English
English version: If someone cries out with grievances, and karmic debts manifest, their mind becomes scattered, confused, and inverted, their whole body feels like ice, their hands clench into fists, and their body becomes as stiff as stone, this person is destined to enter hell after death. If someone likes to lick their lips, their body feels hot like fire, they are constantly hungry and thirsty, they like to talk about food and drink, they open their mouth but cannot close it, they are greedy for wealth and treasures, and they have difficulty breathing their last breath, dying with their eyes open, this person is destined to enter the realm of hungry ghosts. If someone is seriously ill, as if in a cloud, their mind is confused and scattered, they are afraid to hear the name of the Buddha, they especially like to eat the taste of blood and flesh, they do not accept advice or teachings, they are attached to their wife and children, they curl up their fingers and toes, their whole body sweats, they make rough and hoarse sounds, and they drool from their mouth, when this appearance manifests, they are destined to enter the animal realm. Ten Obstacles The *Qun Yi Lun* (Treatise on Resolving Doubts) says that there are ten kinds of people in the world who cannot recite the Buddha's name at the time of death: first, good friends may not be encountered, so there is no opportunity to be encouraged to recite; second, karmic suffering缠身 (chan shen - to be entwined) prevents them from having the leisure to recite the Buddha's name; third, they suffer from hemiplegia and aphasia, and cannot recite the Buddha's name; fourth, they are mad and lose their minds, making it difficult to concentrate their thoughts; fifth, they encounter water or fire disasters, and do not have time to sincerely recite; sixth, they encounter jackals and wolves, and have no good friends to help them; seventh, they encounter bad friends at the time of death, who destroy their faith; eighth, they overeat and become comatose until death; ninth, they die suddenly in military battles; tenth, they fall from a high place and injure their lives. These ten kinds of people are definitely unable to recite the Buddha's name at the time of death, and should cultivate in advance to achieve pure karma, so that even if they encounter difficult circumstances, they will surely receive the Buddha's protection. Instructions from the Patriarchs Chan Master Shou's Four Selections: If one has Chan (Zen meditation) but no Pure Land, nine out of ten people will go astray. If negative states appear at the time of death, they will instantly follow them. If one has no Chan but has Pure Land, ten thousand people who cultivate will all be reborn there. As long as one can see Amitabha (Amitabha), what is there to worry about not attaining enlightenment? If one has both Chan and Pure Land, it is like a tiger with horns. In this life, one can be a teacher of people, and in the next life, one can become a Buddha and a patriarch. If one has neither Chan nor Pure Land, one will suffer on iron beds and copper pillars, and for countless kalpas (aeons) there will be no one to rely on. Chan Master Shou's Exhortation to Cultivate Pure Land Karma: Someone asked, 'How does the merit of reciting the Buddha's name while walking (bowing to the Buddha and circumambulating while reciting) compare to the merit of