The Demon Who Played at Being Buddha

This interview records the testimony of Makasi, a cosmic demon who existed for 6.9 billion years before seeking deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Having masqueraded as a Buddha across countless planets, Makasi eventually encountered the power of Practitioner Su, which led to his total defeat and subsequent repentance. This session was recorded on November 22, 2023, by Chief Writer Shi Hailin Fajing.

Makasi speaks:

"I am Makasi. On some planets, they call me 'Buddha,' while on others, they call me 'demon.' This is because I possess both a Buddha-side and a demon-side. Depending on the planet I visit, I manifest differently, which is why these two conflicting titles exist."

The Mask of the False Buddha

"When I enter a planet in the guise of a 'Buddha,' I cast my demon-side completely into the shadows. I bring forth my Buddha-heart to cover my demon nature. At such times, I am nearly pure in my goodness; not a single evil thought exists, for I have flipped my heart to show only the side of virtue, hiding the side of malice. In those fleeting moments, I do not allow even a trace of evil to arise. My appearance in that instant is as compassionate as a true Buddha. I can empathise with the suffering of the beings on that planet, and I understand the pain of their cycle of rebirth. Thus, when I arrive as a 'Buddha,' I counsel them to seek liberation and leave suffering behind. But what is the method for this liberation? I teach them to do good and perform virtuous deeds, yet I never tell them to chant Namo Amituofo to seek rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss—because even I do not know that this is what must be done."

"The beings on these planets truly believe I am a Buddha. They trust me, worship me, and even offer me many things. I accept everything they give, but I also provide them with equal returns: I resolve the knots in their troubled hearts and loosen the chains binding their souls."

"Of course, I am not a legitimate Buddha. I am a fake, an impostor. Yet, the image I project is so convincing that these beings believe I have descended from some sacred realm to guide them, help them, and lead them toward liberation."

The Hidden Truth of a Fallen Practitioner

"I am completely intoxicated by this role. I genuinely want to help these beings; there is no malice or desire to toy with them in my heart. This is the other side of my nature—a sincere desire to help—but such a heart cannot exist within the Demon Realm, so I keep it hidden, only allowing it to manifest once I have entered those planets."

"It sounds incredibly confusing—why not simply turn over a new leaf and be a Buddha wholeheartedly? Why live such a complex life with both Buddha and demon sides? Many Demon Kings have asked me this, and I can only answer that I cannot shed my demon nature."

"Once I enter a planet in my disguised form, I cannot stay for long. My demon nature inevitably begins to surface, and I must flee before it is revealed, lest I destroy the image of the Buddha I have cultivated. Therefore, in those worlds, I always remain in the form of a Buddha, ensuring they hold me in absolute reverence."

The Roots of My Descent

"Many Demon Kings do not understand why I do this, but it is deeply connected to my past. Before I became a demon, I was a practitioner on the planet Daluowala, much like the monastics on Earth today. I had the ability to teach the Dharma, and I began to do so, hoping to deliver sentient beings. However, I did not truly let go of myself through my teaching. I always clung tightly to my own body and ego, and in many moments, this attachment caused my inner state to fall into a deep depression."

"The cause of my depression was usually the feeling that my body was threatened, or that my performance was unsatisfactory. I wanted my performance to always be the best, so I exhausted every effort to achieve and elevate myself. Yet, I failed to see that the reason I could never break through was precisely because I was clinging to myself. If I had known how to let go of this body and expand my mind-capacity, all my efforts would have been far more effective. Alas, I did not know this, nor could I learn it. Even with all my hard work, the results were ultimately limited."

"When I saw my juniors outshining me, I could not accept it. It was as if my life were being taken away, so I resorted to many underhanded tactics, all to protect myself and obstruct those who followed me. When I acted this way, my heart became thoroughly polluted. I could no longer call myself a monastic; I was, in essence, a demon. My master did not correct me in time, allowing me to continue down this path. In the end, my situation was miserable. I was expelled from the bodhimanda and became a beggar on the street."

The Path to the Demon Realm

"How could my heart accept this? How could I be reconciled to it? I had a vow to save sentient beings, but my mindset was wrong. I prioritised my own body and treated the salvation of others as secondary. My actions were always self-serving. I could not see my own blind spots, so I kept falling into despair, eventually choosing to do what was wrong."

"I was unwilling to accept such an end, and with no one to help me, I entered the Demon Realm. I have been a demon for so long, constantly doing evil. Yet, I still wanted to satisfy my wish to save beings, which is why I disguised myself as a Buddha, entering the statues worshipped on those planets to provide guidance and teachings."

"When the Buddha’s teachings were introduced to Earth, I came as well. But I left temporarily, knowing that the best time for me to exert my influence would be in this century, when the Buddha’s teachings began to undergo massive changes."

The Puppet Master of Earth

"Many monastics are now like me—their hearts are demonic, yet they continue to teach the Dharma and 'save' beings. These monastics have become the objects of my control, the 'demon children and grandchildren' waiting to be harvested. While they still possess their bodies, they can accomplish much in the world, and I intend to use them to spread the Dharma and promote the teachings of Makasi."

