The Demon Who Found the Light: A Journey of Transformation

This is a record of an interview with Mo Zhenran, a spirit who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his turbulent life and his profound transformation from a demon descendant to a practitioner under the guidance of the Buddhas. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on September 6, 2021.

Mo Zhenran (now known as Shi Nianqing) speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I have finally arrived! I am Mo Zhenran. It has been over three weeks since I arrived in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, and I have experienced a life I never knew was possible. In the past, I followed the Demon King Mosha, rushing here and there, charging in and out of the human world, finding a twisted joy in stirring up dust and sand. Whenever we moved at high speed, we would whip up the dust on the ground—that was our greatest pleasure. But now, I can only sit here peacefully, unable to go anywhere else. It is a strange, quiet existence, but one that feels right for the first time in my long, chaotic journey.

A Shocking Transformation

We found the Demon King Mosha here, and when we saw his appearance, we were absolutely stunned! His hair, which he used to dye in vibrant, aggressive shades of red, white, green, and yellow, was gone. He is now completely bald! Even his favourite trendy outfits—the short shirts and long trousers that defined his status—have been replaced by simple, humble monastic robes. He has become an entirely different person; we almost did not recognise our own Demon King. During those past days, after the Demon King was subdued by Practitioner Su, I was promoted from a demon grandchild to a demon child. Now that I have found him again, I have become his disciple's disciple. This change in roles is truly interesting! However, it also makes me reflect on my own past, which was completely different from my life now. When I was alive, I was a hyperactive child of the modern age, constantly vibrating with an energy I could not control.

I was born thirty years ago into an ordinary family. From the moment I was born, I was incredibly fussy. I would cry incessantly, and even when held, I would not stop. It left the adults helpless, and I often kept them awake all night. My father had to work during the day, and my mother focused on caring for me. Because I was so noisy, my father could not sleep well at night and had no energy for work the next day. Eventually, he had to sleep in another room, wearing earplugs, because my crying was so loud and piercing. Every Saturday, when my father was off work, he would take us to visit my grandparents. But because I was so disruptive and would disturb my aunts and uncles, I was never allowed to stay overnight; we always had to return the same day. It was as if I were a storm that no one wanted to house for too long.

A Childhood of Restlessness

Once I learned to crawl, stand, and walk, I soon began to run. I could never stay still; it was rare for me to sit for even half an hour. Most hyperactive children are thin and small because they burn too much energy, but I grew up fair and chubby because, although I was very active, I also loved to eat. My mother, however, was very thin. Many adults would tell me, 'Your mother used to have a great figure, but ever since she started taking care of you, she has just kept losing weight.' I did not feel sad when I heard this; instead, I would just smile at my mother, leaving her unsure whether to cry or laugh. I was a child who did not understand the weight of my own presence.

My ability to learn was poor because I could not sit still. Whenever an adult or teacher tried to teach me, I would just run away the moment I started to calm down. When my classmates were moving from the second grade to the third, I was still stuck in the first grade because I had not mastered the basic rules. I could not even write or read simple words. I once heard a teacher say that I had learning delays, but my mother refused to believe she could have given birth to such a child. Every day after school, my mother would spend a lot of time tutoring me, but when the exam results came out, she was deeply disappointed. Once, when she saw my report card, she cried in sorrow because there was a big 'O' written on it! I, on the other hand, felt it did not matter. It was fine not to know things; it was too much trouble to remember so much. Looking here and there was much more interesting than sitting still and memorising things. So, while others finished their schooling in six years, it took me ten years to graduate.

The Weight of Misunderstanding

At school, I often teased my classmates, especially the girls. I would hide their belongings, and only when they were frantic and crying would I laughingly bring them out. Once, I took a classmate's completed homework from her desk while she was out playing. When she returned and found it missing—just before it was due to be handed in—the whole class helped her look for it. To everyone's shock, it was found in the trash can! Everyone asked, 'Who did this?' I did not dare to speak, but eventually, the teacher figured it out, and I had to confess. From then on, I was on the class blacklist. Whenever something went missing or was broken, it was blamed on me. Gradually, I had no real friends; everyone was afraid that being with me would bring them trouble. Knowing they did not like to play with me, I began to rebel against the world that rejected me.

I would disobey the teachers; if they said go east, I would go west. If they said south, I would go north. My teachers were so angry they called my mother to school to complain about my behaviour, and I was eventually forced to transfer. However, when the next school saw my records, they refused to admit me. After finishing middle school, I stopped attending classes. By then, I had grown tall and strong, but several teachers had written 'does not fit in' in my evaluations. The good students all had to pass exams to get into good high schools, but I certainly did not have that fate or luck. While everyone else was at school, I had nothing to do at home, so I wandered the streets. Eventually, the local gang members saw that I was a student who did not go to school and brought me into their gang. I did not understand what a gang was, and I did not tell my parents, but from then on, I became a part of it. Because I could not sit still and could not follow complex instructions, they usually gave me simple tasks—buying this or that, or running errands.

The Descent into Darkness

It was a small gang that did not amount to much. A few times, we were caught by the police, who would ask questions and then ask my parents to take me home. That was the first time I was taken by the police. I did not even know what I had done wrong. When the police asked me questions, I told them everything—perhaps they saw that I was honest. Some of the older gang members were detained for days, but I was always picked up by my parents the same day. From that day on, I was forbidden from leaving the house. I was bored at home with no recreation, as students my age were busy with classes and exams. Later, I accidentally found a comic book and became addicted to them. My mother tried to stop me time and again, but I could often evade her eyes and go to the comic shop to sit for half the day. Eventually, I was caught again. I truly did not know what I could do. I knew that in this world, I was a child that adults did not like, and not a student that teachers liked. I became quiet, my mood was very low, I did not want to eat, and I did not want to go out. I was completely different from before. My mother took me to see a doctor, who said I had depression. I just felt that I had no energy for anything. The doctor gave me medicine to try to improve my spirits, but unexpectedly, my condition only worsened. My mother would sometimes complain to me, asking why she had given birth to a hyperactive child who then turned into a depressed one. Why couldn't I be a normal child? I knew my mother was deeply saddened and disappointed by me, and I wanted to be a good child, but why was it that everything I did only made my parents, teachers, and classmates hate me?

