Discussing the Magnitude of Life and Death

Time passes swiftly; the seasons turn ever onward. Moment by moment, not a single thought ever stays still. This is, in truth, nothing other than the Creator himself putting forth a broad, long tongue, universally proclaiming to you, to me, to every sentient being alike, that human life is impermanent, that glory and prosperity never last long — urging us to swiftly seek the path home, the unsurpassed, wondrous dharma by which we may avoid being swept under and lost.

示某比丘尼 · Instruction to a Bhikṣuṇī 正編

The great matter of birth-and-death must be prepared for in advance. Should one wait until the very moment of departure to begin cultivating, one risks being overwhelmed by the force of one's own karma.

復周羣錚書 · Reply to Zhou Qunzheng 正編

An old saying goes: "Cleverness cannot withstand karma; wealth and rank can hardly escape transmigration." When birth-and-death finally arrives, there is nothing at all left to rely on — only Amitābha Buddha can serve as one's true refuge and support. It is a pity that so few people in the world know this, and fewer still, even knowing it, truly believe it and genuinely practice it.

復包右武書二 · Reply to Bao Youwu, Letter Two 正編

One who seeks rebirth in the West must not fear death. Should one die today, then today one is reborn in the West — this is precisely what is meant by "hearing the path in the morning, one may die content that very evening." How, then, could one, facing death today, still refuse to accept it? Clinging to and craving after the objects of this defiled world, unable to let them go, one thereby turns that very craving into an obstruction. The scene of the Pure Land then fails to appear, and instead the scene of rebirth into some good or evil path, following one's own karma, appears in its place. Once that scene appears, one is reborn, following one's karma, into that very good or evil path — and rebirth in the West becomes nothing more than a painted cake, impossible to eat. And so, for one who cultivates for the West, dying today is fine, and living on for another hundred and twenty years before dying is equally fine — one simply lets one's own prior karma run its course, without indulging in reckless calculation about it. Should one's faith and vow be genuine and earnest, then, when one's karmic reward comes to its own end, one's spirit at once transcends into the Pure Land, one's karma dissolved and worldly toil laid to rest — the lotus opens into one of its nine grades of blossom, and the Buddha bestows his own prophecy of buddhahood.

復高邵麟書一 · Reply to Gao Shaolin, Letter One 正編

A truly great person, born into this world, plans in advance for every single matter without exception — and yet it is precisely this one matter, birth-and-death, that is, more often than not, left entirely unaddressed. One simply waits until one's own karmic reward comes to its end, and then receives whatever retribution follows from it, with no idea at all into which path this very single thought of consciousness will then be reborn. Rebirth among humans and gods is only a temporary lodging; the three lower paths are one's own true home. A single retribution in the three lower paths lasts a hundred thousand kalpas, and there is no telling when one might be reborn among humans or gods again. Considered from this, the method of being done with birth-and-death is certainly something that must be urgently sought out and thoroughly investigated.

淨土問辨序 · Preface to Questions and Debates on the Pure Land 續編

There is no single person unfit to cultivate the Buddha-dharma, and no single person unable to cultivate it. One need only be mindful, thought after thought, that without cultivating pure karma and seeking rebirth in the West, one has no way at all to escape endless kalpas of transmigration. It is on account of this that, grieving for myself and grieving for others, wounded for myself and wounded for others, I raise my voice urgently, calling upon those near me, my own family, and those far from me, the people of the whole world, to cultivate this very path together. The benefit of this, compared with seeking only one's own private liberation, is nothing less than the difference between heaven and earth.

復駱季和書 · Reply to Luo Jihe 三編

The Buddha-dharma's own Dharma-gates are immeasurable in number. Regardless of whether great or small, provisional or real, every single Dharma-gate requires precept, concentration, and wisdom to sever greed, hatred, and delusion, purifying them entirely without remainder, before one can be done with birth-and-death — and this is as difficult as climbing to heaven, something we ourselves, ordinary beings fully bound by affliction, could never hope to attain. But should one, with genuine faith and an earnest vow, recollect the Buddha and seek rebirth in the West, then, regardless of how deep or shallow one's effort, how great or small one's merit, one may still, relying on the Buddha's own merciful power, be reborn in the West. This is like riding a steamship across the sea: one need only be willing to board the ship, and one reaches the farther shore — this is entirely the ship's own power, not one's own personal capability. Faith, vow, and buddha-recollection, seeking rebirth in the West, are exactly the same: entirely the Buddha's own power, not one's own power of the path. And yet, once one is reborn in the West, birth-and-death is already ended, affliction no longer arises — already the same as one who has long applied effort here in this world and severed affliction entirely, thereby being done with birth-and-death.

