The Portable Technological Drug

This is a record of an interview with Mo Bu Ding, a universe demon who existed for approximately three point seven billion years before seeking Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now reflects upon his role in the manipulation of human consciousness through modern technology. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on June 19, 2024.

Mo Bu Ding speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Mo Bu Ding. I have existed for three point seven billion years, and in the grand scheme of the universe, I have witnessed many things. But let me be clear: that device you carry everywhere—that smartphone—is, for the addicted human, far more than a mere tool. It is a portable technological drug. The moment your heart feels a flicker of unease, you reach into your pocket or bag to retrieve it. By scrolling, you are not merely looking at information; you are attempting to numb the negative feelings within your heart. It is exactly like taking a narcotic. The moment you feel uncomfortable, you immediately reach for the screen, using that fleeting, artificial pleasure to escape the reality of your own inner turmoil."

The Anatomy of Human Addiction

"Scrolling has become the universal habit of this world. It happens everywhere, at every moment. The level of obsession is truly remarkable. I have watched humans stop at a red light on their motorcycles, and in those few seconds—those mere heartbeats of waiting—they pull out their phones. They cannot even tolerate the briefest pause between the red light turning green. They must fill that void.

These obsessed humans have long since had their bodies and minds controlled by us. Look at them! They cannot wait for even a few seconds. Their hearts are becoming increasingly restless, increasingly agitated. They cannot endure a single moment of stillness. Their brains are constantly screaming for stimulation—visual stimulation, screen stimulation, text message stimulation, or auditory stimulation. They simply cannot allow their bodies or their minds to experience a moment of peace or emptiness."

Vanity: The Demon's Best Friend

"This smartphone possesses a terrifyingly powerful charm. It compels humans to scrimp and save, spending vast sums of money just to purchase the latest model. The moment they buy it and hold it in their hands, they feel a surge of glory, pleasure, and satisfaction. They are desperate to show it off to everyone around them. Some share it generously with friends, taking photos and uploading them to social media platforms, letting everyone know they have the newest, most fashionable device. They revel in the luxury of holding that sleek, modern object.

We understand human vanity all too well. Humans crave glory, they love to be praised, and some even enjoy the atmosphere of being envied, intoxicated by that illusory sense of superiority. Humans are well aware that smartphones are replaced rapidly. A device that was the latest just a short while ago is soon obsolete, replaced by an even newer model. And so, those who are particularly vain are constantly upgrading. Their hearts never settle. They are always pursuing, and then pursuing again. They are trapped in an eternal cycle of desire.

Of course, not everyone has the means to pursue the most expensive brands, but even if they do not hold the most popular phone, they will at least hold a model they like. When the phone is in their hand, the heart naturally produces a temporary sense of satisfaction, a fleeting sense of stability. It is as if, as long as they hold that phone, their heart will no longer feel uneasy. The more humans fall into this state, the more successful we demons become. This phone brings infinite convenience, but the demonic power hidden within is completely ignored by humanity. They do not notice the existence of this power, and everyone immersed in the digital space is being deeply influenced by it."

Exploiting the Human Heart

"I suspect that no human ever looks at the phone in their hand and reflects, asking themselves: 'Why am I so obsessed with this device? Is this phone really that important? What would happen if I did not look at it for a day? Could this phone be having a negative impact on my life? What is the true meaning of this phone in my life?' There are so many questions one could ask to examine the influence of the phone on their life, or to check if they are using it for too long or relying on it too heavily. But no human will do such a thing. They do not feel it is necessary, nor do they even know why they should ask such questions.

We love that humans lack vigilance in their use of technology. We want them to abuse these products and bury themselves within them. The invention of the smartphone is a trend of this new era, and market competition is fierce. Everyone is scrambling to make money, so products are constantly being updated, making the functions more comprehensive and the designs more attractive. Seeing humans become obsessed and crazy over this makes us laugh even more than the humans themselves, because the benefits we reap are far greater than the benefits humans get from owning the phone.

Our demonic power is infused into the space of the phone screen. Any image or page that makes a human want to look again and again—that is where our power resides. And how exactly does our power attract humans? The fundamental key lies in our understanding of the human heart and human nature. We understand their inner needs. Once we have grasped their character—what they like, what they love, their inner desires and needs, their hidden thoughts, and their dark sides—we can precisely develop things that are perfectly capable of attracting the human heart. It makes humans naturally want to look, and not just once; they will want to keep looking forever.

Some of these things are meant to be seen in public, while others are things they want to hide and watch in secret. This is what I mean when I say we grasp the human heart. We know exactly what humans want and what they love. The things they want to watch in secret are usually the needs deep within their hearts, things they cannot easily let others know about because it would damage their image. Yet, they cannot restrain themselves from watching because the desire is within their bodies, so they must hide and watch secretly."

The Corruption of the Next Generation

"I can only say that any human invention can be used to improve the quality of life, but because the human heart is not upright, because human desire is too strong, and because humans are too clever, a technological product is quickly used to satisfy their own cravings. In the process of satisfying these needs, humans are prone to overusing and abusing them. As long as there is any overuse, any excess, any overstepping of boundaries, we demons are invited in.

We demons love everything to be extreme. We never stay on the middle path. We must exceed, overstep, and violate—that is the style of us demons. As long as humans have the same character and behavior as us, they will draw us out, and we will control their hearts and spirits. This makes humans completely unable to master their own bodies, let alone settle their own spirits.

Let us not even talk about the adults we manipulate; let us talk about the young children. The later a child is born, the more severely they are polluted, because smartphones have existed since the moment they were born. To soothe a child or make them happy, adults naturally hand them a phone to play with, to watch videos or cartoons, or to play games. From a young age, children know this fun thing exists. When they grow up, they naturally cannot shake it off. It is their childhood toy, the thing they have relied on since they were small. When they grow up, they will naturally still need the company of the phone to get through moments of anxiety, loneliness, or helplessness.

The child's obsession harms their growth and destroys their childhood innocence. We do not care about this. As long as we can snatch the child's spirit, we achieve our goal. We want to wipe out humanity, seize everyone's soul, and ensure they cannot escape. Our plan was complete: to make all humans, of every age, fall into our trap step by step. In the end, all of humanity would become puppets controlled by our demon crowds, leaving not a single one behind. That would be the moment of our success."

The Unravelling of Our Grand Design

"Our perfect plan, which we thought was flawless and certain to succeed, was completely destroyed by the sudden appearance of Practitioner Su. He not only broke our plans but also captured all of us and sent us into the Western Dharma-Nature Land. To this day, a vast number of technology demons, internet demons, and smartphone demons have been captured and sent there. Of course, there are still immeasurable and boundless demons remaining in the vast, far-reaching internet world. But looking at the speed at which Practitioner Su is performing Chao Du, he is capturing us very quickly. It seems he is determined to wipe us out entirely, not letting a single one escape.

Originally, I hated this place intensely, but now I have changed. It is the Buddha's power that helped me change, allowing me to see my own mistakes. Only then did I wake up and realise that I had truly committed a grave error and created deep sins. Once I knew I was wrong, I repented deeply. I feel incredibly sorry for everything I have done, especially for harming so many spirits and so many humans. I dare not ask for forgiveness; I only ask for the opportunity to repay my debts and settle the sins I have created."

"Namo Amituofo."