The Twelve Lights of Buddha: An Interview with Venerable Changgao

This is a record of an interview with Venerable Changgao, who reflects upon the profound power of the Twelve Lights of Buddha as witnessed at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. This interview was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fajing, on July 24, 2023.

Venerable Changgao speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Recently, Practitioner Su has been utilising the Twelve Lights of Buddha to save immeasurable and boundless demon crowds and spirits. Namo Amituofo is the King of Buddhas, and the power of these Twelve Lights is truly immense. Any being touched by this Buddha-light finds their defilements extinguished and their goodness reborn. They gain Wisdom, eliminate all afflictions, delusions, discriminations, and attachments, and overcome every obstacle. They achieve a state of physical and mental ease, finding liberation and leaving suffering behind. It is truly inconceivable.

The Wisdom of Compassionate Deliverance

Practitioner Su uses this method to save beings, especially to subdue the demon crowds. He is truly a person of great Wisdom; it is a remarkably sagacious approach. Every time Practitioner Su chants the names of the lights—'Light of Wisdom, Light of Constant Illumination, Light of Joy, Light of Liberation, Light of Peace and Stability...'—the light shines infinitely, illuminating all beings. Whenever I witness this, I am filled with praise for the inconceivable nature of the Buddha’s teachings and the perfection of the Buddha’s merits, which are immeasurable and beyond calculation.

Recently, Practitioner Su has been performing Chao Du on demon dens—and there are so many of these dens, filling countless spaces. The spaces occupied by these dens vary according to the level of the demon crowds. Many of these demons have existed for thousands, tens of thousands, millions, or even hundreds of millions of years. The reason they have been able to maintain such power and remain unconstrained by the Dharma for so long is not because they are above the laws of karma and cause and effect, but because their demonic power is formidable, and they have used various methods to escape. Yet, no matter how long they flee, there will eventually come a day when they are captured. This is the regulation of the universe, which all beings must follow. Even if their demonic power is immense, they must still be bound by these laws.

The Transformation of Ancient Demon Kings

Among the demon crowds recently saved by Practitioner Su, there have been demon kings who have existed for tens of thousands or even hundreds of millions of years. It is evident that no matter how long they have escaped, they have now encountered Practitioner Su. Through the influence of the Buddha’s power, they have finally left the Demon Realm. These beings are not exempt from retribution; their karma and the laws of karma and cause and effect still remain. However, they now have this magnificent Causal Condition to meet Practitioner Su. If they know how to repent and make vows, they can join in the work of saving other beings and repay the sins they have committed.

I have seen a great number of demon crowds being saved over these past few days. Especially during the Thrice Yearning Ceremonies, these beings watch the Buddha-land from afar. When they see the scenes of Practitioner Su delivering sentient beings, their hearts are filled with praise, yet they are often too afraid to approach him easily.

Returning to the Original Nature

Many demon crowds use their magic to interfere with Practitioner Su, hoping to attract his attention and gain the opportunity to be saved. Among the many who are touched by the Buddha-light, their defilements are extinguished and their goodness is reborn. Within the Buddha-light, they rapidly recover their pure Dharma appearance and return to their original nature. Some of these demons were inherently kind in their original nature, but after countless cycles of rebirth and encountering various circumstances, they eventually became demons and began causing chaos everywhere.

Countless demon crowds, under the illumination of the Twelve Lights of Buddha, have returned to their original, pure, and dignified appearance. Their demon nature has receded, their goodness has increased, and their hearts have found peace and ease. They are able to generate a heart of repenting for the various sins they committed in the past, and some even make vows to save other beings. In every thought, they manifest compassion, which is quite different from their previous state as demons.

A Miracle of Compassion

This situation is truly hard to believe. How could a demon who has committed evil for hundreds of millions of years change in such a short time, turning from evil to Goodness? It is not impossible. Beyond the vast power and dignity of the Buddha, it is also due to the past connections these beings have, which allow them this opportunity to be transformed by the Buddha-light and the Buddha’s power. There are still many demon crowds who have not yet encountered this Causal Condition; it depends on the individual circumstances they have met.

I am overjoyed to see the demon crowds returning to the fold and surrendering. Each of them is now able to exert their strength to help other beings find liberation and leave suffering behind. One demon king, named 'Demon of Danger and Evil,' who possessed immense power and had existed in the Demon Realm for hundreds of millions of years, was moved to tears. He said to me, 'I once hoped for this day, but in my heart, I could not believe such a thing would happen. I never expected that I would truly encounter it today. I am so grateful to Namo Amituofo, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su.' Although this demon king had been a demon for hundreds of millions of years, his heart was full of suffering. He wanted to leave the Demon Realm early, but he never waited for the opportunity, nor did he know how to turn his heart and change his thoughts. Now, under the illumination of the Twelve Lights of Buddha, he has changed. He has recovered his original, pure, and bright face, and he is now formally facing the various sins he committed in the past. He has sincerely generated a heart of repenting and has made a vow to help all beings.

The Buddha is compassionate, and Practitioner Su is compassionate. Under the illumination of the Twelve Lights, the spirits and demon crowds of the Earth, the Milky Way, and the entire universe can all be saved. I am filled with the utmost gratitude.

Namo Amituofo.

Changgao"