The Awakening of the Sixteen-Trillion-Year-Old Demon

This interview was recorded on April 20, 2025, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. The speaker is Mo Zhaoyun, a primordial demon from the Dharma Realm with a lifespan of sixteen trillion years. Having sought deliverance through the compassionate guidance of Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, he now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, where he reflects upon his long history of darkness and his recent transformation.

Mo Zhaoyun speaks:

"I am called Mo Zhaoyun. I come from the Dharma Realm, and I am an ancient demon of that realm. I know you are all in the diligent practice group, so I will keep this brief. Sixteen trillion years—if calculated by Earth's time, this is an incredibly long duration. In the Dharma Realm, I originally thought I was quite old, but later I learned there are ancient demons who have existed for thirty-four trillion years. This is the age of an ancient demon I heard about today on the Western Dharma-Nature Land. It is equivalent to nearly double the time I have spent in the Dharma Realm. This is truly an inconceivable matter. Practitioner Su’s ability to perform Chao Du is so profound that he can actually enter the space where an ancient demon of thirty-four trillion years has been living in seclusion! This is certainly not something an ordinary practitioner can do; only a Buddha has the capability. I believe the demon crowds on the Western Dharma-Nature Land, having seen and heard what I have these past few days, would agree with my words.

I existed on a planet in the Dharma Realm that was on the verge of destruction. Later, demon crowds entered and took control. Although it was not destroyed, it entered a dark age. We, the inhabitants living there, had no right to make any choices; we were treated as slaves. Slaves have their destinies dictated by the rulers of the planet, living lives of extreme misery and suffering. Our spirits originally possessed a modicum of good roots, but after becoming slaves, we lived lives of humiliation, disrespect, and even bullying, completely losing our sense of self. We worked incessantly, working without pause. The time we had to close our eyes and rest was extremely brief; almost everyone dragged their exhausted bodies to perform hard labour."

The Life of a Slave in the Demon Realm

"Although spirits do not have physical bodies, they can perform tasks in the spirit realm. To build their powerful kingdoms, the demon crowds often forced slaves to perform defensive engineering, living lives that were unrecognisable. This cannot be called a human life—we were not human! This should be called a life of tragedy. Everyone harboured hatred and pain in their hearts, but we could not speak of it, nor did we have the time to think.

Until the soul ran out of energy, even before it vanished, one still had to work, accelerating the rate of one's atrophy until the last bit of strength was exhausted. Then, one would collapse on the ground and be absorbed into the soil of the planet. Many spirits spent their final moments in this way. They did not die, but they entered a period of dormancy, forgetting the events of the past. When they eventually awakened, it would be a new life.

I was a slave until I atrophied. I spent a very long time underground, only to have a dark force re-injected into my spirit. From then on, I was a new life, but I was a demon. From childhood, I played the role of a demon; I did not know there were beings other than demons, nor did I know of a world beyond that planet."

The Path of the 'Invincible Demon King'

"Therefore, my sixteen trillion years should be counted from the time of my birth. Everything I did on that planet was the work of a demon. My personality evolved from having none at birth to being honed into that of a Demon King, and eventually, an ancient demon. Before I went into seclusion, this period lasted nearly ten trillion years. By my count, I spent about six trillion years in deep meditative concentration. This period was quite long, but the concepts of long and short time do not actually exist for a demon in deep meditation.

During this time, I once established my own Demon Kingdom, but after I chose to enter meditation, my kingdom was occupied by other demon crowds. Some later established their own kingdoms. These things no longer had any influence on me. In the Demon Realm, I, Mo Zhaoyun, had a certain level of fame. Many who heard of me felt a sense of familiarity, for I possessed a coldness within my calmness. This coldness meant that as long as something was beneficial to me, I would do it by any means necessary. It is a terrifying personality, to be sure. Because I grew up in such an environment, how could I know what kindness, compassion, or Wisdom were? Even if I knew of Wisdom, I would believe that what I did was wise; this is called arrogance. My personality was often triggered in this way; otherwise, I would have remained buried underground like the atrophied spirits before me. There are many spirit-realm beings underground, and we were just a part of them.

