The Flute of Compassion

This is a record of an interview with Fengya, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Pure Land. This account reflects upon his life approximately five hundred years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on February 26, 2026.

Fengya speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Fengya. The flute I carried in my hands was quite extraordinary; it possessed a profound spiritual resonance. Its sound was unlike any ordinary flute—it could pierce through the very fabric of space, awakening spirits that had long remained dormant. This flute was also a vessel for communication; all sentient beings could discern the melody, and through its vibrations, they understood the messages I intended to convey.

The Flute that Pierced the Void

I remember sitting on the grass under a scorching sun. It was an incredibly hot day. If I recall correctly, it had not rained for months. The earth was parched, the grass had withered into brittle straw, and the leaves on the trees were scorched a sickly, burnt yellow by the relentless heat. The water in the lake had receded until it was nearly gone. Suddenly, the air grew heavy with the acrid scent of smoke and charred vegetation. I closed my eyes and saw it clearly: a vast forest engulfed in flames. I immediately raised my flute and played a series of piercing notes. The sound tore through the layers of space, travelling vast distances and echoing throughout the entire forest. Soon, the forest erupted with movement. Groups of animals began to flee in terror, all guided by the urgency of my melody. I used the flute to broadcast a warning: 'The forest is on fire! Run for your lives!' Because of that sound, countless animals were saved. I continued to play, leading them along a long, arduous path until they reached the safety of a distant, untouched forest, preserving their lives from the inferno.

A Desperate Plea for Rain

After tucking my flute back into its bag, I walked slowly toward home. My grandmother had already set up an altar, desperately praying for the rain gods to bring relief to our withered land. Seeing me approach, she called out, 'Fengya, come quickly! We are missing the resonance of your flute!' I sat upon a large stone before the altar. As my grandmother chanted incantations and performed the intricate gestures of her craft, I began to play. Within moments, the cloudless sky began to shift. A massive bank of dark clouds gathered, looming over our entire tribe. My grandmother intensified her chanting, her voice rising in rhythm with the gathering storm. The wind began to howl, and soon, raindrops as large as pearls began to fall from the heavens. The intensity of the storm grew rapidly, forcing us to retreat indoors. Looking out the window, I saw a torrential downpour—the first in months. After a long while, I closed my eyes to observe the situation and told my grandmother, 'It is enough. The lake has returned to its proper level.' With a long sigh of relief, she waved her hands, and the wind and rain ceased instantly. Water droplets dripped slowly from the leaves, the parched earth drank its fill, and the rivers began to flow once more. Everything seemed to pulse with renewed life. I looked up at the sky and whispered, 'Mission accomplished!'

Misunderstood Healers

My grandmother and I had only recently arrived in that tribe. We were wanderers, living without a fixed home, but we had sensed a great disaster approaching and stayed to help. The skills we possessed were passed down from our ancestors, intended solely for the purpose of saving lives. My flute, too, was a family heirloom—a priceless treasure used by generations of ancestors to save countless beings. We were people of good hearts, using our abilities to perform acts of kindness wherever we went. Yet, our methods were not understood by the common people; we were often viewed as practitioners of demonic arts. Consequently, we had to perform our good deeds in secret. Even the rain-making ritual had to be done hidden in the mountains to stop the fire and bring life back to the tribe. Fearing discovery, we would always depart immediately after our work was done. My grandmother would ask, 'In which direction shall we go this time?' I would close my eyes and reply, 'I see it now. Let us head south.' And so, we would set off once more.

The Plague of Locusts

We travelled for over a month, covered in dust and weary from the journey. Finally, I looked around and said, 'Grandmother, this is the place. Let us stop here.' Beside us stood a dilapidated, abandoned temple. We cleaned it up and decided to stay for a while. The local people were kind and gentle, living off the crops they cultivated on their own land. As the harvest season approached, their faces were filled with joy, anticipating the bounty that would feed their families. A few days later, I told my grandmother, 'A disaster is coming. It is a plague of locusts.' My grandmother began to weave a fine net, no larger than the palm of a hand. Three days later, I warned her, 'They are here.' No sooner had I spoken than the sky was blotted out by a massive swarm of locusts, descending to devour the crops. The sky and the ground were filled with them. The villagers screamed in terror; if the locusts passed through, their entire harvest would vanish, and they would face a year of starvation. I told my grandmother, 'These locusts are from the ghost realm. They have a karmic connection with these people, which is why they have come to invade.' My grandmother took the net she had woven, chanted over it, and it expanded rapidly. It was no ordinary net; as it grew, it began to draw the locusts in, trapping them within its folds. The sky cleared, and the villagers cheered, 'They are gone! The locusts are all gone!' Their crops were saved, and they knelt to the heavens, crying out, 'Thank you, Heaven, for your protection!' The net shrank back to its original size, and the locusts with it. We took them to an uninhabited land and released them.

