method to continue recruiting. This boy was only the first, not the only one.

Thwarted by the Twelve Lights

However, what made me feel furious was that just as I was about to wait for this boy to commit suicide, it was destroyed before it could succeed. The person who destroyed it was Practitioner Su. At the very moment I was about to succeed, Practitioner Su used the Twelve Lights to shine upon us, which caused our demonic power to weaken, and the boy's body was simultaneously purified. The thought of suicide that had already sprouted instantly disappeared. I saw the boy's appearance; it was as if he had suddenly woken up. He hurriedly hid the charcoal in his hand, not daring to let his parents see it.

This plan failed, and I was very angry, but I would not give up because of this. I still have to continue looking for other targets, including this boy; I will not let him go because of this. I still have to find an opportunity to control him again because I must have him be my demon grandchild. It is just that Practitioner Su keeps using the Twelve Lights to shine on us, and I am completely powerless to fight back, nor can I control people like I did before.

Practitioner Su pushed me to the limit. I directly took my demon children and grandchildren to find Practitioner Su, wanting to solve Practitioner Su once and for all so that I would not be destroyed at a critical moment again. We thought that defeating Practitioner Su would be a very easy thing. We were wrong; it was not simple at all. The demon crowds who came to find Practitioner Su were not just our group; there were already many waiting in line ahead, but the final result was that all were illuminated by the Twelve Lights and then immediately sent into the Western Dharma-Nature Land.

Withered Form

The Buddha gave the demon 'Withered Form' the Dharma name 'Shi Mingzhang.'

Reflections of Shi Mingzhang (Withered Form) after Attending the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies

I want to tell Practitioner Su that China is not so easy to counteract. After being sent to the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I kept watching Practitioner Su perform Chao Du, and only then did I know that Practitioner Su is such a compassionate person. To save China, Practitioner Su sacrificed himself to perform Chao Du for us demon crowds, enduring the pain of being attacked by demon crowds. That is why I wanted to tell Practitioner Su that the whole of China has been completely grasped by demonic power. These demons are all still waiting for an opportunity to swallow the whole world. However, we also have high hopes for Practitioner Su's ability, believing that as long as it is something Practitioner Su wants to do, it will definitely succeed.

Seeing China under Practitioner Su's Chao Du, the space magnetic field has changed significantly, and the demon crowds have also decreased a lot. It is just that the hearts of the Chinese people have not changed; they are still constantly attracting demons to enter. Practitioner Su continues to use the Twelve Lights to purify China, and the hearts of the people are simultaneously being purified. I believe there will definitely be obvious results, thoroughly changing China.

Shi Mingzhang