Gongyue, a primordial demon who has existed for 730 trillion years, sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre. Having spent eons navigating the complex power dynamics of the Demon Realm, he now resides in the Western Land of Nature. This interview was recorded on May 13, 2025.
Gongyue speaks:
". I am Gongyue, and I hail from the northern reaches of the Dharma Realm. Is this some sort of predestined arrangement? It seems that representatives of the demon realms from the four cardinal directions have all appeared. I am here to represent the northern demon realm, and I also represent the ancient demons who have existed for 730 trillion years.
In these days—which are by no means short—I have experienced both glory and ruin; I have been majestic, and I have been spat upon. In the demon realm, everyone has a very intense personality, so expressing one's praise, disdain, appreciation, or slander is always done with great force. That is the nature of the demon crowds. To survive for 730 trillion years means I have seen every type of demon imaginable. Therefore, when you lead a group and new members arrive, you can see through them at a glance, because you have already seen through the demon heart and demon nature.
The Mirror of Buddha-Dharma
This aspect is actually very similar to the Buddha-Dharma. In the Buddha-Dharma, if your eyes are open and you can see the other person—much like Practitioner Su, who possesses an awakened body—it is equivalent to having X-ray vision. You can grasp their heart and their thoughts. In this way, you can train them. You must adjust them according to their strengths and their weaknesses. How do you adjust them? For the demon crowds, you let them continue to exercise their strengths, but for their weaknesses, you help them suppress them so they do not manifest, as these weaknesses become targets for others to attack. During my time, my understanding of the Buddha-Dharma made me realise that the Dharma is not like this. Your strengths might just be your personality; the Buddha-Dharma hopes to smooth them out until they are gone. It will not use your strengths to nurture arrogance, dominance, or to control human hearts and force others to submit to you. This is your own 'attraction,' and sometimes it is understandable, but ultimately, it is not a good situation. As for your weaknesses, perhaps you are being controlled, and you hope to invite spirits to help you so you can reveal your normal spirituality and stop aging or falling ill. The of the Buddha-Dharma can be seen in this regard, and the lack of compassion among the demon crowds can be seen just as clearly.
In short, over these 730 trillion years, counting from when I was a little demon, to being appreciated by the old Demon King and becoming a king myself, and finally entering the ranks of the primordial demons—I have been in the spotlight of the demon realm for about 500 trillion years. That is not a short time. Then, I found a place to enter deep meditative concentration. I will keep a long story short and report simply.
The Art of Being 'Everything is Fine'
What is my specialty? This is the condition for being a Demon King. In the demon realm, everyone’s personality is very strong. If you want to stand out, you must do the opposite. You must be a Demon King for whom 'everything is fine.' Such a king does not offend others, yet he can harmoniously pick the best of the best, leading the younger demons to survive while maintaining his own position, safe from attacks by other parties. This is a skill, and it is my specialty. In other words, I am a demon for whom everything is fine—that is my expertise. In truth, what is hidden behind this is that I have a very keen heart. When others say 'everything is fine,' I can pick out the most advantageous way for myself and my juniors to survive. Because 'everything is fine,' you are not easily offended by others. Even if you do not participate in their opinions, the respect and smiles they show you are accepted, even if they are somewhat helpless. And your own respect and smiles are not considered hypocritical, because you truly accepted them.
But among so many 'goods,' I naturally choose the method most advantageous to me. If someone questions me, 'Why don't you use my good method, but use his instead?' I would ask, 'May I ask, if you had the opportunity to obtain so many good methods, would you not pick the one most advantageous to you?' They would have nothing to say and would have to nod in agreement. We put ourselves in each other's shoes. You are also such a good demon, which is why you have such good opinions, but you also have a good heart. Under these circumstances, I have no reason to choose a method that is of no benefit to me. They would have to touch their noses, acknowledge it, and leave. This is called a demon who does not offend others. This title can be listed as: 'The Demon Who Does Not Offend Others, Everything is Fine.' In this way, not only is my characteristic expressed, but it is also clear at a glance. In my specialty, 'everything is fine' can also become the basis for the actions of the demon crowds. What the demon crowds call 'good' is what is beneficial to the group and to themselves, but it often causes harm to the targets of their attacks.