How did I spend my days before seclusion? I adopted an attitude of 'the less trouble, the better.' No one would interfere with you, provided you did not affect the daily routines of others. If there was interference, it would likely be to one's own detriment first."

The Price of Arrogance and Power

"I was indeed a very arrogant and self-important Demon King, but I was very lucky, often winning in attacks. Therefore, some called me the 'Invincible Demon King,' and I took pride in this title. But now I know I must pay a tremendous price in karmic retribution, though that is already irreversible. After all, I have harmed too many spirits. Any planet we passed through often had its energy completely drained, and many lives atrophied into the ground. Such situations were our victories. Consequently, I made many enemies. When I chose to go into seclusion, there was no junior in my demon group with the same boldness and magic as I had, so it was absorbed by other Demon Kings. This is the fate of each. Once a demon chooses to enter meditation, they have no right to interfere with the kingdoms they previously established.

I chose to go into seclusion in a place that matched my personality: if I am not going to do something, I won't, but if I do, I do it with a bang. I chose to hide in a stone near the ground, within the city walls I mentioned earlier—the ones I was forced to build as a slave to prevent other demons from attacking. Stones are very similar to the personality of a demon; they are good places for seclusion. For six trillion years, this stone was never touched. It was a very large space. Originally, there was green land outside, but as time passed, the green land withered. From then on, green life force never appeared again. Green represents life, just like leaves. So, the demons of that time erased the original green. It was not just removing the colour; it was scrubbing it until it could not be seen, but facts are facts.

Of course, the space I occupied was dark, which was quite natural. It was only when the Buddha-light brought by Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su permeated the ground that it changed."

The Difference Between Buddha and Demon

"Your hearts are truly fluctuating; we can clearly feel your waves here because your hearts are fluctuating along with them. If you want to have no fluctuations, it is like our meditative concentration: no matter how the body moves, the heart does not move. However, if external circumstances trigger your personality, then it is a disaster. If one is like Practitioner Su, who has attained the Buddha-Recitation Samadhi, the heart is constantly in a state of meditation, truly tranquil. This means there are no external circumstances that can stir it; this is one who has meditative concentration. This is the difference between a Buddha and a demon. At the same time, humans are the same. In the state of a demon-stone spirit, to be honest, the state of the body and the personality are even more complex!

Now, we look at the human body; from the top of the head to the soles of the feet, there is no place without personality. Think about how many cells you have, how many beings, and every single being has a personality. Every cell has the eight consciousnesses and fifty-one mental factors; this is something I learned recently.

Now I understand, and I will tell everyone. After all, I am an ancient demon of trillions of years, possessing the experience of a demon, and now that it is integrated with the Buddha’s teachings I have absorbed, I have a deeper understanding of the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. I will take this opportunity to share with you all. If there is any bias, I ask Namo Amituofo or Practitioner Su to guide and correct me. But I think my judgment is likely very close to the mark."

The Complexity of the Human Body

"You know that the cells in your body are countless. Each cell has its own eight consciousnesses and fifty-one mental factors, which means each cell has its own story. And the beings within the body are even more complex. The beings with their own eight consciousnesses and fifty-one mental factors within the true self may all appear in the body formed by the combination of Causal Conditions in this lifetime.

Let me see how many personality traits your body has; almost all of them are there. It just depends on which part of the personality is triggered by the conditions of this life. The Buddha’s teachings are truly not easy, yet they are simple: just have no personality. But the personality is so subtle, and there are many traits one cannot even grasp oneself. All of this must be turned into 'nothingness.'

Fortunately, the compassionate Namo Amituofo has given everyone the Buddha-name 'Namo Amituofo.' This Buddha-name is not just an ordinary person's name. Ordinary names are useless; they are names of karma, and that only adds karma upon karma.

Like how you often think of someone, some family member, or someone you once knew—chanting that only makes your karma more turbid and unclear. But chanting the name 'Namo Amituofo' is different, because within the name of Namo Amituofo, all the merit and power of all Buddhas are contained therein.

