The Confessions of the Black Whirlwind

This interview was recorded on March 23, 2020, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. The speaker, a spirit known as the Black Whirlwind, sought deliverance from Practitioner Su after realising the futility of his existence in the Demon Realm. Having renounced his past as a plague-spreading entity, he now resides under the guidance of the Buddha, having received the Dharma name Shi Xingding.

The Black Whirlwind speaks:

"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh! We move just like a gust of wind, with incredible speed. Once we lock onto a target, we surround them in the blink of an eye. In the human world, there is a legend about a 'Whirlwind Hero.' Humans gave him that name because he moved as fast as a whirlwind and was a man of chivalry. As for us, we named ourselves the 'Demon Whirlwind.' In the Demon Realm, things are quite diverse, and one's status depends on their skills. Some are easily angered and are called 'Anger Demons'; some are known for causing death and are called 'Death Demons'; those who crave fame and profit are 'Fame and Profit Demons'; and those driven by greed are 'Greed Demons.' Our specialty is our speed—whoosh!—so we named ourselves the Demon Whirlwind, the chivalrous knights of the Demon Realm."

The Mechanics of the Pandemic

"In this current pandemic, we play a significant role. Because of the way the virus spreads, our speed is more than sufficient. Whoosh! Someone gets sick; we drive the pathogens toward that person, and they fall ill. Whoever is terrified of getting sick—scared to death of it—we just 'whoosh' and bring the pathogens right to them, and that person becomes infected. Whoosh, coming; whoosh, going—that is how we describe our speed. Because these epidemic pathogens are scattered throughout the air, it is easy for us to acquire them. It is just like throwing darts; the speed is so fast that humans cannot defend against it. Anyone we lock onto finds it hard to escape, because their fear of illness creates a gap—a vulnerability—that allows us, the Demon Whirlwind, to carry the pathogens inside. Once we deposit the virus, we move on to find the next victim."

The Encounter at the Dharma Assembly

"Right now, in order to expand our business and spread the virus more diligently, we have increased our notoriety. That is why we rushed to attend this grand event: the global pandemic offensive. This is well known throughout the Demon Realm. I heard that to become a Great Demon King, one must come to the site where Practitioner Su gives Dharma talks and pass the test of this environment to truly stand out. I heard that too many Demon Kings have come to this place and never returned. Being a loner is a habit of us Demon Whirlwinds. Relying on my own cleverness, this time I chose to wear a cloak, bringing my demon children and grandchildren with me, hiding them all inside my cloak to go to Practitioner Su's lecture site to see what was really going on. Dressed in my cloak, I looked like a hero, but I walked like a thief. I didn't want the surrounding humans or other Demon Kings to see me. That is how I arrived at Practitioner Su's lecture hall, which was packed to the brim. I wore my cloak, making me look like a great hero, and the demon children and grandchildren saw this and automatically made way for me. Just as I was feeling smug, I was discovered! Practitioner Su ordered someone to write down my story and interview me. The demon children and grandchildren hiding in my cloak were so startled they came tumbling out, helter-skelter. It turns out that Practitioner Su has the best skills of all; no wonder he can subdue so many Demon Kings."

A Past Life of Skill and War

"I listened earnestly to Practitioner Su's Dharma talk, and it made me remember... When I was about five years old, I often played with the children in my village, throwing stones to see who could throw the furthest. One day, I accidentally hit a stranger on the head with a small stone and was scolded severely. My companions and I decided to move to the lakeside to throw stones instead. An older boy taught us how to throw stones into the lake to make them skip and splash. I was too young to learn that, so the older boy taught me another way: using a slingshot to aim at targets. You just had to pull the slingshot tight and let the stone fly to hit the target. At first, my strength was insufficient and I was unskilled, so the stones just hit the ground. After practising for a while, I could shoot fruit off the trees and even hit birds, making them fly away. From that moment on, I told my father I wanted to learn archery. Aiming at a target and hitting the bullseye—it felt so difficult for me when I first started! I was ten years old at the time, and I didn't expect my father to specially order a custom bow for me, because an adult's bow was too heavy and would affect my aim. I was very grateful to my father then, and I practised diligently every day with an archery master. The master was the top archer in the town's competitions, and under his guidance, I improved rapidly. Five years later, at only fifteen, I possessed great skill."

