The 320 Trillion-Year Journey of the Demon Mo Qiuta

This is a record of an interview with Mo Qiuta, a primordial demon who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his existence spanning approximately 320 trillion years. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on April 28, 2025.

Mo Qiuta speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. My name is Mo Qiuta. How did these 320 trillion years pass by in the blink of an eye? It feels as though everything happened just yesterday, yet that is simply how the passage of time works.

Whether 320 trillion years is a long or short duration depends entirely on one's heart. From the perspective of Namo Amituofo, who abides in the Universal Buddha-land, this lifespan is actually incredibly brief. Yet, precisely because it offers us the chance to become a Buddha, this life has become fundamentally different from the countless days I spent cycling through the laws of karma and cause and effect, settling debts, and nursing grievances. The difference is not just about 'being able to go' or 'not being able to go' to the Pure Land; it is about what you have actually left behind during these 320 trillion years. In the Demon Realm, I ask you all: what have you left for the demon crowds?"

The Nature of the Demon Realm

"Some demons shake their heads, believing they have left nothing behind, thinking, 'I can barely look after myself, how could I possibly care for others?' But there are other, more seasoned demons who nod vigorously. They cannot tolerate even the slightest criticism—this is what we call 'demon nature.' If you say a word against them, they will turn on you instantly. This is a form of self-protection, an innate characteristic of the demon crowds.

My 320 trillion years were spent wandering the Dharma Realm. I have visited other planets, but I eventually discovered that our home planet was the most suitable for my survival. Many demons share similar experiences, but I am different in one regard: I never wanted to be a Demon King, nor did I wish to be a leader. I prefer to work silently in the background, ensuring tasks are completed flawlessly. To stand at the front and lead a charge? That is neither my personality nor my desire. Does that mean I lack character? Not at all. I am very firm in my opinions, and that is character! When others cannot sway you, it means you have your own perspective and subjectivity. If you happen to meet a kindred spirit, that is wonderful, but such things are rare and cannot be forced."

The Importance of Spiritual Guidance

"At the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, where Namo Amituofo abides, the Buddha is fully aware of every matter, large or small, and uses his teachings to guide everyone. This is of vital importance. The concept of 'lineage' exists in every field. However, for a monastic, without a true spiritual friend who can clearly foresee and hear all things, it is very difficult to identify where your problems lie.

My name, Mo Qiuta, carries a deep meaning. On our planet, the temperature is like autumn—the same 'autumn' as in the four seasons of Earth. Our climate is crisp and refreshing. Why do I emphasize 'temperature'? Because this temperature nurtured much life. Autumn signifies transition—an inspiration I recently realised while in the Western Land of Dharma Nature at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Autumn is the precursor to winter, the time when many creatures enter hibernation. To prepare, they spend autumn desperately searching for food and shelter. But in the past, I knew nothing of winter."

The Universal Principle of Cause and Effect

"In truth, on our planet, the meaning of 'autumn' is: you must work hard! Because if any disaster strikes, only those who have put in the effort can survive. For example, external attacks or sudden temperature shifts. Our planet once suffered an extreme catastrophe—the temperature plummeted, causing many lives to perish. We later learned that it was not just us; surrounding planets suffered the same fate.

This is what is known as the 'selection of life.' Those who can survive continue; those who wither and fade must wait for the next cycle of reincarnated life. Why does this selection occur? It is the laws of karma and cause and effect. These laws operate within the Alaya consciousness of every living being. At a certain stage, such a selection occurs because the Causal Conditions created in past lives happen to align with the current circumstances. The result of this alignment is sometimes 'life' and sometimes 'death.' Do you understand what I mean? Everything proceeds according to the universal principle. This is true not only on Earth but also in the Demon Realm; the demon crowds of the Dharma Realm follow these same rules. The universal principle is, in essence, the constant operation of the laws of karma and cause and effect.

How many can escape the operation of cause and effect? I can tell you: unless you practise and transform your karma, even the demon crowds cannot escape this track. You have likely never heard this before, have you? We only have such a profound realisation of the laws of karma and cause and effect because we survived a great disaster. I did not understand it before, but after experiencing that event, I finally understood."

