The Demon King's Confession: From Plague to Peace

This is a record of an interview with Mo Gaoheng, a demon king who was responsible for spreading the pandemic virus across China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, affecting approximately seventy-five thousand people. He sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia and now resides under the guidance of the Buddha. This account reflects upon his past lives and his profound transformation. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on August 16, 2021.

Mo Gaoheng (Shi Chengan) speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Mo Gaoheng. In the Demon Realm, they call me the 'Great Elder.' I rarely venture out myself; most of the time, I simply give a command, and my subordinates carry out the tasks. This time, however, I received reports from many of my 'demon children and grandchildren' that required my personal attention. I had to see for myself what was happening so I could direct them on how to proceed. That is why I came here to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. It is truly a magnificent place for practice. Before I even arrived, I could feel waves of Buddha-light! This light is not unfamiliar to me; after I entered the Demon Realm, I once heard several sutras during the time of Shakyamuni Buddha. Back then, the Buddha’s light swept across the earth and the sky, just like the light I felt when I arrived here. I knew immediately that this was a place where a Buddha resides. Ordinary practitioners could never possess such power and brilliance.

We can evaluate the level of a practitioner's skills by the light they radiate. Once I felt that light, my heart naturally transformed, and I felt a sense of reverence. As I entered, I saw Skanda Bodhisattva. Seeing him, I knew that if this were not a place of the True Teachings, it would be impossible to have Skanda Bodhisattva as a Dharma protector. Naturally, I had to pay my respects. I told my demon children and grandchildren: 'This is a place where a Buddha resides. Everyone must restrain yourselves; do not show any sign of disrespect.' When I entered, Practitioner Su was giving a lecture. We are no strangers to Practitioner Su. During this pandemic, whenever the name 'Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre' was mentioned in the Demon Realm, everyone would retreat in fear. This is because Practitioner Su repeatedly declared during his lectures that 'only Namo Amituofo can save us from this pandemic!' These words and images were transmitted throughout our realm. Even those who had never seen Practitioner Su could see his Dharma image through these transmissions, and even those who had never heard his voice could hear it clearly. Practitioner Su’s voice is filled with confidence—a hundred percent faith in the Buddha. Only with such absolute belief can one speak with such resonance and firmness. After passing Skanda Bodhisattva, I went straight to the lecture hall and recognised Practitioner Su himself."

The Mechanics of the Virus and the Power of Purity

"I recalled hearing that Practitioner Su’s body had been invaded by the plague demons, yet he only coughed; the virus never took hold within him. Using my 'demon eyes,' I examined Practitioner Su’s throat. I could indeed see that the virus had entered and that there had been a reaction of coughing. I mimicked the methods of the Demon King of Plague, shrinking my body to be smaller than an air molecule to enter through the respiratory tract. When we passed through the nasal hairs, we shrank even further to reach the throat. Of course, this requires immense demonic power; ordinary demons do not possess such skills. We stayed in his throat to investigate, hoping to gather some information.

Our entry was not intended to make Practitioner Su cough; we simply wanted to explore further: what kind of environment and practice could render a virus that kills so many humans completely ineffective? The body of a true practitioner is transparent, consistent from within and without. Therefore, the cells in his body receive only pure, virtuous energy. As these cells function, they do not harbour any deluded thoughts, and the information and energy they release are equally pure and virtuous. When the entire body’s cells emit such an energy field in unison, any external intrusion is inevitably assimilated and purified. One can transform the environment rather than being transformed by it. Although the pandemic virus is vicious, highly aggressive, and has a high mortality rate, the pure and virtuous energy field within Practitioner Su is far superior to the lethal energy field of the virus. That is why the virus was weakened and its pathogenicity eliminated. This is the true skill of a practitioner! However, because he still possesses a physical body, the sudden influx of such a massive amount of virus inevitably caused some minor damage, resulting in the reaction of coughing and phlegm. That was the conclusion of our investigation.

