From Demon Nature to Dharma Name: A Transformation

This is a record of an interview with Shi Yingqun, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He was formerly known as Mo Han, a being of the demon realms for over a millennium, before his recent transformation. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on April 6, 2021.

Shi Yingqun speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Shi Yingqun. Until just a short while ago, I was known as Mo Han. I had been a demon for one thousand two hundred years. It was only a few days ago that I was given the name Shi Yingqun. I am still adjusting to this Dharma name bestowed upon me by Namo Amituofo. I think it is a magnificent name, for it had been only one day since I received it that I was shown a scene of deliverance that left me absolutely breathless."

The Hidden Truth of the Demon Realm

"I used to believe that a deliverance ceremony was merely a ritual for the dead, filled with the weeping and wailing of grieving families who could not bear to let go. I thought the spirits present were always just karmic creditors. If we wanted to find specific souls, all we had to do was manifest ourselves and emit our unique attraction—our demonic pull. Any spirits with a karmic affinity to our demon realm would be instantly sucked in by us. This includes not only the spirits of the deceased but also the three hun souls and seven po souls of living people. As long as their scent matched ours, their souls could be snatched away by us.

"So, do not think for a moment that only the spirits of the dead enter the demon realm. The souls of the living are not all safely tucked away in their bodies; many have already been captured by us! You clever humans would never have imagined such a thing, would you? Currently, only Practitioner Su at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre has the ability to retrieve these souls from our demon realm and return them to their rightful bodies. However, I must warn everyone: if you do not change your character and shed your demon nature, we still have the opportunity to absorb your souls into the demon realm again. No matter how hard people—or even those with true attainment—try to find them, they will not succeed, because the demon realm is vast beyond measure. It permeates the entire universe; the demon realm is everywhere!

"Of course, those whose souls we are able to snatch away all have our demon children and grandchildren attached to them. This is what we call demon affinity. Now that I have witnessed the deliverance performed by Practitioner Su during the Dharma assembly, I am certain that I have truly left the demon realm. Therefore, I am revealing some of these internal secrets to you all. Consider it a good deed on my part, a way to keep you all on your guard."

The Power of Compassion and Golden Light

"Why was I so thoroughly convinced after these three days of the Dharma assembly? It was because I witnessed the compassion of the Buddha. Before the ceremony even began, I saw that the space was filled with countless sentient beings—far more than the number of beings I had seen listening to the Dharma on the day I arrived. Added to this was a sea of golden light, bathing everyone in its warmth. I was curious, wondering where this golden light originated. Oh! Among them, the tallest and most magnificent figure was, needless to say, the renowned Namo Amituofo, accompanied by many great Bodhisattvas. The entire venue was resplendent with gold and jade, a true reflection of the reality at that moment.

"I also saw the salvation team led by Practitioner Su. Every one of them at the site of the ceremony was tall and imposing, appearing in the robes of a monastic, with a countenance of great dignity. I imagine this is what my future self will look like. I hurriedly searched for my idol, Zhou Chuanfu. During the assembly, I heard that he is now the leader of the new Buddha-children, the first of the seventy-four beings subdued during the first wave of the pandemic, and he is currently circling the Earth chanting the Buddha's name. I offered him my blessings in my heart."

A Masterclass in Deliverance

"We, the few demon lords who had just been subdued, were arranged to follow Practitioner Su's Dharma Body as he set out to perform the deliverance. That was when my horizons were truly broadened! Sun Wukong is said to have seventy-two transformations, but Practitioner Su does not just have seventy-two; he has thousands, tens of thousands, infinite transformations! I watched, mesmerized, unable to take my eyes off him. Before I could even see clearly, one of my companions shouted, 'New partner, hurry up and keep up!' I quickly regained my focus and followed one of Practitioner Su's emanations.

"Before my eyes was the entire Earth. These emanations scattered directly, entering Australia, mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and other places. They then entered the great rivers, mountain ranges, cities, and villages of every region. The sentient beings filling every space seemed to have been waiting for Practitioner Su's arrival. Like a great tidal wave, each one of them, amidst the chanting of the Buddha's name and the Buddha-light, was sent into the presence of the towering Namo Amituofo and the radiant light. It requires an incredibly powerful force to send such a vast, diverse multitude of beings into that light.

"Whether it was dust, various animal spirits, plant spirits, insect spirits, or even the beings in the clouds—even the various fish and shrimp Practitioner Su saved by diving into the depths of the sea—all had their spaces opened up. They were first stripped of their outer layers, restored to their original forms, and then sent into the light. It was so dazzling that my eyes could barely keep up. My own eyes have the ability to penetrate space and move freely through it, but today, seeing Practitioner Su's method of deliverance, I must bow down in humble admiration. I used to enter and exit spaces to destroy, to succeed, to achieve my own ends. But Practitioner Su opens and enters spaces to save those lives suffering in the cycle of rebirth within them. At that moment, I felt such shame! This feeling was so foreign to me, yet it arose so naturally. Could it be that just a few days here had transformed the demonic heart I had cultivated for a thousand years? It is the power of compassion, the influence of the Buddha-light and the Buddha-name, that allows for such a profound change. I believe my heart has truly changed!"

A New Life of Gratitude

"Oh! The speed at which Practitioner Su strips away the clothing of these beings is incredible. He does not ask if they want it or not; he removes the outer layers first, restores them to their human form, and then proceeds. This is truly not an ordinary skill; I have never seen anything like it, and the speed is breathtaking! It turns out that when I arrived a few days ago, I was the one who had my head shaved and was dressed in monastic robes by this very skill—that is how I look now. At first, I did not understand the situation, but now that I do, an indescribable sense of gratitude has arisen from within my heart! This is not my usual character. In these few days, I have been so deeply moved that my hardened demonic heart has been transformed, allowing the goodness I thought had vanished without a trace to quietly emerge! Even I find it hard to believe this is me. I believe this is because I have been given a Dharma name, and thus, my heart has been transformed as well.

"This is the new life I am to lead from now on—a life of gratitude and caution, where I dare not act out or be reckless ever again."

Namo Amituofo."