Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Answer to Q29: (4/4)
As mentioned a few days ago, Dharma Master Xin-Yuan in central Taiwan, often assists others with recitation. In one case, the person had already been dead for eight hours and his face had turned dark and ugly. The master explained Amitabha Buddha’s light to him. When he reached the third kind of light— “Unobstructed Light”—in a single instant, the deceased’s facial appearance suddenly became rosy and full. He said that this change was not gradual but instantaneous. Usually, when we assist with recitation, the facial appearance does change, but it changes gradually. This case changed suddenly, in a single moment.
He also spoke of another case: a person whose eyes were wide open, mouth gaping, face and body darkened; and who had already been dead for half a month before the family invited him. No one in the family practiced Buddhism. They were still burning spirit money and paper offerings, and the whole room was filled with thick, noxious smoke.
Dharma Master Xin-Yuan explained the recitation of Namo Amitabha Buddha beside the deceased. Gradually, the deceased’s eyes and mouth closed, and the facial appearance turned rosy and pleasant. The whole process took only about an hour and a half. When the daughter returned, she asked in surprise, “Who is that? Could that be my mother?” You see—even after fifteen days, there could still be such a transformation, as if her consciousness was still there hearing the Dharma. It is truly inconceivable! Of course, this is a rather exceptional example.
29問：
續答：(4/ 4)
前幾天也講過，信願法師在臺灣中部常常為人家助念，其中有一個是已經死了八小時，面貌都已經烏黑難看，去給他開示彌陀的光明，當開示到第三種「無礙光」的時候，一剎那之間，亡者的臉相突然間變得紅潤而圓滿。他說這種轉變不是逐漸的，而是當下的。一般我們給人家助念，面相都會轉變的，但都是逐漸逐漸地轉變，可是這個是突然轉變，一剎那之間就轉變的。
他還說：有一個死後眼睛睜得很大，嘴巴張得也很大，臉和身體烏黑的，已經死了半個月才請他去；家裏的人沒有一個學佛，還在燒金銀紙箔，整個房間都烏煙障氣。
信願法師在亡者旁邊開示念佛，逐漸逐漸，亡人的眼睛合起來了，嘴巴也合起來了，面相也轉為紅潤好看，時間也只不過一個半小時。她的女兒回來就問了一句說：「那個是誰？會是我媽媽嗎？」你看，十五天了，還會轉變，好像她的神識依然在那裏聞法，那不可思議啊！當然這是比較特殊的例子。
Namo Amituofo!