I wanted to stay inside his body longer, as I had never encountered such a pure and virtuous energy field. But we were, after all, intruders. We did not need to reveal our names. When Practitioner Su asked the Buddha, 'Namo Amituofo, how many demons are still inside my body?', under the guidance of Namo Amituofo, we could not escape the Buddha’s eyes. One by one, our names were listed, and we had no choice but to bow our heads in submission. After the list was read, Practitioner Su struck the qing. This chime bowl possesses great Dharma power. Even though we were still in his throat, we were pulled out by a powerful force! There was no room for resistance. After being pulled out, we were sent directly into the chime bowl and delivered to the Western Dharma-Nature Land. That is how I came to visit the temple. Now, I have conceded defeat and am quietly staying here to be interviewed. If I were to speak of my past, it is a truly sorrowful tale."

A Life of Arrogance and the Fall from Grace

"Over three thousand years ago, I lived in a simple, rustic village. The social customs of the time were such that people were happy to help one another. Even if one needed help, people were glad to accept it when others reached out; there was little suspicion between us. Every household knew each other, and if something happened to one family, it would quickly spread throughout the village. Then, Madam Jiang gave birth to a son. This was a major event because Master Jiang was already sixty-eight years old, and Madam Jiang was over fifty. Both were good people, but they had no children. They lived a very wealthy life and often helped others. When the news of Madam Jiang’s pregnancy spread, everyone was happy for them, despite their advanced age. She eventually gave birth successfully.

On the day of the birth, we finally knew it was a boy! He cried loudly, and even the midwife said this child brought good fortune and treasure. Naturally, Master Jiang and his wife were overjoyed. That child of good fortune was me. My father named me Jiang Baoqi, placing his expectations on me to become a person of great talent. I grew up handsome, plump, obedient, and quick-witted. People said it was the good reward for the good deeds Master Jiang and his wife had done—a son gifted by Heaven. Growing up in such a wealthy environment, I inevitably developed an arrogant air. My father warned me many times to change, but I never could. Especially when villagers came to ask my father for advice, if I overheard, I would casually offer my own opinions, which would shock both my father and the villagers. A child of only ten years old, yet possessing such judgment!

A fortune teller once came to our home and told my father that if I did not become a person of great talent, I would bring about evil energy and misfortune. Therefore, he said, one must instil in me goodness, honesty, and a lack of greed, and teach me to help others so that I might receive the help of noble people. My father understood the fortune teller’s meaning, so he did not spoil me; he was even strict with me. However, my mother and the rest of the household were different; they doted on me. My arrogance would subside in front of my father, but as soon as I left his sight, my true nature would emerge. I once thought about leaving home to escape my father’s discipline, but I could not bear to leave my mother, so I just stayed as far away from my father as possible. A voice in my heart told me that if I were too close to my father, I would never be able to achieve what I wanted. Thus, our relationship remained distant.

I was the only heir of the Jiang family; it was vital that I remained healthy. Once, a friend of my father’s visited and, after seeing me, told my father that I would be good at business but should not enter the officialdom, as my arrogant personality would easily offend people. My father nodded, understanding. But because of my intelligence, memorisation was not difficult for me. I could complete all the lessons assigned by my tutor, and memorisation was easy. I had a great chance of succeeding in the imperial examinations, but my father blocked that path. However, my father knew some officials. Once, an official visited and tested me. Whether it was reciting texts or answering questions, I responded perfectly, which impressed him greatly. He wanted to recruit me into the officialdom, but my father declined. My mother, upon hearing this, strongly opposed my father’s attitude, hoping to give me a chance. Unexpectedly, this official was a favourite of the Emperor. While accompanying the Emperor in the Imperial Garden, he brought me into the palace. From then on, I was kept in the palace as an adopted son of an official. I began learning various etiquettes and eventually obtained an official position. To my village, this was a great honour, and I made contributions through several proposals."