The Golden Light of Deliverance

After this, we returned to the temple, intending to leave the next day. That night, my grandmother asked where we should go. I closed my eyes, but this time, I saw nothing but a vast expanse of golden light. I told her, 'We need not go anywhere. We shall stay here.' She looked at me in astonishment. I did not understand why, but the message was clear. At the third watch of the night, I was suddenly struck by alternating chills and fevers, trembling uncontrollably. My grandmother tried every incantation she knew, but nothing helped. In my weakness, I pointed toward a dusty, cobweb-covered Buddha statue in the corner. My grandmother knelt before it, kowtowing and begging for help. Suddenly, a golden light enveloped me. In an instant, my body felt warm and comfortable. We had both witnessed the boundless power of the Buddha; it was his compassion that had saved me. Without the Buddha, I would no longer be in this human world.

A New Path in the Dharma

We had heard of the Buddha, but we did not truly know him. From that day on, we sought out temples to learn the Dharma. We listened intently to the teachings of the great monks. The magnificence of the Buddha’s teachings became clear: the Buddha saves beings out of pure compassion, and the transmission of the Dharma is meant to be shared so that more may find liberation and rebirth in the Western Pure Land. I began to study the sutras deeply, seeking the ultimate truth. A master in the temple, seeing me buried in the texts, said, 'Reading like this will not give you the answers.' I looked at him in confusion. He explained, 'The practice of the Dharma lies in the heart. The Buddha-heart and the Buddha-name are not sought externally; they are realized within one's own nature. If you truly wish to attain the truth, put in the work within your own heart. Through diligent practice, you will surely attain realization.' I followed his advice. We remained at the temple, letting go of all our previous mystical arts. I even placed my flute before the Buddha for purification, never to carry it again. I was able to let go so quickly because of my urgent desire to save others. I knew that disasters occurred every day and that beings everywhere were suffering. If I did not commit myself to the Dharma, they would remain trapped in their misery. Though we possessed great power, we were followed by many spirits from our years of saving others. When we decided to dedicate ourselves to the Dharma, we both fell gravely ill. This illness was a test of our faith in the Buddha. We chanted the Buddha-name incessantly, seeking his compassionate support. Though the days were difficult, I followed the community's practice without fail, never missing a session despite my illness, nor forgetting the suffering of other beings. Gradually, I recovered through the power of the Buddha's compassion. After this trial, the master accepted me as his disciple, and my innate abilities became a tool for saving others. Namo Amituofo."

After entering the monastic life, Fengya continued his journey across the lands to save beings. His grandmother was no longer by his side, so Fengya embarked on this path of saving the world entirely alone. Everywhere he looked, he saw countless suffering spirits. Fengya used the single Buddha-name, 'Namo Amituofo,' to deliver these beings from their profound suffering. His ability to foresee disasters remained with him, and before any calamity could strike, he would stop in those places to give Dharma talks, speaking to the local spirits and civilians alike, using the Buddha’s teachings to transform their hearts.

The Ultimate Path of Dharma

Learning the Buddha’s teachings is the only ultimate way. Fengya shared his own experiences with those who had studied other paths but now harboured a sincere vow to learn the Buddha’s teachings. He helped them realise: why should one study the Buddha’s teachings? The Buddha taught all these methods to heal the human heart. The Buddha’s teachings can truly eradicate the root cause of all illness, for every disaster and sickness arises from the mutation of the human heart. If the human heart is cultivated and adjusted by the Dharma, it can turn from evil towards Goodness, eliminate confusion and afflictions, and give rise to infinite Wisdom. Most importantly, by maintaining a pure heart and focusing solely on chanting the Buddha-name 'Namo Amituofo' without any wandering thoughts, one can achieve rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss at the end of life, attaining ultimate liberation.

Throughout his life, Fengya followed the teachings, travelling far and wide to save beings. Finally, when his life in this world came to an end, he achieved perfect completion and was led by the Buddha to rebirth in the Western Land.

The Compassion of Practitioner Su

Wherever the Buddha walks, in every city, village, or hamlet, there is no one who does not receive his transformation. The world becomes harmonious, the sun and moon shine clearly, the wind and rain arrive in their proper seasons, and disasters and plagues do not arise. Today, Practitioner Su is using the Buddha’s teachings to educate the world, and even more, he uses his Dharma Body to propagate the Dharma to infinite worlds. The seasonal mutations on Earth and the frequent occurrence of disasters are all due to the evil mutation of the human heart. Practitioner Su manifests billions of Dharma Bodies every day, spreading the power of 'Goodness' into every space, every micro-dust, and every particle, ensuring that the Buddha’s teachings are proclaimed everywhere, turning evil into Goodness. In this way, the seasons will return to their normal cycles, the earth will flourish once more, the civilians will live in peace and happiness, and the sound of chanting will be heard everywhere, with everyone possessing a heart of Goodness and performing acts of Goodness.

A Vow to Save the World

We must teach the Buddha’s Dharma to children from a young age, allowing 'Goodness' to enter everyone’s thoughts. The evil thoughts that would have otherwise arisen are thus transformed; the power of evil weakens, while the power of Goodness strengthens. Society begins to change, the social climate undergoes a skilful transformation, and we no longer see so many tragic social events occurring. Practitioner Su uses this vow to save the world; as the Buddha’s teachings are spread, all beings benefit. We are deeply grateful for Practitioner Su’s compassion. Namo Amituofo.

This interview was recorded by the chief writer, disciple Shi Fajing.