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問：有些老人他們念佛，可是他們沒有皈依，他們以後是否能夠往生西方？在《阿彌陀經》裏面有一句，就是「不可以少善根福德因緣，得生彼國」，有一些有皈依也有念佛，可是他們沒有這個福德因緣，他是否能夠往生到西方去呢？
答：「少善根福德因緣」，多少是謂之多，有沒有什麼一定的數目。經上說「不以一佛二佛三四五佛而種善根，於無量千萬佛所種諸善根」，才能遇到念佛法門。念佛的法門，你不管生不生，你就是專心念就好。你要分析那麼多，這個世間的事情太多了，分析不完那麼多。不可以少善根福德因緣而生彼國，這就證明你遇到這個佛法的人，已經就是多善根，不是少的；少的，根本就遇不著這個法門。
問：人在快過世時候，都是念佛，念南無阿彌陀佛，或觀音菩薩，或者是大勢至菩薩；我碰到一個情形，他們是念地藏王菩薩。我幫他念，但是我在想，我在念什麼？念阿彌陀佛，我知道亡者往生西方極樂世界，很專心念；可是念地藏王菩薩，我不知道他到底是到哪裡去了？
上人：最好你什麼也不念，就哭。不知道念哪裡，你是專一了，那更好！你什麼也沒念，你在那兒儘打妄想。
問：有人中風很嚴重，非常的嚴重，有一些助念團就幫他助念了，希望他往生，但是他的病卻好了。有人說他因緣不具足，不能夠往生極樂世界，不知道是不是對？
答：他沒有到往生的時候，所以他就又好了；他已經到往生的時候，所以就去了，就是如此而已。
問：人往生以後，在49天裏我們要怎麼樣做，幫忙死者能夠往生西方極樂世界？
上人：最好的方法就是救人、幫助人，度人比度鬼好。臨終要有正念，你平時念佛，就是預備那個最後一分鐘的工作。往往有人平時念佛，要那時候就失去正念了，就不能念了。阿彌陀佛無論十方世界，只要能稱他的名號，都可以往生的。
問：念佛一聲罪滅河沙，我們應該怎麼樣的念法，才會真正地達到這個效果？
答：專一其心念。Ok！
問：第二個問題是「重罪轉輕」。佛教的書籍常常要求佛教徒虔誠的懺悔。
答：你念佛一聲罪滅河沙，那個重罪就已經沒有了，何必又要轉輕呢？你要轉輕，那是浪費時間！
問：釋迦牟尼佛說「定業不能轉」，在眾生心裏沒有毒的時候，業障來也不覺得痛苦，這是不是業障轉輕的另一種層次的解釋？
答：你盡繞圈子，這個太費事了。你念佛一聲罪滅河沙，河沙罪都滅了，何況重罪呢？那你還找什麼？懺悔，懺悔也就是一心念佛！ok！
問：佛經常常提到說懺悔可以消業，或者說消業可以往生。成佛，還有業要受報的話，為什麼佛經裏常常講到懺悔消業，無邊的罪業一懺便消？
答：在佛以前，沒有這個懺悔法，佛成佛之後才說這個法。所以在佛沒成佛以前，他也不懂得懺悔的法。業盡情空，是未來的業盡情空；過去他所造的業，和所有的情感，還是要受果報的。他這個業盡，是將來的業盡，情空成佛；在過去所造的，還是仍然要受果報的，所以我們佛教徒，不可以抗債不還。
問：豐干和尚和永明延壽禪師，是阿彌陀佛來示現的。他們在人法界，度眾生的時候，他們受不受因果律的約束？若是做錯事，會不會受報？
答：善惡到頭終有報，善有善報，惡有惡報；不是不報，時間沒到。就看他往昔的業報如何。不要說永明壽禪師，就是釋迦牟尼佛，還受金槍馬麥之報。
帶業往生，帶業是帶宿業，不帶現業；帶舊業，不帶新業。怎麼樣呢？就是在你沒懂念佛之前，你造的罪業，都可以帶著這個業往生，去往生去。你要知道念佛了，你又還造業，那就不可以帶去。你知道念佛，就要改過自新了，不要還造業；你要再造業，就會業上加業，罪上加罪，那麼就帶不去了。所以帶宿業，帶前生所造的罪業，可以帶去。今生，你念佛之後，就不應該再造罪業了。你再要造罪業，不單帶不去，而且還要罪加一等，你明知故犯，罪加一等。所以帶宿業不帶現業，帶舊業不帶新業，你舊時所造的業可以帶去。你現在明白佛法了，說：「我現在念點佛，我一邊念佛一邊造業，將來我可以把這個業帶到極樂世界去！」，那是錯誤的。你知知故犯，罪加三等；不單帶不去，而且你也不能往生了。為什麼不能往生了呢？被你所造的業贅住，所以不能往生了。我們信佛的人知道念佛以後，切記不要再造罪業。
為什麼在臨終的時候，聞一佛名，一菩薩名，一辟支佛名，就能把他的罪業消除去了呢？因為人在臨命終的時候，煖、息、識這三種將要斷的時候—煖、息、識組織成一個命根，人死了，這命根就要斷了；命根斷，先沒有煖氣了，然後沒有呼吸了；沒有呼吸，沒有煖氣，然後識就走了。煖息識都斷了，這是臨命終了。
「鳥之將死，其鳴也哀；人之將死，其言也善。」人在臨死的時候，天良會發現，這個良心就會發現，自己一生所做的事，或者對，或者不對，這時有一種反省了。這時候自己所做不對的事情，是真正知道不對了；因為知道真正不對了，所以就要生出一種懺悔心。這懺悔心一生出來，他就聽見一個佛的名字，一個菩薩名字，一個辟支佛的名字，都可以滅罪無量，都種無量的善根，滅無量的罪過。所以在臨命終的時候，這是最要緊的時候；可是在這個時候，也最不容易發這種善心。
我們人為什麼要平時念佛呢？平時念阿彌陀佛，就預備臨命終的時候才能忘不了。因為你平時就念了，臨命終的時候，不會忘的。如果你單想要臨命終時候再念佛，再生善心，那時候不容易生出來的，但是生出來也非常地有效驗。只要能一念懺悔，就可以一切的罪業都滅除了。
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Q: Some elderly people recite Buddha’s name, but they have not taken refuge. Can they be reborn in the Western Land? There is a line in the
Amitabha Sutra that says, “One cannot have few good roots, blessings, virtues, and causal connections to attain birth in that land.” Some people have taken refuge and also recite Buddha’s name, but they do not have such blessings and conditions. Will they be able to be reborn to the Western Land?
