Summary: As long as one normally fulfils the criteria of deep faith, sincere vow and practice during normal times, no matter what happens at the end, Amitabha Buddha will receive you to the Pure Land. (A normal parent wouldn’t abandon his children when they are sick, what more, an enlightened compassionate Buddha?)

Source: Master Da An’s Answers (Donglin Monastery TikTok)

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSVhkf97w/

EDIT: The image has the wrong time for JST

August 23 (Sunday) 8pm EST

August 24 Monday 9 am for Japan time

If you are interested, PM me if you'd like to be added to the zoom emails.

We can also discuss further on Discord. Here's the server invite: https://discord.gg/b7JZ35JWs

Which one are you picking up?

Amitabha Buddha wrote her a letter42

In Tai Yuan Shanxi, the Amitabha recitation group in Taonan, upasaka Zong is 70 years old now. He has been reciting the Buddha’s Name for two years.

He has three daughters and the third daughter is a slow-witted learner and illiterate. She was very simple minded and as she was not married. She stayed her whole life with her parents.

That year in May, she kept asking for a Amitabha Buddha recital device from her father. She pointed at the device and said Namo Amitabha Buddha with much difficulty. So Zong gave her the device.

From then onwards she would place it near to her ears and listen attentively.

After one month, Mr Zong went for an operation to remove the gallstones and he took the device with him to the hospital. The third daughter complained to her mother, insisting that she wanted the Amitabha recital device back. So Zong gave it back to her and she started to listen to Namo Amitabha Buddha again.

After a month she suddenly passed away.

When the family was going through the things that were left by her, they were surprised to see many inkless pens and a thick pile of papers. They checked through what she was writing and found that on every sheet of paper it was fully written with the number 42. And she passed away at the age of 42.

On hearing this, tears flew down my cheeks (Upasaka Fo Ming).

Why did she ask from her parents for an Amitabha recital device two months before passing away?

And she would listen attentively to the recitation every day.

She is born slow witted and she was illiterate. She did not know how to count and worst she did not even know her age. Then why did she write so many 42 silently in her room, without anyone’s knowledge?

There is only one reason. She had attained a rebirth smoothly and she knew the time of her rebirth!

From this number 42, Amitabha Buddha told her clearly that she would leave the world at the age of 42.

Looking at the writing we had the feeling this was her writing. But in actuality these are the letters that are sent by Amitabha Buddha.

Upasaka and wife are more than seventy years old now. If their daughter is still alive, there is not much time left for them to take care of her. What will happen to her when both of them were to pass away?

But Upasaka Zong has been reciting Amitabha Buddha sincerely. With the kindness of the Buddha the whole family is naturally benefitted.

And with the kindness of the Buddha, the slow-witted daughter had attained a rebirth in the World of Ultimate Bliss earlier.

On top of that she knew the time of her departure and she left in such a wonderful way.

On thinking about this I am most grateful and happy.

The letter sent by Amitabha Buddha to the third daughter is also a letter sent to all of us.

From the Number 42, Amitabha Buddha clearly told us the strength of the Buddha is truly inconceivable.

Amitabha’s rescue is without any conditions. Even a slow-witted lady knows her day of departure and left smoothly.

Is not this means that it will be much easier for us if we are truthful in our practice?

Told by Upasaka FoMing （佛明）. An extract from the Records on the Leisure of Buddha’s strength 