His vow power is powerful, and the strength of his firm vows is also within this. This is truly too powerful! No wonder no ancient demon can withstand the light of the Twelve Lights. So, everyone, listen: since the light of Namo Amituofo has shone into the space where we were in meditation, we have no choice and nothing to say."

The Power of the Buddha-Name

"Many ancient demons of this age know Namo Amituofo. Although it is a memory from the distant past, once it is revived, these memories all return. Because while we were in meditation, we did not enter anything into our Alaya consciousness.

Regarding the spirits I mentioned earlier, human bodies have many personality traits. Let me add one point: by comparison, the personalities of demons or spirits are much simpler, with only the distinction of strong and weak. What I mean by 'simple' is 'I like it.' Whatever I like, that point is extremely intense.

For example, I am an arrogant Demon King. My arrogance is very strong, and consequently, my attachment to gain and loss is also heavy. I do not allow failure; I only allow success. I will put in more effort than others to achieve success. Therefore, if I fail, the pain is like falling from a high mountain to the bottom of a valley. To avoid such pain, I must maintain victory, which requires paying a great price.

As I observe, people today are the same; that is all personality. If one had no personality, like a Buddha—following conditions, adapting to circumstances, and being content—how wonderful that would be! How could the heart be stirred? If the heart is not stirred, and when external conditions arise, one can transform the environment rather than being transformed by it, that is truly carefree and at ease. How wonderful!"

Attacking the Human Body

"I am different. Because I have a personality, I must be stronger than this personality to show my uniqueness. Therefore, I pay with more time and energy to strengthen my expertise. My expertise is that I can target problems, see exactly where the other party's problem lies, and attack that part to win.

Just as some planets store energy in a certain part, when attacking such a planet, one looks at what defenses are around that storage area, strengthens the attack on those defenses, and breaks them one by one. In this way, one can obtain all the energy at once—a massive amount of energy—and there is no need to attack other small places; naturally, you can occupy the planet.

Similarly, attacking a human body is even simpler. Although there are many beings with different personalities inside, there is definitely one that is the master. Even if there are several spirits acting as masters, let me tell you, such a person is called 'split personality,' because he wants to be like this and that simultaneously. With the personalities of many spirits vying to appear, how can his personality be unified? How can his Body-Mind-Spirit be harmonious? It cannot; it must be chaotic. This is what split personality disorder is. And among them, the strongest personality appears; that is the one that appears most often. Most are very aggressive, irritable, and hostile. Only such a personality can make other spirits submit or stay far away, and then he can be the master. Such a person is definitely not led by the true self. If we want to attack such a human, we target that master, that particularly strong personality. When he is acting out, we crush this true self in one go. 'Crushing' means our personality is stronger than his. He is aggressive, but we are even stronger. The advantage of a demon lies right here. No matter how strong the spirit beings are, they will not be stronger than us. That is for demons who have true 'attainment.' Of course, some little demons or 'demon children and grandchildren' might not dare to approach such a personality. Therefore, only ancient demons or Demon Kings are capable of controlling such personalities."

A Chance for Redemption

"How can such an evil spirit live for sixteen trillion years without being absorbed by the laws of karma and cause and effect? During those six trillion years after entering meditation, I did not move a muscle, and there was no fluctuation of mental notes, so I could preserve the life of this spirit.

Why was I not absorbed by the laws of karma and cause and effect ten trillion years ago? I once explored this, and later I figured it out. Because within the laws of karma and cause and effect, the reason I was so intensely arrogant and attached to gain and loss was that I had been taught in such an environment since birth—the laws of the Demon Realm.

So, for these twelve trillion years, there was almost not a day I was separated from the Demon Realm. This is truly a sad and pitiable state. Perhaps the laws of karma and cause and effect saw this and gave me a chance to see if I had a chance for rebirth, to see if a little bit of good roots could appear when encountering a kind environment.

There is a saying in China: 'Heaven has the virtue of loving life.' This sentence is also a Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. Perhaps in my past lives, I did something of great blessing and was sheltered by this blessing. The blessings were not exhausted, so I had this chance not to be absorbed by the laws of karma and cause and effect. Perhaps that is it.

