► Faye Chen

My uncle-in-law lived in San Jose. He died at the age of 69 due to a heart attack. When he was still alive, he was seldom sick. He came to Los Angeles last month and visited me. I would never have thought that that would be the last we would see of each other. Life is impermanent-arriving when we arrive and leaving when we leave. Nobody knows what will happen in the next moment.

In general, people who cultivate the Pure Land Dharma Door hope to obtain rebirth in the Pure Land at the end of their lives. To attain this, it is necessary to rely upon Amitabha Buddha's compassionate heart and deep vows. Furthermore, it requires the completion of faith, vows and practice. The eighteenth vow of Amitabha Buddha states,

"After becoming the Buddha, if living beings in the ten directions who resolve their minds with faith and joy, and who wish for rebirth in my land even for just ten recitations, are not reborn there, I will not attain the proper enlightenment. The only exceptions are those who have committed the Five Rebellious Offenses and have slandered the Proper Dharma."

The Buddha said that before a person dies, practicing the Ten Recitations or even a single recitation will enable that person to obtain Rebirth. What about those people who are sick and delirious at the time they are about to die, to the extent of not even being able to recognize their relatives? Also, what about those who, like my uncle-in-law, did not even have time enough left to recite Amitabha Buddha's name on single time? Do they have a chance to be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss?

Venerable Master Guang Qing said, "If we harbor proper mindfulness of the Buddha before our last breath, Amitabha Buddha will come to fetch us. On the other hand, if we cannot let go of our attachment to even a tiny bit of this Saha World, we will continue to revolve in reincarnation." It is clear that mindfulness of the Buddha is absolutely necessary to have the chance of obtaining rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Ordinary people in the midst of their hectic lives may recite the Buddha's name and perform good deeds, but still run short of genuine skill in being mindful of the Buddha. In this case, will they be able to strike up proper mindfulness at the end of their lives, when they will, most likely, be undergoing the sufferings of sickness and delusion?

There is a story recorded in the Buddhist scriptures that can be told. This is how the story goes. One day, one of the Buddha's disciples named Shr Mo Nan asked the Buddha, "World Honored One! Although I am currently intent on obtaining rebirth in the Pure Land, I have a concern about where I might go should some unforeseen event happen at the end of my life, depriving me of time to recite the Buddha's name, be mindful of the Buddha or seek rebirth in the Pure Land. In case that happens, where will I go?" The Buddha replied, "Do not worry. Let me ask you a question. Let's say there is a tree growing towards the East. One day, it is hit by lightning and falls. In which direction do you think this tree will topple?" The disciple answered, "It will surely fall towards the East." The Buddha explained, "If your heart is constantly set in the direction of the Pure Land, you will head in that direction should you suddenly fall one day."

This story has a great message. If we want to obtain rebirth in the Pure Land, we should be mindful of the Buddha and uphold the Buddha's name in our hearts at all times. Why?

People in this world are full of confused thoughts. Upholding the Buddha's name is to clear the confusion and regain purity in mindfulness. Venerable Master Hsuan Hua said, "When a mind of purity is produced, it is the Land of Ultimate Bliss." A person may have recited the Buddha's name many times, but if his mindfulness in not clean and pure, he cannot obtain rebirth in the Pure Land. Therefore, the key to being mindful of the Buddha is to be "single-minded." A person who can single-mindedly recite the Buddha's name will attain accomplishment. As to reciting the Buddha's name with a scattered mind, some Virtuous Ones of the past have said,

"That is only planting wholesome roots."

They further added,

"If people recite the Buddha's name with the Pure Land in their hearts, they will definitely obtain rebirth in the Pure Land in this life. Failing to obtain rebirth in the Pure Land is due to the lack of a Pure Land in the person's heart. The Pure Land is the purity of the mind; the purity of the mind is the Pure Land."

Venerable Guang Qing mentioned, "If we would like to find a way out of birth and death, the one and only way is by single-mindedly reciting the Buddha's name." If we uphold and recite the Buddha's name regularly, and focus single-mindedly on the Buddha's name no matter what, we will be able to obtain rebirth in the Pure Land, even with a single recitation of the Buddha's name. Our physical body may die, but our consciousness will not be confused. This is the principle explained by the Buddha earlier in the analogy of the tree.

Being in the Dharma-ending age, Buddha recitation is the most stable and expedient as well as the fastest Dharma Door for accomplishment. I am hereby hoping that everybody comes to the realization of the great matter of life and death. Impermanence comes swiftly. If we let this life pass in vain, we may go astray as sink for unending kalpas. Let us reach for the Pure Land with one heart. Let us stay focused on Buddha recitation. Amitabha Buddha!

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