Escaping the Void: The Testimony of Venerable Niga

This is a record of an interview with the 1,033rd Venerable, Niga, who lived approximately 1,310 years ago. He now resides in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account was recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Jing, on November 11, 2018.

Venerable Niga speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Niga. Since the moment my mother gave birth to me, I never saw her face. I was raised by my older brother, and he is the person I am most grateful to in this life. You see, I was not an easy child to care for. When I was six years old, I fell into a mysterious coma that lasted for an entire year. During that time, my brother had to balance his work with the constant care I required. To stay by my side, he took a job he could perform from home, though the pay was far less than what he had earned before. He lived in extreme frugality, spending every spare coin on medicine for me. My brother, who was already thin, was reduced to nothing but skin and bones by the end of that year. I felt such profound sorrow and gratitude for his sacrifice."

A Journey Through Trapped Spaces

"During that year of unconsciousness, my spirit wandered through many different dimensions. I revisited every place I had ever been with my brother, only to discover that every single location was inhabited by spirits—not just one, but many. I also travelled to places I had never visited in my life, and each one left me in shock. These pitiful spirits had been trapped there since the moment of their deaths; they had no way to escape these spaces. Year after year passed, and they remained stuck in the same old places, unable to move on.

For that entire year, I wandered and observed. On the final day, I saw a golden light. I was not the only one; many other sentient beings saw it too. They were ecstatic, for in their dark, confined spaces, light had never appeared. To them, this radiance was a miracle. They surged forward in waves, flying toward the light, and I followed closely behind. As I drew near to the source of the light, I clearly heard the sound of 'Namo Amituofo' emanating from it. I continued to fly toward the brilliance, realising that this recitation was coming from the heart of a monastic. I flew ahead without looking back, straight into the brightest point of the light. Suddenly, the radiance faded, and I saw a pair of large eyes. I cried out, 'It’s my brother!'"

The Miracle of Namo Amituofo

"It was my brother, but why was he dressed as a monk? What was happening? My face was covered in sweat, and my brother quickly wiped it away with a towel. I was desperate to ask him what had just occurred. He told me, 'You have been lying there for a year. Just last night, a monk passed by our home, and you finally began to stir. When he stopped by, I begged him to save you. He taught me to chant Namo Amituofo, and I have been chanting it incessantly, praying for the Buddha's blessing upon you. This morning, the miracle finally happened. Your body, which had been motionless for so long, began to move. You seemed to be struggling, and you were sweating profusely. Only just now, as I redoubled my chanting, did you fully wake up!'

It was Namo Amituofo who saved me! During that year, my soul had left my body to wander the realms, and it was the light of Namo Amituofo that opened those spaces and brought me back into this body, whose lifespan had not yet ended. I was so grateful to the Buddha and to my brother for his year of devotion. My brother told me, 'Namo Amituofo truly came to our home. Before you woke up, the entire house was filled with the pure fragrance of lotus flowers. I kept chanting, and you truly woke up. I believe this was absolutely the blessing of Namo Amituofo!'"

A Vow to Save the World

"I recovered quickly, and my brother immediately took me to the temple to express our gratitude. When the master of the temple saw me, he said, 'Do not forget the Buddha’s grace; this life was saved by the Buddha’s compassion.' This master was the very same monk who had taught my brother to chant. I knelt immediately to thank him, but he stopped me, saying, 'It was the Buddha who saved you, little Bodhisattva, not my own power. If you wish to show gratitude, give it to the Buddha.' I looked at the majestic statue of Namo Amituofo before me and knelt, speaking from my heart: 'I have no father or mother in this life; only my brother has been by my side. Though I am young, I understand the suffering of human existence. This past year, I have not forgotten where I went. The spirits who are still suffering are clearly visible before my eyes. I now understand that only Namo Amituofo can save these souls from the darkness. I did not know my purpose in life before, but now I do. I will live for the sake of all beings; living for myself is meaningless. If the Buddha had not compassionately saved me, I would be one of those trapped spirits. Since I have been fortunate enough to escape, I must use my strength to learn the Buddha’s compassion and save those pitiful souls.' The master smiled and nodded at me, and after paying my respects, I left the temple with my brother.

I told my brother, 'I have decided to walk the path of a monastic.' My brother looked at me intently and replied, 'I never expected you to have such an intention, but I, too, wish to walk this path of saving the world.' He shared his reflections on that year—how he had lived alone, and despite learning independence and strength from a young age, he had felt helpless and lost when facing the impermanence of life and the fear of separation. I was his only family, and his heart had known no peace while I lay in a coma. He had tried everything to save me, sleeping only an hour a day, gritting his teeth to endure. He lamented the impermanence of life and the helplessness of those who cannot master their own fate. He realised that without the Buddha, the heart can never find stability. His heart only found peace after encountering Namo Amituofo. My compassionate brother, who always loved helping others, now understood the value of the Buddha’s teachings and made a vow to the Buddha: 'If Niga can wake up, I, Ni Xiu, will definitely become a monastic to help sentient beings.' His sincere vow was answered, and soon after, I awoke. At that moment, my brother became even more convinced that Namo Amituofo is truly by the side of every sentient being."

The Mission of Past Lives

"Before my brother fell into his own state of confusion, we had both lived our lives without direction. It was only through these trials that we grasped the meaning of life. We found our path, understood the suffering and impermanence of existence, and realised the preciousness and compassion of the name Namo Amituofo. We did not want to waste any more time; we vowed to dedicate our remaining lives to deliver sentient beings.

When we entered the temple, we discovered that the master had been waiting for us. He told us that in our past lives, we had both served as abbots of that very temple—my brother was the tenth, and I was the eleventh. At that time, we had worked together to deliver many beings. We had made a vow to return to the world in this lifetime, and now was the time to put that vow into action. We understood our mission and grasped every precious day to practise diligently, sparing no effort for the sake of all beings.

I am grateful for the arrangements of this life—that we had no friends, no family, and no money, living together in a humble hut in poverty. We lived simply, without worldly desires or delusions, honestly passing each day until we encountered the Buddha’s teachings. We used this pure heart to practise, learning the Buddha’s compassion to save others. We walk this path of practice with our vows, perseverance, and compassion, helping sentient beings chant Namo Amituofo to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

A Final Plea for a Brother

"My brother, Ni Xiu, was truly compassionate. After we were both reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, he returned to the worldly realm in a very short time to deliver sentient beings. However, in that lifetime, he did not return to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Although he remained a kind and compassionate person who did many good deeds, he became entangled in worldly family attachments at the very end. He did not chant to reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, but instead enjoyed blessings in the heavenly realm. I have prayed for the Buddha’s compassion to help my brother be guided once more to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. In that lifetime, his name was Li Quanfu. I thank the Buddha for His compassion, and I thank Practitioner Su for his compassion.

Now, I follow Practitioner Su in the universe to perform Chao Du. The spaces in the universe change every day. There are spaces within spaces; I have delivered beings from countless realms, only to find that deeper within, there are even more. Every day is a new discovery, and every day I am filled with gratitude. Watching immeasurable and boundless beings leave their suffering spaces makes me grateful for the great compassion of Namo Amituofo! My brother and I have had karmic affinities for many lifetimes. In the cosmic spaces, the planet where we once lived together appeared, and I performed Chao Du for the spaces we shared, sending immeasurable and boundless sentient beings into the three good realms. I am grateful to the Buddha for His compassion, and I am grateful to Practitioner Su for his compassion."

Namo Amituofo.