愿我作佛，齐圣法王。
过度生死，靡不解脱。
布施调意，戒忍精进，
如是三昧，智慧为上。
吾誓得佛，普行此愿。
一切恐惧，为作大安。— 过去法藏菩萨；现在阿弥陀佛
《无量寿经》：总愿May I become a Buddha, equal to the noble Dharma King. Crossing over, delivering beings from birth and death, with none not liberated. With generosity taming minds, precepts, patience and diligence, thus with samādhi, and wisdom as supreme. I vow to attain Buddhahood, to universally practise these [forty-eight] vows. Of all with fear, for them creating great peace.
— Past Dharma Treasury Bodhisattva; Present Amitā[bha] Buddha; Āmítuófó
(Immeasurable Life Sūtra: Overall Vow)
In ‘Dharma Master Yìnguāng’s Collected Writings’ Third Compilation’s Lower Section’《印光法师文钞三编下》is this record titled, ‘Anecdote On Avoiding Difficulties’ (免难轶闻). At the age of seventy-seven in 1894 (甲午年), Layman Huìjiàn (慧健), with the Dharma name (法名) of Mèng’ān (梦庵), wrote to share the following…
‘In the Republic [Of China’s] twenty-seventh year (1938 C.E.), there was [vehicular] shifting on the land with falling into River Ōu when passing the year. At the lunar year’s end, there was a motor bus from Qīngtián approaching Jīnhuà highway. At night driving to leave, separated from Lìshuǐ were several tens of lǐs with wilderness by the river bank. As the driver was incautious, the bus fell within the river. With passengers of more than forty persons, all met with drowning. (民廿七年，避地瓯江度岁。腊底有青田至金华公路汽车一辆。晚开出，隔丽水数十里之荒野江边。司机不慎，车堕江中。乘客四十余人，均遭灭顶。)
The next day at dawn, when going forward to rescue them, there was a woman, aged around thirty, sitting on the river bank’s path’s side, like that stupefied, like that “drunk”. When asked with what she came here, she answered, “Last evening, I rode a bus to reach here.” (翌日黎明，前往营救时，有一妇人，年约三十左右，坐江岸道旁，如痴如醉，询以何来？答言：「昨暮乘车至此。」)
When asked, with the entire bus having met with danger, how is she thus without disaster, in reply, she said, “I do not know.” When questioned with regard to the situation at that time, she also did not understand it completely. Day after day in two places was this news published and revealed, with none not clucking one’s tongue to exclaim at the wonder!’ (问以全车遇险，尔何无恙？对曰：「不知。」质以当时情况，亦不了了。连日两处新闻披露，莫不咄咄叹奇！)
Mèng’ān told the surprising piece of news to the later Pure Land Tradition’s Thirteenth Patriarch Great Master Yìnguāng (净土宗十三祖印光大师), who later sent a note with the following reply… ‘This woman’s life should not be with death, thus sitting at outside of the motor bus. And when the bus fell into the river, it was precisely when dropping, that she was raised to that shore, thus with her clothes absolutely yet to be wet. This is because the Buddha[s], heavenly god[s] and[/or] ghost[s], when she was sitting in the bus, already for saving her, was[/were] with that method prepared earlier. I think it must be thus. (此女人，命不该死，故坐于汽车之外。及车堕下河正下时，扬于其岸，故衣绝未湿。盖佛天鬼神，于坐车时，已为救之之法于前矣。想必如是。)
Furthermore, in the Republic’s tenth or so year (i.e. about 1922 C.E.), Pān Duìfú reconstructed Jǐnán’s Jìngjū Monastery. With consecration and singing of opera, the guests who came were extremely many. A person led a small child, to be at a well’s side to see it. When the small child fell into the well, immediately was another person sent to go down into the well to scoop him out, but the water surface was without any object. When using a bamboo pole, everywhere to the well bottom stirring, it was also without any object. (又民十几年，潘对凫重修济南净居寺。开光唱戏，来客甚多。一人领一小孩，在井边看。小孩堕下井，立使人下井捞，水面无一物。用竿子遍井底搅，亦无一物。)
When that person returned home, then was the small child at home sleeping. Like that stupefied and like that dazed [when awakened], his clothes were completely wet. When asked, “With what did you come home?”, he said, “I do not know.” (其人回家，则小孩在家里睡。如痴如呆，衣服尽湿。问：「何以到家？」云：「不知。」)
Due to this, there was carving of a tablet, building of a pavilion, and naming of that well as a sacred well, with a rubbing of the tablet sent to [Yìn]guāng. [Yìn]guāng sent it to [Dharma] Master [Miào]zhēn (妙真法师), with Master Zhēn mounting and hanging it in Tàipíng Monastery’s Main Hall’s Guest Hall below. With this conveyed to Mèng’ān, for guessing (i.e. contemplating) about this dream (i.e. dreamlike public case: 如梦公案).’ (因刻一碑，盖一亭，名其井为圣井，拓之寄光。光送真师，真师裱而挂于太平寺大殿下客厅。此致梦庵，猜猜此梦。)
