The Demon King's Conversion: A Witness to the Dharma Assembly

This interview features the spirit known as Mo Yan, a former Plague God who was responsible for orchestrating the spread of viral chaos. Seeking deliverance from his heavy karmic burdens, he arrived at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to attend a Dharma assembly. This testimony, recorded by the disciple Shi Hailiang on March 20, 2020, captures his profound transformation from a leader of demon crowds to a practitioner on the path to Buddhahood.

Mo Yan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Mo Yan. I followed the golden light, moving toward the source of that radiance, until I arrived at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. It was only then that I realised how many people in the human world are chasing after material fame, wealth, and fleeting pleasures—all of it is nothing but a grand illusion. In the beginning, I established a central control centre for the sole purpose of spreading the virus. We, the demon crowds, were filled with such ambition, foolishly believing we could destroy humanity. Looking back, how incredibly ignorant and deluded those actions were!

A Sincere Welcome and a Grand Assembly

When we first encountered Practitioner Su, we were deeply moved by the sincerity and respect with which he treated us. He helped us set up memorial tablets and invited us to take our seats. We could feel that every single Dharma assembly held here is conducted with the utmost solemnity. We witnessed a spectacle the likes of which we had never seen before: Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the Pure Ocean-Wide Assembly of Bodhisattvas, the great ancestral masters of the Pure Land, and the patriarchs of all the major schools were all gathered here. The space within the Buddha hall seemed to overlap and expand—it was truly vast and immeasurable!

The Power of the Great Chime

When the drums for the assembly began to resonate, the hall was filled with an infinite, boundless number of sentient beings. There were the Buddha-children from the Western Dharma-Nature Land, the karmic creditors of the fourfold assembly, the beings from the various memorial tablets, and spirits from across the galaxy and the vast reaches of space—the numbers were simply beyond calculation. When Practitioner Su prepared to strike the great chime, he turned to the fourfold assembly of disciples present and said, 'None of you are listening; you have all been possessed by demons!'

He then struck the great chime to invite the possessing demon crowds to reveal themselves. We, the newly appointed Buddha-children—who were once demon kings ourselves—took this opportunity to offer a welcome gift to the fourfold assembly. As Practitioner Su struck the chime, using the Buddha-light to purify the disciples and draw out the possessing demons, we kept our eyes wide open, watching closely. We were there to ensure that none of our former demon children and grandchildren dared to cause trouble or hide within the bodies of the disciples! With each resonant strike of the chime—clang, clang—the fourfold assembly was bathed in the Buddha-light, their entire beings purified. It was a great honour for us to assist in driving these demons away. I had often heard of Buddha-light, but only upon arriving here did I realise that this light is shining at every moment, because the entire assembly is being led by the Buddha himself.

The Path to Redemption

We are so grateful to the Buddha. Taking refuge in the Buddha is truly the greatest blessing we could ever receive! The Buddha’s compassion accepts us, regardless of how much sin we ignorantly accumulated in the past. After listening to Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks, his teachings, and his explanations of the sutras, we understood that this pandemic was the very causal condition that forced our ambitions to the surface. We were on the verge of committing monstrous sins, but we were stopped in time, and we found that turning back is the shore. Practitioner Su’s counsel has given us a chance at rebirth, allowing us to learn the Buddha-heart, the Buddha-vow, and the Buddha-actions, so that we may eventually attain Buddhahood.

We must be grateful to the Buddha and to Practitioner Su. In the entire universe, there is only one place like this—the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre—which has come forward to save the plague gods and demon crowds involved in this pandemic. During the assembly, amidst the towering golden light, Namo Amituofo stood with his arms wide open, welcoming every spirit and deceased soul, while Practitioner Su acted as the representative to lead them. When we circumambulated the Buddha, every spirit followed along, chanting the Buddha’s name, all yearning for liberation. The radiance of the Buddha-light was an eye-opening experience for us all. We chanted along, and the Buddha’s compassion completely enveloped us.

The Weight of Unfinished Work

I saw the spirits in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, some sitting on lotus seats, their chains automatically unlocking as they followed the Buddha away. I thought to myself, 'I, too, wish to have my chains unlocked.' I wanted to see what it was like, but my chains remained. Just then, I heard Practitioner Su say, 'If you want to be unlocked, you must do so from a sincere heart. You haven't even helped resolve the pandemic yet; how can you expect to be unlocked?'

I obediently continued to chant the Buddha’s name. Then I heard Practitioner Su say again, 'You haven't even brought me a single Prime Minister; how do you expect to go to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss?' His words were perfectly reasonable. We dared not make a sound; we simply continued to chant. We, the new Buddha-children and former demon kings, looked at one another, feeling deeply ashamed. We realised that even that desire for liberation was a form of selfishness, which is why our chains had not yet fallen away. We are grateful for Practitioner Su’s guidance, and we are working hard to improve. Namo Amituofo!"