The Timid Servant of the Demon King

This is a record of an interview with Mo Qun, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land. This account reflects upon his life and his time serving in the Demon Realm. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Faxin, on April 15, 2020.

Mo Qun (Shi Yiding) speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Mo Qun. If you listen to my name, you will understand that I am a demon who lives among the demon crowds. My heart is very small, and my courage is even smaller. I am easily frightened, so no matter where I go, I must always be with the others. My Demon King is named Mo Huang. I was the youngest and latest recruit to enter the Demon Realm under him. I am not good at anything; the only thing I excel at is watching the Demon King’s expressions, flattering him, and ensuring that every trivial task he assigns to me is completed perfectly. That is how I became a servant by his side, washing his cape and obeying his every command.

Sometimes, the Demon King would roar at me in anger, but I chose to endure it. I had no ability to adapt to the lifestyles of the various other demon realms, so I had no choice but to swallow my fear and stay by his side. The Demon King’s nature is intense, volatile, and unpredictable. He moves with incredible speed and his reach is vast, often leaving me breathless just trying to keep up. He aligns himself with the ambitions of humanity, and his territory continues to expand—reaching across the entire void. It is not just limited to Earth; he extends his influence to other planets as well. Wherever there is greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, or doubt, he follows, planting his demon children and grandchildren there to manipulate and amplify the hearts of the beings living in those places."

The Demon King’s Ambition and the Pandemic

"I have a group of close demon friends who share a similar personality to mine. We specialize in carrying out simple, petty acts of evil, controlling people who are easily manipulated just to satisfy our own twisted sense of amusement. Because of this mindset, we were often targeted by the Demon King, Mo Huang, who would accuse us of acting recklessly and keep us under strict surveillance. Every mission we were sent on had to be assigned by him.

Then, one day, I heard that the Demon King was planning to carry out a major operation. For the Demon Realm, this was significant because a human on Earth had actually begun to subdue demons! The pandemic on Earth had already been agreed upon by various demon realms and Plague Gods as a way to sanction humanity for their twisted minds. Yet, someone had appeared to block this plan, which had been settled across the universe. For thousands of years, no one had ever had the ability to stand against our Demon King, Mo Huang, because he understood the human heart and character so clearly."

A Sudden Disappearance

"When his avatar was pulled away by that powerful, righteous force, he was leading us as we flew across the cosmic sky, intending to spread the pandemic with even greater aggression. As for the bright place that had captured his avatar, the Demon King was studying how to counter it. He showed no fear at all; he faced it with a cold, stoic expression, leading us as we flew like a whirlwind. But in the very next moment, our Demon King, Mo Huang, vanished. He was completely gone. We, the demon children and grandchildren following behind, were utterly stunned. In an instant, we did not know what to do.

I remembered the Demon King saying that his avatar had been captured by a bright place. I did not believe that the Demon King’s true self could be captured by such a place, as his demonic power was immense—we respected him greatly. But a flicker of hope to find him arose in me, and as soon as that thought took hold, I arrived at a place of boundless, righteous power. There were so many demons here that it truly gave me a shock. As a servant who had been by the Demon King’s side, I was terrified, but I gathered my courage, took a deep breath, and brought the others with me.

Wow! The golden light was blinding. What kind of place was this? Having lived in the darkness of the Demon Realm for so long, the sudden golden light stung my eyes. I kept moving forward, but suddenly a voice boomed from ahead: 'Do not advance any further!' I did not understand what was happening, and the fear in my heart surged. I began to explain in a panic: 'I... I am here to find my Demon King, Mo Huang.' The voice replied: 'Whoever you are looking for, you are not permitted to advance!' I squinted through the golden light, barely able to keep my eyes open. I saw Dharma protectors standing with a majestic and imposing presence, and all around them were many monastics wearing kasaya robes. The scene surrounding me was terrifying."

The Transformation of the Demon King

"Later, my name was called out by a very resonant voice: 'Mo Qun, you are here to find Mo Huang.' I was told to speak, but I had barely uttered two sentences when I truly saw our Demon King there. How had he become like this? Even the fierce, cruel expression on his face had changed. Was he really the Demon King we knew? He nodded at me. Heavens! How could our Demon King have really come to this place? What about all the lessons he taught us about demonic power and development? Only a moment ago, he had a face that feared nothing, so how could he be like this so soon? I was confused, but being the timid person I am, I dared not speak my doubts aloud.

