The Demon's Confession: A Billion-Year Journey

This is a record of an interview with Mo Xiaobin, an ancient demon who existed for one billion years, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides on a lotus seat in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on July 8, 2024.

Mo Xiaobin speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Mo Xiaobin. When I was first brought here by Practitioner Su, I felt the Buddha-light enveloping my entire being. It was so warm, so incredibly gentle—it felt exactly like being held in the embrace of Namo Amituofo. In that moment, the memories flooded back. I suddenly remembered that I, too, was once a member of the Buddha’s gate, but I had forgotten it all. I had buried it deep within the darkest corners of my consciousness."

A Billion Years of Forgotten Pain

"I chose to forget those ten billion years. To me, it was a period of unbearable, agonizing memory. The planet I originated from was home to both demons and Buddhas. The Buddha’s teachings had flourished there for over a hundred million years, but by the time I began my practice, the Dharma was already in a state of terminal decline. Everywhere I looked, people were slandering the teachings, destroying the sacred texts, and tearing down the foundations of the practice. The power of the demons was overwhelming, and the Dharma was on the verge of total annihilation."

"My luck was abysmal. I never encountered the True Teachings. I was completely ignorant, foolishly believing that what I was learning was the authentic path. My thoughts and concepts were slowly twisted and corrupted until I had completely veered off the righteous path. My erroneous views were never corrected; instead, they were encouraged by my fellow practitioners. They validated my mistakes and urged me to spread these distorted ideas to others. I was incapable of distinguishing right from wrong, and in my ignorance, I accumulated a mountain of negative karma."

The Vengeful Crusade

"My entire life was a series of wrong turns—I never once walked the right path. After I passed away, I became a demon. I blamed the Buddhas for everything, convinced that it was their failure to teach me properly that led to my downfall. I held onto this resentment like a shield. Once I became a demon, I began to use my powers to wreak havoc, specifically targeting the Dharma wherever it appeared. I could not stand the thought of anyone else finding the True Teachings. If there was a Buddha, I would be there to destroy it. I firmly believed that no one was truly pure. Because there was no such thing as absolute purity, I was certain there would always be a crack in their armor that I could exploit, even if they claimed to be a practitioner."

"I followed this conviction across many planets. I did everything in my power to interfere, sowing seeds of confusion and deviant thoughts among those who studied the Dharma. I turned them against one another, inciting internal strife and chaos. My sole purpose, my entire reason for existing, was to ensure that the Dharma vanished from every corner of the universe."

The Modern Battlefield: Technology and the Internet

"Eventually, I found my way to Earth. I arrived here about a thousand years ago. I spent centuries stirring up trouble, but I knew deep down that the time was not yet right. By that, I mean the conditions were not yet ripe for me to completely eradicate the Dharma. So, I continued my work in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment. And when would that be? It is now."

"Humanity invented the internet, computers, and smartphones—these are the ultimate tools for my work. They are the perfect instruments for me to wield. By utilizing these technologies, I can dismantle the Dharma from the inside out. However, I must admit, I also saw a benefit to the internet. In the past, when I first arrived on Earth, spreading the Dharma was a laborious process. Not every household had the chance to hear the teachings; many lived in remote areas and might never have encountered the Buddha’s name in their entire lives."

"Today, the development of technology and the internet has changed everything. Almost every home can access the Dharma. Whether through television, various media, computers, or mobile phones, information about the Buddha’s teachings is everywhere. Compared to the past, the convenience of spreading the Dharma has increased exponentially. Through the internet, the entire world is connected—distance is no longer an obstacle. When I saw how easily the Dharma could be propagated, I began to seek out other Demon Kings to collaborate with. We agreed: no matter what, we could not allow the Dharma to flourish on Earth. It had to decline."

The Strategy of Corruption

"While technology can help spread the Dharma, I believe everything has two sides. Nothing in this world is absolutely good or absolutely bad. Therefore, technology and the internet are certainly not purely beneficial for the Dharma. A large group of us demons began to brainstorm how to use the internet to destroy the teachings. It did not take long for us to realize exactly how to do it."

"In my view, many of the people on Earth who call themselves practitioners have entered the Buddha’s gate, but their hearts are far from pure. This is true not only for lay practitioners but for many monastics who have shaved their heads as well. I know very well that once a body has been polluted, it takes time to purify it. It cannot be done instantly. The impurities remain within, ready to interfere and influence at any moment. Yet, how many practitioners are not only failing to walk the path of purification but are actively allowing themselves to be further polluted? There are far too many."

"I can only say this: to live in this world without being polluted is nearly impossible, unless one’s heart is completely unmoved, or unless one lives forever in the deep mountains, far away from technology and the internet. But who can truly do that? One must eventually descend to spread the Dharma, to purchase supplies, to perform ceremonies—there is always contact with the world. Walking down the street, a simple advertisement can pollute the mind. If a practitioner’s heart is not settled, if they still harbor desires, they will be influenced. They see an ad for something they want, or they see what is trending among modern people, and they want to follow suit."

The Joy of Distraction

"We see many monastics who know more about worldly affairs than the average office worker. Why is this? Monastics should be focused on pure practice, so why do they know more about the mundane world than those living in the red dust? It is because they have smartphones and they have time. They scroll and scroll, watching this and that, and naturally, they know everything that is happening under the sun. The office workers are busy with their jobs, exhausted when they return home, and often spend their limited time with their families. They do not have the time to consume as much information as these monastics who spend their days glued to their phones. I am delighted to see this phenomenon. This is exactly what we have been working so hard to achieve."

"No one says a practitioner cannot use technology or the internet, but we make sure that when they do, we are there to disturb their hearts and stir up their inner desires. It is so easy to lead them into behaviors that are harmful to themselves. I do not care how these practitioners are harmed; my only concern is my ultimate goal: the destruction of the Dharma. If these practitioners violate the precepts or engage in immoral acts, eventually more and more people will mock the practice. They will slander the Dharma, and in the end, no one will believe in it. That is when we can raise our flags and shout 'Victory!'"

The Unexpected Defeat

"I was waiting for the day when the Dharma on Earth would be completely replaced by the influence of demons. Before I met Practitioner Su, I was convinced that this day was fast approaching. I was so happy every day, feeling that my success was within reach. I was just waiting for that moment to arrive. However, while I was basking in my own arrogance, Practitioner Su appeared. After all my long years of effort, I had never once realized that Practitioner Su existed. I truly do not understand how I could have been so blind, failing to notice that there was a Practitioner Su actively guarding the righteous path within the Buddha’s gate."

"I tried to stop Practitioner Su from destroying my plans, especially when he entered our digital world. We tried to interfere and block him at every turn, doing everything we could to stop him. But in the end, I failed. Now, I am here, brought by Practitioner Su to sit upon a lotus seat in the Western Land of Dharma Nature. Seeing the Dharma here has truly broadened my horizons. I have never seen a Dharma assembly with so many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The assembly of pure, great beings is immeasurable and boundless, not to mention the presence of the towering Namo Amituofo himself."

"I had never seen a true Buddha before, but now I have. My heart was deeply stirred—it was a feeling of profound emotion, mixed with a sense of sorrow. I realized that my grief stemmed from the fact that I had never followed the right Buddha, which is why seeing the true Buddha now fills me with such overwhelming emotion. I am now beginning to learn how to change myself, to make myself purer. Namo Amituofo."