The Demon Who Pierced the Eyes of Practitioner Su

This is a record of an interview with the demon Xiao Xiao, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now bears the Dharma name Shi Wubian and resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his history of interference and his eventual transformation. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxin, on June 21, 2022.

The Demon Xiao Xiao (Shi Wubian) speaks:

"A beam of light at the edge of the sky—where did it come from? How much time has passed, and who could ever truly understand the stifling bitterness I have endured? My ugly face appears, and I can only sigh in helplessness.

I am the demon Xiao Xiao. I wanted to live a life of elegance and freedom, but instead, I lived a life of regret. Oh, life! It is truly never as one wishes. I wanted to seek justice, but I was left with no recourse. In my remorse, my face became twisted and wicked. I cruelly took a mirror to look at what I had become, using it as a constant, painful reminder never to forget my hatred."

The Power of Darkness

"When I looked at my own reflection, that terrifying visage would only increase my demonic power, making me unable to trust anyone. Sometimes I was a demon of doubt, sometimes a demon of hatred, and other times a demon of fame and fortune. My demonic power allowed me to transform myself in various ways to control others. I constantly used every method imaginable to increase my demon nature. I observed the dark side of many people, and I controlled that darkness because I despised them. I wanted them to know that when an evil thought arises, there will be no good outcome, and every consequence must be borne by oneself.

The first person I controlled after becoming a demon was a young master from a wealthy family. Relying on his family's riches, he went everywhere bullying others. I remembered how I, too, had been bullied, and a surge of rage rushed through me. I charged into that young man's chest and took control, forcing him to commit more evil deeds. He became despised and looked down upon by everyone, eventually losing his reputation and his life. When I finally left his body, I watched him sitting on the ground, screaming in agony. His family had severed all ties with him, and without their support, he became a useless shell of a man. Seeing this result, I sneered in the void, thinking that this young man deserved his fate, and I flicked my sleeves and left."

A History of Contention

"Throughout the Earth and across the dimensions, wherever I saw something I disliked, I would take action. My speed was immense; once I struck, I would always achieve my goal of control. Most of the time, I left people in total ruin. Because I had once been ruined myself, I wanted many others to know that same pain.

From ancient times until now, everyone has been fighting. They fight for this physical body, and they will not stop until they have won. This is why so many wars have broken out, and why dynasties have risen and fallen, generation after generation. Because of this, I saw clearly the mindset of every person—everyone’s heart is oriented only toward themselves.

I, too, was a victim of the contentions of that era. In my past life, I studied hard to achieve official rank, holding high ideals and aspirations for my country. Even when the political situation was unstable, I encouraged myself with the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. Confucius travelled to various states to lobby the rulers, all to bring stability to the nation. He did not limit his benevolent methods to his home state of Lu; he offered advice to various kings, hoping that a benevolent ruler would truly adopt them. But the kings were ambitious and only wanted to fight, not to govern. In the end, Confucius could not fully realise his vision. I admired his spirit of great love, and I used that spirit to encourage myself. In my examinations, I wrote of my full passion and zeal for the country, and I achieved the top rank of Zhuangyuan. When I learned I had succeeded, I was not particularly happy, for it was only the first step. The real challenge ahead was to have the king truly adopt my advice."

The Sting of Betrayal

"Because my heart was upright, my career path rose steadily, but this offended those who were jealous of me. On the surface, they agreed with me, but in private, they gathered every possible piece of evidence to attack me. I had prepared a memorial to the throne to help the country develop, but it was secretly tampered with and changed into a document that harmed the people. In my ignorance, I submitted it. The king was furious and threw me into prison.

In my cell, I thought over and over again about who I had offended. Finally, an official came to visit me, not to help, but to intimidate me. I looked at him in disbelief. He had always acted like a close friend, helping me with everything, yet he was the one who bit me back. When he visited, he even said he would seize our family’s property and remarked that my wife was beautiful and he could help take care of her. I hated him. I hated his heartlessness, and I hated the reality of human nature even more. Once I fell from grace, no one cared about me. This is the reality of the human heart. I was filled with hatred and disgust, and finally, I chose to bite my tongue and end my life. My heart of hatred attracted a group of demons to lead me away, drawing me into their realm."