Although the woman and child were unprepared for the accidents faced, unseen protectors were however prepared in advance to save them, even without the two immediately having prior mindfulness of them. Such are natural expressions of the good karmas (善业) of those deserving rescue. They might have some evil karmas (恶业) to face the accidents, but they also have much good karmas to mitigate their otherwise more unfortunate experiences.
In a similar, or rather, broader and more assuring vein, when Āmítuófó (阿弥陀佛: Amitā[bha] Buddha) was still Dharma Treasury Bodhisattva (法藏菩萨), he spent five great kalpas (五大劫) to formulate his forty-eight great vows (四十八大愿) for helping and rescuing all sentient beings. Such a long time was spent as he wanted to fully contemplate all realms’ beings’ karmic conditions, so as to prepare for delivering everyone, before and after reaching his Pure Land. Already a fully accomplished Buddha after much practice for innumerable kalpas, he is thus now completely capable of doing everything vowed for.
Therefore, for all matters of life and death, and even rebirth, as long as we have profound Faith (深信) and sincere Aspiration (切愿) powering true Practice (实行) of mindfulness of Āmítuófó’s name, thus connecting to his blessings, we will be physically and spiritually safe. If even good gods and ghosts are willing to help good persons, all the more will he, a Buddha, as a perfected Bodhisattva with perfect compassion (慈悲), wisdom (智慧) and skilful means (方便) be able to do so readily, surely more efficaciously too. Depending on how sincerely it is practised, mindfulness of Buddha (念佛) in both peaceful and urgent times will always have purifying effects accordingly, with heavier evil karmas always lightened, even if unknowingly. Thus, practice is never done in vain. (As we have much evil karmas from many past lives, we cannot expect to be absolutely free from all karmic obstacles in this life, but they can be lessened with practice in this present life.)
While the Buddhas urge us to be mindful of them, they are already constantly mindful of us, hoping that we connect to at least one of them, who represents them all (i.e. Āmítuófó). As taught in the ‘Section On Great Power Arrived Bodhisattva’s Perfect Penetration With Mindfulness Of Buddha’《大势至菩萨念佛圆通章》, ‘The ten directions’ Thus Come Ones, are sympathetically mindful of sentient beings, like a mother recollecting her child. If the child runs away, although there is recollection, what would it be for? The child, if recollecting the mother, like when the mother recollects, the mother and child, passing through life, will not be far apart from each other. If sentient beings’ minds, recollect [Amitābha] Buddha, or are mindful of the Buddha[’s name: “Āmítuófó”], manifesting in the present or in the future, they will definitely see the Buddha, with the Buddha not far away.’ (十方如来，怜念众生，如母忆子。若子逃逝，虽忆何为？子若忆母，如母忆时，母子历生，不相违远。若众生心，忆佛念佛，现前当来，必定见佛，去佛不远。)
Even with our eventual deaths, Āmítuófó is fully prepared for handling all karmic manners of how we depart. Even if we face challenges of sudden deaths, as if ‘not’ able to be mindful of him to reach his Pure Land, as long as we already have the Three Provisions (三资粮) of Faith, Aspiration and Practice adequately in everyday life, he will be able to urge us to be mindful, thus connecting to him in time. (The law of death [or rather rebirth] proximate karma is such that the thought arisen just before taking rebirth and the place of rebirth must correspond.) Instead of worrying needlessly about our last moments, our proactive mission to undertake in this moment, is to accumulate as much of the Three Provisions as we can, so that we can connect to him by default as swiftly as we can, even in emergencies.