I felt I did not want to stay in this world anymore. I protested by refusing to eat or drink. I hoped that one day, when I woke up and opened my eyes, the world would be different. I gradually became thin, and my mother took me for nutritional injections. The doctor said I was severely malnourished and could not go on like this. In my dreams, I often dreamt of entering a world where I could run, jump, and shout as much as I wanted without anyone caring. I drew this world in pictures; it was my greatest hobby while I was alive, but I was afraid the adults would not like it, so I often hid my drawings. No one understood my inner world. I was not actually that quiet, but I did not want to be lively either. Later, I became as thin as skin and bone, my cheeks sunken, and I lived in a world of depression.

The Final Breath and the Demon Realm

One night, when I was sixteen, I felt a tightness in my chest and could not breathe. I could not make a sound, and in the end, I discovered that I had stopped breathing! My spirit floated out, and I saw my previously tall and strong body, now thin as a bamboo pole, lying on the bed. Beside my spirit, another spirit smiled at me with a mysterious expression. He said, 'You did not want to live in the world, and now you are dead. Do you want to come with us to another world? There, you will have the freedom you want. No one will control you; you can do whatever you want! Do you want to come and see?' I immediately said yes. I followed him, and the world ahead became darker and darker. I asked fearfully, 'Where are you taking me?' He replied, 'You will know soon enough.' We continued forward, and suddenly, there was a flash of light—a world that was black and shining. I saw a king sitting in front, with hair dyed in five colours, wearing short shirts and trousers. He said to me, 'From now on, you are my demon grandchild. I am the Demon King—Mosha!' He did not look like a bad person. After seeing him, I laughed—I laughed loudly and for a long time! He said to me, 'Laughing makes you feel better, right?' I nodded. It was the happiest I had ever been in my life.

From then on, I entered the Demon Realm. My hair was also dyed in five colours, just like the Demon King's, just like the pictures I used to draw. I could finally express the world and colours I wanted! That is why I chose the character 'Ran' (meaning 'to dye') for my demon name! Such eccentric hair was not allowed in the human world, but here, I could do as I pleased! This was the demon world led by the Demon King Mosha, where there was not much control over the demon children and grandchildren. Since joining the Demon King in spreading the pandemic virus, the Demon King had become very serious. He told us that whenever he ordered us to invade a target, our large group of demon children and grandchildren had to deliver the virus into that person's body, and then we would run out. This was not difficult for us; we just did whatever the Demon King said. Later, when we learned that the virus we delivered caused people to die, we felt a little bit of reluctance, but the Demon King told us we should not think about it and should not look, so our mood improved a little. Just like that, day after day passed, until the day the Demon King left and did not return. We were all very afraid, not knowing what to do, which is why we came here to find the Demon King. After staying here for a few days, we hovered over Practitioner Su's head, not daring to get closer, but we had already been discovered by Practitioner Su. Thus, we were sent into the Dharma-Nature Land and found our Demon King. However, he has changed his name now, from the original Mosha to Shi Yuanxin, and we now call him 'Master's Master'.

A New Beginning in the Light

Now we are staying in the Dharma-Nature Land with the Demon King. It is so quiet here, and I have calmed down too! In my memory, from the time I was alive, died, and until now, I have never stayed in one place so peacefully for three weeks without leaving. Because I am held by the lotus seat here, I cannot leave, but I have no desire to leave either. The atmosphere here is so stable, especially during the Dharma Assembly. So many tall Buddhas appear in the temple, and the light they emit is so bright, so bright, and it shines upon us! That light is very warm; they call it Buddha-light. That great Buddha is called Namo Amituofo. Namo Amituofo is extremely compassionate to have taken in our Master's Master and us disciples and grandchildren. Namo Amituofo, like Practitioner Su, wants us to think Good, see Good, and do Good. It is strange that I can actually listen to what Practitioner Su says!

Here, I can also see the work Practitioner Su does. Every Dharma Assembly, he always leads many tall spirits out and returns with them, performing Chao Du to help many beings leave this world. And the most popular topic recently is asking Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su to come out and save the world from the pandemic. Isn't the pandemic the very thing we were doing before? I only now realise that doing such things was wrong. Seeing some of the spirits harmed by the pandemic during the Dharma Assembly—some still coughing, gasping for air, carrying a sense of powerlessness and anger as they come here to seek help—I finally understood that I had done something wrong. I quickly said sorry to them, but they could not hear me. Fortunately, many have entered the golden light of Namo Amituofo; perhaps their illnesses will be healed now? It is fortunate that we are here now and do not have to go out and harm people anymore. How did I become like this? In the past, when we were doing these things, we did not feel we were wrong. But here, I can distinguish right from wrong. Is it the Buddha-light environment here that has made me kind? I have another voice in my heart telling me that Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su are here, and this heart is the same as the Buddha's heart. I think my Master's Master has already changed, and I should change too. I am still staying here, and during the Dharma Assembly, I will chant Namo Amituofo with everyone. I quite like this kind of life! This is a beautiful world, completely different from before. In my heart, I cannot help but chant: 'Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo...'

The Buddha gave Mo Zhenran the Dharma name 'Shi Nianqing'.

Mo Zhenran (Shi Nianqing)

Namo Amituofo."