This is a record of an interview with the plague demon Mo Xuanzhuan ( name Shi Jingxin), who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. This account reflects upon his role in the pandemic and his past life as a child of technology. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on September 2, 2021.
Mo Xuanzhuan speaks:
". I am Mo Xuanzhuan. The version of me you see now is the same one that entered the temple to scout it out and was subsequently subdued, but my heart has changed completely."
The Duality of Existence
"This world is forever caught between despair and hope, injustice and fairness, good and evil, demons and Buddhas. As for the roles spirits and humans play—in the human realm, there is talk of fate and . But in the Demon Realm? Fate and karma are human concerns, not ours. If we demons spent our time worrying about karma and fate, we would never get anything done. We focus on the heart. We act based on the state of a person's heart."
"My 'demon children and grandchildren' and I are a group that loves to think, loves to fantasise, and is filled with messy thoughts. That is why, during this pandemic, we specifically sought out people who were prone to such states. Of course, these thoughts, fantasies, and messy thoughts are just the personality and habits these people manifested in this lifetime. Because our target demographic for this pandemic was exactly this type of person—and because they had already created the karmic causes in past lives that necessitated a debt of life—once we injected the virus into their bodies, it was only natural that they would follow the path of their karma: death, severe illness, or a slow recovery."
The Trigger of Human Thought
"In this process, we are the spreaders. We need a target and a conducive environment. Specifically, the person must emit a signal: 'I am going to be infected.' Once that message is out, we can immediately use their breath to transmit the virus into their body. If they don't have that thought, we just wait on the sidelines. We wait until the media or other sources trigger that fear in them. If a person lacks that thought, we cannot enter. This aligns perfectly with what Practitioner Su often mentions regarding 'good thoughts.' It is truly the case. But in the current environment, with the rapid spread of media, people get pandemic news instantly. Naturally, they start to worry: 'Will I get infected? How do I protect myself?' The moment that thought arises, if they are already on the list of those destined to receive this , we can strike immediately. The source of it all is their own thought; that is our foothold."
The Path to Protection
"This aligns with the Buddha’s teachings, and it is something I have learned during my time in the Dharma-Nature Land: if one can remain unmoved in the heart even when the external environment is in turmoil, one can safely pass through this pandemic. For most people, this is impossible—unless they are a practitioner, and a very advanced one at that, someone with deep meditative concentration who is not swayed by the outside world. That is why the infection rate on Earth is so high. No one can stop those thoughts from arising. If it is their time to receive retribution, they will be infected."
The Nature of the Virus
"This situation is different from when I and over sixty other plague demons tried to invade Practitioner Su. I was one of them. We took the initiative to find an opening into his body; it was not summoned by his thoughts. We were the aggressors, and we were the ones who failed. That is completely different from the way people, out of fear of death, summon us into their bodies with their own thoughts."
"Some might ask: 'Aren't you plague demons afraid of the mutated viruses?' This involves the nature of space and thought. We are spiritual beings, while the virus is a physical entity. It has shape and quantity; people can see and analyse it with microscopes. How can a spiritual demon carry a physical virus into a human body? Well, demons and 'bad' things are often equated. Since the virus causes death, it is considered 'bad'—even extremely evil—to humans. Because the virus takes human life, we demons can emit signals that align with the virus's attributes. We open a channel for the physical virus to be inhaled through the human breath. The quantity of the virus can be accumulated this way."
"When the viral load reaches a certain point, the person falls ill. The difference between mild symptoms and rapid death depends on the amount of virus that entered and how reacts. That reaction is a matter of karma. It is not decided by us demons; it is a natural law. You sow a negative cause, you reap an evil consequence. Once the person is exposed to the virus, their body's reaction—whether they recover or die—is determined by the laws of karma. We are just the middle-men, the virus's 'good friends,' if you will."
Because of my brilliant performance in school, I became the hope of my entire family. From the moment I started my studies, I passed every hurdle smoothly until I graduated from university. At that time, I was considered a promising young man. My family had the means, so in line with the country's development, they planned to send me abroad for further studies. We chose the United States as our primary destination because it led the world in both finance and technology. If one did not want to be left behind by the era, focusing on technological development was an inevitable priority. I passed the exams and earned the title of an overseas student from mainland China, successfully securing both the language proficiency and the academic major I desired. After enrolling in a prestigious American university, we overseas students had no family to care for us, so we had to rely on each other to get through the adjustment period. That was when I met my girlfriend, who was also from mainland China. At that time, there were many excellent male students in the tech departments, and since female students were in the minority, I was the target of envious gazes from many of them. With our mutual support, my girlfriend and I were very successful in both our grades and our daily lives, which unfortunately invited jealousy—yet we were completely unprepared for it.
A Tragic Betrayal in a Foreign Land
Life as an overseas student back then was extremely challenging. We had to work part-time to support ourselves, pay tuition, and cover all our living expenses. We lived very frugally. However, because of the support from our families, we had no such worries, which sowed the seeds for the tragedy that followed. At that time, attending parties was something only the elite students could afford to do; everyone else was too busy working to even think about it. My girlfriend and I attended a classmate's birthday party wearing our regular clothes. We knew deep down that we were in the minority, so we kept a low profile. But no matter how low-key we were, our couple stood out among the mainland students. We were both tall—I was 180 cm and she was 170 cm—and with our appropriate attire, we were indeed the object of envy. After returning from the party, everyone exchanged pleasantries and talked about the event.