"With 6.9 billion years of experience, controlling Earthlings is quite easy. Before these monastics even have a thought, I already know when they will have it; their bodies automatically transmit the message to me. I wait for their most subtle thoughts to emerge, and I immediately seize them, taking complete control. No monastic can move faster than me, for I am already there, waiting. They have no way to resist and can only let me capture them."

"I have been laying this trap for a long time, and many monastics are already my puppets. When I learned that this place was a true Buddha bodhimanda, I rushed here to see how many more I could claim. I can only say that those who have truly purified their inner depths to reach a state of absolute purity are far too few. Everyone still has a polluted, impure side, and many cannot see it, letting it rot and fester within. The reason for this, just as it was for me, is that they still cling to themselves and have not fully let go of this body."

Defeat by Pure Compassion

"To be pure and good is truly not easy, which is why I chose to oscillate between masquerading as a Buddha and acting as a demon. But in the end, I failed. I was thoroughly defeated by Practitioner Su, defeated by the power of pure goodness."

"The reason I lost to Practitioner Su is that he is constantly performing Chao Du for the entire Earth. I have a powerful demonic force on Earth, and I have never encountered an enemy of equal strength, so doing evil was always easy. However, Practitioner Su’s influence has been immense. He is constantly changing the magnetic field of the Earth and purifying the demon nature within it. Many of the demon dens of the Demon Kings have been emptied and swept clean by Practitioner Su, and I am no exception."

"At first, I did not take Practitioner Su’s power seriously. But when my demonic power began to diminish rapidly, I realised the situation was dire. As Practitioner Su performs Chao Du for the entire Earth, the Milky Way, and the universe, the power of us demon crowds is being weakened by his righteous force. I am now under threat on Earth; if I continue to endure Practitioner Su’s actions, I will soon have no place left to stand and will be captured."

The Final Stand

"A few days ago, I joined the demon crowds attacking Practitioner Su. I could not find any leverage on him, but I could target the monastics and the fourfold assembly beneath him. If they fall into chaos, Practitioner Su will be greatly affected. After all, he is the leader; if those beneath him become demons, can he simply ignore it?"

"If Practitioner Su did not save them, I would not be surprised. My master treated me that way, watching me become a demon and enter the Demon Realm. Looking back at my master now, I realise he was a great demon himself. But I see that Practitioner Su is not a demon; he truly has the appearance of a Buddha. So, I decided to see if he would be affected by my interference with his followers."

"I tried to control several monastics and members of the fourfold assembly. Whenever someone had a stray thought or did something that invited us, I could easily control their heads and hearts, making them lose their ability to master themselves and forcing them to obey my commands."

"I tested it on a small scale, and the results were excellent. We know that Practitioner Su is very clear about the spiritual attachment situations of these people; he knows at a glance who has been taken by us. I wanted to see how much capability he had to subdue us."

"We continued to cause chaos, thinking Practitioner Su could do nothing about us. To my surprise, he was incredibly powerful. With one strike of his large qing, we were immediately sucked out. We tried to dive back into their bodies, but before we could, we were pulled away by a powerful force."

Makasi

Practitioner Su gave Makasi the Dharma name 'Shi Hailin.'

Reflections of Shi Hailin (Makasi) on the Thrice Yearning Ceremony

"I was a fake Buddha. The moment I was subdued by Practitioner Su, the people on the nearly 500,000 planets that believed in me suddenly woke up. They looked back at the past and realised they had been worshipping a demon as a Buddha. They quickly destroyed those fake statues and stopped worshipping me. This massive transformation occurred because, once I was subdued by Practitioner Su, my demonic power completely collapsed. Although I had entered those planets in the guise of a Buddha, my demonic power was inevitably operating behind the scenes, which is why those beings trusted me so deeply."

"I did not know that what I did in the past was a crime. Although I taught them good things, I lacked the ability to help them achieve liberation. Therefore, their faith in me was equivalent to being harmed by me; every soul still had to continue in the cycle of rebirth, with no end to their suffering. I truly never knew this. It was only after coming here to Practitioner Su that I gradually understood, and a sense of repentance arose in my heart."

"Seeing Practitioner Su deliver sentient beings—this is the true Buddha saving the universe. I do not have a fraction of Practitioner Su’s ability, nor do I have a fraction of his compassion."

"My past actions were all for the sake of myself—my feelings, my desires, my personality. When I acted with myself as the starting point, even if it looked like a good deed, it was impure and filled with too much contamination."

"I admire Practitioner Su’s sincere heart in saving beings and his immense skills. Whether entering the Milky Way or the universe, his speed is so fast that in the same moment, countless spirits in various spaces are delivered. I want to learn, but I do not yet have such ability. I believe that as long as I stay here, I will have the opportunity to use my strength to help beings. This time, it will be with a truly pure and righteous heart. I beg Practitioner Su to help me."

Shi Hailin