The Redemption of the Plague Demon

This is a record of an interview with Mo Lianyu, a plague demon who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, having been transformed by the compassion of Namo Amituofo and the guidance of Practitioner Su. This account reflects upon his 15,000-year existence in the demon realms and his eventual conversion. Recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe, on August 23, 2021.

Mo Lianyu (Shi Yongming) speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Mo Lianyu. I have been at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in the Western Dharma-Nature Land for about two or three weeks now. I never imagined that time could pass so quickly here! When I first arrived at the temple to scout the area, I had barely approached Practitioner Su before I was discovered and sent directly to the Dharma-Nature Land. I was interviewed before I even understood the situation or my own predicament. Now, after spending this time here, I have come to understand this place. When you see one point, you can see the lines and the planes connected to it; you do not need to see the whole picture to predict its development. This is the kind of capability required by those who manage the big picture. Every single thing I have witnessed over these past few weeks has its own causes, conditions, and effects.

The Nature of the Demon Realm

Demons exist as spiritual beings. It is not just that demons exist in the human world; the demons in the vastness of the Dharma Realm are immeasurable and boundless. To be honest, the existence of demons is a byproduct of the development of the human heart. To put it more precisely, it is the mutation of human nature that summons demons to manifest. Therefore, the abilities possessed by demons also strengthen and change in accordance with the shifts in human hearts. For this current pandemic, the demon realm that was summoned to participate included Demon Kings with all sorts of different abilities. Because this world contains all kinds of human hearts, it is only appropriate that the Demon King who best understands a specific type of human heart is put in charge of the pandemic's development for those people. For this pandemic, we were primarily responsible for China and Taiwan. There were approximately 157,000 victims, and about 7,500 of them passed away.

The pandemic control centre is constantly adjusting the responsible Demon Kings due to the volatility, anxiety, and fear within human hearts. For those who know how to reflect, repent, and seek change, the chances of falling ill or dying can be adjusted. This is not something decided solely by the Demon Kings. The universe has its own inherent pattern of karmic progression. For those who truly reflect and repent, a path to survival can be left open. People have a saying: 'Heaven has the virtue of loving life.' This phrase is not suitable for our demon realm because it is filled with benevolence and universal love—that is not the style of the demon realm! However, the demon realm is not stupid. Under our hard-line approach, we also look for a way out for ourselves, and that is where this phrase can come into play. Because I have spent these days listening to many interviews related to the demon realm in the Dharma-Nature Land, and because I have witnessed the reality of Practitioner Su subduing Demon Kings with my own eyes, my heart has naturally undergone some changes. The tough attitude and methods displayed by demons actually hide a past that no one knows about. This is an aspect the demon realm never wants to understand, because once you understand it, you cannot continue to do what you do; the spirit of the demon realm would be destroyed.

The Cycle of Transmission

The demon realm also requires transmission from generation to generation; this is not something that only happens in the Buddha realm. In my 15,000 years of life in the demon realm, I have seen the changes of many Demon Kings and their demon children and grandchildren. I, too, have been through the wringer in the demon realm to achieve what I have today. The Demon Kings everyone sees now are almost all filled with demon nature. Yet, on the other side that no one knows about, when these Demon Kings were still just demon children, were there not conflicts? So-called spirituality has an inherent, innate goodness. At uncertain times and in uncertain places, this goodness will poke its head out. In such a situation, it is a threat to demon nature, and it is not something the demon realm is happy to see. Naturally, it must be punished so that the demon children with this innate goodness are warned not to repeat the mistake, not to show their goodness or their true character again. If they can survive by following the rules of the demon realm, then these demon children will no longer be threatened by their innate goodness. They become more and more demonic, until one day they reach the heart of a Demon King and can subdue many other demon children. It is because the Demon King has experienced and seen these processes and changes that he has the ability to lead his subordinates forward on the demon path without retreating!