A: It says, “Few good roots, blessings, virtues, and causal connections.” How much is enough? Is there a definite number? A Sutra says, “It’s not just from the good roots planted with one Buddhas, two Buddhas, three, four, or five Buddhas... You have planted good roots with limitless millions of Buddhas,” so now you can encounter the Buddha recitation practice. Whether or not you will be born there, just recite Buddha’s name singlemindedly. If you analyze everything, there are endlessly many things in this world. The statement that “One cannot have few good roots, blessings, virtues, and causal connections to attain birth in that land” shows that the people who encounter this dharma have planted many good roots, not a few. Those who have only few good roots would not even know of this dharma door.
Q: People who are dying usually recite the names of Amitabha Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and Great Strength Bodhisattva; however, I have seen people recite the name of Earth Store Bodhisattva instead. I joined them and recited Earth Store Bodhisattva’s name, but I was thinking, “What am I reciting?” When we recite Amitabha’s name with great concentration, I know that the deceased will be reborn in the world of Ultimate Bliss. However, I don’t know where the deceased is headed when we recite Earth Store Bodhisattva’s name.
A: You’d be better off not reciting anything and just crying. If you do not know where the deceased is going when you recite and your mind is really focused, that’s even better! You haven’t been reciting at all; you’ve merely been having idle thoughts.
Q: A group of people helped recite Buddha’s name for someone who had suffered a very severe stroke, hoping he could be reborn in the Pure Land. Instead, he recovered. Some people said he could not be reborn in the world of Ultimate Bliss because he lacked affinities. Are they right?
A: Since it was not time for him to be reborn, he recovered. If the time had come, he would have departed. That’s all.
Q: After a person dies, what should we do for the next 49 days to help the deceased be reborn in the world of Ultimate Bliss?
A: The best way is to save people, to help people. It is better to save people than ghosts. You must have proper mindfulness at the time of death. Recite the Buddha’s name regularly to prepare for that final moment. Often people recite the Buddha’s name regularly, but when it comes to that critical moment they lose proper mindfulness. They cannot recite anymore. No matter where you are within the worlds of ten directions, if you recite Amitabha’s name, you will be reborn in the Pure Land.
Q. Reciting the Buddha’s name once eradicates offenses equal in number to the grains of sand in a river. How should we recite Buddha’s name in order to achieve that?
A. Stay focused and concentrate when you recite.
Q. My second question is about “turning heavy offenses into lighter ones.” Buddhist books always urge Buddhists to repent sincerely.
A. If you recite Buddha’s name even once, the heavy offense has already vanished. Why do you want to turn it into a lighter one? That’s just a waste of time.