https://oridharma.wordpress.com/2021/06/08/amitabha-buddha-wrote-her-a-letter42/

The Promise of Amida Buddha
15. A Reply to the Lay Priest Saburo in Tsunoto:
I HAVE READ your letter carefully. Here is a brief answer to the questions you have asked. First, it is being said that since both the lay priest Naozane in Kumagai and the lay priest Saburo in Tsunoto are unschooled, they encourage people to observe the sole practice of the recitation of nembutsu. It is also said that the learned need not limit themselves to nembutsu alone. This is a grave misunder-standing.
The practice of nembutsu was taught without regard to whether the practitioner is learned or unschooled. Long ago Amida Buddha designed his essential vow for the deliverance of all sentient beings in the ten directions; he did not make the essential voW advocating nembutsu for the ignorant and make the profound practices other than nem-butsu for the intellectuals. Here "all sentient beings in the ten direc-tions" encompasses the
learned and the unschooled, the guilty and the innocent, the virtuous and the unvirtuous, those who observe the precepts and those who do not, the wise and the ignorant, the male and female. It also includes people from the era of Buddha Sakyamuni, the mortals now present after his death, and even those who will appear after the period of the decline of the Dharma, which will last ten thousand years, when the Three Jewels vanish from this earth.
Further, Master Shan-tao appeared on this earth as the transformed body of Amida Buddha to encourage the exclusive practice of nembutsu to all sentient beings. Master Shan-tao did not intend his nembutsu teaching to be for the ignorant alone. If so, then how could one who relies upon the essential vow and attempts to spread the extensive teaching of Master Shan-tao to various people limit the teaching to merely the ignorant and exclude the educated?
If nembutsu were limited, it would betray the essential vow of Amida Buddha and would not be in keeping with the intention of Master Shan-tao. For this reason, I teach the practice of nembutsu to all who come here to ask about the path to birth in the Pure Land, regardless of their intellectual capacity.
Those who tell falsehoods to halt the practice of nembutsu are the people who in their previous existence had not listened to the teaching of the nembutsu samädhi taught in the Pure Land gate. They are also the people who, spreading lies, will return to the three lower realms in their next life. This is taught in the holy sutra as follows:
There are people who give rise to the poison of anger who, when they see a serious nembutsu practitioner, struggle to incite intrigue and create grudges.
Such people seem blind by nature and have no intrinsic goodness. Destroying the teaching designed for the instantaneous realization of enlightenment, they will sink into the three lower realms for a long time. They will never be released from the three lower realms, even though innumerable eons pass, more innumerable than the number of particles released in the explosion of the earth.
This passage means: There are some people who become enraged upon seeing the nem-butsu practitioner who aspires to birth in the Pure Land. They also become overwhelmed with malicious thoughts, formulate a plan, utilize misguided schemes in order to undermine the practice of nembutsu, and fight to outdo each other in their impious deeds to cause a suspension of the practice of nembutsu. These people are referred to as "people with no intrinsic goodness" (Skt. icchantica), who since birth lack the ability to understand the teachings of Buddha Sakyamuni and the seed for the attainment of buddhahood.
If they vilify and destroy this nembutsu teaching of instantaneous enlightenment [that is, to detach immediately from the perpetual transmigration of the delusive realms and to live eternally in the Pure Land through the recitation of the name of Amida Buddha], they will fall into the three lower realms for an extremely long time and will not extricate themselves from the three lower realms due to the gravity of their karmic transgressions. The sutras state that these people will not escape the three lower realms for innumerable eons.
In one view, such people who would scheme to spread untruths should be rather pitied. To preach to a person like this who doubts nem-butsu and becomes distrustful of the teaching The Promise of Amida Buddha would nonetheless be in vain.
As a rule, one whose karmic relationship with Amida Buddha is shallow and who has not thought as far as birth in the Pure Land will not believe what he hears about the teaching of nembutsu, will fume on witnessing its prac-tice, and in anger will try to impede the practice of nembutsu. Bear this in your mind, and despite what people say, maintain a stalwart heart.
The power of Amida Buddha is ineffective on those who do not believe in birth in the Pure Land through nembutsu at all; the word of a common mortal is even more ineffective. If you are compassionate toward nonbelievers and desire to help them attain birth in the Pure Land, you yourself must first attain birth in the Pure
Land immediately. After achieving enlightenment there, return to this delusive world of transmigration and lead those who criticize and do not believe in the teaching of nembutsu to achieve birth in the Pure Land, thus saving all sentient beings. Remember this well.
Second, we need not even discuss the matter of encouraging the establishment of a karmic relationship with nembutsu for all members within an entire family. This is simply the right thing to do. To obstruct nembutsu is not allowed under the observance of the exclusive practice of nembutsu. Erecting a temple, creating the image of a buddha, writing a sutra, and giving alms to the priest are virtuous deeds that foster the karmic relationship with nembutsu. These do not become a hindrance to nembutsu or a hindrance to the exclusive practice of nembutsu. Third, in order to recite nembutsu, it is preferable that you always be mindful of Amida Buddha and remember to vocalize his name. The practice of nembutsu is to be carried out while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, without regard to time, place, or various karmic relationships. Even though your body and mouth may be contaminated, it is admirable indeed to keep your heart pure and to remember to recite nembutsu. To continually recite nembutsu in this manner is blessed and felicitous. Remembering to recite nembutsu in all places and at all times will become the karmic cause of birth in the Pure Land. Try to instruct those whose hearts lack this devotion.
When you are unable to practice nembutsu, think that you will strive to recite it more.
When you are able to recite nembutsu, what reason could there be for failing to do so? This should never be. Wherever you may be, at any time, wholeheartedly vocalize nembutsu.
Fourth, avoid debating with those who do not believe in nembutsu. Do not force the teaching of nembutsu on those who observe practices other than nembutsu or pursue studies different from yours. As I previously said, do not be disdainful of people with different views and training, but respect them.
In contrast, if there are people who have the same heart as you and aspire for birth in the Pure Land with nembutsu, consider them to be fellow devotees of nembutsu and desire birth together in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha, even though they may live in different circumstances from you.
On occasion, it cannot be helped that some The Promise of Amida Buddha
people have no karmic relationship with Amida Buddha and the Pure Land or have no arousal of devotion or desire for birth in the Pure Land. For those who follow their hearts and behave in various ways, encourage them to find a favorable condition after death to not fall into the three lower realms, according to their heart's desire.
Nevertheless, you should encourage those who have a glimmer of faith in nembutsu to follow the teaching of Amida Buddha and to desire birth in the Pure Land. No matter what is said, birth in the Pure Land and detachment from the delusive realm of transmigration is certainly realizable by anyone in this world through nembutsu. Ponder these ideas with the hearts of the people in mind
Never, under any circumstance, create conflict with others. Think of critics and nonbelievers of nembutsu as those who have lived in hell for long periods and are going to return there; without fear, pacify and soothe them while encouraging nembutsu. You may by chance have a fleeting moment of doubt, but whatever anyone says, do not falter in your nembutsu spirit. One thousand bud-dhas may appear on earth and tell you that birth in the Pure Land is impossible through nembutsu. Believing that nembutsu is the teaching of Buddha Sakyamuni and Amida Buddha, attested to by buddhas as countless as the grains of sand of the Ganges, renew your unshakable faith, be adamant, and aspire to find yourself in the presence of Amida Bud-dha.
Understand that I have only touched upon these matters, and continue reciting nembutsu for the benefit of yourself and others.
*Döko's note: Shinkan301 wrote this reply for Master Hönen on September 18th.