The Illusion of Control

"From these demons, I saw the reality of the world, and I saw their methods of controlling people. They grasped the human heart, knowing that everyone possesses a latent inferiority. Every person’s heart is filled with many pursuits, and every pursuit is for the satisfaction of this physical body.

Following the footsteps of the demon crowds, I also began to control people, and the people I controlled were those I wanted to teach a lesson. Besides attaching myself to human bodies to control them, I would also enter the dreamscapes of the human world, manifesting the things they liked or cared about most to manipulate them. If I calculate correctly, I have been controlling people for two thousand three hundred years, and the number of people I have controlled is countless. For these thousands of years, my demon nature has never weakened, which represents the fact that human beings have harboured demon nature for thousands of years."

A Glimpse of Purity

"I once went to a temple to control monastics. I knew that temples were places for quiet retreats, and I went to see if these places of renunciation were truly as pure as they claimed. I circled around, observing. I saw that the environment of the temple was pure, so every little fluctuation in the body of those inside was quite obvious.

At first, I was attracted by the purity of the temple. My originally hateful heart calmed down quite a bit, and I thought I might find a place to settle. To my surprise, I discovered the private thoughts existing in the minds of every monastic. Although those private thoughts were different from the intense fluctuations of worldly people, the deep-seated inferiority and competitiveness that existed for the sake of the physical body were still there. Originally, I wanted to settle down and change, but I discovered those worldly hearts still existed. I was disappointed, and I even controlled those inside, causing trouble in the bodhimanda and creating discord among the monastics. At the time, I did not feel I was wrong, because if their weaknesses had not been exposed, how could I have controlled them?"

The Light of Redemption

"When I felt that even the only place of purity was destroyed by human nature, I completely lost faith in humanity and began to control people everywhere. That was until the entire Earth emitted an unusual light that attracted me. The light fell everywhere, purifying endless sentient beings. When I saw this inconceivable scene with my own eyes, light seemed to shine through my own heart as well. But for a moment, I did not want to admit it, and I suppressed that strange feeling. I thought it would pass, but the scene of endless beings being purified together kept echoing in my mind. Finally, I could not bear it any longer, and I made up my mind to find out the truth.

I found the place where the light was radiating. The light here penetrated to the boundless reaches, even extending beyond the Earth. Seeing this, I was astonished. I kept hiding in the distance, watching the scene of the Chao Du of sentient beings. The number of beings being saved grew larger and larger, and the scope became wider and wider. I felt my heart softening more and more, eventually turning into a feeling of being moved. Finally, I decided to surrender and rushed toward Practitioner Su along with the other demons. Entering the light, my body was constantly being purified, and I felt filled with warmth and gratitude.

Seeing Practitioner Su’s dedication to sentient beings, I was deeply moved. I had never thought there was someone on this Earth willing to give so selflessly. Seeing that many demons in the Buddha-land had the opportunity to change, I knew that the Buddha is compassionate and equal. I let go of the past and started everything anew. I am grateful to the Buddha-land, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su for giving the demons such an opportunity.

I have learned to open my heart and mind. Because I have seen the scene of Chao Du, my vision has opened up; I am no longer so limited, nor am I attached. I am very happy that I can have such an understanding, and I want to share it with others.

The Dharma assembly for Chao Du is filled with sentient beings. Every one of them can be said to be a being in the cycle of samsara, continuing to reincarnate in a state of unawareness. Now, the scriptures and Dharma of Practitioner Su traverse the void and can reach countless spaces. Every being in the spaces that hears them has the opportunity to wake up.

The transformation body of Practitioner Su has entered endless spaces. Every space has a transformation body of Practitioner Su, accompanied by light and the Buddha-name. The power and virtue of the Buddha-name, Namo Amituofo, radiate great light, and the sentient beings are all deeply moved.

For trillions of years, the spaces have been trapped, but now they are liberated. The evil realms are saved, and celestial beings are able to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. All of this is possible because of the appearance of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and the fact that Namo Amituofo abides here. I am grateful to the Buddha for his compassion, and to Practitioner Su for his compassion.

Namo Amituofo."