The Demon's Pursuit of the Golden Light

This is a record of an interview with Hong Bishan, a Great Demon from the Milky Way who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, having been given the Dharma name Shi Haiyin by Practitioner Su. This account reflects upon her experiences in the galaxy and her eventual encounter with the Buddha's light. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on May 9, 2022.

Hong Bishan (Shi Haiyin) speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Hong Bishan. Within the vast expanse of the Milky Way, there exist immutable laws. These are not mere suggestions; they are the fundamental principles that govern existence itself. It is not for any inhabitant of a planet to interfere with these laws, and it is precisely this order that we in the Demon Realm have fought so fiercely to protect. Our definition of these laws is simple: that which is meant to exist, exists; that which is not, must be eradicated. Those planets that do not belong are the very ones we target for invasion. Once we defeat them, their energy becomes ours, and that planet is rightfully extinguished. This is what we call the law—a constant, enduring, and indestructible rule of the cosmos.

The Disruption of the Galactic Order

However, this established order began to crumble the moment Practitioner Su appeared. I was utterly bewildered. What kind of power could possibly be strong enough to continuously dismantle the laws that had governed our galaxy for eons? It felt as though an invisible force was constantly tugging against us, unraveling the very fabric of our reality.

I am Hong Bishan, a Great Demon of the Milky Way. My primary domain of activity is located within and around my 'Red Demon Ball,' a planet situated at a distance from Earth that would be incomprehensible to human minds. On my world, every inhabitant is a demon, and we are all, without exception, crimson in colour. Our forms are distinct from those of humans—we are lean, with sharp, pointed heads, and our entire bodies, including our eyes, radiate a piercing red light. When our eyes glow with that intense crimson hue, it is a signal that we are about to launch an attack. We are creatures of immense aggression; one would be wise never to provoke us, for the consequences are always devastating.

The Nature of the Demon Realm

We are called demons because we possess a demon nature. We are not beings of Goodness. Perhaps those on the side of justice would deem our existence 'wrong,' but we have never viewed it that way. In our understanding, we are simply a different faction, existing alongside others to maintain the balance and laws of the Milky Way. There is nothing inherently incorrect about our way of life.

For quite some time, I had been observing the subtle shifts within the galaxy. The most striking change was the frequent appearance of a massive, brilliant golden light. It was immense. Even though my Red Demon Ball was located at a staggering distance from that light, I could feel its energy—it was overwhelmingly powerful. Furthermore, ever since this light appeared, planets began to vanish in droves. Not just one or two, but entire clusters were simply disappearing. I was deeply troubled. Where were these planets going?

The Unstoppable Golden Light

Initially, I did not pay it much mind. The light was so far away that I would have had to traverse hundreds of billions of stars just to reach it. My domain was local, and I had no reason to venture that far. I dismissed it as merely a minor fluctuation in the space of the Milky Way. However, shortly after I decided to ignore it, the light appeared again. This time, I was struck with genuine astonishment. It was moving closer—rapidly. In such a short span of time, it had already reached the vicinity of my Red Demon Ball. I wondered, what kind of power could possibly move with such incredible speed?

Before I could uncover the truth, I imagined that this light must be the collective energy of hundreds of billions of strange planets. I assumed that only the combined force of so many celestial bodies could generate an energy field vast enough to influence the entire galaxy. This golden light was unlike anything we had ever witnessed. While its intensity was overwhelming, it did not harm us. In fact, there was a strange sense of familiarity to it. I cannot describe the gentleness of that power; it was clearly from a 'different faction' than our Demon Realm, yet it showed no signs of rejection or malice toward us. Instead, it seemed to possess a capacity for inclusion and acceptance. This only deepened my curiosity: what exactly was this golden light?

The Search for Answers

I chose not to attack, fearing that I might alert the source before I understood what I was dealing with. Instead, I sent out a signal to the nearby demon planets, asking if anyone knew the nature of this light. Within moments, millions of messages flooded back. It seemed many Demon Kings were already aware of this phenomenon. I frantically scanned the incoming data, and the words 'Namo Amituofo' appeared repeatedly. I was baffled. What was this? As I continued to read, terms like 'Practitioner Su,' 'Earth,' and 'Dharma Body' surfaced. The more I read, the more confused I became.

To get to the bottom of this, I departed from my Red Demon Ball and travelled to the nearest demon planet, a Black Gold planet ruled by a Demon King who was my sworn brother. I decided to ask him directly. He was already waiting for me, and the moment he saw me, he began to mock me. 'What are you laughing at?' I demanded. He replied, 'To think that our great Hong Bishan does not even know who Practitioner Su is.' I asked, 'Who is this Practitioner Su? Which planet does he rule?' The Black Gold Demon King laughed loudly and said, 'You call Practitioner Su a demon, yet he calls us demons. Who is the real demon here?' I was growing impatient. My eyes began to glow with a fiery red rage, and seeing this, he quickly told me everything he knew.

