Records of Pure Land's Sages: How many ways are there for someone to leave for Sukhavati?
(NOTE- the term "Rebirth" is used for being reborn in the Pureland and not transmigrating in samsara.)
The lifelong pursuit of a Nianfo practitioner is reborn in the Pure Land. How many ways are there to achieve rebirth there?
In the book "Records of Pure Land's Noble Sages" (including the initial, supplementary, third and additional volumes), more than a thousand cases of Buddhists achieving rebirth throughout Chinese history are recorded. To be precise, there are a thousand different ways for a thousand Buddhists to achieve rebirth, but if we classify them broadly, there are generally several following ways:
Heavenly music fills the air, and an unusual fragrance pervades the room
This is the most common phrase found in records of rebirth. However, upon reading more than three cases, you will find that everyone's "heavenly music fills the air, and a strange fragrance pervades the room" is different!
> Upon nearing death, Sui Dynasty's Zhenhui said, "I am about to be reborn in the Pure Land, where the lotus flower is waiting for me. I also heard a strange bell ringing, the sound of which was distant, filled with a unique and exuberant fragrance."
> When Tang Dynasty's Faxiang was nearing death, his attendant turned around and saw the Buddha appear in full body, standing against the western wall, shining as bright as a mirror, with fragrance and music filling the air. A white crane came from the west, circled the house three times, and then they both departed for the west.
> When Tang Fashan was nearing death, he saw a golden lotus flower descending from the sky to take him. The heavenly music was competing for attention and they all faintly headed westward.
Shaking of Heaven and Earth
Some people's departure from the world is very eventful, which can be described as "shaking of heaven and earth".
> Sui dynasty's Zhitong said, "I am reborn in the Pure Land!" when he was near death. At that moment, the mountain shook, and the windows cracked.
> When Sui dynasty's two little monks were about to pass away, the earth shook and the heavenly flowers fluttered.
> Tang dynasty's Shenhao, before he passed away, told his disciple, "I will be definitely reborn in the Pure Land today." After bathing and changing clothes, he sat down and passed away, with the room filled with fragrance. That night, the sky turned into the color of Lapis Lazuli, and stars fell like rain.
> Song Dynasty's Zunshi passed away while meditating, and people saw a large shooting star falling on Lingjiu Peak, emitting a bright red light
Touched by the Buddha's Light
> Ming Dynasty scholar Yang Jiayi told those around him, "I am about to leave. The green Lotus has appeared in front of me, isn't this the state of Pure Land?" He recited the Buddha's name day and night. He had the candle extinguished and said, "I am always in the light, I do not need the light of the candle." When asked, "What have you seen?" He replied, "I saw the four-color lotus in full bloom, Amitabha Buddha with a body of a thousand zhangs (traditional unit of measurement), Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with a similar body size as Amitabha, but I did not see Bodhisattva Mahasthamaprapta." Suddenly, he got up, picked up the incense, and said, "The merits of the Amitabha Sutra are inconceivable! I have already attained rebirth in the highest grade of Pure Land." He then passed away peacefully.
> During the Qing Dynasty, Mr. Gu's family members smelled the fragrance of lotus flower, while on their way back home. He said, "I am already sitting in the lotus flower. The Buddha's light shines upon me, and I am always in the light, so I do not need the light of the candle." Three days later, he passed away, and the fragrance did not dissipate until three days later. This happened in the fifteenth year of the Emperor Jiaqing's reign.
Appearance of the Pure Land
Is the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss far away from us? Not really, as the purity of the mind reflects the purity of the land. If a Nianfo practitioner has genuine faith and sincere aspiration, and can recite to the level of the mind undisturbed and even attain Nianfo Samadhi, as taught by the Great Master Lianchi, then they will realize that the Pure Land is not beyond reach: "In a single step one realizes that the precious pond is filled with blossoms of four hues. Without leaving the yard, one sees the golden ground surrounded by seven rows of trees...with true mindfulness, one contemplates emptiness, thus one is born into the unborn. Chanting the Buddha's name is chanting our own nature, and being born there is not separate from being born here. The Buddha, sentient beings, and one's own nature are all one entity, and one doesn't remain on either shore of a stream. Thus, we say "Amitabha as our own inner nature, Mind-Only as the Pure Land" (自性弥陀，唯心净土)
Some people can even see the Pure Land during their daily life.
