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Crossing the Ocean of Life and Death
- Book 163: Crossing the Ocean of Life and Death
- Chapter 32: Care for the Dying (3)
- Written by Sheng-yen Lu
- Translated and edited by True Buddha Foundation
- Translation Team (Cheng Yew Chung, Satch)
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Are there individuals who usually cultivate well, who respect the guru, treasure the dharma and cultivate truthfully, yet suddenly turn into a different person when they are near death or during the bardo state? The answer is yes.
I like to say this honestly to you. This is the case of a spiritual creditor from a person`s past or present life, who takes possession of the dying person in his moment of death or during the bardo state. At this point, the individual is a completely different person, and this is known as the appearance of karmic hindrance.
Here is an example. When the individual was alive, he would put his palms together whenever he saw the image of his master Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu, and respectfully recited, `OM GURU LIAN-SHENG SIDDHI HUM.` The image of the master was hung up on the wall of his house, and the statue of the root guru, Padmakumara, was in his mandala shrine, which he prostrated and made offerings to everyday.
However, when he was near death, he changed into someone totally different. He tore the image and broke the statue of his master. He cleaned out all the statutes of the buddhas and bodhisattvas that were placed on his mandala shrine, and either threw them away, or gave them to others.
His loved ones held the image of his master before him when he was dying, and said, `This is your master!` He condemned it with obscene words, and with his eyes glowing green, he yelled, `Burn the image!`
His loved ones were stunned and did not know how to react. They showed the dying man the image of Amitabha Buddha, and he reacted by vulgarly cursing the image.
He was always very respectful to the holy images, but now that he is close to death, he hated all of them. He scorned the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Whenever he saw a monk or master enter his room, he would chase them out, screaming and cursing at them. He hated the recitation of the Buddha`s name and mantra, and when he heard the sound of recitation, he would yell out to stop the chanting. His loved ones were unable to help him. The supportive recitation group were verbally bashed and abused by him.
What was happening? How could someone who was respectful to his guru, the dharma and the cultivation suddenly transform into a completely different person at such a crucial time, where his recitation of the Buddha`s name changed to vulgar and obscene words? Everything was simply different.
This was an example of a resentful spirit appearing to take one`s life. The creditor was demanding payment, casting a wall of karmic hindrance to prevent the individual from being reborn in the Pure Land.
I was aware of what was going on, and immediately instructed his family to recite the Ksitigarbha Sutra immediately in a different location and dedicate the merits to him (if you do not know how to recite the Ksitigarbha Sutra, you should recite the epithet of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva).
The fellow cultivators cultivated the Repentance Practice and dedicated the merits to him. The supportive recitation group would continue to recite the Buddha`s name and mantra before the image of the Buddha or at another location.
I performed the practice of food offering to the spirits and requested them to leave. Then I set up a boundary. Subsequently, the dying person accepted the dharma images of the guru and the Triple Jewels, and willingly received the recitation of the Buddha`s name and mantra with joy. He then passed away and was reborn in the Pure Land.
There is yet another example. While traveling in the bardo plane, I saw a lotus practitioner walking towards me, but he seemed to regard me as a stranger, and did not acknowledge me even though he saw me.
I called out to him, `Lotus practitioner.`
He question me instead, `Who are you?`
`I am your master!`
`I don`t know any master or no master. Get lost!` (this disciple had made offerings to me during his lifetime).
I immediately saw a woman attached to him, pulling him towards the hell realm. The woman had committed suicide because of him. I told the woman, `You cannot do this.`
The woman said, `He left me and this hurt me so much that I had resorted to committing suicide. Now I want to stop him from gaining rebirth in the Pure Land.`
I told the woman, `Let me help both of you gain rebirth in the Pure Land.`
`Who are you? How can you possibly help me?`
I transformed myself into Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. The woman was overjoyed. Eventually, both the lotus practitioner and the woman who committed suicide were reborn in the Maha Twin Lotus Ponds of the Western Paradise of Ultimate Bliss. The lotus practitioner received the middle grade of rebirth, while the woman received the lowest of the nine grades of rebirth in Sukhavati.
I feel that many people and bardo spirits go through such changes in their last moments, and to these individuals, the spiritual advisor should offer guidance, and the supportive recitation group, family members, Dharma master, and monks should quickly help the dying or the bardo spirit perform `repentance,` recitation of the `Ksitigarbha Sutra,` `Food Offering Practice,` and the setting of `boundary protection.` These steps are very important! Very important indeed!
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