The Demon Within the Buddha Statue

This is a record of an interview with Dongkang, a demon who existed for 782.6 billion years on Earth, 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 existence spanning eons and his eventual transformation. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faru, on March 23, 2026.

Dongkang speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su for granting me this opportunity to be interviewed. I am Dongkang, an Earth demon who has existed for 782.6 billion years.

In the ancient traditions of China, it is a sign of respect to introduce oneself properly. Do not underestimate this figure of 782.6 billion years; for an Earth demon, this makes me quite ancient indeed. While I may be relatively young compared to the great beings in other realms of the Dharma, you must understand that because karma is created so heavily and so rapidly on Earth, the retribution also follows with incredible speed. To have survived for this long is to be a truly ancient demon.

The Battlefield of the Ten Directions

I mention this because I fear you might not know my history and might look down upon us Earth demons. Let me clarify: the reason karma is created so intensely and quickly on Earth is something you likely already suspect. Since ancient times, Earth has been a convergence point for the human realm and the ten directions of the Dharma realm. It is, in essence, a pivotal base for the great reversal of good and evil. Those who are born as humans on this planet often possess immense blessings; some even say these beings descended from the Western Pure Land.

This alone proves that Earth is no ordinary place. If the universe is so vast, why would Shakyamuni Buddha choose to appear specifically on Earth rather than elsewhere? This is the most powerful evidence that human beings on Earth possess a precious human body, a deep affinity with the Buddha, and a profound connection to the ten directions of the Dharma realm.

A Demon Who Understands the Dharma

Do not be fooled by my status as a demon; in truth, I understand the Buddha’s teachings. I have survived on Earth for a very long time, and I have heard many of the Buddha’s teachings. The Dharma did not only exist during the time of Shakyamuni Buddha; there were Buddhas in eras long before him, and ancient records on Earth do indeed document their presence. While these records are written in languages that are difficult to decipher today, through the heart-to-heart communication of the demon and spiritual realms, they are easily understood.

The fundamental purpose of the Dharma in every era is to help people escape suffering, avoid creating karma, and assist the beings of the ten directions who have an affinity with this human body to transform their karma. This is the key to escaping their original space.

The Fear of Losing Control

This is precisely why Earth is constantly under the control of various demon realms. After all, the methods of the Buddha and the demons are diametrically opposed. The Buddha wishes to help beings escape the ocean of suffering in this worldly realm, while the demon realm desperately wants to prevent them from leaving so quickly. If everyone were to leave this worldly realm, whom would the demons control? Even if they did not control humans, they would have to control spirits; if there were no spirits left, the demons would have no objects to manipulate.

For the demon realm, losing their subjects means losing their purpose for existence and their source of energy. This threat, which is equivalent to death, is absolutely terrifying to a demon. Therefore, whenever a Buddha appears in the world, the demons are filled with caution and fear. We must ensure that the Buddha’s influence remains within a limited scope so that it does not threaten the survival of the demon realm. You may wonder: how can I, a demon, understand the ways of both the demon realm and the Buddha realm so clearly?

The Fall of a Monk

The reason is that I was once a monastic myself. Oh, how embarrassing it is to speak of this; it happened over seven hundred billion years ago. I could be called an unworthy disciple of the Buddha. However, even then, just like today, we were in the age of the Dharma’s decline, and practice was truly difficult. Wearing the kasaya robe, one must shoulder such heavy responsibilities. The fourfold assembly of disciples must understand your current situation: you are in the age of the Dharma’s decline, bearing the vital mission of continuing the lineage of the Buddha’s teachings. If one does not practise well, there are usually two outcomes: entering the demon realm or falling into the hells. This is a universal truth, not an attempt to frighten you. After all, if the Buddha’s teachings are extinguished, beings cannot escape the cycle of rebirth and must suffer for a very long time. Because of a deviation in my thoughts at that time, I entered the demon realm and continued to exist on Earth as an Earth demon.

Now you should understand why I have been able to remain a demon on Earth for over 782.6 billion years. It is precisely because I studied the Dharma and understood the universal principles; I knew there were certain things that were too outrageous to do! This is the fundamental reason why the demon realm can survive for so long. If one violates the universal principles, one is quickly captured to face retribution. This is a truth everyone understands.