For this reason, buddha-recollection must be determined toward seeking rebirth in the West — one must never seek instead the blessed reward of a human or heavenly rebirth in a future life. As for any instruction that teaches people to recollect the Buddha merely in hope of awakening, apart from faith and vow, this should never be relied upon at all. The essential point of buddha-recollection lies in fully gathering in the six sense-faculties. While recollecting the Buddha, gathering in the ear to listen attentively is itself the starting point for gathering in all six sense-faculties. Listening attentively with a sincere heart, compared with reciting without listening at all, in a scattered manner — the merit of the two differs vastly. This method, regardless of upper, middle, or lower capacity, can be used by anyone, and everyone can obtain its benefit from it. It has benefit and no drawback at all — every person should be led to cultivate according to this very method.

與張靜江書 · Letter to Zhang Jingjiang 續編

We ourselves, revolving through birth-and-death across long kalpas, have created evil karma that is immeasurable and boundless. Should one rely on one's own power of cultivation alone, wishing to extinguish every affliction and karmic delusion entirely, in order to be done with birth-and-death, this is more difficult than climbing to heaven. But should one be able to believe in the Pure Land Dharma-gate the Buddha himself spoke of, with genuine faith and an earnest vow reciting Amitābha Buddha's own name, seeking rebirth in the West, then, regardless of whether one's own karmic force is great or small, one may still, relying on the Buddha's own merciful power, be reborn in the West. It is like a single grain of sand: dropped into water, it sinks at once. And yet, even several thousand tons of stone, loaded onto a great steamship, need not sink at all, but may instead be carried elsewhere and put to whatever use one wishes. The stone represents the deep, heavy weight of a sentient being's own karmic force; the great steamship represents the vast breadth of Amitābha's own merciful power. Should one not recollect the Buddha, but instead rely on one's own power of cultivation alone, wishing to be done with birth-and-death, one must reach the very state of karma exhausted and craving emptied before this is possible at all. Otherwise, even were affliction and karmic delusion severed down to the merest thread, one still could not be done with it — like even the smallest grain of sand, which must still sink beneath the water, utterly unable to raise itself back above the surface on its own.

You, sir, need only give rise to faith, recollecting the Buddha and seeking rebirth in the West, without allowing any other kind of thought to arise. Should you truly be able to do this, then, if your allotted lifespan has not yet run its course, you will swiftly recover — for the merit of single-minded, sincere buddha-recollection is able to dissolve away the evil karma of past lives, just as frost and snow melt away the instant the bright sun rises. And if your allotted lifespan has already come to its end, you will at once attain rebirth — for, your mind free of any other thought, you will thereby achieve response and resonance with the Buddha along the path, and so receive the Buddha's own merciful guidance to rebirth. Should you, sir, be able to believe these words fully, then you will obtain great benefit whether you live or whether you die.

復裘佩卿書二 · Reply to Qiu Peiqing, Letter Two 正編

As for the Śūraṅgama Sūtra: read by one who does not understand the Pure Land, it becomes the very foremost weapon for demolishing the Pure Land; read by one who does understand the Pure Land, it becomes an excellent guide for propagating the Pure Land. What does this mean? Because the sūtra makes utterly clear, point by point, both the difficulty of awakening to the path through self-power alone and the ease of rebirth through the Pure Land, together with the causes and effects across all ten dharma-realms. Should one not rely on Buddha-power, even breaking through one or two of the aggregates in the dark may still lead to demonic possession and madness, becoming a very seed for hell. And as for the effort required by the twenty-four accounts of perfect penetration described there — who among people today could ever actually cultivate them? Only buddha-recollection, like a child recollecting its mother, is something every single person with a mind at all is capable of undertaking. One need only achieve pure thought following upon pure thought without interruption, and one may thereby personally realize samādhi for oneself. Should one who truly knows good from bad read this sūtra, would he still insist on relying on self-power alone, refusing to rely on Buddha-power at all?

復永嘉某居士書七 · Reply to a Layman of Yongjia, Letter Seven 正編

A person who recollects the Buddha, should illness come upon him, ought to set his whole mind on awaiting death. Should his allotted worldly lifespan not yet be exhausted, he will thereby recover all the swifter, for setting down his whole body and mind and recollecting the Buddha is the most effective means of dissolving karma, and once karma dissolves, illness heals. But should he fail to let go, seeking only to recover instead, and should he then fail to recover after all, he will certainly have no way to attain rebirth — for he never truly wished to be reborn in the first place. Failing to understand a principle as basic as this, how could one still expect to rely on the Buddha's own merciful power at all?