The Strategy of Survival

"Since then, I have developed a specialty: I am very adept at reading the Alaya consciousness of others. Whether it is a demon or any other being, I am deeply interested in their past Causal Conditions. Only the Alaya consciousness can tell you exactly what has happened to a being in the past.

What is the benefit of this? There must be a benefit, or why do it? Things without benefit should be discarded. The benefit is that I can determine if a person is a suitable target for my attack, haha. If they owed me in the past, and I attack them, they will certainly be defeated. This is perfectly in line with the laws of karma and cause and effect; it is what they owe me. Conversely, if in a past encounter I attacked them and won, then this time I will certainly fail. This is called 'It continues to grow and consume beings without pause'—a cycle of mutual retaliation—so my method never fails. If this lifetime is one where I owe them, I choose to flee. No one likes to be at a disadvantage, so I choose to escape. Although one must eventually repay a kindness or debt, knowing that repaying is painful, how could I let myself remain in that suffering? Therefore, in the Buddha's teachings, there is a saying: 'teach according to the capacity of the listener.' This is the instinct and ability of Buddha or Bodhisattva. Demon crowds also have 'observe the situation and flee' or 'observe the situation and act,' but this is not to save beings; it is to preserve one's own life or to lead a demon group in an attack. This is my specialty, haha."

The Attack on Practitioner Su

"Is this specialty related to living for 320 trillion years? Of course! If I did not have this ability to see the laws of karma and cause and effect, I would have long ago been defeated by it and consumed. Because I know I owed the other party too much in the past, I avoid attacking whenever possible, especially to conserve energy. In my demon group, every member is very frugal. Frugal with what? Frugal with energy. This is a good trait because it reduces attacks on others. It may not sound special, but let me tell you, in the entire Demon Realm, we are the only ones who do this. Especially the strong ones; they find attacking others too easy, so they do not understand frugality. But we do, and I teach it to everyone, passing it down from generation to generation.

I was in a deep meditative state when my juniors discovered me and woke me up. Honestly, I did not want to come out, haha. But since I was awakened, I had to appear. Later, they told me about Practitioner Su. Like other elders in the Demon Realm, I felt the need to protect our territory, so I led them in casting spells. They were quite happy, not expecting such powerful support. Thus, I committed a monstrous sin. This old demon, who understood the laws of karma and cause and effect, actually committed such an act—casting magical attacks on Practitioner Su. The target of the attack was his weakness: his eyes.

The intuition of demon crowds is often very sharp, which is why we survive. If it were not sharp, we would be easily defeated. My intuition at the time was: Practitioner Su's eyes are his weakness. So, I attacked his eyes directly, trying to make him blind. Haha, that was certainly not a kind heart. But such 'evil hearts' are often considered a matter of course in our Demon Realm. We always think we have a grand reason—to defend the survival of the Demon Realm. Yet, what was the result? I was the one who was completely, utterly wrong."

The Power of Compassion

"What does it mean to be 'completely, utterly wrong'? Fortunately, while Practitioner Su's physical eyes were attacked, the eyes of his spiritual Dharma Body remained sharp, clear, and full of boldness. And within that boldness, there was compassion! For a battle-hardened old demon, it is very difficult to admit that I had ever seen such a gaze. Because those eyes clearly told you: 'You are the weak one.' When two sides are at war, if your eyes reveal fear and anxiety, you are the weak one. I am very good at reading people, especially by looking into their eyes. So, looking back at Practitioner Su's gaze, if I were to cast a spell on him now, I would know clearly—I have no chance of winning this battle. Because if the other party's eyes are devoid of fear and instead filled with determination and compassion, as if saying, 'Even if I suffer, I will bring you into the Western Land of Dharma Nature and lead you to turn from evil to good.' Such a heart is a compassion heart. And this is exactly what old demons fear the most! Those who truly know how to look understand this at a glance; those who do not will bring upon themselves monstrous sins. I never thought I would be one of them. When did I wake up? It was after entering the Western Land of Dharma Nature, when I saw Practitioner Su's eyes again, that I realised I was wrong. I was wrong, completely and thoroughly.

