A Demon's Path to Light

This is a record of an interview with Mo Jue (Dharma name Shi Guangcheng), a spirit who was once part of the demon crowds involved in the COVID-19 pandemic. He sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia and now follows the path of the Buddha. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on August 17, 2021.

Mo Jue speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. For us in the Demon Realm, attacking a human is easier than snapping a chopstick. It is trivial! I led my demon children and grandchildren everywhere, scouring the world for targets. Once we found a human we could exploit, we would immediately mark their forehead. Once marked, it was only a matter of time before they fell ill with this pandemic. We were only responsible for the mark; their subsequent suffering or death was none of our concern. That depended entirely on their own karma, their character, or whether other demon crowds decided to pile on. We did not care about their fate—as long as they were suffering, we were satisfied."

The Legend of the Great Buddha

"I had heard other demon crowds talking about Practitioner Su. They told me, 'Practitioner Su is a Great Buddha who stands tall between heaven and earth.' I was skeptical. What kind of Buddha could possibly earn such a title from our Demon Realm? But then I learned the truth: Practitioner Su can save beings from the heavens, the Milky Way, outside the universe, and even from the deepest, darkest hells. Like a giant, he cares for all beings from the highest heavens to the lowest depths. This was a human unlike any we had ever encountered. No wonder they called him a Great Buddha. I finally understood."

Testing the Unselfish

"I have always been respectful of Practitioner Su, though I kept my distance. In my eyes, all humans are selfish. Every single one of them lives only for themselves—there is no exception. But everything I heard about Practitioner Su was different. I secretly observed him several times and even tried to test him, but he never fell for my traps. He was truly as selfless as they claimed. I could not help but admire him. To be human and achieve such a state? That is truly extraordinary."

A Confrontation with the Demon Realm

"The reason I came to find Practitioner Su this time was because of the pandemic. I was not here to harm him. When I heard he intended to save the world from this virus, I rushed over. I had to know how he planned to do it. You see, this pandemic was a massive, coordinated strike by the entire Demon Realm. There were countless demons manipulating this disaster. For Practitioner Su to say he would save the world meant he was declaring war on the entire Demon Realm! I broke into a cold sweat for him. I had to see if he was really as brave as the rumors suggested—was he truly going to duel the entire Demon Realm?"

Trapped Within the Body

"When I arrived outside the temple, I saw it swarming with demon crowds. They were all waiting to seize Practitioner Su. These Demon Kings were vicious, heavyweights—not your average little demons. My name is Mo Jue, 'Demon Absolute,' but the name is better than the reality. I am not actually that 'absolute,' so I never became a big player in the Demon Realm. In the eyes of the other Demon Kings, I was just a useless little demon. But that was fine by me; I was content with my lot. I watched to see how these great Demon Kings would attack Practitioner Su. To my surprise, they all turned into air and slipped into his body. Practitioner Su breathed naturally, and they just... slid right in. I was terrified! I did not dare make a sound, but I was desperate to warn him: 'There are demons inside! Demons are inside!' Finally, I decided to turn myself into air and slip in too. It was the only way to get close enough to warn him."

The Futility of the Demon

"Once inside, I found myself completely powerless. I was like a prisoner with my limbs bound, unable to move a muscle. I had intended to help, but it turned out I was the one who needed help! I was stuck in the cilia of Practitioner Su's trachea, completely immobile. As for the other demons who had entered, I saw that they were equally useless. Seeing them like that, I felt relieved. I decided to look after myself and ignore them. I struggled and struggled, but every time I moved, it made Practitioner Su cough. I felt so embarrassed! I tried to stay still, but it was agonizing. Eventually, I secretly chanted, 'Namo Amituofo.' Instantly, I felt like I was flying—I was shot out of his body! Then, my name was called out. I had been discovered. That was fine; I wanted to be found. I wanted to meet Practitioner Su."

A Heart Reborn

"I was brought to a lotus seat. Other demons were already there, but none of them were as happy as I was. They all wore the arrogant masks of Demon Kings, their faces twisted in scowls. I, however, was bursting with excitement. I wanted to hear Practitioner Su give a Dharma talk, but I did not dare show it too clearly, so I pretended to be calm. I looked serious, but inside, my heart was racing. This was the moment I had been waiting for. When Practitioner Su began the Dharma talk, my heart felt like it was screaming with joy. Every word struck home. I nodded along, and by the end of the talk, I felt like I had been reborn. It was exhilarating!"