The Confrontation

After hearing his explanation, my eyes burned even brighter with fury. I shouted, 'How can a mere human interfere with our galaxy?' The Black Gold Demon King, having seen my temper before, knew that my power could destroy entire planets when I was enraged. He tried to calm me, but I could not stop the fire in my heart. I left his planet in a rage, determined to challenge Practitioner Su and force him to stop interfering with our galaxy.

When I set out to track the golden light, I found it had already moved. It was travelling at an impossible speed, traversing vast sectors of the galaxy. I realised then that this Practitioner Su possessed skills far beyond the ordinary. I used my keen senses to track the energy signature, filtering through the countless signals in space. Finally, I locked onto it. 'There it is!' I cried. But by the time I found it, the light had already crossed eighty-seven million planets. I pushed myself to my absolute limit, flying as fast as I could to catch up, determined to show Practitioner Su the true power of Hong Bishan and force him to cease his activities.

The Humbling Defeat

As I flew through the infinitely layered stars, the golden light continued its steady, rapid movement. I was struggling to keep up, and it took a great deal of effort to finally close the distance. When I finally caught up, I unleashed my full demonic power, intending to crush it. It was then that I realised my strength was nothing compared to this light. The energy gap was astronomical. I stopped in my tracks, staring at the golden light ahead. For the first time, I suffered a crushing defeat. I had lost to the power of a human from Earth, and as a Demon King, the humiliation was absolute.

I secretly followed the light back to Earth. I witnessed the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su returning to his physical form—hundreds of billions of manifestations merging back into one ordinary human being. I watched his every move, unable to fathom that this was the same human who had chanted the holy name of 'Namo Amituofo' in the galaxy, releasing that golden light and saving immeasurable beings. I lunged at his head, trying to enter his body to discover the secret of his Dharma Body, hoping to enhance my own power so that no one could ever challenge me again. But I was instantly blocked by an impenetrable force. I could only circle him, and within moments, I was discovered, captured, and brought here to this Western Land of Dharma Nature. The entire process left me in a state of shock. I had never encountered such things in all my existence.

I now sit quietly on a lotus seat, observing everything. This Western Land of Dharma Nature is so peaceful and serene that my demon nature cannot take hold. My heart has finally calmed. It is a strange, wonderful feeling. For the first time, I am finally able to rest.

I had only just settled onto my lotus seat when I noticed Practitioner Su surrounded by a dense, swirling crowd of sentient beings. It was yet another bizarre and curious sight. What on earth were all those sentient beings doing, gathered so tightly around Practitioner Su? I was genuinely perplexed.

The Mystery of the Thrice Yearning Ceremony

One of the other demon kings, who had been watching from the sidelines, leaned over and told me, "Today is the Thrice Yearning Ceremony." I had never heard of such a thing in all my long years of existence. I did not understand what it was or why it was necessary. At the time, I could not help but let out a laugh. I felt that this place, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, was truly filled with so many strange and wonderful occurrences. My curiosity was piqued, and I began to find the whole situation more and more interesting. I sat there quietly, waiting with bated breath to see what this Thrice Yearning Ceremony would entail.

The Power of the Dharma Drum

Suddenly, the air was filled with a resonant, booming sound. "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The drumbeats were incredibly loud, echoing with a force that seemed to pierce straight through my heart and chest. It was as if the sound was physically shaking out the deep-seated sorrows and bitterness I had carried for so many years. I was absolutely stunned that a mere drumbeat could possess such immense, transformative power. Looking down, I saw it was Practitioner Su striking the drum. I could not help but marvel in my heart—Practitioner Su’s energy and profound cultivation are truly, undeniably formidable.

A Spectacle of Deliverance

After the Dharma assembly officially began, sentient beings continued to pour in from every direction, all of them desperate and seeking Spiritual Deliverance. I watched the entire process without blinking, completely absorbed in every single moment. Every scene that unfolded before my eyes was so magnificent, so grand in scale; I had never witnessed anything like it in all my existence. It was a sight that defied my previous understanding of the universe.

When Practitioner Su began the Chao Du, the entire space around us seemed to shift and transform. Once again, I witnessed the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su manifesting in countless forms—countless manifestations, if you will—rapidly surging out from the top of his head and dispersing into infinite dimensions. It was a breathtaking display of spiritual mastery.

Traversing the Universe

The Dharma Body surged upward and dove downward, entering the heavenly realms and the hells alike. It traversed the Milky Way and even the vast, uncharted reaches of the universe, before returning to Earth. In that space, I heard an even louder, thunderous drumbeat. I looked closely and saw Practitioner Su in the sky, striking a massive, celestial drum. The sound was deafening, a roar that shook the very fabric of reality. This single vibration shook out even more sentient beings from the various dimensions. Everyone was awakened, and all of them turned to Practitioner Su, begging for Spiritual Deliverance.

Throughout the entire Dharma assembly, I participated with the utmost sincerity, not letting my focus slip for even a second. By the end, I was even chanting Buddha's name along with them, reciting each phrase loudly and with all my heart. I am completely humbled by the power of Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body to deliver beings. Now, I can only say: "The Buddha’s teachings are truly extraordinary; their Dharma power is boundless."

Shi Haiyin