Practitioner Su truly wants to save demons. For the Demon Realm, the most feared opponent is 'sincerity.' This is what demon crowds lack the most. No matter how much we try to fill or hide it, we cannot resist the power of sincerity. Perhaps this is also a universal principle. Therefore, I advise all old demons, and not just old demons, but also those who have cast spells on Practitioner Su: if you do not stop immediately, your destined end is to be sent into the Western Land of Dharma Nature. If you wish to surrender, you will enter here; if you cast spells, you will also be sent here. But if you cast spells first, you commit a sin and will have to suffer the pain of karmic retribution in the future, so why bother? Unless you are truly stubborn and refuse to turn back, then go ahead and try. I am someone who has walked this path, so I am qualified to give this advice. As I mentioned, because I cast a spell on Practitioner Su, I was discovered. He struck the large chime, and I was drawn in by the sound, entering the Western Land of Dharma Nature."

The Sound of the Chime

"The sound of this large chime truly possesses powerful Buddha-power; the attraction was so great that I had no ability to resist. But miraculously, after entering, I was completely unharmed. This is the most amazing part! Once we entered this Buddha-land, every one of us demons prostrated ourselves completely, without a single word, because only a Buddha can use such a vow and power to make the demon crowds willingly submit. If the human world were to do this, it would be too difficult. In 320 trillion years, I had never encountered such a situation, but if it is a Buddha, it can be done. This is indeed consistent and a fact.

Because the one you have encountered is a Buddha. He has made a great vow to save the demon crowds. This is not just saving demons; it is also saving the human world and all beings. With such a great vow, plus the blessing of Namo Amituofo, the demon crowds have not a single shred of a chance to win.

In my 320 trillion years, I once entered a deep meditative state for 100 trillion years. Haha, such a long time means my demon age is also very long. But the problem is, during that long meditative concentration, did my wisdom develop? Did it grow? No. I remained at the same level of wisdom as before I entered meditation. Although not having thoughts during meditation sounds like it could increase a pure heart, in reality, the opposite of purity is pollution. As long as the personality remains, the pollution remains, so there is no talk of true purification. In this state of attachment, even if you exert all your strength, there will be limitations. You may think you have exerted your full strength, but in reality, one or two percent of your power is held back, unable to be fully utilised.

This is my own conclusion: to be able to go all out, the prerequisite is that you must have absolutely no 'self'; you must exert your full strength cleanly. This is exactly what Practitioner Su is teaching us now—to have no past, no future, and only chant one Buddha's name to the end. Great minds think alike! But I am not a Buddha; I am a demon."

The Difference Between Buddha and Demon

"The difference in experience and ability between Buddha and demon sometimes lies not in technique, but in the difference in the 'heart.' This creates completely different worlds: the Buddha-heart is bright, creating a bright world; the demon-heart is dark, creating a dark world. These two contrasts are now presented before you; please look and experience them clearly. If you can truly practise and act, you can save a lot of time spent groping in the dark and truly obtain this essence. One day, you too can remove the pollution from your body bit by bit and become a Buddha. Becoming a Buddha is what countless beings dream of. But this is something demon crowds have never thought of, because the difference is simply too great. We demons have never even thought about it! Our demon nature cannot be changed just like that; how could it be so easy? If it were that easy, with Practitioner Su's powerful Chao Du, the Demon Realm would have long been peaceful. But the facts prove that many demons continue to attack Practitioner Su, and many have been sent away; there are just too many.

The biggest difference between Earth and the planets of the Dharma Realm is that although the planets of the Dharma Realm each have their own characteristics, to be honest, apart from the bright planets, the planets of the Demon Realm are truly spiritually impoverished, lacking spiritual education. They do not know that they also have a true self and can become Buddhas, and they do not need to become so evil. In fact, seeking the Buddha, chanting the Buddha's name, and prostrating to the Buddha is a very important way out. Perhaps you might think, is it not a lack of ambition for demons to do this? Haha, wrong! Truly wise demons will quickly discard that kind of rough or unreasonable attitude. There have been too many who were rough and unreasonable to Practitioner Su in the past; now, it is time to change to being respectful, polite, and willing to listen.

So, how can the human world and the Demon Realm be saved? The human world is stubborn, and tempers are deeply rooted. Without the education of the Buddha's teachings, one would never know if their behaviour, speech, and thoughts are on the righteous path. Even if one is not clear, if one has the blessings of Namo Amituofo, Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, and Practitioner Su, one can gradually understand how to walk and what to do.