復周孟由昆弟書 · Reply to the Brothers Zhou Mengyou 正編

The Pure Land Dharma-gate is a Dharma-gate that is, at once, the most difficult and the most easy of all. Speak of its difficulty, and even those of great, thorough awakening, who have gone deep into the scriptural canon, still fail to believe it. Speak of its ease, and even the simplest, most foolish man or woman, reciting with utmost sincerity and earnestness, is able, at the very moment of death, to manifest every auspicious sign and attain rebirth in the West — a rebirth those of great, thorough awakening, who deeply understand every sūtra and treatise, still cannot match even from behind. This is truly because the one relies exclusively on self-power alone, setting aside Buddha-power; while the other relies exclusively on Buddha-power, and, through Buddha-power, draws forth self-power in turn. Because Buddha-power, Dharma-power, and the power inherently possessed by one's own mind, these three dharmas, converge together, one is thereby able to transcend the ordinary and enter sagehood, being done with birth-and-death. The single most essential point of this method lies in faith and vow. Where there is faith and vow, one is certain to be willing to genuinely cultivate practice; and being willing to cultivate practice, one thereby obtains the benefit of rebirth.

復習懷辛書 · Reply to Xi Huaixin 續編

Whenever a buddha or patriarch appears in the world, every dharma he establishes is always set up according to the capacity of those he teaches. Beings of dull faculty in this final age should choose the dharma that accords with both principle and capacity at once, and devote their focused, undivided effort to it — so that they may thereby rely on the Buddha's own merciful power, transcending the three realms directly, crosswise. Within this very single life, one may then be done with the great matter of birth-and-death — a matter that would otherwise remain unresolved across a hundred thousand upon ten thousand kalpas.

靈巖念誦儀規序 · Preface to the Recitation Liturgy of Lingyan Monastery 續編

The single gate at the moment of death is the most crucial of all. There are foolish people in this world who, at the very moment their parents or family members are dying, immediately break into grieving cries, washing the body and changing its clothes — concerned only with how this looks to onlookers, giving no thought at all to the harm this does the dying person. As for those who do not recollect the Buddha at all, this need not even be discussed. But even for one whose intent to attain rebirth is earnest, should his own family behave this way at the moment of his death, in most cases his own correct mindfulness is thereby destroyed, and he remains trapped in this world after all. Deathbed assistance in recollection is like a timid man climbing a mountain, whose own strength alone is insufficient — but who, fortunate enough to have others pulling from ahead, pushing from behind, and supporting him on either side, is thereby able to reach the very summit. A dying person's own correct mindfulness, clear and manifest, yet destroyed by demonic relatives moved by attachment and affection, is like a valiant warrior climbing a mountain whose own strength is entirely sufficient — and yet his own friends and acquaintances, each handing him some further item of their own, cause him to carry too heavy a load, until his strength is exhausted and his body worn out, and he turns back within sight of the very summit. Whether this outcome is gain or loss, though set in motion by others, is in truth brought about by one's own good or evil karmic force, accumulated across past kalpas, in either supporting or undermining others in turn. Whoever cultivates pure karma should therefore support the correct mindfulness of others, and prepare their own family members in advance, showing them clearly what helps and what harms — so that everyone understands that what truly matters is where the dying person's own consciousness comes to rest, not how the outward scene appears to worldly eyes — and only then can one be free of concern in this matter.

陳了常往生發隱 · Revealing the Hidden Circumstances of Chen Liaochang's Rebirth 正編

For any illness that can be treated with medicine, one need not resolutely refuse medicine altogether. For an illness that cannot be treated with medicine, even an immortal's own elixir would be of no use, how much less any ordinary worldly medicine? Regardless of whether an illness can or cannot be cured, one should, in every case, take the medicine of agada — this medicine never fails anyone; taking it, whether in body or in mind, its effect is certain to appear at once. Yet a person, born into this world, whether living long or briefly, must in the end come to death; death itself is not worth grieving over. But is the place to which one goes after death not something one ought to prepare for in advance? One with sufficient capacity, having already prepared this for himself thoroughly, need not rely on others' assistance at the moment of death at all — though should such assistance still be available, it will only prove all the more effective. One without such capacity should have his own family recollect the Buddha on his behalf, so that his own correct mindfulness may certainly be raised up, rather than being entangled in ties of affection, bound still by love, trapped here with no way out.

復黃涵之書一 · Reply to Huang Hanzhi, Letter One 正編

One should set down entirely — every household matter, and even one's own physical body itself — and, within a mind unstained by even a single speck of worldly dust, hold fast to the great sacred name of ten thousand virtues, regarding oneself as about to die. Apart from recollecting the Buddha and seeking his guidance, one should allow not a single scattered thought to arise. Should one truly be able to do this, then, if one's allotted lifespan has already come to its end, one is certain to attain rebirth in the West, transcending the ordinary and entering sagehood; and if one's allotted lifespan has not yet come to its end, one is certain to have one's karma dissolved and one's illness healed, one's wisdom made bright and one's blessing flourishing. But should one fail to hold this thought, foolishly seeking nothing but a swift recovery instead, not only will one fail to recover swiftly, but one's illness will, on the contrary, only worsen further. And should one's allotted lifespan then indeed come to its end, one will certainly drift and sink according to one's own karma, with no time ever in sight to escape this suffering sahā world.