A Life of Misguided Justice

"Looking back at my past, before I became a demon, I was not a bad person. I was just someone who could not stand to see injustice. Whether the victim was a stranger or someone I knew, I would risk my life to stand up for them. That was who I was. My father often told me, 'Stop meddling in other people's affairs! You do not have the ability to help; you only make things worse.' He was right. Many times, I would jump in to help, only for the victim to end up even worse off. I would end up beaten and bruised, and my father would have to come and save my life."

The Tragedy of a Father

"Every time my father warned me, I would agree, but the moment I saw someone being bullied, my heart would surge. A voice inside would scream, 'Go! Go help!' I would act without awareness, charging in headlong. I was a fool, and I caused many ridiculous scenes. People warned me that if I did not stop, I would end up in tears, but I could not control myself. I was like a wild horse that no rein could hold. When I was twenty-five, I saw an injustice again. My father grabbed my arm, begging me not to go, saying the attackers were vicious. I pushed him away, promising I would be back safely. I charged in, but I was captured before I could do anything. My father was dragged into it too. They mocked me, 'You are so stupid! You want to save people? What a joke!' They tortured my father in front of me, forcing him to eat filth, tying him to a tree in the rain. I was filled with such rage that I felt like my head was on fire, my eyes burning red. They played with my father until he died, and then they tortured me for months until I, too, met a miserable end."

From Vengeance to Repentance

"How could I not hate them? I entered the Demon Realm specifically to seek revenge, and I made sure they all met terrible ends. After I had my revenge, my heart calmed down, but I was still grieving for my father. I did not become a 'true' demon, though. I still stood up for the weak, which led to me being harmed many times. Joining this pandemic was a mistake—I was goaded by other demons who made it sound like a grand opportunity. I regret it deeply. After hearing Practitioner Su's Dharma talk, I am filled with repentance. I am so sorry to those I harmed. I am grateful to have escaped the Demon Realm. I want to follow the Buddha forever. Only by following the Buddha can my heart be peaceful and at ease. Namo Amituofo."

Shi Guangcheng (Mo Jue) shares his reflections on participating in the Thrice Yearning Ceremony:

"I still remember the very first time I was to attend the Thrice Yearning Ceremony. Oh, I was so incredibly excited! I had never, ever participated in such a magnificent event before. For days leading up to the ceremony, I waited with bated breath, my heart racing with anticipation. When the day finally arrived, I looked out and saw a vast, endless sea of sentient beings gathered all around the temple. I was so overjoyed that I couldn't help but shout and jump for joy! It was only after I was gently told to settle down that I finally stopped. I was just so happy, knowing that all these sentient beings were finally going to be saved. I knew that Practitioner Su had the profound ability to save them; that is precisely why they all came here seeking Spiritual Deliverance. When I saw that massive crowd of beings, my heart soared with hope, wishing that every single one of them could find liberation as soon as possible.

Traversing Time and Space with Practitioner Su

When Practitioner Su’s countless billions of manifestations began the process of Chao Du, I was so exhilarated that I followed along, rushing here and there, chanting the Buddha-name at the top of my lungs. My voice was incredibly resonant and powerful; I poured every ounce of my being into that Buddha-name, hoping that as many beings as possible could hear it, giving them all a precious opportunity to be saved. I followed Practitioner Su up mountains and across oceans, flying high into the clouds and diving deep into the swirling dust of the world. I travelled through different dimensions of time and space, chanting Namo Amituofo to save sentient beings wherever we went. In every single Dharma assembly, I witnessed the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su saving immeasurable and boundless sentient beings. Some of them were ancient spirits who had never before had the chance to be rescued. Now, finally saved by Practitioner Su, they all knelt on the ground in tears, kowtowing in deep gratitude.

The Joy of a Transformed Life

I chanted Namo Amituofo with such pure joy—it had been such a long, long time since I had felt this happy. You see, I have always enjoyed helping others, and compared to my past life as a demon, I much prefer who I am today. The Buddha’s teachings are truly magnificent; they leave me in constant awe. Now, I feel a deep sense of Dharma-joy every single day. I am so profoundly grateful to Practitioner Su for rescuing me and granting me such a rare and precious opportunity. I cherish every single second, practicing with diligent practice, and I dare not slacken for even a single moment.

A Final Confession

I am deeply grateful for the compassion of the Buddha. I am deeply grateful for the compassion of Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo.

During this recent pandemic, I led my 'demon children and grandchildren' to invade the human realm. The number of people harmed was approximately fifty, and the number of deaths was approximately nineteen. I am truly sorry for the suffering I caused.

Note: The father of Mo Jue, named Lin Shengquan, had been living as a dog. He has already been rescued by Practitioner Su and led to the Western Land of Dharma Nature to listen to the sutras.

Namo Amituofo."