Parents Fall into Hell, Yet the Son Does Only One Thing and Helps Over Twenty Beings Attain Rebirth in the Pure Land! | Master Jing Ben
In the book A Brief Record of Responses to the Three Jewels (《三宝感应要略录》), there is a true story:
In the past, there was a lay practitioner named Zhang Yuanshou. Even though he himself was a Buddhist, his parents made a living by slaughtering chickens and fish every day. Each time he saw them taking lives, he felt terrible, but as their child, he found it difficult to dissuade them. After all, persuading one’s parents to practise Buddhism can be more challenging than guiding one’s children; parents often feel that their life experience is greater and are unwilling to heed their children’s advice.
Later, Zhang’s parents passed away. He wanted very much to perform meritorious deeds to help them receive deliverance. After much searching, he learned that Amitabha Buddha is supremely compassionate, not abandoning even those who commit the gravest of sins—so how could He abandon his parents? Although his parents had created significant negative karma through killing, it was not to the extent of the five gravest offenses. Hence, Zhang decided to recite the Buddha’s name, praying for Amitabha Buddha to deliver his parents.
The compassion of Amitabha Buddha is unfathomable. If we sincerely recite His name, we will surely receive a response. Indeed, one day Zhang dreamt of a bright light streaming into his room. Within the light were more than twenty people sitting upon magnificent lotus flowers. Two of them spoke to him:
“Yuanshou, we are your parents. When we were alive, we were addicted to alcohol and took many lives, so after death, we fell into hell. Fortunately, yesterday Amitabha Buddha personally came to hell and taught us to recite His name. Now, more than twenty people there have been freed from suffering and have been reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. Before departing, we came to tell you this. The form of Amitabha we saw looks exactly like the one enshrined in your home.” After saying this, the lotus flowers carried them westward and disappeared.
This story shows us that Zhang did not hold any elaborate deliverance ceremonies or make extensive offerings. He only recited the Buddha’s name, and Amitabha Buddha personally went to hell to save his parents, as well as twenty-plus other beings, enabling them to be reborn in the Pure Land. As Master Yinguang said, “In all practices, it is best to remain recite exclusively and not to mix methods. The single practice of reciting the Buddha’s name surpasses all other methods: whether one is praying for the deceased, seeking blessings for relatives, or making any other kind of request, it can fulfill our wishes.” The power of reciting the Buddha’s name for deliverance is both simple and extraordinary. Master Yinguang emphasized that the merit of reciting the Buddha’s name surpasses that of all other practices. Whether one seeks blessings in this life or deliverance for departed relatives, reciting the Buddha’s name can fulfill these aspirations.
It is particularly noteworthy that not only does Buddha-name recitation help the deceased escape the lower realms, it directly facilitates rebirth in the Pure Land to become a Buddha. Other methods of deliverance may only spare the deceased from further suffering, but reciting the Buddha’s name allows them to be freed from the cycle of rebirth once and for all, moving directly onto the path of Buddhahood. Consider that Zhang’s parents spent a lifetime taking countless lives, drinking alcohol, and eating meat, thus creating serious karma and yet Amitabha Buddha did not forsake them. Because their son recited the Buddha’s name, Amitabha directly guided them to rebirth in His Pure Land. Transforming ordinary beings who commit acts of killing into those reborn in the Pure Land, and ultimately becoming Buddhas, would be unimaginable through other practices.
Master Yinguang also pointed out: “Although Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva (Dizang Pusa) is most compassionate in saving beings from suffering, it still cannot compare to Amitabha Buddha’s power to escort people at the moment of death, enabling them to attain rebirth. When conducting funeral rites, reciting the Buddha’s name is paramount.” While Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva is indeed merciful—primarily saving beings from the hell realms—Amitabha Buddha provides direct rebirth in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, allowing beings to attain Buddhahood. Furthermore, the Sutra of Kṣitigarbha (《地藏经》) states that the merit of reciting that sutra benefits the deceased only by one-seventh, whereas reciting the Buddha’s name grants the deceased the complete power of Amitabha’s blessings. This is not to say that Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva is in any way less compassionate, but that the vow power of a Buddha is, by its nature, more extensive. Amitabha Buddha is known as the “King of Buddhas,” so His aspirations for saving sentient beings are supremely profound. Hence, Master Yinguang stresses that the best way to deliver one’s departed loved ones is to single-mindedly recite “Namo Amitabha Buddha” without mixing in other methods. The more focused the recitation, the more extraordinary the resulting merit.
This story offers a profound lesson: no matter how much negative karma our loved ones created in their lifetimes, as long as we sincerely recite the Buddha’s name, Amitabha Buddha will compassionately rescue them. The single phrase “Namo Amitabha Buddha” encompasses infinite merit, delivering the deceased from suffering and ensuring rebirth in the Pure Land. Truly, this is the simplest yet most miraculous means of spiritual deliverance!
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｜Namo Amitabha Buddha｜