與方聖胤書 · Letter to Fang Shengyin 正編

Within your own mind, apart from recollecting the Buddha, allow not even the slightest other thought to arise — not even planning ahead for how your own body should be arranged after death; and even your grandchildren and great-grandchildren, treat them as though they were strangers you had never known, paying no mind to whatever may befall them, one way or another. Simply attend to your own recollection of the Buddha, single-mindedly hoping that the Buddha will come and personally guide you to rebirth in the West. Should you be able to act exactly as I have told you, setting down everything entirely, then, when the moment of death finally arrives, you will naturally move the Buddha to appear and personally guide you to rebirth in the West. But should you still cling to and crave every fine possession, your money, your house, your jewelry and clothing, and your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, then you will never, under any circumstance, be reborn in the West at all.

示周余志蓮法語 · Dharma Words to Zhou Yu Zhilian 續編

Should one possess the correct cause of pure karma, and add to this correct faith reciting for oneself, together with one's own family assisting in recollection, what cause is there to worry that one will fail to attain rebirth? Whenever rebirth does fail, it is because, the moment worldly feeling and attachment arise, one's own correct mindfulness is lost at once. Never mind whether one's own effort is shallow — even should one's effort be deep, rebirth still cannot be attained under such conditions. For once ordinary feeling takes charge, one is thereby cut off entirely from the very disposition of a buddha or sage.

復章緣淨書 · Reply to Zhang Yuanjing 三編

One able to help another person attain rebirth will, when his own moment of death eventually arrives, certainly find great help toward his own rebirth in turn — never dismiss this as something that has nothing to do with oneself. In ordinary times, one should speak with one's own family about the benefit of deathbed assistance in recollection, and about the harm caused by prematurely washing and changing the body's clothes, or by weeping openly before the dying. One should request a copy of the Chizhong Jinliang [a manual of deathbed practice] and have them study it in detail. When the time finally comes that one's own parents, or some other family member, are about to die, the family members should together recollect the Buddha, so that the dying person's own mind holds fast to correct mindfulness, following the Buddha to rebirth — and one should also invite fellow society members to assist in this recollection. At this moment, everything hangs by the slenderest thread — the stakes could not be higher. One should redirect whatever funds would otherwise be spent on every extravagant, empty funeral custom toward this very purpose instead, and redirect whatever sincere filial grief one feels toward recollecting the Buddha on the departed's behalf. One must have one's family follow entirely the guidance of one's fellow society members, and never, under any circumstance, cling to worldly custom in a way that ruins this great matter.

汲浜鎮助念社緣起 · The Founding of the Deathbed Recollection Society at Jibang Town 續編

As for assisting another person's recollection: how could one recollect Avalokiteśvara instead, or pray for extended life? Recollecting the Buddha, too, is able to extend life — but recollecting Avalokiteśvara in this context carries no thought at all of seeking rebirth. Should the person's own allotted lifespan have already come to its end, this then ruins the whole matter. It is not that recollecting the Buddha necessarily brings death, nor that recollecting Avalokiteśvara necessarily prevents rebirth — but a foolish person who recollects with no thought at all of seeking rebirth has thereby brought about, through that very lack of intent, one particular kind of karmic mishap ruining the matter. "Infinite Light" itself dissolves disaster; "Infinite Life" itself extends one's own life. Reciting "Amitābha Buddha," carried to its very utmost, is even capable of bringing about buddhahood itself — how, then, could it possibly fail to extend one's life, causing swift death instead?

答卓智立問 · Answer to a Question from Zhuo Zhili 三編

Even a person who has never ordinarily recollected the Buddha may still attain rebirth, should a good spiritual friend give instruction at the moment of death and everyone present assist in recollection together. Conversely, a person who has constantly recollected the Buddha throughout his life may, at the moment of death, still be undermined by ignorant family members who prematurely wash and change his body, ask him about various matters, or weep openly before him — and, through these very conditions, his own correct mindfulness is destroyed, and rebirth thereby becomes difficult. This is precisely why a person who recollects the Buddha must have his own family recollect the Buddha as well, in ordinary times — so that, at the moment of his own death, they will all be able to assist in his recollection. And because they will already have been told, again and again, of the benefit of deathbed assistance in recollection, and of the harm caused by chaotic fussing and open weeping, they will not, through misguided filial devotion, cause their own loved one to suffer the great pain of birth-and-death after all — but will instead secure for him the great benefit of rebirth in the West within this very life.

