廬山蓮宗寶鑑 8.25

8.25

凡夫業重處處貪生，若不預辦工夫，臨終不剋念佛。天台《十疑論》云「臨終念佛，名最後心，其心猛利，一念佛名即生淨土。蓋垂死時其心猛健決定，故勝百歲行力也。或問曰：臨終念佛即得往生，何假預修勝業？答曰：人生壽夭難測短長，或即病困昏迷，或即非時奄逝，既闕生前之善，難逃後世之殃。須預作於善緣，是恐防於斯咎。十種命終不剋念佛：一者善友未必相逢；二者或疾苦纏身神昏性亂；三者偏風失語不得稱名；四者狂亂失心注想難剋；五者或逢水火不暇志誠；六者輒遇虎狼驚惶倉卒；七者臨時惡友破壞道心；八者飽食過多昏迷致命；九者軍仵鬪戰忽爾身亡；十者或墜高巖傷中身命。故知臨終難保吉凶，須是預先修習。」可謂閑時做下急時用，免得臨期手脚忙。

Ordinary beings have heavy karma and everywhere cling to life; if they do not prepare their efforts in advance, at the end of life they will not be able to practice buddhānusmṛti. The Tiantai Shiyi lun states: 'Mindfulness of the Buddha at the end of life is called the final mind; because that mind is fierce and sharp, with a single mindfulness of the Buddha's name one is born in the Pure Land. Because at the point of death that mind is courageous, strong, and decisive, it surpasses the power of practice of a hundred years. Someone asked: If by buddhānusmṛti at the end of life one immediately attains rebirth, why rely on cultivating superior karma in advance? The answer states: A person's lifespan is difficult to foresee, whether short or long; one may suddenly be afflicted with disease and become unconscious, or die suddenly and untimely. Since one lacks wholesome deeds during life, it will be difficult to escape the disasters of the future life. One must prepare wholesome conditions in advance, precisely out of fear and precaution against this fault. There are ten kinds of circumstances at death where one cannot achieve buddhānusmṛti: first, one might not meet a good friend; second, disease and suffering may enwrap the body so that the mind is darkened and the nature disordered; third, hemiplegia and loss of speech may prevent one from reciting the name; fourth, frenzy and loss of mind may make focused contemplation impossible to achieve; fifth, one may encounter fire or water with no leisure for sincerity; sixth, one may suddenly meet tigers or wolves and be struck with panic and haste; seventh, at the critical moment an evil friend may destroy one's aspiration for the Way; eighth, overeating may lead to a fatal coma; ninth, in battle among military troops one may suddenly die; tenth, one may fall from a high cliff and sustain fatal injuries to life. Therefore, know that at the end of life it is difficult to guarantee good fortune or misfortune; one must practice and cultivate beforehand.' It can truly be called: 'Prepare during idle times for use in moments of urgency, so as to avoid confusion of hands and feet when the time arrives.'