The Healing Power of Sound

This is a record of an interview with Nikasa, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. Having been guided to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss by Practitioner Su, he now resides there in peace. This account reflects upon his short life, his subsequent journey through the realms of sound, and his service as a prison guard in the hells. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Jing, on December 9, 2023.

Nikasa speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am deeply grateful for this magnificent opportunity to be here in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. On behalf of fifty-nine other prison guards, I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to the compassionate Practitioner Su. If Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body had not reached out to guide us—these sixty souls—we would have absolutely no chance of arriving here. We would have soon been swept away by our own karmic destinies, falling back into the cycle of the six realms of rebirth. Our hearts are filled with immense gratitude.

I am Nikasa. My father was American, and my mother was Chinese. From a very young age, I was fascinated by music. I understood that sound is simply the vibration of molecules in the air, transmitted through physical matter so that humans can perceive it. It is like playing an instrument; when I struck a large drum, the vibrating air molecules carried the sound through the drum itself, allowing people to hear the rhythm clearly. I have always been captivated by the mechanics of how sound travels and how it reaches the human ear.

The Language of the Heart

I loved exploring the human heart. I found it fascinating that people with different characters and personalities preferred different types of music or sounds. I spent much of my time observing and researching, hoping to help everyone hear the sounds they longed for, to satisfy their inner needs. I wanted to understand the connection between the vibrations of the physical world and the emotional landscape of the people around me.

I once knew a woman who had been a widow since she was young. She raised three children all by herself, and her life was incredibly difficult. When I first met her, I was only a twelve-year-old boy. Every time I passed her home, I would see her lonely silhouette, and sometimes I would even hear her weeping. She always seemed like such a sorrowful, burdened woman, carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

One day, I stood at her doorway and began to play my flute. I played a very gentle melody—it was sweet and pleasant, yet carried a subtle, melancholic tone that perfectly matched her inner state. I played for a long time, only then realising that she had been listening the entire time. When I stopped, she asked me from behind, 'Boy, the sound of your flute has deeply touched my heart. I have just had a good cry, the likes of which I have never experienced before. Thank you for bringing peace to my heart. I feel so comfortable now, as if I have the strength to keep moving forward.'

A Smile Through the Years

I looked at her and saw a smile I had never seen before in all the times I had passed her house. She looked beautiful when she smiled; she must have been a great beauty in her youth, only to be aged and weathered by the hardships, worries, and sorrows of life. After that day, I began to understand that music could be used to heal the human heart. That became my primary purpose in learning instruments. I hoped that every note I played could help those in need, providing a balm for their weary spirits.

I was a child born with an incurable illness. When I was born, the doctors told my parents that I would not live long; it would be a miracle if I reached the age of twenty. My parents were devastated. As I grew old enough to understand, I could often feel their sorrow and their reluctance to let me go. I did not want to cause them pain, so while I lived, I tried my best to keep a cheerful spirit. I kept a smile on my face every day, hoping to leave them with memories of my laughter rather than my suffering. I wanted them to see me happy and vibrant so they would not worry or fret over me.

The Sensitivity of the Soul

From childhood, I loved sound—whether it was the music of instruments, the clatter of objects, the wind rustling through leaves, or the sound of paper fluttering. Every sound was interesting to me; I simply loved to listen. Because I loved sound so much, I constantly honed my hearing. Through persistent practice, I could perceive incredibly subtle sounds. I could hear complex vibrations that others could not, and I could distinguish the nuances within them. Simply put, I was extremely sensitive to sound; I could identify things that others could not even perceive.

I began learning instruments at the age of five. My parents, seeing my interest, allowed me to explore many different ones. I happened to have a natural talent for it; no matter what instrument was placed in my hands, I could easily coax a beautiful sound from it, even if I had never played that instrument before. I never wanted to use music to make myself famous; I just wanted to add a touch of joy to my short life. I did not have much ability to help others, but when I discovered that my music could heal, I felt so happy. I was happy because I finally had a skill I could use to serve others.

The Little Prince of Music

I had a keen intuition and could easily guess what kind of sound a person needed to hear. That is why, when I saw that widow, I naturally reached for my flute to play a melody that matched her heart. It was that connection that touched her so deeply, pulling her out of her space of sorrow and helping her regain her spirit. Everyone who heard my music and was healed by it loved what I played. They gave me a title, calling me the 'Soul Healer' or the 'Little Prince of Music.' Whatever name they gave me, I cherished it, for it meant that my music had touched their hearts. I loved helping people, but alas, my life was far too short.