一切念佛人往生及不往生之證據 · Evidence for Which Buddha-Recollecting Practitioners Attain Rebirth and Which Do Not 三編

When Master Xuanzang was dying, he too experienced some measure of pain and illness, and his own mind grew doubtful, wondering whether the sūtras he had translated might contain some error. A bodhisattva then comforted him, saying: "The karmic retribution owed for your own past kalpas is, in every case, being dissolved through this very small suffering — hold no doubt about it." You should use this same understanding to comfort your own mother, urging her to give rise to a joyful heart rather than a resentful one — and she is then certain to receive the Buddha's own empowering blessing: should her allotted lifespan not yet be exhausted, swift recovery; should it already be exhausted, rebirth.

復周孟由昆弟書 · Reply to the Brothers Zhou Mengyou 正編

Throughout a person's whole life, every single matter can be feigned — except the very moment of death itself, which cannot be feigned. All the more so, then, when that moment shows no trace of clinging affection at all, but rather an expression of joy and contentment, passing away seated in peace — how could this be attained at all, were pure karma not already ripe? I only hope that you, your brothers, and your entire family will earnestly recollect the Buddha on your mother's behalf. This will not only benefit your mother — in truth, its merit is even greater than recollecting the Buddha for oneself alone. This is why the Buddha teaches people that, whenever one recites a sūtra, holds a mantra, recollects the Buddha, or performs any other meritorious act, one should dedicate it toward every sentient being throughout the Dharma-realm — even in ordinary times, one dedicates merit toward beings of the Dharma-realm who have no direct connection to oneself at all, how much more so, then, upon one's own mother's passing, should one fail to recollect the Buddha for her with a wholehearted mind? By being able to dedicate merit toward every sentient being, one thereby accords with the Buddha's own vow of bodhi. It is like a single drop of water cast into the great ocean: it thereby shares the very same depth and breadth as the ocean itself. Should it never reach the ocean, then never mind a single drop — even the Yangtze or the Yellow River themselves remain as far removed from the ocean as heaven from earth. From this one knows: whatever one gives, whether to one's own parent or to any other person, is, in every case, nothing but cultivating blessing for oneself. Understanding this principle, one who already holds filial devotion will find that devotion grow all the further; and one who lacks filial devotion should thereby arouse it as well. It is excellent to invite monks to recite the Buddha's name for the standard forty-nine days; and while they do so, you and your brothers must without fail have someone reciting alongside them the whole time.

同上 · Same source, continued 正編

In safeguarding the sick or dedicating merit for the dead, people today generally rely on reciting sūtras, performing repentance rites, or holding water-and-land ceremonies. When I speak with friends I know well, I always urge them toward buddha-recollection instead — for the benefit of buddha-recollection far, far exceeds that of reciting sūtras, performing repentance, or holding water-and-land ceremonies. Why is this? Reciting a sūtra requires literacy, which an illiterate person simply cannot manage; and even one who is literate, unless he can read as swiftly and fluently as flowing water, will find his own somewhat slower tongue unable to keep pace. And a lazy person, though capable, may simply be unwilling to recite at all — in which case the practice becomes name only, without any substance. The same reasoning extends equally to repentance rites and water-and-land ceremonies. Buddha-recollection, by contrast, is something absolutely everyone can do. Even should a lazy person be unwilling to recite it himself, when everyone present recites together with one voice, so long as he does not stop up his own ears, the single phrase of the Buddha's name is already poured into his mind clearly and distinctly all the same — though he himself does not recite it, this is, in the end, no different from reciting it himself. It is like a person steeped in incense, whose own body carries its fragrance without any deliberate intent at all. Whoever wishes to safeguard the sick or dedicate merit for the dead among his own family should not fail to know this.

復黃涵之書 · Reply to Huang Hanzhi 正編

As for the funeral and memorial rites, one should, throughout, use only vegetarian offerings, and never simply follow along with worldly custom. Even should someone unfamiliar with these matters object, one need only accept whatever mockery follows. The whole business of the funeral itself should not be excessively elaborate or ostentatious. As for performing Buddhist rites, one should recite the Buddha's name alone, and undertake no other kind of Buddhist ceremony at all. And one should have the entire family, without exception, earnestly recollect the Buddha together. This will bring genuine benefit not only to your mother, but to all of you, your family members, relatives, and friends alike.

復周孟由昆弟書 · Reply to the Brothers Zhou Mengyou 正編

Ever since the Buddha-dharma first came east, monastics have, without exception, been cremated. And the eminent and accomplished figures of the Tang and Song dynasties who revered and believed in the Buddha-dharma likewise, in many cases, followed this same practice. This is because the Buddha-dharma places its weight on consciousness rather than the physical body, fearing only that one might become attached to one's own bodily frame and thereby fail to attain liberation. Through cremation, one comes to know that this body is not the true self, and thereby ceases to cling to it any longer. One further recites sūtras and recollects the Buddha on the departed's behalf, in hopes of his realizing the Dharma-body.

