Clarifying Doubts About the Pure Land (I)
淨土釋疑(一)
Continued Answer to Q36:
If a person, throughout his entire life, has had no connection with the Buddha-Dharma—neither practicing other Buddhist paths nor receiving the Pure Land teaching—and perhaps has even committed many evil deeds, doing every kind of wrongdoing without restraint; then, when he is at the point of death, about to breathe his last, he may finally encounter a good spiritual friend who explains this teaching to him.
Or, because he has committed many evil deeds throughout his life, when he reaches the end of his life the fires of hell already seem to be approaching, and he becomes terrified. At that moment, he encounters a good spiritual friend who expounds the saving deliverance of Amitabha Buddha. If he immediately believes and accepts it, he is then reborn in the Pure Land.
This is what is called the capacity of those who encounter the teaching at the time of death.
The completion of the karma of assurance of rebirth can occur during one’s lifetime or at the moment of death.
Of course, if the karma of rebirth is accomplished during one’s lifetime, it naturally continues to the moment of death. Since it is already accomplished during one’s lifetime, it is even more certain at the time of death. This is because the person’s rebirth was not decided only at the final moment of life. Rather, it was already settled when he entrusted himself to Amitabha’s deliverance and exclusively recited Namo Amitabha Buddha.
Therefore, it is not only at the moment of death that rebirth is decided. For such a person, each recitation and every thought of Namo Amitabha Buddha already assures rebirth.
續答第36問：
如果一個人一輩子都沒有佛緣，既不學其他法門，也沒領受淨土法門，甚至 不但一輩子沒有佛緣，反而造了很多罪業，甚至無惡不作、無作不惡，到臨終 即將斷氣了，才遇到善知識給他講解這個法門；或者是因為一生造惡多端，所 以臨終的時候地獄之火已經燃燒過來了，他才恐懼，這個時候遇到善知識開 示阿彌陀佛的救度，他當下信受，便往生了——這就是臨終之機。
「業成」有平生、有臨終，當然，如果是平生業成的話，它是貫穿到臨終的，既 是平生業成，當然也就更是臨終業成了，因為他的往生，不是臨終那一時刻 才決定的，是在平生信順彌陀救度、專稱彌陀佛名的同時就決定了。所以，不 是臨終那個時候才決定往生，他的念佛是每句佛號都決定往生，念念都決定往生。
Namo Amituofo!
