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 42. When offering assisted recitation and comfort to a dying person, what should we pay attention to and avoid?
Answer:
1. To avoid confusion, make it simple. Focus only on reciting Namo Amituofo. All other things should be avoided.
2. Please avoid increasing the psychological burden on the dying person. For example, if we say, “Mr. XYZ, you have recited the Buddha’s Name for your entire life and you wish to be reborn. This time is critical, so you should be mindful of the Buddha. If you fail to do this , what you did in the past was in vain.” Saying this is a bit negative, and incurs stress on the dying person. It is because he cannot master and control himself that he needs someone to comfort him, so that he feels safe and peaceful.
One ought to say, “Mr. XYZ, you recited the Buddha’s Name for your entire life, and you wish to be reborn. Amitabha Buddha sees this and knows it. Your efforts have not been in vain. Amitabha Buddha will certainly save you. Though you do not see Amitabha Buddha right now, he will certainly appear when the final moment arrives. As you are already a member of Amitabha Buddha’s Lotus family, he will naturally come to receive you at the right time.
Please try to be patient. You can join us in reciting Amitabha’s Name. If you cannot recite it, you can simply listen and wait for Amitabha Buddha to welcome you!”
42問：助念、開示，最要注意避免的是什麼？
答：一是避免雜。除了一句阿彌陀佛，其他一切皆免。
二是避免增加病亡者的心理負擔。比如說：「某某人，你一輩子念佛修 行，求的就是往生，現在是關鍵時刻，你一定要努力把握正念，如果這時 候不能把握，一輩子修行就會前功盡棄。」這樣的話都有負面信息在當 中，勢必增加臨終人的壓力，因為人在這個時候不是自己勉強就能做主 的，最需要助念的人善巧安慰，讓他的心平安和順。
應當說：「某某人，你一輩子念佛修行，願意往生，阿彌陀佛早都看到、 知道，功不唐捐！阿彌陀佛救你是救定了！現在雖然還沒看見阿彌陀佛 現身接引，是因為你的壽辰還沒到，但你早已是阿彌陀佛的人了，阿彌 陀佛自然會不早不晚來接你的，所以請你不用著急，能跟我們念佛就跟 我們一道念佛，如果力有不及，我們念佛你聽著也是一樣，你就安心地 躺在這裏，等待阿彌陀佛來迎吧。」
Namo Amituofo!