The Call of Duty

"At that time, due to the chaos of war, I was conscripted to defend our homeland. Because I was my father's only son, he told the official, 'My son is only fifteen; he is not suited for the battlefield.' Unexpectedly, the official replied, 'If your son cannot go to the battlefield, you must go yourself. The Emperor has decreed that every household must contribute one male to protect the country.' My father looked troubled, so I ran to him and said, 'Father, I can do it.' My father looked at me and said, 'Son, you are still young.' I told him, 'I am young and strong; let me go!' The official then spoke up: 'Your son looks strong; he should be able to.' Thus, it was decided that I would take my father's place in the war."

The Archer's Burden

"When I arrived at the battlefield and faced the enemy, I was actually a bit worried in my heart, because in the past, my targets had been birds and animals, but now I had to shoot at people—something I had never done before. I was led by a deputy general, and I told him about my concerns. He asked me, 'How is your archery skill?' I told him honestly, 'I have five years of experience.' He asked again, 'Which eye do you use to aim?' I told him, 'I can use both, but I prefer my left eye.' The next day, the deputy general brought me an eye patch. He told me that when I faced the enemy, I should cover my right eye, aim with my left, and shoot for the vital points—the neck, the chest, or the heart. A month passed. Early one morning, I was woken up by the deputy general, who said there was a special mission: to sneak into the enemy camp and kill their general. It was my first time on such a mission, but I did not let them down. When the enemy was not paying attention, I put on my eye patch, aimed, and fired a single arrow. It struck the enemy in the neck, and I watched as the blood gushed out. From that moment on, I was no longer afraid of using my arrows to harm others. I became a favorite of the general and the deputy general."

The Black Whirlwind

"Because my accuracy became increasingly high, the general rewarded me with a black horse, which I named 'Black Whirlwind.' From then on, Black Whirlwind and I galloped across the battlefield, achieving countless military successes. Black Whirlwind was highly intelligent and fast. When I was chasing the enemy, he was always one step ahead of other horses, catching up quickly. When I pulled down my eye patch, he knew to keep me balanced so I could aim properly. My horse-archery skills improved because of Black Whirlwind's help, and we were victorious in every battle. When the war across the country finally subsided, I returned to my hometown to visit my father. After I had joined the army, my father had lived alone, and he looked much more weathered. Since I had not yet married, I returned home to live with him."

From Darkness to Deliverance

"When I was fifty, my father passed away due to an illness. When I was fifty-six, I also fell ill. In my dreams, everyone I had shot and killed appeared before me one by one. At the end of every dream, Black Whirlwind would appear, but he was no longer a horse; he was a dark, shadowy figure wearing a cloak. Finally, just as I was about to die, the cloaked figure turned his face toward me, and it was me! He had come to take me away. I was sucked into the dark Demon Realm and became the famous 'Black Whirlwind,' specializing in controlling those who loved to fight. These people became my demon children and grandchildren."

"This opportunity to hear Practitioner Su's Dharma talk has helped me understand that people should be pure and kind toward one another, focusing on each other's strengths and being more tolerant. One must also guard one's own heart. Illness is also something one must reflect upon—to see what evil thoughts have summoned it, or if one's subjective consciousness is too strong. Indeed, in this pandemic, those we targeted were the selfish, self-interested, and those with strong subjective views. After listening to the Dharma, we have decided to take refuge in the Buddha, learn from the Buddha, listen to Practitioner Su's Dharma talks, and strive to become a Buddha."

The Buddha bestowed the Dharma name: Shi Xingding.

The interview message was recorded by the Buddhist disciple Shi Hailiang.