Q. According to Shakyamuni Buddha, “Fixed karma can not be altered.” When living beings’ minds are not tainted by poisonous or malicious thoughts, they do not suffer even when they experience karmic obstacles. Is this another way to illustrate that bad karma has been diminished?
A. You keep going around in circles. You’re wasting time! When you recite the Buddha’s name once, offenses as numerous as the grains of sand in a river vanish. Offenses as numerous as all the sand grains in a river have already vanished, even heavy offenses. What are you still searching for? Repentance means reciting Buddha’s name single-mindedly!
Q. The sutras always say that repentance can eliminate karma, or that once our karmas vanish, we can be reborn in the pure land. Yet even after Shakyamuni Buddha attained Buddhahood, he still faced the consequence of karmic obstacles. Why do the sutras always talk about repenting to eliminate karma, and the limitless karmic offences that vanish with repentance?
A. Before Shakyamuni Buddha became a Buddha, there was no such dharma of repentance. He spoke this dharma after he became Buddha. Before he became Buddha, he did not know this dharma. “Karma ended and passions emptied” refers to the future. Therefore, he still had to undergo the consequences of the karma he created in the past and of all the passionate feelings he had in the past. The karma he ended was his future karma and passion. He still had to undergo the consequences of whatever karma he created in the past. Therefore, as Buddhists, we cannot get out of repaying our debts.
Q. Elder Master Feng Gan and Chan Master Yong Ming Yan Shou were manifestations of Amitabha Buddha. When they save people in the dharma realm of humans, are they bound by cause and effect? If they did something wrong, would they have to face karmic obstacles?
A. One will always face the consequences of one’s actions, whether good or bad, in due time. Good deeds result in good rewards; offenses result in unpleasant retributions. If the karmic results have not come, it’s because the time has not yet arrived. We only have to look at the karma a person created in the past. Let alone Chan Master Yong Ming Yan Shou, even Shakyamuni Buddha had the retribution of being injured by a spear and having to eat horsefeed.
Carrying along one’s karma to rebirth in the Pure Land refers to carrying past karma, not current karma, carrying old karma but not new karma. What does that mean? That means that the karmic offenses you created before you understood the practice of reciting the Buddha’s name can be carried with you to rebirth in the Pure Land. However, if you continue to commit offenses after you learn about reciting the Buddha’s name, you cannot carry that karma with you. Once you know about reciting the Buddha’s name, you should reform and not commit offenses again. If you create bad karma again, your offenses will accumulate and you cannot carry them with you to the Pure Land. Therefore, you are able to bring only your past karma and karma that you created in your past lives with you to the Pure Land. This life, however, after you have recited Buddha’s name, you should not commit any more offenses. If you do, you not only cannot bring this karma with you to rebirth, your bad karma will be doubled because you do it intentionally. Therefore, you can bring your past karma but not the current karma, and the old karma but not the new karma. You now understand the Buddhadharma and say, “As I recite the Buddha’s name, I can also create [bad] karma, and in the future, bring it with me to the world of Ultimate Bliss!” That is wrong. Since you realize the consequences but do it intentionally, your offenses are tripled. Not only can you not bring it with you, you cannot be reborn in the Pure Land. Why not? You are locked down by your karma. If we believe in the Buddha and recite the Buddha’s name, we should remember not to create bad karma again.
Why is it that all karma and offenses can be expunged during the moment of death when one hears the name of a Buddha, a Bodhisattva, a Pratyekabuddha? Because warmth, breath, and cognizance will cease when one dies – warmth, breath, and consciousness form the source of life. When one dies, the source of life ceases; when that happens, warmth will go first, then breath; when breath is gone, consciousness will follow. The cessation of warmth, breath, and consciousness means death.
“When a bird is dying, its cry is piteous; when a person is dying, his words are virtuous.” When a person is about to die, intrinsic goodness is uncovered, and his conscience emerges. At that point he reflects upon every right or wrong thing he did in the past. He recognizes that all the bad things he did were truly wrong and feels repentant. When the sense of repentance arises, if he hears even just the name of a Buddha, a Bodhisattva, or a Pratyekabuddha, unlimited offenses are extinguished and unlimited good roots are cultivated. Therefore, the moment of death is the most critical time; it is also at the moment that it is most difficult to bring forth wholesome thoughts.
Why do we recite Buddha’s name at ordinary times? It is to prepare us not to forget about Amitabha Buddha at our death. You will not forget it because you recite it normally. If you wish to recite the Buddha’s name only when you are about to die, it is difficult for you to give rise to that wholesome thought; however, if that thought arises, it is extremely effective. As long as you have a single thought of repentance, all karma can be eradicated.
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