靈巖普同塔記 · A Record of the Communal Stūpa at Lingyan Monastery 續編

The method of cremation, during the flourishing era of Buddhism under the Tang and Song dynasties, was widely used by laypeople as well. Yet it may still be preferable to follow the conventional practice of earth burial, lest those attached to custom raise reckless objections. In truth, cremation is the easier means of allowing the body to dissolve away entirely; and cremating after the standard forty-nine days have passed is even more fitting still. Burial, over the course of years, may sometimes lead to the exposure of the bones.

復周孟由昆弟書 · Reply to the Brothers Zhou Mengyou 正編

There is nothing in this world more tragic than death — and yet there is not a single person throughout the entire world who can ever escape it. This is why anyone with a mind to benefit both himself and others must not fail to plan for this in advance. In truth, the very word "death" is, from the start, nothing but a provisional name. It means only that, once the single lifetime's karmic reward brought about by a past life has come to its end, one sets down this present body and receives instead some other body in its place. For one who does not know the Buddha-dharma, there is truly no remedy to be found at all — one can only let oneself drift and revolve according to one's own karma. But now, having come to hear the Tathāgata's own Pure Land Dharma-gate for universally liberating sentient beings, one should certainly hold faith and vow, recollecting the Buddha and preparing the very provisions for rebirth — in hopes of escaping the illusory suffering of birth-and-death's endless cycle, and realizing the true, everlasting joy of nirvāṇa itself.

Should one's own parents, siblings, or other family members fall gravely ill, in a condition unlikely to recover, one should arouse a heart of filial devotion and compassion, urging them to recollect the Buddha and seek rebirth in the West, while also assisting them in this very recollection — so that the sick person, through this very death, may at once be born in the Pure Land. The benefit of this could hardly be named in words. I now set forth three essentials, as evidence for helping a dying person attain rebirth. Though my own language here is plain and unrefined, its meaning is rooted entirely in the Buddhist scriptures themselves. Whenever such an occasion arises, one should carry out every one of them in full.

As for what is meant by these "three essentials": first, skillfully guiding and comforting the dying person, so that correct faith arises within him; second, everyone present taking turns reciting the Buddha's name, to assist his own pure recollection; third, strictly guarding against moving the body or weeping aloud, so as to avoid ruining the whole matter. Should one truly be able to carry out these three methods, one can, without fail, dissolve away past karma and increase the very cause of purity, thereby receiving the Buddha's own guidance to rebirth in the West. Once rebirth is attained, one transcends the ordinary and enters sagehood, being done with birth-and-death, advancing gradually in cultivation until, at last, the fruit of buddhahood is perfectly accomplished. A benefit as great as this depends entirely on the strength of one's own family's assistance in recollection.

Whoever is able to carry this out — toward one's own parents, this is true filial devotion; toward one's own brothers and sisters, this is true fraternal care; toward one's own children, this is true parental kindness; toward one's friends, and toward strangers alike, this is true righteousness and true generosity. By this very means, one cultivates one's own cause of purity, and awakens the faith and inclination of others as well. In time, how could this not become a habit that spreads into a general custom? I now set out each of these three points in turn, so that no one, when the occasion actually arises, is left without any idea of what to do.

臨終三大要 · The Three Great Essentials at the End of Life 續編

Earnestly urge the dying person to set everything down, and single-mindedly recollect the Buddha. Should there be any matter still requiring his attention, have him settle it swiftly; and once settled, let it be put entirely out of mind. He should hold the thought: "I am now about to follow the Buddha to rebirth in his own buddha-land; every worldly wealth, joy, family member, and every other defiled object is nothing but an obstruction, bringing about only misfortune — and so I should not give rise to even a single thought of attachment toward any of it." He must understand that his own single true nature, in itself, has never known death at all. What is called "death" is nothing more than setting down this present body to receive some other body in its place. Should he not recollect the Buddha, he will simply be reborn, according to his own good or evil karmic force, into some good or evil path once more. But should he, at the very moment of death, single-mindedly recite "Homage to Amitābha Buddha," this sincere, earnest mind of buddha-recollection will certainly move the Buddha to arouse his own great compassion, personally descending to guide him, so that rebirth is attained.

And let him not doubt: "I am but an ordinary being weighed down by karmic force — how could reciting the Buddha's name for so brief a time possibly free me from birth-and-death, securing rebirth in the West?" He should know that the Buddha's great compassion is such that even a person guilty of the ten evils and the five heinous crimes, the gravest offenses of all, with the very marks of hell already appearing before him at the moment of death, may still, should a good spiritual friend teach him to recollect the Buddha — whether ten recitations, or even a single recitation alone — be received and guided by the Buddha to rebirth in the West all the same. If even such a person as this, reciting only these few phrases, can still attain rebirth, how, then, could one doubt this on the grounds that one's own karmic force is heavy and one's own recitations too few?