A Moment of Mercy in the Dark
Why was I not sucked away by the laws of and cause and effect during such a long time? I can only say it is because I am not a representative of karma. I remember one time, I should have chosen the 'everything is fine' approach, but that time I chose a less 'good' method—that is, I did not accept the common opinion proposed by everyone to launch an attack. At that time, there was indeed a planet worth exploring and even attacking. That planet was full of good energy, and the civilians there were very kind-hearted, especially many elderly people, women, and children. It was a female-led star system. Most planets are dominated by men, but that planet was led by women, and their hearts were very warm and kind, making the whole planet radiate bright light.
I knew about this. To be honest, that planet was indeed a good target to attack because the defensive capabilities of women are generally weaker; they do not possess the innate fighting power of men. But precisely because their nature was righteous, that inner energy was able to exert power. Conversely, men mostly lean toward evil thoughts or aggressive energy, which is relatively dark. Therefore, that time I could have chosen to attack that planet, but I did not do so, and thus they escaped a disaster. I believe our attack power exceeded their energy, but because of that, one disaster was avoided. Although we had to live frugally during those days, we got by; we just didn't have extra energy, but enough was enough. Perhaps it was this incident that allowed me to survive the 730 trillion years of an old demon's life. So 'everything is fine' can also be used to do good deeds, but you have to do it silently, gritting your teeth and bearing the pressure from the juniors. But if it can save the civilians of so many planets from a nightmare, I think it is worth it. This happened a long time ago, and I almost forgot. I didn't expect that when I had to speak about it now, the memory would resurface. This must be the Buddha's . Moreover, I have done similar things, and it seems not just once. It turns out that having done good deeds becomes a form of protection, allowing you to survive until now. This also shows that even demon crowds need to follow the Universal Principles, Truth, and the Right Way to survive. If you violate these principles, you may be sucked away by the laws of karma early and suffer within them.
Entering the Western Land of Dharma Nature
As for how I came to the Western Land of Dharma Nature, it was when I was about 500 trillion years old that I had the thought of retiring. I chose to pick the planet most suitable for deep meditative concentration among all the 'everything is fine' options—that is, the darkest planet. Sometimes we think the best planet refers to one with abundant energy, whether it is dark or bright, depending entirely on our hearts.
When I decided to retire, a thought arose in my heart: 'Let me return to my original position. Since I am a demon, there is nothing to worry about. Having done so many bad things and still living to this day is already a great fortune; let me just stay quietly. There is no interference in the surrounding environment; if it is dark, let it be dark. Darkness also has its energy, which can help me continue to live.' Darkness has the energy of darkness, and light has the energy of light. These two are extreme opposites. And the world of the heart is very complex. It turns out that living longer does not mean your heart is darker. On the contrary, if there are still good thoughts deep in your heart, and they are stimulated in certain environments, they can even illuminate the darkness and bloom with light. I believe this is the inconceivable part of the Buddha's power, and it is also the Buddha's blessings. So, on this dark planet, I chose a quiet place to enter deep meditative concentration. For 230 trillion years, I was not disturbed, which I consider my blessings. Many old demons have been sucked away by the laws of karma during this time. Some still had thoughts and intentions while in deep meditative concentration, even generating complaints and hatred, which is very dangerous.
Old demons who can be brought to the Western Land of Dharma Nature, your meditative concentration is indeed remarkable; at least you were not sucked away by the laws of karma. Furthermore, the Buddha-light of Namo Amituofo shone upon us, and there was no room for choice. I was like an old demon in deep meditative concentration, entirely dark, and was sent to the lotus seat in the Western Land of Dharma Nature without being moved. Once I sat down, the buttons were fastened. I had actually woken up long ago, but I did not want to see everything before me. It was as if it were an arrangement of following conditions; whatever you do is fine. Unexpectedly, the moment I was placed on the lotus seat and the buttons were fastened, I woke up and opened my eyes.
