Q and A about Practicing Amitabha-Recitation
Part Three - Assisted-Recitation near the End-of-Life
第三部分 有關臨終助念
Question 36: Does reciting the name of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, the Sutra of Kṣitigarbha, the Diamond Sutra, or mantras count as assistance in Amitabha recitation?
Answer: None of these counts. Only reciting the Name of Amitabha Buddha is regarded as assisted-recitation. The purpose of assisted-recitation is to assist others in reciting Amitabha Buddha’s Name and guiding them to be reborn in the Pure Land of Bliss.It is not to assist them in reciting sutras, mantras, or the names of other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
At the moment of death, the situation is extremely critical. Regardless of which practice they followed during their lifetime, all other methods should be set aside at this time, while focusing exclusively on reciting the Name of Amitabha Buddha.
If one gets distracted by reciting other things, it may be too late. To put it seriously, all of these other practices disrupt the assisted-recitation and jeopardize the chance of achieving rebirth in the Pure Land. Due to ignorance and misunderstanding, one could unintentionally create great obstacles. Among these, disrupting the exclusive recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s Name at the moment of death is one of the gravest mistakes.
36問:念地藏菩薩、《地藏經》、《金剛經》,念咒等,算不算助念?
答:通通不算!只有念阿彌陀佛名號才是助念。所謂「助念」,是助人念阿彌陀佛,往生極樂世界,而不是助他念經、念咒、念其他佛菩薩等。臨終之時,情況萬分危急,不管平時學什麼法門,這個時候通通都要放下,專念一句阿彌陀佛。再雜七雜八念別的,來不及了。
說得嚴重一點,這是擾亂助念,破壞往生。因愚癡無知而造罪,沒有超過臨終擾亂專念阿彌陀佛的。
Namo Amituofo!