Even if not able to connect by default due to some distracting situations, with already strongly forged affinity, as karmically deserved by default, Āmítuófó will be able to spur us to connect to him, for example, by letting us see his auspicious Buddha light (佛光) first. This is attested by the following vow of Āmítuófó in ‘The Sūtra In Which The Buddha Speaks Of Amitā Samyaksaṃbuddha Sarvalokadhātu Delivering Over The Human Path’《佛说阿弥陀三耶三佛萨楼佛檀过度人道经》:
‘The Twenty-Fourth Vow: If, when I become a Buddha, I will enable my crown within, to have bright light absolutely excellent, superior to brightness of the sun and moon, by a hundred thousand koṭis of ten thousandfold, absolutely surpassing all Buddhas. With bright light flaming and illuminating, in all innumerable heavens below, in places of dimness and darkness, all will have great brightness. All heavenly and human people, kinds of larvae, flying and wriggling beings, seeing my bright light, will have none of those not with the compassionate mind doing good, with all enabled to come to be born in my land. Attaining this vow, thus becoming a Buddha. If not attaining this vow, to the end not becoming a Buddha.’ (第二十四愿，使某作佛时，令我顶中，光明绝好，胜于日月之明，百千亿万倍，绝胜诸佛。光明焰照，诸无央数天下，幽冥之处，皆当大明。诸天人民，蜎飞蠕动之类，见我光明，莫不慈心作善者，皆令来生我国。得是愿，乃作佛；不得是愿，终不作佛。)
Due to our good karmas’ limitations, we might not deserve to see his full manifestation in person to receive us immediately, but we can still deserve a toned down reminder to be mindful of him first, so as to see him later. As an analogy, while a good Prince might forget his right to become King, a skilful King will surely in/directly nudge to encourage the actually worthy Prince to be kingly in good time, receiving him in person too. Likewise, just as good Buddhist disciples might forget to be mindful of the Buddha, as they are actually already sincere practitioners, the Buddha will karmically be able to remind them to be mindful in time. Āmítuófó is thus never passive; but always on active standby to connect once conditions are right. May we all practise sincerely now then!
设我得佛，十方众生，
至心信乐，欲生我国，
乃至十念，若不生者，不取正觉。
唯除五逆，诽谤正法。— 过去法藏菩萨；现在阿弥陀佛
《无量寿经》：第十八：十念皆生我国愿If I attain Buddhahood, of the ten directions’ sentient beings, with the sincere mind of joyful faith, desiring birth in my land, and even with ten thoughts, if there are those not born there, I shall not obtain Right Awakening. Only excluded are those with the Five Heinous Transgressions, who slandered the Right Dharma.
— Past Dharma Treasury Bodhisattva; Present Amitā[bha] Buddha; Āmítuófó
(Immeasurable Life Sūtra: Eighteenth Vow Of Those With Ten Thoughts All Born In My Land)
相关教理
Related Teachings:
六种感应
Six Kinds Of Connections With Responses
https://purelanders.com/2024/09/18/six-kinds-of-connections-with-responses
念佛菩萨，无不感应
[86] Those Mindful Of Buddhas And Bodhisattvas, Are Without Those Not With Connection And Response
https://purelanders.com/2024/06/19/86-those-mindful-of-buddhas-and-bodhisattvas-are-without-those-not-with-connection-and-response
佛中之王，光中极尊
The King Of Buddhas Within, With Utmost Honoured Light Within
阿弥陀佛光明无极
Amitābha Buddha’s Bright Light Is Without Limit
https://purelanders.com/2021/04/14/king-of-buddhas-within-with-utmost-honoured-light-within
相关感应录
Related Testimony:
[114] In The Early Morning Waking, Seeing Golden Light
早晨醒时见金光
https://purelanders.com/2024/10/02/114-in-the-early-morning-waking-seeing-the-buddhas-light