The Stability of a Pure Heart
The bright world before me is indeed very special. Living in such a world, I thought I would be restless, but I did not expect to be able to sit so steadily, with no fluctuations in my heart and no power driving me to leave in a hurry. This reflects an inner state: if the heart is not at peace, one cannot stay in a place of light for a long time. The human world is the same; the phenomena I see are exactly this. When a person is manipulated by demon crowds, they cannot stay in one place because their heart is not at peace, and they always want to leave or cause some destruction to where they are. This is a destructive force from within, and it is one of the characteristics of the demon crowds. When the human world loses its autonomy and is controlled by demon crowds, abnormal speech and behaviour will naturally appear, and they may even harm themselves or others. This situation is common in the demon realm. However, in the world of the Buddha-Dharma, even if the demon nature manifests, it seems to be protected, so it does not cause harm to oneself or others. This is truly inconceivable. The power at that time was very strong, yet it was still strongly protected by the Dharma protectors, so that other beings were not harmed. This truly requires great protective power. Therefore, the personality formed in such a process also manifests differently from the past.
A demon whose heart is not at peace is restless. They cannot stay in one place for long, especially when the environment is bright and pure, which forms a sharp contrast with their inner chaos, and they even want to escape quickly. Conversely, if a person is controlled by such demon nature, their heart and behaviour will also show similar tendencies and expressions, and they may even commit acts of harming themselves or others. Therefore, the best method is to keep the heart at peace at all times, let yourself grow steadily, and let others feel our stability and tranquillity, not being turned by the environment. Only in this way can spirituality and life be elevated. This is the skill of turning the environment without being turned by it; it is a kind of considerable meditative concentration. Only those who possess meditative concentration and compassion can achieve this. For the demon crowds, compassion is extremely scarce, but it is not completely absent. The compassion of some demon crowds is hidden deep in their hearts and will manifest at specific moments, perhaps saving their own lives or saving others from danger.
Especially when juniors give you many complaints, being able to bear the pressure is the meditative concentration that a leader must possess. If you do not have this concentration, you are likely to be overwhelmed by the emotions of the juniors, and you yourself will fall into complaints and pressure. This depends on your own fortune. If there is an elder who appreciates you and can pull you up, perhaps you can walk out of the pressure and restore your original energy and personality. But if you are unlucky and you are alone in the pressure, doing things different from usual, causing everyone to despise you, and there is no elder to support or pull you up, you might become silent—silent in the pressure, unable to turn back. Because your personality is too strong—which demon is not strong? When bearing pressure, that explosive power is very strong. If you are not saved, you are likely to harm yourself, sink from then on, never recover, and even do things that harm yourself or others. This is a little advice I give to everyone.
The Inconceivable Power of the Buddha
This is precisely the Universal Principles, Truth, and the Right Path. Goodness corresponds to the laws of the universe, while violating them leads to evil retribution; doing good leads to good fruit. This is a true and undeniable principle. Therefore, demon nature and human nature also have similarities on some levels. This is not hard to understand; after all, demons also come from the human world, just more stubborn, intense, and powerful in certain personality traits.
These days, the learning after being sent to the Dharma-Nature Land, combined with the illumination of the Buddha-light, has made me deeply realise a fact. Combining the experiences of many old demons, I have reached a clear conclusion: the power of the Buddha is inconceivable and limitless. The Buddha can soothe the restless demon heart and can also provide energy, making the demon crowds feel and satisfaction. This is indeed a true and undeniable experience. Therefore, the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre is truly a precious land. I want to say to my demon group and juniors: the value of this place will not increase or decrease because of whether you surrender or not; but if you are willing to surrender, your own life will become bright and extended, and you will no longer be attracted into the evil paths by the power of karma. I have said this very clearly, haven't I? This is my personal realisation, and I have never had the opportunity to say goodbye to you. Now that I have this rare opportunity for an interview, I sincerely tell you my heartfelt words. You must believe that these are the sincere words of a 730-trillion-year-old demon. Those who believe can be saved; those who do not believe, there is nothing to be done. Because the sovereignty of life is always in your own hands.