The Illusion of Religious Practice

I was able to remain in the region of China because that is where I was a monk. It was not called China then, but let us refer to it as the Divine Land. Even then, the Dharma had reached the age of its decline. I studied the Dharma in that land, but in such an era, there were very few true spiritual friends who could guide you. You might know the general appearance of the Dharma from sutras and the teachings passed down through oral tradition, but the true core of the Dharma—the Buddha-heart that sacrifices itself to save beings from the cycle of rebirth—was rarely transmitted. People could not delve into the core of the teachings, and their study of the Buddha became merely superficial. I am filled with regret that I never had the opportunity to understand the deep, core meanings of the Dharma, and instead used the surface-level aspects of Buddhism to sustain my life. What I called practice back then was not true practice; although I lived in a temple and used the name of the Buddha, I was performing the work of demons. That was an era of the Dharma’s decline, a time when demons danced in chaos. Because of my own deviations in thought, I always hoped to achieve a breakthrough in my practice, to surpass my fellow brothers in other temples, and to gain recognition from the laity by giving them teachings and having them praise the profundity of my words. These many deviations in my character and thoughts allowed the demon crowds to deeply control my every word and action, rendering me unable to truly transmit the Dharma or explain its true meaning. After I died, these deviations and my long-term state of being controlled led me directly into the demon realm.

A Guardian of the Wrong Path

After entering the demon realm, I understood many things and did not repeat those same evil acts. Instead, in my capacity as a demon, I acted as a guardian of the operation of the Dharma. Although my status and wisdom did not allow me to spread the Dharma or teach it directly, I could effectively eliminate some external paths that did not belong to the Buddha’s teachings, or those that were attached to the Buddha’s name. This is what I believed a disciple of the Buddha in the demon realm should do. Now I realise that even this, in the unseen world, obstructed the true operation of the Dharma.

From my observations, the development of these religions in China has been almost entirely dominated by demon crowds. Whether a religion flourishes or declines, it is controlled by the demon realm within the space of that land. Even modern Buddhism and the science that people believe in are key targets of control by the demon crowds. I built my own demon palaces within various religious temples; in every main hall, and even within every Buddha statue, there was a demon palace of mine. The size of these palaces varied, representing the scale of my control. I controlled them so they would not easily believe in superstitious or strange religions, and instead encouraged them to believe in the more credible modern science.

The Trap of Modern Science

I know now that modern science is not reliable either, but in an era without the operation of the Dharma, it was better than blind superstition. Without having learned the Dharma, this was a very helpless choice. If they could have encountered the Dharma earlier, perhaps the Chinese people would have had different choices, and I would not have needed to suppress the Dharma. At that time, because I did not want people to repeat my mistakes—failing to truly study the Buddha while using his name—I chose to control people in various religious places, preventing them from believing in any religion. I also controlled government officials, ensuring they would not believe in any religion. I made them believe that religion was merely superstition and that they should believe in Western science instead.

The concept I instilled in them was this: Western powers are so developed and progressive that they do not need to rely on religion; those who rely on religion are weak and helpless. China is prosperous and strong, and its goal is to become a world power; it does not need religion, but rather science. This was the concept I instilled in them. Following this path, everyone would understand that religion was of no help to them. What they truly needed was practical, useful science, which would allow them to succeed through study and examinations, without needing to rely on those religions. In their perception, religion was only a form of spiritual comfort with no substantial benefit. Thus, it became even more impossible for them to understand that Namo Amituofo’s Dharma is not a religion, but a useful form of Buddhist education. They had no way of knowing these truths because they were already under my control, led to believe that Buddhist education was just another religion. This was the part I had not considered, and it had a significant impact on the spreading of the Dharma.

A Shameful History

It is shameful to say, but it took thousands of years for me to have the opportunity to encounter the Dharma again. When Shakyamuni Buddha descended, I truly did not think of surrendering. After all, I had no confidence in myself; I felt that if I surrendered to the Buddha, would I not just bring bad representation to him? It would be better to continue working for the Buddha silently from somewhere as a demon. In the two thousand years of Buddhist history in China, I played the role of a guardian of the Dharma—or so I believed.