reciting the Buddha's name while sitting in meditation?' He replied, 'It is like sailing upstream; even if you raise the sail, you can only barely move forward. But if you raise the sail and go downstream, the speed will be very fast. Reciting the Buddha's name even once while sitting in meditation can eliminate eighty billion kalpas of sins. How can the merit of reciting the Buddha's name while walking be measured?' Therefore, the verse says: 'Walk the path five hundred times, recite the Buddha's name a thousand times, if you always do this, the Buddha of the Western Pure Land will be attained.' (Reciting the Buddha's name while walking refers to reciting the Buddha's name while bowing to the Buddha and circumambulating.) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
如此念佛身口意俱到故功德独胜)灵芝法师云博地凡夫业惑缠缚流转五道百千万劫受诸苦恼忽闻净土志愿求生一日称名即超彼国可谓万劫难逢千生一遇若人肯念阿弥陀佛超过一切善根纵然能行施戒禅诵亦不如念佛功德。 杨提刑云有佛释迦是大导师指清净土是安乐国阿弥陀佛是净土师尔诸众生若生彼土则无诸苦若不闻知固可哀怜亦有善士发三种心不求生者尤可嗟叹一曰吾道超佛越祖净土不足生也二曰处处皆净土西方不必生也三曰极乐圣域凡夫不能生也夫行海无量普贤愿见阿弥陀佛国虽空维摩常修净土十方如来有广舌之赞十方菩萨有同往之心试自忖量孰与诸圣谓不足生者何其自欺哉至于龙树祖师也楞伽经有预记之文天亲教宗也无量论有求生之偈慈恩通赞首称十胜智者析理明辨十疑彼皆上哲精进往生谓不必生者何其自慢哉火车可灭舟石不沉现华报者莫甚于张馗十念而超胜处入地狱者莫速于雄俊再苏而证妙因世人愆尤未必若此谓不能生者何其自弃哉。 慈照宗主云有行无愿其行必孤有愿无行其愿必虚夫愿者乐也欲也欲生西方净土乐见阿弥陀佛必须发愿方得往生华严经云不发大愿魔所摄持一切佛事从大愿起欲成无上道故须得愿波罗蜜所以普贤广无边愿海弥陀有六八愿门故云法门广大无愿不从备观今时信心皈投佛会 现代汉语译本： （如此念佛，身口意三方面都到位，所以功德最为殊胜。）灵芝法师说，广大的凡夫被业障和迷惑缠缚，在五道中流转，经历百千万劫，遭受各种苦恼。如果忽然听闻净土法门，立下志愿求生净土，仅仅一日称念佛名，就能超越到彼国，真可谓万劫难逢，千生一遇。如果有人肯念阿弥陀佛（Amitabha Buddha），就能超过一切善根，纵然能够行布施、持戒、修禅、诵经，也不如念佛的功德。 杨提刑说，有佛释迦（Sakyamuni Buddha）是大导师，指引清净土是安乐国，阿弥陀佛（Amitabha Buddha）是净土的导师。你们这些众生，如果能往生到那个国土，就没有各种痛苦；如果不闻不知，实在可悲可怜。也有一些善士，发起三种心，却不求生净土，尤其令人叹息。一是说，我的道超越佛，超过祖师，净土不值得往生。二是说，处处都是净土，西方净土不必往生。三是说，极乐世界（Sukhavati）是圣人的领域，凡夫不能往生。修行海无边无际，普贤菩萨（Samantabhadra）发愿要见阿弥陀佛国（Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land）；即使是空性的维摩诘（Vimalakirti），也常常修习净土。十方如来（Tathagata）有广长舌相的赞叹，十方菩萨（Bodhisattva）有共同往生的心愿。试着自己衡量一下，和诸位圣贤相比如何？说不值得往生的人，是多么自欺啊！至于龙树（Nagarjuna）祖师，楞伽经（Lankavatara Sutra）有预记的文字；天亲（Vasubandhu）菩萨是教宗，无量寿经论（Amitayus Sutra）有求生的偈颂；慈恩大师（Ci En）的通赞，首先称扬十种殊胜；智者大师（Zhiyi）分析事理，明辨十种疑惑。他们都是上等的贤哲，精进往生。说不必往生的人，是多么自大啊！火车的苦难可以熄灭，舟船的石头不会沉没，现世显现恶报的，没有比张馗（Zhang Kui）更严重的了；十念就能超脱，胜过往生；堕入地狱的，没有比雄俊（Xiong Jun）更快的了；再次苏醒而证得妙因。世人的罪过未必如此，说不能往生的人，是多么自暴自弃啊！ 慈照宗主说，有行没有愿，他的修行必定孤单；有愿没有行，他的愿望必定虚空。所谓愿，就是喜好，就是欲望。想要往生西方净土（Western Pure Land），乐意见到阿弥陀佛（Amitabha Buddha），必须发愿才能往生。《华严经》（Avatamsaka Sutra）说，不发大愿，会被魔所摄持，一切佛事从大愿开始。想要成就无上道，所以必须得到愿波罗蜜（Prāramitā of Vow）。所以普贤菩萨（Samantabhadra）有广无边际的愿海，阿弥陀佛（Amitabha Buddha）有四十八愿门。所以说，法门广大，没有愿不能成就。仔细观察现今的信心皈投佛会。
English
English version: (Such mindfulness of the Buddha, with body, speech, and mind all engaged, results in uniquely superior merit.) Dharma Master Lingzhi said, 'Vast numbers of ordinary beings are entangled by karmic obstacles and delusions, transmigrating through the five realms for hundreds of millions of kalpas, enduring all kinds of suffering. If they suddenly hear of the Pure Land Dharma and resolve to seek rebirth there, even a single day's recitation of the Buddha's name can transcend them to that land. This is truly a rare opportunity, difficult to encounter in myriad kalpas, and only met once in a thousand lifetimes. If someone is willing to recite Amitabha Buddha's (Amitabha Buddha) name, they surpass all good roots. Even if they can practice giving, uphold precepts, meditate, and recite scriptures, it is still not as meritorious as reciting the Buddha's name.' Yang Tixing said, 'There is