As for the final talk on propagating the Buddha-Dharma, delivering sentient beings, and suggestions for human practice, I feel ashamed, as I have done many things to harm sentient beings. Then why not think from the opposite side: if you want to deliver sentient beings, you must possess meditative concentration and merit so that sentient beings will be truly convinced. If you are only selfish and only care about yourself, then there is no merit to speak of, and you will even make sentient beings generate hatred. How could they be willing to listen to your teachings? After all, they have also been harmed in similar states of mind. Therefore, changing yourself to adapt to the environment is the fastest and most powerful way to propagate the Dharma. If you awaken your true nature because of this, you can truly propagate the Buddha-Dharma. Propagating the Dharma is delivering beings, and it can also reduce the harm of demon crowds to the human world and sentient beings.
The Key to Practice
As for the key to human practice, how can one successfully propagate the Dharma without being disturbed by demons? The answer still lies in yourself, not in others. The most important point is: 'Do not be jealous of others.' Jealousy has no benefit to yourself; it only extinguishes your own light, and because the fire of the heart is strong, it burns the merit you have cultivated in the past. It is a pity. In the short time I have been here, I have seen this phenomenon, and I take this opportunity to remind everyone.
Everything is still in time, because the human heart is changeable; this is the heart of impermanence. Since you have not awakened your true nature and have not attained meditative concentration, impermanence will be changeable. But if you can be warned and recover your body and mind—since the situation has become like this—it is best to restrain and change your ways. Who has not made mistakes? Everyone has made mistakes, and the demon crowds have committed one mistake after another. Now that you have come to the Western Land of Dharma Nature, this environment is so good, you have no chance to make mistakes again, and at the same time, you can repent for the evil you have committed in the past. Repentance is truly because you have done too many wrong things, but there is no way to turn back; it is better to chant Namo Amituofo. I have found that chanting Namo Amituofo is the most suitable thing to do here. Because this lotus seat is a good place for chanting Namo Amituofo, and it is also suitable for making prostrations and reciting the Sutras. So many old demons listen to the Sutras and hear the Dharma when they have nothing to do. When they hear good parts, they clap and cheer. And when they hear the content of repentance, they also feel lonely and feel very sorry for sentient beings. Regardless, no matter what the situation, you can use prostrations, chanting Namo Amituofo, and reciting the Sutras to make up for the anxiety in your heart and let your heart be at peace. When the heart is at peace, the spirit is also at peace. This is definitely helpful for the purification of your own spirit. This is my humble opinion in the Western Land of Dharma Nature.
A Final Plea to the Juniors
Because I was sent directly to the Western Land of Dharma Nature from that retirement place in a sitting posture, this is truly a rare opportunity to say a few words to the demon juniors: please believe that I am Gongyue, the 730-trillion-year-old demon, the very old demon you know in your hearts. This is a good place; I have already come, and I tell you with my personal experience, hoping that you will benefit from it. Those who can come in and surrender, do not be afraid of losing face. There are many demons who care about face, including me, who used to care very much about face. But think about it, compared to the danger of being sucked away by the laws of karma, is it more important to save face, or is it more important to avoid being sucked away by the laws of karma? Of course, it is more important to avoid being sucked away! And this place can give you such protection, give you peace of mind, and let you settle down so you will not go to harm yourself or other sentient beings again. This is the grace brought to everyone by the great Namo Amituofo. In fact, it is not just the demon crowds who benefit; many beings in the Dharma Realm have also been delivered here together, and they are all living very happily. Since this is the case, what are you hesitating for? Right?