I would exclude those low-quality practitioners, making it impossible for them to continue their practice. Whether by forcing them to return to lay life or by making them display a poor image, I ensured they could no longer continue as monastics; or I made them give up the path of practice themselves. All of this was controlled by my own hand. Many who, like me, could not practise joined the demon realm, and I took them in as my demon children and grandchildren to continue controlling those low-quality practitioners, ensuring they would not ruin the reputation of the Buddha’s gate. Of course, I only understand now that in the process of controlling them, I indeed caused many who might have had the chance to become good practitioners to lose that opportunity.

The Lack of Mind-Capacity

The Dharma says not to abandon a single person, and I truly lacked that mind-capacity. I thought, if I failed, how could anyone else succeed? This was perhaps my greatest problem. My lack of mind-capacity caused me to create much karma. Although I had not yet been absorbed into a space to face retribution, it was also because the opportunity for the True Teachings was rare. If one obstructs the True Teachings, the speed of retribution is beyond words.

Great practitioners have indeed appeared in China. I respected them and dared not touch them. But for the low-quality practitioners, they were my targets. Looking at China today, there are no practitioners left. A practitioner is not necessarily limited to one who practises the Dharma; even one who possesses virtue and morality, who truly acts for the people and for all beings rather than for selfish gain, is a practitioner to me. However, what I see now is that there are no practitioners left. The education received in China is that if one does not act for oneself, heaven and earth will destroy one. Who still knows how to act for others? Everyone acts for themselves; how can that be considered practice? Traditional Chinese morality, the sense of shame, and the social ethics have long become keys to academic advancement and scoring points. It is truly tragic that these have been reduced to test questions. They are memorised in the brain but never placed in the heart; how can one have virtue that way?

The Failure of Leadership

Those in positions of power are not practitioners. To become a leader is to shoulder a great responsibility. To shoulder that responsibility, one must be able to effectively govern a region or formulate national policies to seek welfare for the people. Yet, they do not know how to act for the people, for the country, or for others; their hearts are filled with selfish desires, and they do not understand practice or believe in the Dharma. Without Buddhist education, how can they do their jobs well? This is also one of the results of my control. After all, they have become convinced by the Western scientific approach, governing through science while lacking the core of the true Dharma. They only know how to solve surface-level problems without truly considering the people. They have learned various technologies and used the most advanced methods and engineering to bring economic prosperity and convenience to the region. However, they have never addressed the enrichment of the body, mind, and spirit, nor do they understand how to help people achieve true health. After all, if one violates universal principles and lacks morality, how can one maintain stability of body, mind, and spirit and avoid illness?

A Moment of Clarity

This is also a result of my control. Thinking about it, I truly did wrong. I am so conflicted! I always thought I was helping the operation of the Dharma within the demon realm, but looking back, I did not truly understand the Dharma. I thought I was acting with righteousness, but what I did was not the Dharma; I did not help beings learn the Dharma, but instead used my own methods and ideas to change the original operation of the Dharma. These are all very serious sins. Thinking of this, I am filled with repentance. The conflict and helplessness in my heart are as complex as they were back then, and I do not know how to describe them. To call it regret is not quite right; it is a kind of sudden enlightenment, yet it is also filled with deep annoyance.

I was once a human, born into a wealthy family. My family arranged for me to study the Dharma, but I did not study well and fell into the demon realm. I wanted to help the Dharma, but it seems I did the opposite. Without Buddhist education, one truly cannot succeed. To be able to encounter the True Teachings is truly difficult to encounter in millions of years. I advise everyone in this age of the Dharma’s decline: if you can truly practise, please do not repeat my mistakes. Do not use your own subjective understanding to speculate on the profundity of the Dharma.