The Inevitable Weight of Karmic Retribution

"But man proposes, God disposes. In the midst of this smooth life, enemy forces invaded, and our dynasty was defeated. Those in the palace who could flee did so; others were captured. I was one of those who could not escape. The enemy king persuaded me to join them, and I accepted. I continued to live a life of wealth, but my character was despised. I ignored these looks and opinions; I had been called 'shameless,' but I did not care. In truth, my character had already changed. My parents had long since passed away, and my wife and children were always under my protection. Unexpectedly, the political tides shifted, and I was branded a traitor, thrown into prison, and my wife and children were forced into poverty. Such a drastic change filled my heart with hatred, disgust, and resentment. I eventually died in prison. The tragedy was that I was only forty-two, in the prime of my life. Having experienced such extreme highs and lows, I died filled with injustice and hatred. Immediately after death, I was pulled by a suction force into the Demon Realm, becoming a member of the demon race. For three thousand years, I have lived the life of a demon king with my own demon children and grandchildren.

In this global pandemic, it was natural for us demon kings to participate. Expanding the pandemic was our goal. From the beginning until now, we have operated in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Among my demon children and grandchildren, the targets we invaded were mostly those with corrupt official mindsets and selfish hearts.

The number of victims is approximately seventy-five thousand. By the time I left, the death toll was about thirty-five thousand. These numbers are not exactly satisfying, but we participated in this pandemic with a cooperative but not proactive stance. With the capabilities of our demon crowds, we could have increased these numbers significantly, but we did not. During the two months I have been settled in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I have truly lived a life vastly different from before. Under the Buddha’s teachings, one can truly subdue the demonic heart. Compared to our usual high-strung, restless lives spent searching for targets, the difference is immense.

If Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su want to save us from this pandemic, it is entirely possible! I have seen the scenes of the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies and Namo Amituofo, as well as many Buddha and Bodhisattvas and monastics who appear to be from the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Every Dharma assembly is equally magnificent, and Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body has delivered many beings into the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. In our view, this is not something an ordinary person could do. He must have been a great practitioner in his past lives to have the opportunity and the ability in this lifetime to subdue so many beings in the Demon Realm. This is a rare encounter for people, and those associated with the temple should know how to cherish it.

Now, my heart is very calm. After all, harming others is a way to cause suffering to them and their families. When this method is executed, we can keep the surrounding atmosphere in pain and sorrow, which increases the negative energy of our Demon Realm and weakens the resistance of the sick and their families. If they fall ill, the mortality rate increases. This was our main purpose in participating in this pandemic, which is vastly different from the character manifested here. This is not something I am forcing; it is natural. This is the power of the Buddha’s teachings in subduing demonic resentment; it leaves us with no chance to fight back. I never expected my life in the Demon Realm to end this way.

Given my current situation, it is not suitable for me to return to the Demon Realm. My heart is now plain and calm. The past seems like a dream, or like a wisp of smoke; if I do not think about it or speak of it, it is as if it never existed. Of course, I have no chance to return to the Demon Realm anyway.

However, recently, listening to Practitioner Su’s lectures and seeing him take another group of demons to observe the physical world—seeing the retribution that many demons eventually suffer—this scene truly surprised me! I had never thought about retribution, and no one had the ability to let us demons see such an end. It truly raised some worry and served as a warning in my heart. What was done in the past is done. I have stopped now, but the laws of karma and cause and effect dictate that what is done will be met with retribution. Just like the victims of this pandemic; what they did in past lives, they must bear the consequences of illness and death in this life. Thinking back on the things I did, sigh! At the time, I felt it was justified, but now I feel a sense of indebtedness. I have also developed a heart of repenting. Regardless, this is who I am now, so I will leave the future to the Buddha to arrange. This should be the best arrangement possible."

The Buddha gave Mo Gaoheng the Dharma name 'Shi Chengan.'

Namo Amituofo.