There is a schedule here to accept the surrender of demon crowds at any time, several times a day; you must seize the opportunity quickly. Do not think that this is an easy opportunity to get, so you do not cherish it. I only encountered this once in 730 trillion years! Consider yourselves to have more blessings than me—you are still young, or even if you are an old demon or a Demon King, you have encountered it now. Do not easily miss such an opportunity. Good conditions and causal conditions have a time limit; no matter how long or short this period is, it is worth doing. It is better than being forever suppressed by the laws of karma, unable to come out, and suffering and committing sins, right? In fact, there is no need to say so much; the point is: this is a sincere attempt to save everyone, to let your kind nature manifest, to have the opportunity to reveal it, and even to let you awaken your true nature, shine, and become a Buddha. I hope I have such a day, and I hope you can be like me and have such a day. Alright, I have said everything I need to say.
So, 'everything is fine,' do not offend anyone. Of course, if you meet someone and you say something and he says, 'Good, good, good, very good,' will you be angry? Will you look at him with displeasure? No, right? At least you feel you are accepted. This is human nature; the nature of sentient beings is like this. Demon nature will be more extreme in this regard; the so-called demon nature is 'good will be very good, bad will be very bad,' and the personality is polarised. So, in order not to offend people, if you meet such a person, you should not be angry either, right? This is called 'everything is fine, do not offend people.'
In fact, from the perspective of the Buddha-Dharma, this is also a very good temperament. 'Everything is fine' means you have no 'self.' Without a 'self,' you can achieve 'everything is fine.' Otherwise, your 'self' is blocking the front, and nothing is good. You will say, 'That is not good, mine is better.' Then you talk a lot, and the result is that everyone is not good, only you are good. Then what is good about that? This is the wisdom of the demon crowds. So do not have a 'self' to be able to do this. The demon crowds are the same; many Demon Kings have very strong personalities, how can they say 'everything is fine'? Impossible! Nothing is good, only listening to him is the best. Since he is the king, everyone has nothing to say, and can only touch their noses and listen. If viewed from the Buddha-Dharma, if it is sincere, truly without a 'self,' and able to accept everyone, meeting such a person, even I would feel very grateful. If it is hypocritical, then of course it is not good. The hypocrisy of the heart is: clearly feeling it is not good in the heart, but saying 'good' to others with the mouth; this is called hypocrisy. This kind of heart is better than saying nothing at all. Or, if you have nothing in your heart, that is the true 'everything is fine.' I recently learned a trick, which is to chant 'Namo Amituofo' desperately. Whether it is good or bad, it has nothing to do with me. I just chant 'Namo Amituofo' wholeheartedly, grasp this Buddha-name, and I do not participate in what you say or how you see it; this is the best, haha. Be law-abiding and self-disciplined, and chant the Buddha-name well.
If you really want to participate in group affairs, there will always be a leader, right? At this time, you must obey the leader and follow the elder's approach; this is also a kind of 'obedience,' and this is also 'good.' This means 'no self.' If you still have a lot of your own opinions, you cannot listen to others. But you do not listen to the method that is truly helpful to you, and instead, you cling to those opinions of yours that are not helpful to you. What is the result? I see it clearly here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature: such people will definitely suffer losses and be deceived in the end, precisely because they 'do not listen.' Therefore, according to causal conditions, time, and place, sometimes there are different judgments for 'good' and 'not good,' but here in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, there is one principle that must be remembered: listen to the Buddha's words, listen to the Teacher's words, and you must listen to Practitioner Su's words. This will definitely not be wrong for you! Because you do not understand what Universal Principles, Truth, and the Right Path are at all. Are you 'good' or 'bad' now? You judge by yourself, how can it be accurate? You have not yet turned your karma, and you are not a Buddha; you are still a being of karma! Therefore, it is best to listen, so you will not create karma. Creating karma is suffering for yourself. I really understand now. The 'evil has evil retribution, good has good retribution' spoken of in the Buddha-Dharma is not that there is no retribution, but that the time has not yet come.
Alright, is there anything else I need to add? If not, the interview ends here. Thank you everyone, Namo Amituofo."