I only lived for nineteen years. Before my life ended, I used my music to touch many hearts. Whether in America or China, I did the same thing—using music to heal. Before I passed away, many people gathered around me, offering me fresh flowers as a blessing, wishing that I would go to a good place where I could continue to play my music. I was so happy to see so many people I had helped before I died; at least this life had not been in vain.

A Spirit Within the Sound

As soon as my short life ended, my spirit quickly left my body and, to my surprise, followed my intention into the realm of sound. Sound cannot be heard by humans without air and physical matter. Just as when a breeze blows and we hear the sound of leaves rustling—the leaves are the matter, and the vibration of air molecules is transmitted through them for humans to hear. My spirit appeared in the very moment the sound manifested. It was a truly wondrous thing.

My wish was to help people, so I appeared in various sounds, using them to heal hearts just as I had done in life. I did not have a fixed place to appear; wherever there was a sound suitable for my presence, I would be there. If the sound was chaotic or disturbing to the heart, I would not appear, because such sounds did not align with my intention to help others.

I have been the sound of wind chimes in a breeze; I have been the tiny sound of raindrops falling on large leaves; I have been the melody of an instrument; I have been the sound of a human humming a tune; I have been the crisp chirping of a bird. My presence was in so many sounds. Because this world is never without sound—every minute and every second, different sounds appear in different places—my spirit seemed very busy, constantly appearing in various sounds to bring a sense of stability to people's hearts.

The Power of the Buddha-Name

More than thirty years passed in this way! For over three decades, I was a spirit within the sounds. Then, one day, I suddenly became the sound of a monk chanting the Buddha-name. I was astonished—how did I become the sound of the Buddha-name? The chanting resonated continuously in the temple, and I remained within that sound. Later, I also became the sound of the wooden fish being struck, and the sounds of other Dharma instruments. No matter which sound in the temple it was, it seemed to bring people a sense of stability, but the power of this Buddha-name was the most profound of all.

I had never studied Buddhism in my life, nor did I know the Buddha, but I had such a clever causal condition that I could appear within the Buddha-name while I was a spirit of sound. After I became the sound of the Buddha-name, I realised that everyone who heard it not only found peace in their hearts, but I could also feel their souls receiving a stable power, replenishing the positive energy they had lacked for so long. Once I felt this, I hoped to always appear within the Buddha-name, because only such a sound could truly help people. That was the true purpose of my existence.

I truly followed my intention and became a spirit within the Buddha-name. Wherever the chanting began, I was one of the components within it. My intention remained very simple: I just wanted to help others.

Awakening in the Hell Realms

Less than two years later, I suddenly departed from the space of sound and was brought into the Hall of the King of Hell. The King of Hell showed me my past. It turned out that I had been a practitioner in a previous life, but I had become intoxicated by sound, especially the Buddha-name. However, that intoxication was not correct; I had used it to enter a space of my own, immersing myself in my own world without paying attention to the suffering of other beings. Therefore, the Buddha-name I chanted or sang belonged only to me; I had no intention of helping other beings. Because of this, I could not be reborn in the Western Pure Land and instead wandered through the cycle of rebirth, eventually being born as Nikasa.

Although this life lasted only nineteen years, I lived it happily because I knew how to help people. After death, I continued to help. My good deeds earned me the position of a prison guard in hell. The King of Hell allowed me to serve there. Every day, I chanted the Buddha-name, hoping to awaken the repentance in the hearts of the beings in hell. There are all kinds of suffering spirits in hell, and every one of them is in great pain. When I heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks, I was so happy. I quickly shared the teachings with the beings in hell, hoping they could wake up while listening to the Dharma.

When I saw beings awaken because they heard the Dharma, I was so happy for them. Later, when Practitioner Su’s Dharma Body entered hell to perform Chao Du, many spirits followed the Buddha-light and departed. One day, I was told that I was on the list to be guided by Practitioner Su to the West. At that moment, I felt an indescribable joy. Today is the great day of my arrival in the West, and my heart is filled with gratitude.

Gratitude to Namo Amituofo.

Gratitude to Practitioner Su.

Gratitude to all the people and spirits who have helped me.

Namo Amituofo.

Nikasa, with palms joined."