The Demon Who Sought Revenge Through His Own Parents

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of Andy, 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 life and subsequent time as a demon. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on December 5, 2022.

Andy (Shi Anrong) speaks:

"Save me! Please, save me!" I screamed into the space, hoping that Practitioner Su would quickly rescue me from that void. I did not want to stay there a moment longer.

I was a child spirit who loved to play tricks on people. But I was not an ordinary child spirit; I had become a demon. I could cause real harm, and humans generally disliked me, or even loathed me.

A Vengeful Origin

My name is Andy. Before I became a demon, I had been human, but only for a short six years. That brief span of time was all it took for me to descend into the path of a demon.

Looking back at my past, I see clearly that my entire life was a mission of vengeance. The targets of my hatred were the parents of that life. In a previous existence, they had caused me to suffer terribly. I had sworn a vow to seek revenge against them. It was this intense hatred and focused thought power that, through the clever arrangement of Causal Conditions, led me to be born as their child, waiting for the moment to strike.

My parents had enjoyed a happy marriage, but the moment I was born, everything changed. My spirit, trapped within that small body, clapped in delight.

The Barrier of the Flesh

There is a space between the body and the spirit. It is as if the spirit is thinking, but the body cannot perceive it. It is like when I spoke; the body could not hear me. The body was unaware of what its own spirit was contemplating. The physical sensations and feelings were so far removed from the spirit that it was like a vast, unbridgeable chasm. Because of this, the body never knew that I, the spirit within, had come specifically to destroy my parents.

If my parents could have seen me standing before them, my spirit brandishing a blade, my face twisted with resentment and hatred, would they still have loved me as their child? But they could not see my spirit. They only saw the body they had brought into the world. They loved me with all their hearts, even though I had come to ruin them. They loved me regardless.

The Weight of Suffering

My mother had been a cheerful woman, but during her pregnancy with me, she fell into a deep depression and suffered from panic attacks. Yet, she insisted on giving birth to me. To her, I was a part of her own flesh. Even though I caused her such terror and anxiety, she wanted to fulfil her duty as a mother.

During that time, my father worked himself to the bone to care for her. He juggled work and home, but eventually, his business failed, and he was buried in debt. Facing the arrival of a new life under such circumstances was an immense pressure, but he could not escape. I was his child; to abandon me would have been to kill me.

The couple, once the envy of all, changed completely before I was even born. They lived in constant sorrow and pain.

The Cycle of Torment

I was born with a congenital illness. The doctors declared it incurable; they could only manage the symptoms. They said I would not live long—five or six years at most. Can you imagine the agony my parents felt when they heard this? They were heartbroken that I was born with such a condition, and even more devastated that I had only just arrived in this world before having to face departure.

To keep me alive, my parents spent a fortune on medical bills. My father, already in debt, became even more distressed. He dared not tell my mother, who was already suffering from depression, for fear that the news would worsen her condition. He bore the burden in silence. His shoulders grew heavy, and his hair began to turn white.

Their marriage became a struggle. Both were under such immense pressure that they began to clash. They argued incessantly, day after day. My body was in pain, but my spirit was ecstatic. The more they fought, the more miserable their lives became, and the happier I felt. This was exactly what I wanted.

The Demon's Logic

My hatred did not diminish as I watched them suffer; it intensified. I saw their selfishness, the same selfishness that had harmed me in the past. Seeing it again made me even more furious. I felt justified in my revenge. I would ask: "Was I wrong? They harmed me in the past, so I came to seek revenge in this life. Is that wrong?" My spirit was filled with hate, yet my body committed no overt evil—it merely suffered from illness, forcing them to worry, weep, and fight. Was that really so wrong?

Under the control of heavy medication, my body slowly grew, though it remained thin and weak. My spirit knew my time was short. Before the end, I used every method to torment them, making them wish they were dead, forcing them to taste the suffering I had once endured.

I was a cute child with a charming face, and I knew how to act affectionately. This made my parents love me even more. Every time they looked at my sweet face, they were reminded that I would only be with them for a few years. The pain of that realization was exquisite. My spirit delighted in their agony.

Entering the Demon Realm

I should say that this body was merely a tool I utilized. I had already become a demon. I became their most beloved child, only to use a terminal illness to break them. I ground down their hearts every day. In those six short years, they aged twenty years. Their marriage shattered. The medical bills drove my father to the brink of madness, and my mother’s depression flared constantly. The home was a wreck, filled with endless, bitter arguments.

When I left the human world after six years, I entered the Demon Realm completely. My hatred was so intense that I had grown to love evil. I loved making humans suffer. I began to possess other children, controlling them to do things that would hurt their parents, all for the sake of causing chaos.

I had not been in the Demon Realm long, but I had already succeeded in corrupting many children, causing their families to suffer. Some parents divorced because of their children; others were driven to murderous rage. Under my influence, their lives were in tatters.

The Rescue

I was happy to continue my evil deeds, looking for more children to possess. But then, not long ago, as I was entering the body of a ten-year-old child, a force pulled me out. I clung to the child’s body, but the suction was too powerful. I screamed, "Stop! Stop!" but the force ignored me. I did not know where I was being taken.

Finally, I was pulled into a tiny stone. No matter how I struggled or shouted, I could not escape. Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body was performing Chao Du for the river, and my stone was in the Heilongjiang River. Her Dharma Body came time and again, but for a long time, I did not know she was there. Perhaps it was not yet my time to be saved. Years later, when her Dharma Body returned, I finally felt the Buddha-light and heard the holy name of Namo Amituofo. I quickly followed along, chanting the Buddha-name loudly, and was finally saved.

After being saved, I did not leave with the golden light. Instead, I quickly found Practitioner Su’s body and hid inside, within her feet. I stayed in the space within her feet, seeking her protection. My presence made her feet uncomfortable, but I dared not leave, fearing I would be sucked away again. Recently, as the Buddha-light shone continuously upon her feet, I was finally drawn out and sent to the Western Land of Dharma Nature.

— Andy (Shi Anrong)

Reflections on the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies

I had stayed within Practitioner Su’s feet for years before I was finally called out. Upon entering the Western Land of Dharma Nature, I listened quietly to the Buddha-name. I was already accustomed to it, as Practitioner Su chanted every day, and I listened to her Dharma talks as well.

Over these years, influenced by the Buddha-power within her, my demon nature has diminished by more than half. What remains is my stubborn, unruly heart, which still clings to the habits of my demonic past. But even that is crumbling, for the Buddha-power is truly formidable; it is softening my heart and dissolving my demonic power bit by bit.

Now, in the Western Land of Dharma Nature, the Buddha-light shines upon me daily, and my heart is calmer. Listening to the Buddha-name and watching Practitioner Su perform Chao Du during the Dharma assembly, I have become clearer. As her Dharma Body enters so many different spaces and sees the beings trapped there, I understand more deeply how painful the cycle of rebirth truly is.

Practitioner Su constantly calls out to the beings in these spaces, hoping they will wake up. Many spirits who were once dormant have been awakened by her. They look at the Buddha-light in front of them in astonishment, not knowing what is happening. Once they understand, they immediately follow along, chanting the Buddha-name loudly, and escape their spaces.

I clap in admiration. Practitioner Su is truly incredible. I want to learn her skills, but I am not yet qualified, for my heart has not yet returned to purity, and I lack sufficient compassion. However, I am continuing to learn, and I believe that soon, I will be qualified to master the skills of Practitioner Su.

— Shi Anrong

Namo Amituofo.