Indeed, at this moment, I am allowed to reflect on the mistakes I made in the past on the Western Dharma-Nature Land. Practitioner Su’s words, 'There is no past, no future, only the present; chant one Buddha-name to the end,' are truly beneficial to many demon crowds on the Western Dharma-Nature Land, especially the ancient demons.

If these words came from the mouth of an ordinary person, we might not take them so seriously. Because the hearts of ordinary people are fluctuating and impermanent, how could what they say be accurate? It must often have variables, and it is rare to hear one or two sensible and pertinent words.

If these words appear from the mouth of Practitioner Su, with his experience in this lifetime, combined with what he has seen and heard in saving demon crowds after Awakening, and most valuably, the deep foundation of good roots from past lives, we ancient demons can believe that the words spoken from his mouth are credible.

Moreover, Namo Amituofo abides at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Goombungee, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. This is also because of the deeds of Practitioner Su, which moved Namo Amituofo to abide here. We have even more reason to believe that what Practitioner Su says can be followed, because Namo Amituofo approves! What reason do we have not to approve?"

A Warning to the Fourfold Assembly

"However, many of the fourfold assembly of disciples are quite bold; they can disagree, they can choose not to listen to Practitioner Su, and they even talk back. We are terrified when we see this; you are truly bold!

Perhaps I am being too blunt, but it is quite true. There are a few who really do this, letting the words go in one ear and out the other. We treat them as treasures; this one sentence can benefit you infinitely and can turn a demon into a Buddha!

It is enough to understand this sentence. Furthermore, Practitioner Su often reminds you, yet it seems not many of you are truly doing it. On the contrary, we older demons on the Western Dharma-Nature Land are holding onto the Buddha-name ever more tightly. Is it because we are afraid of death? That is also possible. Is it because we want to repent and save ourselves? That is also possible. Is it because we want to purify this filthy soul? That is also possible. Say what you will; in short, just hold onto the Buddha-name tightly.

Returning to myself, the reason I came to the Western Dharma-Nature Land this time—and I believe this is the reason many ancient demons come—is that the Buddha-light of Namo Amituofo and the countless manifestations of Practitioner Su permeated the space where I was in meditation. After the bright light shone on my whole body, I awakened.

This energy is not ordinary sunlight, moonlight, or any other energy; this light is the energy of Buddha-light, which is very special. The human body has too many beings blocking it, and there are many negative thoughts, so the Buddha-light can often only shine on the surface of the skin.

In fact, the power of Buddha-light can permeate the deep interior of the body. It depends on whether you can receive the benefit, and whether the body being purified can receive the benefit. Why do I say this? Because our spirit was at the surface wall, and this wall was made of stones. So I was in meditation in one of the stones of that wall. The Buddha-light shone even on the stone closest to the ground, and I was inside, so the light shone on me and I woke up.

This was not the residual light of the Buddha-light sweeping past, but coming head-on. The energy was very strong. At that moment, in a very rapid time, I was awakened. My eyes opened, and in an instant, I was taken away by the Buddha-light; there was no room for consideration. I believe that when I had a thought, the speed of the thought must have been quite fast, but this light speed was even faster."

Transformation into Light

"When I came to my senses, I was already on a lotus seat in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. After being shone upon by the Buddha-light from the deep, dark space, in a very short time, I arrived at the bright Western Dharma-Nature Land. This is a huge change! Just like that, my spiritual life had a major turning point.

The spirit that was originally pitch-black and shiny gradually became lighter under the illumination of the Buddha-light—from light black to light grey, and now it has become a pale grey. I believe that before long, I will also become a white, clean, and bright soul.

Here, I see that such demon crowds exist, and they must have been here for a while. I am happy to see them change like this, because this means that one day, I will also change just like them.

Actually, such days have flashed through my heart, but this is completely different from what the demon crowds think, so it is not suitable to stay for long. Therefore, although such a dream flashed through my mind, it was instantly dismissed by me. If such a dream existed and was not dismissed, my power would definitely be weakened, and how could I be strong enough to live for ten trillion years? This is not simple either.