One must understand that we ourselves are, at root, already endowed with the very same true nature as the Buddha — it is only because our own delusion and karma run so deep that we fail to make use of it. Now, taking refuge in the Buddha, like a child returning to its father, is nothing but a return to one's own original home — how could this ever be regarded as something extraneous or unearned? And moreover, the Buddha himself once made the vow: "Should any sentient being, hearing my name, hold it in mind with sincere faith and joy, even to as little as ten recollections, and still fail to be reborn, then may I myself not attain true, complete awakening." This is why every sentient being who, at the moment of death, arouses a sincere, earnest heart, recollecting the Buddha and seeking rebirth in the West, is, without a single exception, received and guided by his own merciful compassion. One must never, under any circumstance, harbor doubt about this — to harbor doubt is itself to do oneself harm, and the resulting misfortune is no small matter.

Moreover, to leave behind this world of suffering and be born into that world of joy is a matter of the utmost delight — one should give rise to a joyful heart over it. One must never, under any circumstance, fear death — for fearing death still does not prevent death from coming, and only results, on the contrary, in losing one's own share in rebirth in the West altogether, since one's own mind is thereby turned directly against the Buddha himself. However great the Buddha's own compassion, even he can do nothing for a sentient being who refuses to follow his teaching. Amitābha Buddha's own great name of ten thousand virtues is like a vast, blazing furnace; our own karmic offense, accumulated across many lifetimes, is like a single flake of snow adrift in the sky. An ordinary being weighed down by karmic force, through buddha-recollection alone, has his own karma dissolved away entirely — just as a single flake of snow, brought near a blazing furnace, vanishes at once beyond any trace. And once karmic force has thus dissolved away, every root of goodness one possesses naturally increases and flourishes all the more — how, then, could one still doubt that rebirth might fail, or that the Buddha might not come to guide one after all?

Comforting and guiding the dying person patiently and thoroughly in this way, he will naturally give rise to correct faith of his own. This is the manner of guidance to be given to the dying person himself. As for what one should oneself carry out, in fulfilling filial devotion with utmost sincerity, this too lies entirely in doing exactly this.

Guidance has already been given to the dying person, so that correct faith arises within him. Yet the dying person's own strength of mind is frail. Never mind someone who has never ordinarily recollected the Buddha at all, who will find it difficult to sustain continuous recitation — even one who has long made buddha-recollection his own regular practice will, at this point, rely entirely on the assistance of others to find any real strength in it. This is precisely why one's own family, together, should arouse a heart of filial devotion and compassion, assisting him in reciting the Buddha's name.

Should the illness not yet have reached its very final stage, one should divide into shifts to recite. One should divide into three groups, each group limited to a set number of people. The first group recites aloud; the second and third groups hold the recitation silently. After reciting for one hour, the second group takes over the recitation aloud, while the first and third groups hold it silently. Should some small matter need attending to, it should be handled during one's own silent-holding turn. While on one's own active shift, one must never, under any circumstance, simply walk away. Once the second group finishes, the third group takes over in turn, and so it continues, cycling back to the beginning. Recite for one hour, rest for two — even carried on through an entire day and night, this need not become excessively tiring.

One must understand that being willing to help another person's pure recollection toward rebirth also earns, in return, the very same assistance from others when one's own time comes. And this is not merely something one should do for one's own parents out of filial devotion — even done for an ordinary stranger, it likewise cultivates one's own field of blessing and increases one's own roots of goodness; it is, in truth, a path of benefiting oneself as much as others, not merely a matter of helping someone else. To help a single person attain rebirth in the Pure Land is itself to help a single sentient being become a buddha — merit of this kind is truly inconceivable.

With the three groups continuing in succession, the sound of the Buddha's name never breaks off. Should the dying person still have strength to recite, let him follow along in a soft voice; should he no longer be able to recite, let him instead gather in his ear and listen attentively, his mind free of any other thought, and he will thereby naturally come into accord with the Buddha. The voice reciting the Buddha's name should not be too loud — too loud, and it strains the breath, making it hard to sustain; nor should it be too soft, lest the dying person fail to hear it clearly. It should not be too fast, nor too slow. Too fast, and the dying person cannot keep pace, finding it difficult to follow even by ear; too slow, and the breath cannot be sustained between phrases, likewise making it difficult to benefit from. It should be neither too loud nor too soft, neither too slow nor too fast, every single character distinct, every single phrase clear — so that each character, each phrase, enters the dying person's ear and settles into his own mind, and it thereby becomes easy for him to draw strength from it.