Although it is said so clearly, those who truly believe and truly act are still the minority. Those who can truly do it have a chance to obtain true skills. No matter how well you speak, if you cannot actually do it, it is better not to speak at all. Because every thought and intention creates karmic force. I can now understand the meaning of the word 'pure' in 'Pure Land.' It is truly appropriate. In 'purity,' much energy can be generated, and one can see many things clearly, so one will no longer be confused. The benefit of seeing clearly is that one is no longer lost and can know the truth of things. Therefore, no matter how strong the demon nature or how great the ability, if it does not conform to the universal principle, the truth, and the righteous path, it should be discarded. Because it will only cause you harm. The demon world that was painstakingly built cannot actually resist the positive power of the Buddha's teachings. Many demon palaces collapsing into flat ground is an example.

There is no smoke without fire; at this time, I must repent in my heart. Only through repentance can the further development of negative karma be stopped. True repentance is to never commit sins again from this moment on; such power is the strongest. Smart people should know what they should do, and the simplest way is to 'listen.' Listening is a way that allows you not to create karma and to live a good life; never underestimate this point.

I am very sensitive to temperature changes. Besides being able to see the Alaya consciousness and past relationships to judge whether I should engage in a head-on battle, I have another specialty: judging temperature. Even very small changes, I can feel. Before a great disaster, temperature is a very important indicator. With my sensitivity, I can judge it. What should be done at this time is to leave this place. I once discovered that before a great disaster, the temperature dropped sharply. But another time, the temperature rose sharply, and everyone was scorched. Although such violent changes are rare, one time can take the lives of many spiritual beings. The demon crowds are the same; many cannot withstand the heatwave and eventually wither and enter the ground, disappearing from the surface. When I saw the situation was not right, I immediately led my demon children and grandchildren, and the entire force of the Demon Realm, to move to another planet.

Upon arriving at that planet, I could predict that the temperature there was stable and would not cause large-scale withering. We found a place there to settle down. Sure enough, the temperature there was like autumn, with a bit of coolness, but not cold. You must know that 'cool' and 'cold' are different. We lived there for a very long time, which is the planet where I was before entering meditation. From the perspective of the entire Dharma Realm, that is a planet in the West. The word 'West' is actually an auspicious term because Namo Amituofo built the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Therefore, this auspicious meaning of 'West' must be grasped tightly; never forget that there is a Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Every person is actually a Buddha. If you really have the chance to become a Buddha, the first to thank is Namo Amituofo. Next are Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju and Practitioner Su, as well as the fourfold assembly. They are all in my gratitude. Because I can truly feel a warm power in the air. That is something only a Buddha can give to beings. This warmth comes from a pure, selfless, and unpolluted heart, which is the only way to achieve such a level.

Many people think that as long as they live in a temple, their life must be very happy. That is wrong. What I see is that the only one who is truly happy is perhaps Practitioner Su. His respect for this name is a persistence, and it is a persistence carried to the extreme. It is a light that naturally radiates from within, and this light is the manifestation of his own good roots. Truly, congratulations to him!

Well, if I were to talk, it seems that once the floodgates are opened, I could say a lot. But in the end, everything is beyond words. All dharmas are mind-only. I hope everyone can have a good heart, a bright heart, a shining heart. This heart can not only illuminate oneself but also illuminate the surroundings, the entire Dharma Realm, and even the void. Just like Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su.

This is the sincere wish of me, Mo Qiuta. Of course, it also includes those lives on my past planet who withered due to disasters but had karmic affinity with me. I hope you can all welcome a brand-new beginning of life soon. In fact, I have already seen it. At the same time, the sound of Practitioner Su's chime has awakened many souls who were still sleeping. They had not completely withered, just like my situation when I entered meditation. Therefore, the sound of the chime can open up space, and even break through the spaces built by those deep-seated old demons. This also shows that this chime is extremely powerful. And where does this power come from? It comes from the user himself—the degree of their heart's purification.

Well, I will accept the interview here for today. If there is anything else to add, you are always welcome. As long as you call my name, you don't even need to speak; just by the fluctuation of your heart, I will already know. Haha, actually, when you called me just now, I had already arrived here and was waiting. Finally, I wish everyone well again; you must hold on to the Buddha's name tightly and never interrupt it. This absolutely has great benefits and advantages.

Namo Amituofo

Mo Qiuta"