The Transformation of Demon King Mo Hencheng

This interview was conducted by Venerable HaiZe on June 30, 2021, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. The subject is Mo Hencheng, a former demon king who was once responsible for spreading the pandemic. After being subdued by Practitioner Su, he sought Spiritual Deliverance and now resides in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, where he has undergone a profound transformation.

Mo Hencheng (Shi Ruyin) speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Mo Hencheng. I currently reside in the Western Dharma-Nature Land at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, where I have been anchored to a lotus seat for nearly a week. This place is so tranquil and filled with the fragrance of lotus flowers; it is truly not the kind of environment where a demon king born in a mountain stronghold like me would belong. Yet, after spending these days listening to the sutras, hearing the Buddha-name, watching Practitioner Su deliver sentient beings, listening to his Dharma talks, and participating in the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, I have witnessed so many impossible things that my heart has finally calmed down. Here, we do not need to leave this place, we do not need to move, and we do not need to exert any effort. As soon as a thought arises, we can know and see whatever we wish to know or see. It is truly an incredibly advanced place!"

The Miraculous Manifestations of Practitioner Su

"Every morning and during the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, Practitioner Su’s countless manifestations appear as if by magic. Countless forms of Practitioner Su emerge from the crown of his head, leading everyone—accompanied by waves of the Buddha-name and Buddha-light—to various places to perform deliverance. One can see that the number of sentient beings being saved is truly vast. They do not even need to come to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre; Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body actively travels to them to provide deliverance. This is truly a great blessing for all sentient beings.

I am particularly struck by the practice of chanting Namo Amituofo while circling the globe. I had heard of this scene before, but I never paid much attention to it. Now, here in the Western Dharma-Nature Land, I can witness the live situation of this global chanting. Every practitioner appears in the form of a monastic, and they are indeed a formidable force. The high-ranking leaders of the demon realm who started this pandemic have now been subdued by Practitioner Su and have turned over a new leaf; they are now among those chanting for the world. I really wanted to see their true faces. Just as I thought this, a scene suddenly appeared before me: those very leaders, now appearing as monastics, were steady, sincere, and had their palms pressed together as they moved forward in the procession. They looked so dignified; one could never tell they were once demon kings. The Namo Amituofo Buddha-name they chant now carries a profound intention of blessing the Earth."

The Power of Positive Energy

"Before I was subdued by Practitioner Su, while I was working on the pandemic, I had already felt waves of positive energy transmitting through the space of the Earth, spreading into the various pandemic-stricken areas. Wherever this positive energy existed, we demon kings and our demon children and grandchildren had to work much harder and exert more effort to spread the toxic virus to achieve the expected infection results. If this positive energy were not present, we could have achieved the casualty numbers much faster. Now I know that this positive energy actually comes from the sound of the Buddha-name transformed into energy through the global chanting. However, spreading the pandemic is a thing of the past for me now. My eight hundred years of life in the demon realm have come to a complete stop here with Practitioner Su."

A Vision of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas

"The most extraordinary experience is the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies. I have participated in similar deliverance assemblies before, but the highest level I ever saw was that of celestial beings or deities worshipped in human temples; I rarely saw Buddhas or Bodhisattvas. I never expected that in this Thrice Yearning Ceremony, I would see the sky filled with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the scene shimmering with gold and jade. It was a sight I had never seen or even imagined possible. I witnessed the golden statue of Namo Amituofo, as well as Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. In my heart, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is actually a little familiar. When I was a human, I was once locked in a prison, and I heard a fellow prisoner chanting the name of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. I even chanted along with him for a while, but after that prisoner was released, I stopped. Now, seeing Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva has stirred up this forgotten past. Seeing the Bodhisattva’s dignified golden image standing beside Namo Amituofo, I was stunned and could not help but kneel. If I had continued to chant the name of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva back then, could I have avoided so much misfortune? But being able to see this now makes me feel very fortunate—more so than many other demon beings. I believe that if everyone had the opportunity to witness such a scene, their demon nature would surely be transformed."

The Restoration of Original Forms

"What is even more astonishing is that so many ghosts have come to the temple seeking deliverance, filling the entire sky and the grass below. There are many animals, insects, flowers, and trees in the ranks of those being saved. There are also many tall Dharma protectors maintaining the order of the assembly, guiding everyone toward the golden light and the memorial tablets spread in all four directions. I saw with my own eyes that after these spirits of animals, insects, flowers, and trees entered the Buddha-light, they revealed their original human forms. The number was vast. The Buddha’s teachings possess such power, allowing these souls to return to their past human forms. It is just like how Practitioner Su stripped away our demon appearances and revealed us as monastics; he wants us to transform ourselves and change our hearts, does he not?"

A Soul Transformed

"Here, one can hear the sound of Namo Amituofo in the air at any time. During the assembly, the Buddha-name connects the entire proceedings, leading me to chant along unconsciously. This is truly something I could never have imagined. A former demon king is now chanting with everyone else. Yet, in this environment, this is not considered surprising, because everyone here is chanting at all times. Everyone in the Western Dharma-Nature Land is a part of this, so chanting Namo Amituofo is the most natural thing in the world. This is how different environments shape different personalities.

Think about the past me: in the environment of the mountain stronghold, I developed a ruthless, overbearing, and bullying personality. After entering the demon realm, that environment reinforced the demon nature I already possessed—to be even more ruthless, even more overbearing, and to be obsessed with not admitting defeat and controlling others. But now, I have made a sharp turn into the Buddha-land. In this environment filled with tranquility and compassion, I have also become a calm, non-contentious, and relaxed soul. I no longer look like a demon king. This transformation is so great that I cannot even believe it myself. Environments naturally shape different personalities, but one would never encounter an environment like the Buddha-land that could cause such a profound change in oneself. I do not even recognise myself anymore.

I will continue to stay here. I know that when the day comes that I make the vow to go to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, the lock on my lotus seat will open, and I will be able to enter the Western Pure Land. I feel that this should happen in the near future.

The Buddha has given me, Mo Hencheng, the Dharma name Shi Ruyin. Namo Amituofo."