The Melody of Liberation: A Testimony from Gao Yuan

This is an interview with the Venerable Gao Yuan, a practitioner who lived 1,350 years ago. Seeking deliverance from the cycle of suffering, he eventually found his way to the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre through the compassionate guidance of Practitioner Su. This testimony was recorded on September 14, 2018.

Venerable Gao Yuan speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. Everything that exists in this world also exists in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; it is a beautiful realm where every thought manifests into reality. You may use the instruments of this world, but your heart must not cling to them. Once a heart of greed or attachment arises, it obstructs your own path to rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."

A Life Defined by Melodies

"I am Gao Yuan. This is a record of my life from approximately 1,350 years ago. 'Grandfather, please, stop playing that erhu!' I would call out, peering through the window. Grandfather had just learned to play the instrument, but his technique was far from refined. The sounds he produced were rather eerie, and every bird and animal in the courtyard would flee in terror. Yet, Grandfather remained completely intoxicated in his own world of music.

Grandfather and I relied on each other, though we shared no blood relation. I was a child he had found abandoned in a rubbish heap; he had discovered me immediately while passing by. He had lived his entire life alone—unmarried, without children—intending to walk his path through life in solitude. Unexpectedly, in his middle years, he encountered me, and a new life for both of us began.

Grandfather had a singular passion: learning musical instruments. From his youth until his old age, every penny he earned went toward purchasing them. He was interested in learning not just one, but every instrument he could find. It was the greatest joy of his life. Ever since he brought me home, aside from ensuring I was fed, the thing he did most was play music for me. But I understood nothing of it. To me, the sounds were merely noisy and chaotic. Sometimes, I would pretend to be asleep just to make him stop, and other times, I would burst into tears, begging him to cease his playing."

The Search for Meaning

"From a young age, I never cared for the music of this world. While these melodies might have been heart-stirring to others, to me, they felt fundamentally incompatible with my being. Grandfather never forced me to listen; he simply remained lost in his own space, playing the music he loved. I often felt lost regarding my own life, unable to grasp the purpose of human existence. I asked Grandfather, 'What is the meaning of life?' He would only reply, 'Playing music brings joy to the heart and mind.' I tried to learn various instruments myself, practicing for over a month, but eventually, I gave up. Even though these melodies were considered beautiful in the world, they could never stir my inner heart.

One day, word spread that a master musician would be visiting our village. Grandfather had been anticipating this for three months. At the crack of dawn, he took me to the village clearing to wait for this legendary figure. We waited from dawn until noon, and then until dusk, but no one appeared. Although the clearing was empty of people, a parrot had remained there since we arrived. It was humming a melody I had never heard before. I was deeply captivated; I had never heard such a soul-soothing tune. I asked Grandfather, 'Which piece of music is that parrot singing?' Grandfather shook his head, 'I do not know; I have no idea what sacred music this is.'"

The Sound of Namo Amituofo

"We sat on the ground, quietly listening to the parrot. My previously restless heart gradually settled under the influence of that melody. We began to hum along, sitting there for a long time until the parrot's owner came to retrieve it. I asked the owner, 'What piece of music was your parrot just singing?' The owner replied, 'I do not know what it is singing. I have never sung to it, but this parrot is special. It wanders around the perimeter of the temple every day, sometimes perching on the large trees there. Perhaps it learned it from that place.' I was overjoyed and immediately set off with Grandfather toward the temple the owner had described.

The moment we stepped into the temple, we heard that soul-soothing music again. The birds that had been flying in the sky were now perched on the branches, listening in silence. This scene was a world of difference from Grandfather playing his erhu. A temple master walked past us, and I immediately asked, 'What is this music? Why can it settle the human heart so effectively?' The master told us, 'This is the Holy Name of Namo Amituofo. Only this Buddha-name can deliver sentient beings to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.' Neither Grandfather nor I understood the Buddha’s teachings, but after the master's introduction, we finally understood the preciousness of this Holy Name.

Upon returning home, Grandfather tried to play the melody of 'Namo Amituofo' on his instruments. The magnetic field of our home changed the moment the Buddha-name began to resonate. The previously chaotic environment was purified by the Buddha-music. It was a miraculous phenomenon that had never occurred in all the thousands of songs Grandfather had played. The music instantly became gentle and pleasant; even the erhu, which he played the worst, produced the sacred music of 'Namo Amituofo' that could purify the human heart. Grandfather and I felt as if we had found a new goal in life, and we began to develop an interest in the Buddha’s teachings."