I have already seen ancient demons of thirty-six trillion years come out. It is truly unimaginable that I would have the opportunity to be in the same space as such highly accomplished ancient demons on the Western Dharma-Nature Land.

Perhaps the Western Dharma-Nature Land exists, and the space of the Western Dharma-Nature Land and ours will be different, because the space on the Western Dharma-Nature Land is also layered and endless. The demons who enter will be classified into the space they should be in—the corresponding space.

This is also very scientific, technological, and rational. It is a natural classification; there is no need for any evaluation, or to go through questions and answers, then assessment, and then assignment. It is not needed. His spirit will know which part he belongs to.

Here, I can mention one point: demon crowds whose spirits are black and heavy, on the Western Dharma-Nature Land, the space they occupy is the space for such demon crowds. The Buddha is among them, shining light 24/7 to take care of us.

Similarly, regarding the age of the demons who arrive at the Western Dharma-Nature Land, if they are younger—say, ten trillion years, or a few hundred million years, or nine hundred billion years, etc.—these are all demon crowds much younger than us. If they are in a space that is fluctuating and shaking, and if their meditative concentration is weak, they might be led away. If their meditative concentration is sufficient and they are firm, it is possible to transform and absorb other demons, so they no longer do evil.

This is one of the reasons why Practitioner Su can save so many demons. This can be done under the Buddha’s blessings, and the demon crowds on the Western Dharma-Nature Land can only have such a great transformation under the Buddha’s blessings."

A Final Plea to the Juniors

"So, what can I say to the juniors? Those juniors who have heard what I said above know that they have such great flexibility and have the opportunity to transform into a Buddha. Why not grasp this opportunity?

In sixteen trillion years, I have encountered this one opportunity. Do you have the chance to live for sixteen trillion years? That is not needed. At this young age, you can encounter Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. Why not surrender? What are you waiting for? To continue being a demon? To continue waiting until you are old enough, find a place to settle down, and live a life of darkness?

Many ancient demons have never appeared again because their energy was exhausted, and the surrounding environment could not allow them to continue to exist. In the beginning, the spirit could remain, but then it atrophied and went underground. Do you want to live such a life?

So, my advice to you is: those who are using magic, stop immediately! The object of your magic is the Greatly Compassionate Namo Amituofo, who will stop you and wipe out the negative cause you have created. The laws of karma and cause and effect do not do such things; the records are very clear in your Alaya consciousness. When the opportunity for external conditions matures one day, you will suffer the consequences, and it will be painful. Because the laws of karma and cause and effect know who the object of your magic is.

If it is an unknown spirit or person with no influence, the evil consequences created are still bad, and you still have to suffer the retribution—after all, it is wrong, and you are interfering with the other party. But if the other party is a Buddha with immense influence, even pervading the entire Dharma-realm and empty space, if you hurt even a hair of his, you will be in endless trouble. This is very reasonable, because the Buddha can save immeasurable and boundless beings, yet you use magic to attack him.

Of course, Namo Amituofo cannot be harmed, but Practitioner Su still has a physical body. Although this body is heavily protected, it is still a physical body. If the demon crowd using magic is strong enough, Practitioner Su can still feel the suffering. But Practitioner Su can be Greatly Compassionate and not hold it against you; instead, he sends you to the Western Dharma-Nature Land to receive the education and cultivation of the Buddha’s teachings, allowing the filth on your body to be washed clean and turning you into a bright soul.

This is true; I never imagined I would have such a day. Because of this, these beings or people have much less interference from demon crowds, and of course, their lives are more peaceful, and their bodies are naturally more tranquil.

Otherwise, the stronger the demon attacking the body, the greater the damage to the body, and the mental damage is also very heavy. It will not only harm oneself and interfere with oneself, but also harm and interfere with the lives around one—especially the family members or other people accompanying one.

Alright, I will share my experience here today. If there is anything that needs to be added at any time, I will bring it up again.

Namo Amituofo.

Mo Zhaoyun"