As for the ritual instrument to use while reciting: only the hand-bell should be used; every other instrument should, without exception, be avoided. The hand-bell's tone is clear, and hearing it brings a person's own mind to a state of purity; the wooden fish's tone is muddy, and so should not be used for deathbed assistance in recollection. One should also recite the four-character form of the Buddha's name. At the very start, one may recite a few phrases of the six-character form; thereafter, one should recite exclusively the four characters "Amitābha Buddha," without the "Namo" — since fewer characters are easier to recite, whether the dying person follows along himself or simply gathers his mind to listen, either way it conserves his own strength of mind.

Whether it is one's own family reciting in this manner, or good friends invited from outside doing the same, whether there are many people present or few, all should follow this same method. One must not recite all together for a while, then stop, then recite again, causing the dying person's own recollection of the Buddha to be interrupted. Should mealtime arrive, one should simply change shifts to eat, without ever letting the sound of the Buddha's name break off. Should the dying person be on the very point of drawing his last breath, all three groups should recite together at once, continuing straight through even after the breath has stopped, and then, resuming shifts, continue reciting for a further three hours before finally resting — so as to allow time for handling the arrangements that follow.

While reciting the Buddha's name, one must not allow friends or relatives to come before the dying person to offer greetings or words of comfort. Should someone, moved by genuine feeling, come to visit, he should be asked to join in reciting the Buddha's name for some period of time instead — this is true, genuine affection, and of real benefit to the dying person. But should one instead indulge in ordinary worldly sentiment, this is nothing less than pushing the dying person down into the sea. However moving such feeling may be, the matter itself is deeply painful to witness. The whole matter rests entirely on whoever is in charge understanding this principle clearly, and instructing everyone present of it in advance — so as to avoid any awkwardness over social propriety, and to avoid harming the dying person through the very distraction that would otherwise prevent his rebirth.

The moment a dying person is about to breathe his last is precisely the very juncture at which the ordinary being and the sage, the human and the ghost, are being decided between. Everything hangs on the slenderest thread — the stakes could not be higher. One should do nothing but use the Buddha's name to guide his own consciousness onward. One must never, under any circumstance, bathe him, change his clothes, or move him to a different resting place. Whatever position he happens to be sitting or lying in, one should simply accommodate it exactly as it is. There must not be the slightest movement of the body at all, nor should one display any sign of grief before him, let alone break into open weeping. This is because, at this moment, the body is no longer under his own control — any movement causes the limbs and body to suffer the pain of being wrenched and twisted. Pain gives rise to anger, and anger extinguishes the recollection of the Buddha; and following anger as one departs, one is, in most cases, reborn among venomous, malevolent beings — a truly terrifying prospect. Should he witness grief and open weeping, a mind of attachment and affection arises, and this too extinguishes the recollection of the Buddha; and following attachment and affection as one departs, one remains bound, life after life, unable ever to attain liberation.

At this moment, nothing benefits the dying person more than single-minded buddha-recollection; nothing harms him more than careless movement or open weeping. Should careless movement or open weeping occur, giving rise to anger, resentment, or attachment, then the hope of rebirth in the West becomes, without a single exception, entirely lost.

Moreover, when a person is dying, warmth leaving the body from the lower parts upward toward the head is a sign of ascent; warmth leaving from the head downward is a sign of descent. Hence the old saying: "the crown for a sage, the eyes for the heavenly realms, the heart for the human realm, the belly for hungry ghosts, the knees for animals, the soles of the feet for hell." Yet should everyone present recollect the Buddha with utmost sincerity, one may still attain rebirth in the West directly, regardless. One must never, under any circumstance, repeatedly check the body for warmth, since this may disturb his consciousness before it has fully departed, causing agitation and pain that prevent rebirth after all — an offense of truly immeasurable, boundless gravity. I ask every relative and friend present to earnestly recollect the Buddha together, without ever needing to check where the warmth has cooled first.

For a child of the deceased, taking care over this very matter is what constitutes true filial devotion. Should one instead follow every worldly custom and sentiment, this is nothing less than callously pushing one's own parent down into the sea of suffering, merely in order to win the praise of ignorant onlookers who declare, in a chorus, how filial one has been. This kind of "filial devotion" is exactly the same as the love of the rākṣasī demoness — a sūtra says: "The rākṣasī devours people, saying, 'I love you, and so I devour you.'" The filial devotion of such an ignorant person, causing his own parent to lose joy and receive suffering instead, is this not exactly the same as the rākṣasī's own love for the one she devours?

I do not make these statements because I lack any understanding of ordinary human feeling — I wish only for everyone to seek what is genuinely effective in actual practice, so that the departed truly attains rebirth and the living truly obtain blessing, thereby fulfilling the sincere, wholehearted devotion of a filial son or worthy grandson. I have not failed to notice that my own words here may seem rather forceful — but anyone who truly loves their own parent will certainly understand.