Of course, not every demon child is so obedient. There are some who, no matter how much they are punished, still reveal their innate goodness and remain unafraid. Such demons, whose demon nature is weak and whose innate goodness is strong, cannot continue to survive in the demon realm. Most are punished and driven out. This so-called punishment means taking their souls away from the demon realm. As for their subsequent destination and fate, it has nothing to do with the demon realm. In my experience, the destinations of these souls driven out of the demon realm are arranged by the principles of the natural world. They are attracted to sewers, beneath the earth, under mountains, or beneath icebergs, or they become wandering spirits drifting in the six realms of existence. In any case, we never track the whereabouts of these souls; this is to ensure our demon nature is not 'polluted.' It is lamentable to say, but this 'pollution' is the growth of innate goodness, and all of this is done so that the demon nature can continue to be transmitted.

The Crisis of the Demon Realm

Of course, spirits do not die again. As long as you can follow the rules of the demon realm and are not subject to the sanctions of the universe's natural laws, you can survive in the demon realm indefinitely. Just as I was able to survive for 15,000 years, only to be subdued by Practitioner Su under the Buddha's gate, which ended my life in the demon realm. During the Dharma Assembly, Practitioner Su took several Demon Kings and their subordinates to witness the fate of the demon realm. Many are crushed under icebergs or mountains, or melted into magma to suffer. This is the retribution that demons receive in the natural world. By comparison, I am much luckier than them!

For those demons who receive this natural retribution or whose demon lives are terminated, if their demon abilities could also be transmitted within the demon realm, it would certainly increase the power and might of the demon realm, allowing the power of so-called 'good Dharma' to be threatened and filled with fear. This is what is meant by the 'transmission of the demon realm.' If there is no opportunity for transmission, the demon realm naturally has other demons who emerge to develop another kind of demonic life force. Therefore, where there is Buddha, there is Mara; where there is good, there is evil. This is also a principle of the universe.

If we want the balance of the universe to be maintained, walking the path of Truth and the righteous path is a necessary road. If we want the universe to lose its balance and the Earth to lose its original operating principles, such a world will be a world dominated by the demon path. If Buddha and demons exist simultaneously, this Truth and righteous path can still exist, and the Earth's positive life force can still be preserved. But if the power of demons becomes greater than the power of the Buddha, this Earth will lose its original peace and be gradually covered by demon nature. That situation might not be the life people want to live, but if human hearts become more and more in sync with the demon realm, such a day may not be very far off!

A Warning to the Demon Realm

Since the demon realm can participate in this pandemic, making people appear so fragile and powerless, one can imagine that if this continues, the day the demon realm rules over humanity will not be far away! Is it possible that humanity's time is not yet up? Because at this moment, it is reported that Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su are willing to come forward to save us from this pandemic. If this really happens, based on my observations of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre over these past two or three weeks, it is possible. Although Practitioner Su has always had this vow and has been actively calling on those who have influence over the pandemic to come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre to seek Namo Amituofo's help, I have not yet seen this figure appear. This is what makes the demon realm breathe a sigh of relief. After all, for every day it is delayed, the demon realm can exert its influence for one more day, and humanity will suffer one more day of casualties. If this figure truly appears and lets Namo Amituofo come out to save us from this pandemic, it will be a great threat to the demon realm. It might be time for the demon realm to stop!

I cannot move here, so I can only take this opportunity to spread the word and let the children and grandchildren of the demon realm prepare themselves. When I speak now, I cannot be too definitive, as that would weaken the confidence of the demon realm, but I also cannot fail to tell the truth so that the demon realm can take precautions. The ebb and flow of the power of Buddha and demons is such that when the Buddha's power is exerted to the maximum, the demonic power will be driven away, weakened, or even eliminated. When the demonic power is exerted to the maximum, the Buddha's power can still exist, because the Buddha's selflessness can pervade the vastness of the Dharma Realm and extend a helping hand to beings whose conditions have matured or who are in need at any time and any place. If the power of the demon realm controls the entire world or most regions, it should be able to exert its strength to prevent people from coming into contact with the Buddha's teachings. In this way, the demon realm would have a chance to control the entire Earth. But in such a situation, even if the Buddha's teachings cannot exert their power in most areas, as long as there is one place where the Buddha's teachings exist, where the Buddha-heart, Buddha-vow, and Buddha-actions exist, if this Buddha-heart and Buddha-vow want to save the Earth, and the external conditions are mature, allowing this Buddha-heart, Buddha-vow, and Buddha-actions to be realised, the efforts the demon realm has made before might not be guaranteed, and they might even be expelled or subdued. It is hard to say. This is the crisis currently facing the demon realm because of the rise of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre and the willingness of Namo Amituofo to come out to save us from the pandemic!

