THE ELIMINATION OF KARMIC OBSTACLES IS THE PREREQUISITE TO RETURN TO BUDDHA LAND
Master Jun Hong Lu: Many people recite the sacred name of Amitabha Buddha in hopes of ascending to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. They think by persevering with the recitation till the day of their demise, they will ascend to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. There is even a belief that those, who can recite the sacred name of Amitabha Buddha right before their last breath, will be received by Amitabha Buddha upon their passing.
What if the spirit has left the body right before one’s passing, rendering the person speechless and experiencing a complete loss of intuition or ability to think? In times like these, do you think it is even possible for him to recite the sacred name of Amitabha Buddha?
This is clearly a case where the karmic obstacles have hindered the person from performing the recitation. Such types of karmic obstacles were seeded in the past, and manifest as an impediment for this person to ascend to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Obviously, the person has failed to eliminate all karmic obstacles while in the human realm. Thus, even by reciting the sacred name of Amitabha Buddha, he is not able to have Amitabha Buddha receive him upon his passing.
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas assert that there are conditions for one to be received by Amitabha Buddha with a simple recitation of the sacred name on one’s deathbed. If a person is in high spirit, healthy and not shouldering any karmic debts in the final moments of his life, the recitation of the sacred name of Amitabha Buddha will help the person ascend to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.
For those who have committed a lot of unwholesome deeds and are laden with hefty karmic obstacles, do you even think it’s possible for them to ascend to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss simply by reciting Amitabha Buddha’s sacred name? That’s impossible! What’s there to talk about the law of causality if it was possible? Think about it, is it even likely for someone with hefty karmic obstacles or who has yet to repay his karmic debt be able to ascend to heaven?
The practice of Guan Yin Citta aims to eliminate our karmic obstacles and repay our karmic debts as only then, we are able to return ‘home’ (refers to Buddha land). It is stated in the Amitabha Sutra, “To be born in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, it takes nothing less than a combination of wholesome roots, blessings, virtues and causal connections”.
The teachings propagated by Guan Yin Citta are the dharma of the human world by providing guidance on how to resolve the many afflictions in life. The Three Golden Buddhist Practices – performing recitation of the Buddhist scriptures, making great vows and releasing captive lives – make the eradication of karmic obstacles, repayment of karmic debts and the elimination of worries and illnesses feasible. In addition, studying Buddhism in Plain Terms brings one onto the cultivation path of the mind and conduct and helps elevate one’s state of mind. Through these practices of Guan Yin Citta, one will ultimately be liberated from the six realms of rebirth and return to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss and the Four Sagely Realms.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism Propagation Manual, Section 4 Topic 2, The Objective of Buddhism Studies
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