廬山蓮宗寶鑑 8.25

8.25

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.'