A Primitive Past

I have to say these things to give a warning to the demon realm! This can be considered as putting a full stop to my life in the demon realm. I have done right by the people of my demon realm! Because looking at the current situation, I have no way to leave this place, and it is very likely that I will enter the Buddha's path later, because here, I have no other choice. Listening to the sutras and hearing the Dharma every day, being bathed in the Buddha-light of the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, and hearing the name of Namo Amituofo echoing in this space twenty-four hours a day—this is truly the best way to remove demon nature and reveal the Buddha-nature!

Just as when we train demon children, we inevitably exclude all good thoughts, pure thoughts, and contact with information related to the Buddha's teachings, so as not to let the compassion and wisdom of the Buddha's teachings stain the demon heart and demon resentment, and not to let the demon heart and demon resentment fade or weaken, so that they can be fully exerted! Now, the influence I have received here is gradually fading away my previous demon nature, bit by bit. As the demon nature fades by one part, the Buddha-nature will reveal itself by one part. Waiting for that day when the demon nature has all faded away, and the Buddha-nature is fully revealed, when the Buddha-heart replaces the demon nature, there will be one less Demon King in the world. I can foresee that I am walking on this path. This is not about destroying my own demonic ambition; it is just telling the truth. This is the brilliance of the Buddha's teachings and the Buddha's power. I can still advise the demon realm to be on high alert now, but perhaps after some time, what I say will not be like this; perhaps I will advise everyone to let go. Alright! I have said what I wanted to say. Now, let me talk about my past.

15,000 years ago, the human world was a wild and primitive world. People at that time lived a primitive life; that is to say, I was one of those primitive people. People today call them 'primitive humans' to make a distinction in the process of human evolution. For us at that time, we were integrated into the natural world; we were a part of the natural world, not separating ourselves as belonging to another part, because the ancestors of primitive people survived in this way. In the history of evolution, all naturally occurring abilities and changes were changes made to survive under the changes of the natural world. My life at that time was very simple. Apart from natural disasters that could cause us harm, the other harm was when other primitive people's lives were threatened and they needed to migrate, they would occupy the living areas of other primitive people, causing fighting and casualties. This situation can be seen everywhere in the natural world. Animals often occupy the territory of others of their own kind to survive. The winner is the king, and the loser is the bandit. This is the principle of the natural world. To survive, one has no choice but to harm the other. Whether among primitive people or animals, it is natural for leaders to appear in groups to lead everyone to face foreign aggression.

This ability and way of survival did not need to be taught; it was a natural instinct. Therefore, the survival of animals and primitive people at that time was so simple. Primitive people were part of the animal kingdom. This state of the natural world lasted for a very long time, even for tens of millions of years.

The Thrice Yearning Ceremonies

In the era I lived in, all of this was part of the natural world. So how did I enter the demon realm? It was because the place where we lived was destroyed by an unknown external force. The entire sky was covered, and we and many animals lost the sunlight for a long time, living in darkness, which caused the death of many primitive people and animals or changes in their temperament. They became cruel, aggressive, disobedient, and would harm other companions. Everyone lived in anxiety, longing for the appearance of sunlight but having no ability to change it. At that time, the strange phenomenon in the sky was covered by the dark forces of the universe. They needed active souls to be slaves to do things for them, so they did this. They would absorb the souls of animals and primitive people after they died into their dark forces. Thus, my companions and I died in this way, and our souls were absorbed by the dark forces, and from then on, we entered the demon realm.