After passing the school's rigorous academic requirements and various examinations, we both graduated successfully. On the day of the graduation party, the faculty and students of our department celebrated together; after all, surviving those years of overseas study was no easy feat. Everyone drank to their hearts' content and offered for each other's bright futures. We were a couple who received many such blessings. On the way back, we hitched a ride with a classmate. Suddenly, both my girlfriend and I began to vomit violently, and our throats and stomachs felt as if they were burning. The classmate let us out to get some air, and then, to our shock, the car just drove away! It was night, and we were in the mountains, freezing cold. We supported each other, but we couldn't walk far. It turned out that our 'good friend' had poisoned our drinks. He was jealous of us because he had been living a very hard life as a student. The poison he used was lethal, intended to ensure we wouldn't survive. We couldn't walk at all; my girlfriend was even rolling on the ground in agony, and I was the same. In the end, we died in each other's arms, trying to keep warm.
The Cold Truth of Our Demise
Because that place was very remote and everyone was busy preparing to find jobs or return home after the party, our disappearance did not attract attention. When our families couldn't reach us, they contacted the school, and it was only after the school investigated and called the police that our bodies were found. By then, it had been two weeks; the bodies had already decomposed, though the cold weather had delayed the onset of the stench. Others assumed we had committed suicide for love, but this reason made no sense at all. We had no reason to end our lives; we had a beautiful future waiting for us. Because there were no suspects for murder, and the autopsy only revealed that we had died after consuming poison, the case was closed under the label of a suicide pact.
Before my girlfriend and I breathed our last, we both understood that our lives had reached their end. She told me, 'Meeting you has made my life complete; I have no regrets.' But I told her, 'We were about to have such a bright future; I am not willing to die like this!' I told her, 'If I die this way, I will not be able to close my eyes in peace!' I thought of my family and parents, the hardships of growing up, and the struggles of studying abroad—all my efforts and visions had vanished into thin air. Seeing my indignation, my girlfriend told me, 'You cannot die like this, you must not!' She wanted me to calm down; she didn't want me to pass away with such a heart. But I was incredibly determined. Although I was holding her, a fire was burning incessantly in my heart. I breathed my last with a gaze filled with rage. I did not close my eyes. I never expected my life to end like this. My spirit left my body in agony—I was a spirit filled with fury and burning heat!
From Human to Demon
After my spirit left my body, I felt myself being drawn by a force into a fiery red world. It was a world composed of darkness and bright red, representing the darkness and anger within my heart. They told me, 'This is the Demon Realm.' I could receive the hearts of everyone there; they were just like me—filled with the fire of rage and despair. From then on, I became a member of the demon crowds. In the Demon Realm, I styled myself as a 'Child of Technology.' I targeted many people in the tech industry or students in related fields who wore masks to interact with others, those who were two-faced, easily jealous, and possessed arrogant, selfish personalities. After I made a name for myself in the Demon Realm, these were the people I sought out. I encouraged them to use their masks to act even more stubbornly, to make their lives chaotic and restless. Such people also possessed the habit of overthinking, often generating many delusions and messy thoughts.
When we later joined this global pandemic, these were the humans we sought out and invaded. So far, the countries we have primarily targeted are the United States and China, with over one hundred thousand people invaded and sixty thousand already deceased. In a world where technology reigns supreme, especially in the two major powers of the US and China, it is not difficult to accumulate such numbers. Just as we were in the heat of spreading the pandemic, news emerged that the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia was coming out to save the world from the pandemic. We came to find out who dared to be unafraid of our virus and make such claims. We never expected to be subdued right here, in the Western Land of Dharma Nature.
A Transformation in the Pure Land
The greatest feature here is the tranquil environment, with three held every week, each one shining with golden light. Here, I have come to know Amitabha Buddha and have witnessed the vast, overflowing number of beings who have come seeking Spiritual Deliverance. I can see that they come from different countries, each with their own unique experiences. Amitabha Buddha and many other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas stand there, continuously leading them into another realm during the Dharma assembly—the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. During the ceremonies, everyone chants the Buddha-name, 'Namo Amituofo.' To me, this Buddha-name is a distant memory from long ago. I had heard my grandmother and neighbors chant it when I was a child, but after my grandmother passed away, I never heard it again. In a country of atheism, the statues and images of these Buddhas and Bodhisattvas had to be kept very carefully, only to be displayed with caution after the country made great strides on the international stage, so as not to be reported or harmed. So, hearing the Buddha-name here stirred up my childhood memories, and I began to chant along.
During these days, having no other choice in the Dharma-Nature Land, I could only listen to Practitioner Su's Dharma talks and attend the Dharma assemblies. I never expected that such a life would make me feel so enriched and change my character. I can no longer find a trace of anger or dissatisfaction in my heart. I am very surprised that such a change could happen in such a short time! Therefore, I believe that my demon nature must have carried a bit of inherent Goodness, which is why I was able to accept the education here so quickly. I have seen Practitioner Su's selfless dedication and endless care for the fourfold assembly. The scenes of Practitioner Su's performing , and the places he passes through, appear before our eyes like a movie. I am amazed that such skills exist in the human world—living not for oneself, but for all beings.
A Heart Purified
In fact, by this time, I have already been purified. When I saw again the souls who had been through the wringer being sent into the Buddha-light during the Dharma assembly, I was deeply moved. I couldn't help but repent for the cruel and ignorant things I had done in the past! I knelt on the ground with my palms together, like an innocent child, feeling sorry for the souls and people I had harmed. A moment of anger had led my spirit into the Demon Realm, and only now have I awakened. Although it is late, it is not too late, because I believe that from now on, my spirit will never harm anyone again. My demon nature has been dissolved by the Buddha-light here, and my heart is filled with deep gratitude and remorse. And so, during the Dharma assembly, I sincerely chant 'Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo...' along with everyone else and the beings participating in the assembly.
The Buddha has bestowed upon me the Dharma name 'Shi Jingxin' (Pure Heart).
Mo Xuanzhuan (Shi Jingxin)
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