> During the Tang Dynasty, Daoguang while contemplating Amitabha in his mind, suddenly saw the body of Amitabha Buddha appear before him, and the whole hall was filled with the blue radiance which he had never seen before.
> Mrs. Wu of the Song dynasty and two female attendants devoted themselves to the practices of pure karma (净业). One day, one of the attendants suddenly saw a golden lotus flower appearing in front of her. The crossed legs in the lotus were faintly visible. After a few days, she saw the knees, and then the whole body. Soon, she saw their full head/face. She realized it was Amitabha Buddha and his image was very adorned. Avalokitesvara and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattvas were on the left and right sides. After a few more days, the palace, trees, and pure practitioners doing walking meditation became clearly visible. This continued for three years, without any gap in between. When asked if she had heard the Buddha's teachings, she replied, "I only acquired heavenly eyes, not heavenly ears, so I cannot hear the Buddha's teachings." Soon after, she said her time to pass away had come and died peacefully.
> During the Ming and Tang dynasties, it was often said that it was essential for Pure Land practitioners to contemplate the mind. They needed to constantly do visualization while eating and wearing clothes. Some would visualize themselves traveling on a sea of lotus flowers, bowing to the Buddha in the lotus flower, or sit and observe the pagodas, with the Buddha's light shining on their bodies. Once their mind was purified, they would not need to worry about rebirth.
> One day, while sitting in the meditation hall, one person pushed the window and suddenly saw a mountain rising out of the sea, with the Buddha sitting on the mountain top, their light penetrating the four directions. The walls in the room and trees could not be seen anymore! This was a manifestation of that person's sincerity and faith.
There are also those who have seen this right before their death.
> Tang Dynasty's Daxing, who followed the Amitabha Sutra, focused on mindfulness of Amitabha Buddha for twenty-one days. Suddenly, he saw the Lapis Lazuli ground appear in front of him in the middle of the night. One year later, when the Lapis Lazuli ground appeared again, he told those around him, "My time has come to return to the Pure Land." He passed away while lying on his right side.
> Tang Dynasty's Jingzhen recited the Diamond Sutra one hundred thousand times and devoted himself to Nianfo. One day, he told his disciples, "I have seen a child playing on the lotus flower twice in the past five months. I have obtained rebirth in the highest grade of the Pure Land." After finishing speaking, he sat cross-legged and passed away, and an auspicious light filled the temple.
> Later Jin dynasty's Zhang Kang, a scholar in the Hanlin Academy, recited the Great Compassion Mantra one hundred thousand times, seeking rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Suddenly, he told his family, "The Western Pure Land is now in the west room, with Amitabha Buddha sitting on a large lotus flower. An old man is on the ground filled with golden sand of the lotus pond, playing and paying respects." This old man was actually his grandson who had already passed away.
> Song Dynasty's Zhangdi, in a quiet room, saw a white bird dancing in front of his eyes and a green-haired child coming to ask for blessings with folded hands. Three years later, he turned to the west and recited Buddha's name and passed away.
> Yuan Dynasty's Zhoupo, one day, suddenly dreamed of a large lotus leaf covering the entire street market, and he walked and recited Buddha's name on the leaf while holding a bead. He woke up with a minor illness. That night, the neighbors saw a treasure pavilion and flags coming down from the sky and entering Zhoupo's home. At dawn, Zhoupo passed away while reciting Buddha's name.
(The ways of attaining rebirth in Pureland isn't just limited to these mentioned above.)