Later, I also entered the Dharma-Nature Land of the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. I was curious, and I felt comfortable and at peace. I no longer had to be a demon underling. Every day, whenever a thought arises, I am fed and satisfied. Life in this Buddha-land is the most comfortable time I have ever known."

A Tragic Past and the Path to Deliverance

"Looking back at the difficult days of my past, I was the child of a farmer. My older brothers and sisters were all very capable people, but I was just a lazy, optimistic child. Everyone in the village laughed at me for being short, laughed at me for being dark-skinned, and laughed at me for being useless. Fortunately, my parents were not like that; they loved me in their hearts and even felt pained when I was bullied by other children. Even when I reached thirty, my parents still protected me. I had no ability, and I did not help with chores at home, so my parents just let me be. I did not seek fame or fortune; I just lived day by day.

Then, on a night when I was forty, there was a loud commotion outside. Not long after, I heard our front door being kicked open with great force. First, I heard my father cry out, followed by my mother’s scream. I nervously ran toward their room. At the corner, I saw a group of bandits taking all the valuable items from my parents' room and the house. They had fierce, cruel expressions on their faces. They began kicking open every door in the house, searching for anyone else or any survivors. I nervously ran back to my room and curled up in the deepest corner under my bed. Within minutes, my door was kicked open. I heard a rough voice shout, 'Search!' They began rummaging through every corner of my room. I curled my body up in terror. The bandits poked under the bed with their knives, but fortunately, I was hidden deep enough and was not discovered. After the banging and crashing sounds gradually faded away, I finally managed to relax my body. It was only after the sun came up that I dared to crawl out from under the bed.

My whole body felt weak, and I was covered in cold sweat. I gathered my courage and walked to my parents' room. I saw that they had been stabbed fatally in the chest. Their chests were covered in blood; they had died instantly. I covered my mouth, ran out the door, and burst into tears. I did not know what to do. I felt terrified and helpless in my heart. I could not bear to stay in that house any longer."

The Final Moment of Hatred

"I ran out the door, but to my surprise, the outside was in total chaos. At this time of day, it was usually very lively, but today there was not a single person to be seen. I only heard a dog howling in a heart-wrenching way. I followed the sound of the dog, pushed open the gate, and discovered that the owner of that house had also died a miserable death, stabbed in the chest just like my parents. The entire village had been looted and massacred by a large group of bandits the day before. I walked through the dead, silent village. The entire environment was eerie; the energy was low and dark. The fear in my heart reached its limit. I walked down the street, my body feeling heavier and heavier, my heart filled with more and more pain. I could not forgive those bandits who had harmed the villagers and my parents. I did not know where I could go, so I just kept walking forward, kept walking forward, until I reached a large rock where the road ended. Below the rock was a rushing river. My eyes were hollow. Without thinking, I just kept walking forward, kept walking forward, until I slipped off the rock. I fell into the water with a splash. Whether my head hit a rock in the water or the water had already filled my nose so I could not breathe—I did not feel much. There was no painful struggle. In that final thought, I just wanted to make those bandits pay the price.

With that thought, my spirit was pulled from my body. I was in a dark force, and I do not know how I arrived in the void of the universe, but I was brought before the Demon King. The Demon King looked fierce and nodded at me. My heart was so afraid. I did not know where I had arrived, and I could not bear the psychological trauma over and over again. The Demon King kept me by his side to help me build my courage. I was grateful for that, but even now, the memories of the past injuries are deeply carved into my heart, making me feel timid even after arriving in the Demon Realm."

A New Life in the Light

"Now, because I came here looking for the missing Demon King, I never expected that this place would allow my heart to be so at peace. I bathe in the Buddha-light and see many beings from the Demon Realm coming to join us. Especially during the Dharma assembly, everyone’s heart becomes gentle and peaceful, just like mine. This place performs Chao Du every day, and the scale of the deliverance is so grand that it surprises me. Although I do not have much courage, when I do good deeds, I am no longer afraid.

Today, I have completely changed my face and changed this heart. I am very grateful to the Buddha, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su for allowing my wounded heart to start over. Namo Amituofo."

The Buddha gave Mo Qun the Dharma name Shi Yiding.

This interview message was written by the disciple of the Buddha, Shi Faxin.