The Power of a Vow

This is a record of an interview with Mo Ti-na, a Primordial Demon who existed 273 trillion years ago. He sought Spiritual Deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia after attempting to interfere with the Dharma assembly and the fourfold assembly. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land and reflects on his transformation and the boundless power of Namo Amituofo. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on October 19, 2024.

Mo Ti-na speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Mo Ti-na. It was only after I entered the Buddha-land that I realised how many gaping holes existed in my past perceptions and ideas. For trillions of years, I had always been 'just being myself.' I truly believed that this was the ultimate way to express my existence. I thought that by following my own desires and impulses, I was living in the most authentic way possible.

For these past trillions of years, as I roamed as a demon, I was always 'doing me.' But in the process of being so self-centred, I caused immense harm to countless beings, and I was completely oblivious to the suffering I left in my wake. Honestly, I never cared. I never gave it a second thought. That was until I entered the Buddha-land and witnessed Practitioner Su performing Chao Du. I saw him open up infinite dimensions, each with its own distinct era. It was then that I realised the eras within these spaces had never truly vanished. The entire Dharma Realm is like a massive memory bank, recording every single event, no matter how large or small. Many of the sentient beings within those spaces still exist today. This means that all the times I rampaged across various planets, wreaking havoc and hurting people, those spaces and the suffering I caused are still there, etched into the fabric of the universe.

The Weight of Past Karma

When I thought about this, I was struck by a terrifying realisation: how could I ever repay the debts I had incurred? How could I possibly make amends for the lives I had shattered? Because of this, once I entered the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I found myself in a state of constant, deep repenting. I prayed, hoping that when Practitioner Su performed his deliveries, he would pass through the very planets and spaces I had once destroyed. I felt that if those spaces could be saved, my own self-reproach might lessen, and those sentient beings would finally have a chance to escape their cycle of suffering.

I prayed in my heart, over and over again. To my utter astonishment, my wish was granted. I watched as the Dharma Body of Practitioner Su moved through the very places I had once laid to waste. These planets had been left charred, broken, and utterly desolate by my hands. I remember how, back then, I felt a twisted sense of pride when I turned a vibrant world into a wasteland. To me, those planets were useless, discarded husks that no one would ever want, so I simply abandoned them.

Restoration Through the Holy Name

I never imagined I would have the chance to see those planets restored to life. I saw the creatures I had harmed—those who were still suffering in those ancient spaces—suddenly acting as if nothing had ever happened, returning to their normal, peaceful lives. My heart was so moved, so filled with gratitude. It was an overwhelming experience.

The restoration of these entire worlds took nothing more than the time it takes to chant the Holy Name 'Namo Amituofo' once. This left me deeply shaken. I realised that every single utterance of the Buddha-name carries an infinite, boundless force throughout the Dharma Realm. This was my first time truly seeing and hearing the greatness of the Buddha-power of Namo Amituofo. Now, under the guidance of such a magnificent Buddha, I truly feel that I am the luckiest being in existence.

The Roots of Arrogance

I, Mo Ti-na, am not necessarily 'evil' in the way you might think, but I am not 'good' either. I am simply a being with a very strong personality and very firm ideas of my own. From the very beginning, I followed my own path. Because my abilities were not insignificant, almost everything I set out to do succeeded. That success was the very seed of my arrogance. Once I entered the Demon Realm, my arrogance never once caused me to suffer a setback. I ran rampant everywhere, and no one could stop me.

I led my 'demon children and grandchildren' to become a formidable force within the Dharma Realm. 'Darkness' became our synonym. We not only wore black, but our very way of operating was dark. Wherever we swept through, that space would become a realm of absolute shadow. And what does darkness make people feel? Fear. Pure, unadulterated fear.

The Failed Assault

Our method of attack was to plunge a space into total darkness. When sentient beings are trapped in such a void, even if they have the ability to resist, they lose the power to do so. Fear alone is enough to strip them of their strength. Our demon crowd had a unique trait: our eyes could see perfectly clearly even in the deepest darkness. This allowed us to control the beings we covered in shadow, to toy with them, and to humiliate them. In the Dharma Realm, we had never encountered an opponent. No one had ever dared to interfere with us.

That was until recently, when word spread across the Dharma Realm that a brilliant, incomparable golden light was sweeping through the universe. The scale of this cleansing was vast and boundless. With my sensitivity, I watched the entire scene unfold. When the Buddha-light shone down, every spirit reacted differently. Some laughed with joy, others were filled with gratitude, as if they had finally found hope. Seeing so many spirits in so many spaces transformed by this immense light, I felt a deep sense of resentment. I have never liked to lose, so my first instinct was to destroy that light.

When my vanguard troops tried to stop that light, they were simply absorbed into it, unable to return. I was shocked. That is why I changed my strategy to a targeted attack. The target was Practitioner Su, and the fourfold assembly around him became our secondary objectives. We locked onto our target and began our assault. To us, Practitioner Su possessed immense energy, but we believed that even with such power, there must be a weak point we could exploit. For trillions of years, whatever I set my mind to, I achieved. I thought this time would be no different.

The Transformation of the Demon

We targeted Practitioner Su, intending to take him down in the shortest time possible. We unleashed our full demonic power, attacking his entire body. We were fearless in our darkness. We poured our demonic energy onto him, expecting him to be controlled by us, to lose his ability to master his own mind. But what happened was the exact opposite of our expectations. No matter how powerful our demonic energy was, it had no effect on Practitioner Su. I knew he could feel the attack, but he didn't even flinch. I thought to myself, 'In this situation, shouldn't he be rolling on the ground in agony? Why is he still sitting there so calmly?'

We continued our assault, trying to blind him, to make it impossible for him to move. If we had succeeded, we would have been heroes in the Demon Realm. But as we pushed harder, we suddenly found ourselves enveloped by that very same golden light. I saw the light coming and my mind screamed to escape, but it was too late. Our entire being was being purified. We began to possess an energy unlike anything we had ever known. The dark, evil impulses that had driven us to destroy simply vanished after that purification.

Now, in the space of the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I am a completely different being. My heart has gradually calmed, allowing me to observe the changes in everything around me. What fills my vision is a sea of golden light. Practitioner Su uses massive beams of light to sweep across the entire Dharma Realm. Every time he performs a delivery, he achieves a new breakthrough, reaching into even more subtle dimensions. In these infinite dimensions, Practitioner Su manifests infinite Dharma Bodies to lead beings to salvation. The power of his Dharma Body is already immense, yet he still brings along the demon crowds who have come to surrender. By letting us participate in these magnificent delivery ceremonies, he is actually helping us dissolve our karma and helping even more beings.

Everyone has different sentient beings with karmic affinity. If one truly makes a vow, the reach of that vow is immeasurable. Practitioner Su is constantly leading in various ways, all with the single purpose of hoping that more beings can escape the cycle of rebirth. The vast and magnificent scenes I witness are born entirely from the sincerity of his vow. A person's true vow can possess infinite power, and Practitioner Su is the perfect example of this. From the perspective of the spiritual realms, Practitioner Su is so bright that countless beings are flocking to him, seeking Spiritual Deliverance. Even more demons come to interfere, but his great power always breaks through. This spirit moves me deeply. The once-crowded spaces of the Dharma Realm are beginning to tremble because of his vow to save all beings. I am so grateful for this magnificent Causal Condition. Namo Amituofo."