The Demon's Confession: From Palace Beauty to Mara

Lin Lifang was once a gifted lady in the imperial palace, whose life was cut short by a brutal and unexpected betrayal. Consumed by the fires of hatred and agony, she descended into the dark depths of the Demon Realm, where she became a powerful entity dedicated to manipulating human hearts and driving others toward their own destruction. She eventually sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre after her leader failed to return from an inspection of the temple. This interview was recorded on March 18, 2020.

Lin Lifang speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Hahaha! Who is the true demon? People in this world are terrified of demons, yet they do not realise that they are often more demonic than the demons themselves. Consider the 'inner demon'—every person's heart is like a bottomless abyss that they cannot grasp. The desires within are endless: terrifying greed for wealth, emotion, fame, and power.

As long as something benefits them, even if they cannot obtain it, they will use every possible means—no matter how unscrupulous—to seize it. What is truly terrifying is that for the sake of wealth, if they cannot get it, they will commit murder. Some are even more depraved; if they cannot win someone's heart, they sell their own bodies. If that fails, they become even more ruthless, using drugs and poisons, stopping at nothing to possess what they want. Even more horrifying is the pursuit of fame, status, and ambition—the desire to conquer the entire world, launching wars with nuclear and biochemical weapons. For their own gain, they disregard the lives of others. They will do anything to achieve their ends. How terrifying the human heart is! The human heart is far more demonic than any demon!"

A Tragic Fall from Grace

"I grew up in a simple, rustic countryside. My parents worked from sunrise to sunset. I was the youngest in the family, blessed with delicate features, sweet dimples, and a gentle voice. My parents and brothers doted on me, and I lived a carefree life. The greatest gift my parents gave me was the opportunity to attend a private school, where I studied music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Being clever and quick-witted, I mastered these arts rapidly and became known in my hometown as a gifted lady.

When the imperial palace held a selection for court ladies, I was chosen. I was filled with hope, dreaming of 'flying onto the branch to become a phoenix.' My dream truly came true. I was fortunate enough to be selected as a noble lady. With my proficiency in the arts and my sharp intellect, I quickly gained the Emperor's favour. At that time, I was oblivious to the treachery of the human heart, lost in my beautiful dream, never imagining that a catastrophe was about to descend upon me. One night, I was drugged. When I awoke, I found myself in a prison cell. I was tortured, my face was disfigured, and my breasts were sliced off. I fainted from the agony. No one applied medicine to my wounds; they simply left me to endure that excruciating pain. My wounds became inflamed and swollen, my entire body burned with fever, and I writhed on the floor in unbearable torment."

The Birth of a Demon

"Heavens! I had no intention of harming anyone, yet there were those who harboured such malice toward me. Such cruel methods—I hated them to death! My hatred and my desire for revenge swirled in my mind. I wailed in agony, and slowly, my life ebbed away, bit by bit. After death, I was sucked away by a powerful force and brought to what they call the Demon Realm. Later, the Demon King took me under his wing and taught me how to become a great demon.

Because of my deep-seated hatred, I quickly learned how to manipulate human hearts. Especially within the palace, where intrigue and deception were rampant, I learned to control those who were already scheming. I drove them to act without conscience, to continue creating negative karma until they finally suffered the retribution they deserved. Only then was my heart's hatred somewhat appeased."

The Power of Compassion

"Hahaha! If the human heart were not filled with cruelty and possessiveness, we would have no opportunity to manipulate it. It is all because they create so much evil that they reap what they sow. For these past days, under the leadership of our Demon King, we have been participating in the mission to destroy humanity. A few days before joining this task, my Demon King said he was going to inspect the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, but he never returned.

I brought my 'demon children and grandchildren' here to investigate. I was subdued by the peaceful, auspicious energy of this place, which sliced away half of my resentment. I was sent by Practitioner Su to the Dharma-Nature Land to listen to the sutras. After listening for two days, I finally understood that all karmic conditions and the causes and effects are the result of evil ties, grievances, and emotional entanglements formed in past lives.

Today I take revenge on him, tomorrow he takes revenge on me. Because I was once a victim, my resentment turned me into a demoness. I should have used the empathy of a victim, not the hatred of a victim, to control others and drive them to create negative karma from which they could not escape, ultimately leading them to suffer retribution in hell. Only after listening to the Dharma did I realise that in my quest for revenge, I had created such immense negative karma that it is difficult to repay. I repent for the evil karma I have created, and I pray for the Buddha's compassion to save those whom I have harmed.

I am grateful to Namo Amituofo and to Practitioner Su for giving me this chance at rebirth."

"Namo Amituofo."