The Wisdom of Letting Go

"Without hearing the scriptures, one cannot understand the meaning of practicing Buddhism. Therefore, wherever there were lectures, Grandfather and I would surely appear. We hoped to find the meaning of life through the Dharma—a question I had been exploring since childhood, and now, it was finally becoming clear. We had never noticed that masters often came to our village to teach. They would choose any location to lecture, and whenever someone asked a question, they could respond according to the person, the time, and the situation. All things in heaven and earth could be subjects for their teachings.

One day, as Grandfather and I were walking, a monk approached us. An elderly woman walked up to the monk, bowed, and asked, 'How can I find peace of mind?' The monk replied with compassion, 'Let go of the things you care about most!' The woman was instantly awakened. What troubled her most every day was a box of precious jewelry under her bed. To protect it, she had to pour it all out every night before sleep and every morning upon waking, counting every piece for fear of losing a single pearl or gold chain. She suffered every day for that box, unable to find peace. The monk added, 'The only thing you can take with you from this world is Wisdom. How can one generate Wisdom? Only by letting go of everything in this world that cannot be taken with you.'

I nodded repeatedly, and even Grandfather was deeply stirred. He hurried toward the monk and asked, 'The thing I love most in this life is my musical instruments. Can I not take these with me?' The monk replied, 'Only by chanting the Holy Name of "Namo Amituofo" with a focused heart can you be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. People have too many desires and attachments. Once you have attachment and greed—even if it is just a craving for a single strand of hair—you cannot be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.' Grandfather asked again, 'Are there musical instruments in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss?' The monk told him, 'Everything in this world exists in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss; it is a beautiful realm where every wish is fulfilled. You may use the instruments of this world, but your heart must not cling to them. Once a heart of greed or attachment arises, it blocks your path to rebirth in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.'"

A New Life of Diligent Practice

"The elderly woman and Grandfather both understood the master's words. After returning home, the woman took out her box of jewelry, distributed it to her daughter and daughter-in-law, and exchanged some for silver to donate to the town and the temple. This was something she had planned to do only after death, but she completed it early, finally setting down the heavy burden in her heart. From that day on, she no longer had to live in fear for her jewelry, and in return, she gained the respect and filial piety of her daughter and daughter-in-law. She spent her days at home purely chanting the Buddha’s name, finally earning the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss.

As for Grandfather, his transformation was even more evident. He no longer sat in the courtyard playing instruments all day. He began to practice diligent chanting, only picking up an instrument in his spare time. Now, he simply used the instruments; he no longer clung to the idea of owning them. His heart rested in the Buddha-name, and his life became purer and simpler. I realized the preciousness of the Buddha’s teachings and began my path of practice at the age of fifteen. Grandfather spent the rest of his life serving at the temple, introducing the music of 'Namo Amituofo' to all the music lovers he knew, as well as to those in town seeking solace for their souls, helping them understand that only this Buddha-name could truly satisfy the longing and emptiness within their hearts.

Practitioner Su carries this Holy Name of 'Namo Amituofo' into the universe, delivering sentient beings with great power. Practitioner Su truly embodies the Ultimate Vow and great conduct on the path of Buddha-practice, having completely let go of everything in this world. He views all sentient beings in the Dharma realm of emptiness as one with himself, delivering them with a heart of compassion and attaining the skills of the Dharma Body to perform deliverance throughout the universe. I followed Practitioner Su into the universe to deliver the beings connected to me. Those connected to me are a group of spirits scattered throughout the universe; they do not reside on any planet but are like dust within a galaxy. In the past, they were a group of magic users who committed every evil. I had tried to deliver them before, but they did not learn to chant the Buddha’s name; instead, they went to the universe to suffer retribution, becoming tiny specks of dust, drifting for millions of years.

Today, I met them again. They received the Buddha’s light, which restored their original forms. I used the Holy Name of 'Namo Amituofo' to deliver them once more. This time, they were willing to chant. They chanted 'Namo Amituofo' without stopping for even a second, finally obtaining the opportunity to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Each of them is filled with gratitude—gratitude for the Buddha’s compassion and refusal to abandon them, and gratitude for Practitioner Su’s compassionate deliverance. Namo Amituofo."

Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Jing.