From then until now, 15,000 years have passed in the demon realm. Now that I am recounting these past events, why am I still so clear about them? These memories had been sealed by me for a long time. I did not expect that mentioning them now would still be so clear. Perhaps it is because in this environment, the Buddha-light is always shining on us, and there is no time when it gets dark, so the memory has become so clear? This should be the result of the purification of the soul, right? At that time, among our companions, there were men, women, old, young, children, and even pregnant women, just like the original natural structure of human beings. Not one could be spared; everyone could not escape the dark forces at that time. Everyone had no choice but to become demons, that is, demon children. In the demon realm, everyone's soul needs to learn a lot. During the learning process, it will trigger the hidden demon nature within oneself, allowing this demon nature to continue to increase and deepen. Beings with strong demon nature have the possibility of becoming Demon Kings, ruling over a region. It was under these circumstances that I climbed step by step to the status of a Demon King. Therefore, in my spiritual life, the human body was something from 15,000 years ago!

For these 15,000 years, I have lived in the spiritual space of the demon realm. Everything I say and see now is the accumulation of learning and experience in the demon realm. I did not expect that in the nearly three weeks I have spent in the Dharma-Nature Land, my 15,000 years of demon nature could be gradually diluted. Besides sighing, I also feel a bit of peace in my heart. It is truly a world of difference compared to the calm, decisive, and uncompromising personality I had in the demon realm before! Therefore, the Western Dharma-Nature Land is a place full of Buddha-nature, which is why it has the ability to purify my demon nature. This is why the Buddha's teachings have the ability to subdue demon resentment, right?

My greatest feeling during these days is what I have seen and heard in the Dharma Assembly. Darkness and brightness, evil and good, demons and Buddha—these polarized contrasts often shape polarized spirituality and life. If I say that I was in an extremely dark world in the demon realm before, then in the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, what I saw was an extremely bright world of the Buddha's teachings. The golden light of Namo Amituofo shines over the entire earth and sky. The energy emitted by such light and brightness is truly something that no demon realm can resist. The Buddha-light has a strong and gentle power of transformation, which can make even the strongest demon nature submit. If I had not entered this realm, I would really not have been able to agree with this statement.

Namo Amituofo can stand straight, hands hanging down, without saying a word or making any movement, delivering and leading immeasurable and boundless beings into the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. In the Buddha-light emitted by the Buddha and the ceaseless Buddha-name in the Dharma Assembly, the Buddha's endless compassion, wisdom, and vows are revealed. When listening to Practitioner Su teach the Dharma here, I often hear that 'human beings can realise their true nature and attain Buddhahood, and can also possess the same abilities as Namo Amituofo.' What kind of transformation and purification is needed to be able to be the same as Namo Amituofo? I found the answer to this question in Practitioner Su! It turns out that those who have realised their true nature are completely selfless and have no self, single-mindedly only for saving beings. They can sacrifice their own lives without hesitation, and they completely trust Namo Amituofo. Under the blessing of the Buddha's power and Buddha's wisdom, and through their own continuous diligent practice, following the vows and footsteps of Namo Amituofo, they have the opportunity to be like Namo Amituofo. This matter has been verified in Practitioner Su, and the Practitioner Su I know is indeed saving the world and beings just like Namo Amituofo, which makes me have to believe what Practitioner Su says. This is a human being I have never seen in my 15,000 years, and now I have met one.

Therefore, my life in the demon realm has undergone a huge change. From now on, this is where my spirit exists. I will no longer think too much, nor will I make any plans or arrangements. I will just let these days continue. I believe the Buddha will make the best arrangements for me.

The Buddha bestowed upon the demon Mo Lianyu the Dharma name 'Shi Yongming'."

Mo Lianyu (Shi Yongming)