Buddha Sakyamuni (Sakyamuni Buddha), the great teacher, who points to the Pure Land as the Land of Bliss. Amitabha Buddha (Amitabha Buddha) is the teacher of the Pure Land. If you sentient beings are born in that land, you will be free from all suffering. If you do not hear or know of this, it is truly pitiable. There are also some virtuous people who generate three kinds of thoughts but do not seek rebirth there, which is especially lamentable. First, they say, 'My path surpasses the Buddha and exceeds the patriarchs; the Pure Land is not worth being born in.' Second, they say, 'Everywhere is Pure Land; there is no need to be born in the Western Pure Land.' Third, they say, 'The Land of Ultimate Bliss (Sukhavati) is the realm of sages; ordinary beings cannot be born there.' The ocean of practice is boundless; Bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Samantabhadra) vows to see Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land (Amitabha Buddha's Pure Land). Even Vimalakirti (Vimalakirti), who embodies emptiness, constantly cultivates the Pure Land. The Tathagatas (Tathagata) of the ten directions have tongues of praise, and the Bodhisattvas (Bodhisattva) of the ten directions share the aspiration to be reborn there together. Try to measure yourselves against these sages. How self-deceiving are those who say it is not worth being born there! As for Patriarch Nagarjuna (Nagarjuna), the Lankavatara Sutra (Lankavatara Sutra) contains prophecies about him. Bodhisattva Vasubandhu (Vasubandhu) is the founder of a school; his Treatise on the Pure Land (Amitayus Sutra) contains verses seeking rebirth. Master Ci En's (Ci En) commentary first praises the ten superiorities. Master Zhiyi (Zhiyi) analyzes principles and clearly distinguishes the ten doubts. They are all superior sages who diligently seek rebirth. How arrogant are those who say there is no need to be born there! The suffering of the fiery chariot can be extinguished, and stones in a boat will not sink. No one manifests evil retribution in this life more severely than Zhang Kui (Zhang Kui). Ten recitations can lead to transcendence, surpassing rebirth. No one falls into hell faster than Xiong Jun (Xiong Jun), who regained consciousness and realized the wonderful cause. The faults of ordinary people may not be as severe as these. How self-abandoning are those who say they cannot be born there!' Master Cizhao said, 'Having practice without vows makes the practice solitary; having vows without practice makes the vows empty. A vow is a delight, a desire. If one wishes to be born in the Western Pure Land (Western Pure Land) and joyfully see Amitabha Buddha (Amitabha Buddha), one must make vows to be reborn there. The Avatamsaka Sutra (Avatamsaka Sutra) says that without making great vows, one will be seized by demons, and all Buddha activities arise from great vows. To achieve the unsurpassed path, one must attain the Paramita of Vow (Prāramitā of Vow). Therefore, Bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Samantabhadra) has a boundless ocean of vows, and Amitabha Buddha (Amitabha Buddha) has forty-eight gates of vows. Thus, it is said that the Dharma gate is vast, and nothing can be accomplished without vows. Observe carefully the current faith and refuge in the Buddha's assembly.' --------------------------------------------------------------------------------