Gratitude for Deliverance

You all have the guidance of a great teacher, you have Namo Amituofo personally descending to this worldly realm, and you have the care of the patriarchs and Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju. You have such a good environment for practice; please do not miss it. I am truly grateful to Practitioner Su for saving me. If Practitioner Su had not performed Chao Du to let me leave the demon realm, I would surely have been like I was during the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, watching the True Teachings pass me by, which would have been a great pity.

As I just mentioned, my demon palaces were spread throughout various temples in China, ensuring that those who came to visit could not generate a heart of true respect and faith, but instead viewed them only as tourist attractions, religious gimmicks, and historical artifacts. For those with a deeper affinity for the Dharma, I let them become obsessed with it, treating the Dharma as a historical artifact to be revered. But if we speak of whether they had a sincere heart, whether they truly wanted to practise and learn the core of the true Dharma, that was certainly absent. If there were any, they would have been great practitioners, and I would have respected them deeply, but within the scope of my control, they were almost non-existent.

The ancient sages were like a flash in the pan; to be able to transmit the lineage of the Dharma until the age of the Dharma’s decline is rare, and one can count them on one’s fingers. A special case like Practitioner Su has truly shocked many demon crowds in China; they never imagined that there would be a day when the True Teachings would operate again.

The Secret Within the Statue

I was in the deepest part of my demon palace, located in a secret space behind the core of a large Buddha statue. I believed no one would discover it, or they would only think it was a sacred space of Buddhism and would not think a demon existed within it. Who would have thought a demon lived inside a Buddha statue? This is the tragedy of the age of the Dharma’s decline, and it is the reality I encountered when I was practising. Buddha and demon have become indistinguishable; the words of the Buddha and the words of the demon are impossible for modern people to distinguish with their current wisdom. The reason lies in the lack of wisdom and the lack of opportunity to truly come into contact with the True Teachings, making it impossible to distinguish between right and wrong.

At that time, a golden light shone down, and I thought it was the Buddha suddenly descending upon the statue. Now I know it was truly the Buddha; it was Practitioner Su leading Namo Amituofo to perform Chao Du for all the major spaces in China, destroying all the demon palaces one by one. My demon children and grandchildren were also brought into the Land of Dharma Nature. They looked very happy; after all, they had truly met the Buddha. They were all once practitioners, or people who had the heart to practise, who eventually entered the demon realm and joined my ranks. Now they have truly joined the ranks of Namo Amituofo, and that is incredible! Namo Amituofo is a very, very famous Buddha in the Buddhist world of the universe, and the Buddha-name is a mantra for every monastic! Moreover, Namo Amituofo is what every monastic calls out whenever they meet a devotee, to show their identity as a monastic and to show their dignity. I never expected that he would really be called here; this is not simple, and everyone is very happy.

A Vow to Atone

I should have been very happy to meet the Buddha, but now, as I speak my story through this interview, and under the blessings of the Buddha’s power, I understand my problems more and more, and I feel increasingly ashamed. I hope to make up for the mistakes I made in the past, and I hope that by expressing these truths today, I can compensate for some of my past karma. If I can assist in making Buddhism flourish again in China in the future, please count me in; I still want to do my part. I, Dongkang, must do my part. My original Dharma name was Shi Chengran, which I have not used for a long time. But I hope the Buddha will not hold a grudge and will accept me as a disciple again. If I can use my own strength to spread the Dharma again on the Divine Land, that will be my way of atoning for my sins, and it is my sincere heart.

I make a vow before the Buddha: please give me a chance, I must atone for my mistakes. This time, I do not want to have any more deviations in my thoughts. I will first follow Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su humbly and modestly to learn the true Great Dharma. I hope that after I have learned it, I can one day return to the Divine Land to complete my unfinished Buddha-vow. I hope Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su will give me this opportunity. Thank you, Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su, for saving me to the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Thank you, Namo Amituofo, for destroying my demon palace and not letting me continue to obstruct the operation of the Dharma. Thank you, Practitioner Su, for performing Chao Du to bring me to the Land of Dharma Nature, allowing me to learn again. There are truly too many thanks, and on behalf of my demon children and grandchildren, I thank all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, I thank the patriarchs and venerable masters, I am grateful to Namo Amituofo, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su.

Namo Amituofo.

Dongkang