a buddhist perspective

In the Earth Treasure Sutra, we see that it is difficult to save sentient beings who have already descended into the hell realms. Earth Treasure Bodhisattva has great wisdom and great extraordinary abilities, thus he can help the sentient beings in the hell realms to even reach the Western Pure Land. But, because of our habitual behavior, when we are able to move up to the heaven realms, we continue to commit wrongdoings. And after life in the heaven realms has ended, we will again fall into the hell realms. But to Earth Treasure Bodhisattva it is as if we have returned after only having been gone for a few days!

Once in the hell realms, as we experience continuous suffering we will be unable to cultivate. Thus, our hatred and resultant negative karma will increase and become more binding. The sutras clearly explain this for us. From this, we can begin to understand how difficult it is to help sentient beings who have descended into the hell realms.

When can we be helped?

After we have committed wrongdoings, but before we pass on and descend into the hell realms. During this time, we must awaken so that through feelings of intense remorse and fear, we will diligently forgo thinking, saying, or doing anything that is bad and only do that which is good. In this way, we will maintain purity of mind. And in this way, we can change our present conditions and transform a bad situation into a good one.

It would be even better if we could bring give rise to the great Bodhi mind. If at the moment of death, we sincerely regret as we recite “Amituofo” one to ten times and we seek birth into the Pure Land, we will be reborn there. And we will do this even though we had been about to go to the lowest of the hell realms. We will be born in the Pure Land as non-retrogressive bodhisattvas, beings who will never fall back in their practice. Once there, we will have the opportunity to return to our world to help those whom we have an affinity with to transcend the hell realms.

At the end of the Amitabha Sutra, the Buddha explained that the Pure Land method is hard to believe. What did he mean by this?

Briefly, belief in other methods can increase gradually, but in Pure Land Buddhism one is taking a giant step from samsara (the cycle of rebirth) to the Western Pure Land. Belief is much harder because the step is so high we can’t see over the top. With other methods, we can see what’s on the next step so it’s easier to believe.

Imagine coming from a land where there is much suffering and arriving in a new land. In our old land, we only had small single-story dwellings. But in this new place we see a building that is very high. A kind-looking gentleman smiles gently at us. We approach and ask what is at the top of the building.

The gentleman replies that it is a wonderful place for it doesn’t have all the suffering that our land does. He then tells us that we can go up the building and live at the top if we would like. We ask how we can do that.

He points to some steps and says we can take those but it will take us a very long time. He then points to some closed doors and says that, alternatively, we could take the elevator, which will safely and quickly take us to the top.

We can see the gradual rise of the steps and so we’re okay with the idea of walking up them. But what about this magical device called elevator? What if the apparently nice gentleman isn’t telling us the truth? What if he doesn’t really know what’s at the top of the building? Wouldn’t it be safer to just take the steps?

This is essentially the newcomer’s predicament. We tend to doubt the “quick fix.” In most situations, this is very wise. But doubting the efficacy of the Pure Land method will result in not only our continued suffering, but the suffering of those we wish to help as well.

Question: I have deep faith in Buddhism as a logical and systematic approach, almost philosophical, to life. But the other bits of it, the rebirth bits (where do we find proof? I know many people are said to be able to remember their past lives but perhaps they're just over imaginative? coincidental recounting of incidents that are taken as one's past life, or even schizophrenic people?), as well as the parts of being reborn in the Pure Land if one were to harbour pure thoughts while reciting Namo Amitabha - but how can it be fair to the poor man who spends his entire life reciting it well but nearing his death, loses concentration for a split second because of something beyond his control, e.g loud noise outside his hospital ward which is something beyond his control, thus, losing a wonderful chance to be reborn in the Pure Land, as opposed to someone who has never chanted Namo Amitabha and suddenly, converts to a Pure Land follower and goes to the Pure Land just before he dies? It's so unfair.

Response: First, those who can truly remember their past lives are extremely rare and have much good fortune. Others may be "over imaginative" as you said or perhaps unable to really tell what the "memories" are.

Second, those who are reborn in the Pure Land exhibit certain signs such as saying in advance when they will pass from this life, passing away without any sign of illness, passing away at will, remaining standing or sitting after passing. Or the body may remain flexible and maintain a good color many hours after death. The signs indicating rebirth are to be carefully checked and validated before being made public. 

As for the conditions surrounding our death, we need to conserve our good fortune to create the right condition as we are dying. No other time is as important as this as our last moments lead us to our future rebirths. The person who suddenly encounters bad conditions, like that loud noise, did not have enough good fortune to ensure a peaceful, quiet environment. 

And that person who hears of the Pure Land at the last moments and dies while chanting is unbelievably rare! We cannot count on that happening to us. This exceptional occurrence happens because the person was a practitioner in past lifetimes and conserved his good fortune in this lifetime. So he had the wonderful conditions to be conscious, to encounter a good spiritual advisor, to immediately and completely believe in the Pure Land, and to be able to practice, all while facing death. The coming together of all these conditions is unbelievably rare and the direct result of profound previous practice.    

Question: If many beings have been reborn in the Pure Land and they have vowed to help us, where are they? Why aren't they helping?

Response: Beings are here helping us, they just don't walk up and say "I'm from the Pure Land, and I'm here to help you." That may sound silly, but seriously, how would people react if someone said they had been born in the Pure Land and had just returned to help others do the same thing? We wouldn't believe them. We'd be asking for proof.

The reality is that we ourselves have to do the hard work to be helped. There's no magic wand. The help we receive isn't obvious and it won't knock us off our feet with its impact. But beings are here teaching us and they are showing us how to act correctly and practice. The problem is, we're not paying attention. We're too pre-occupied in all the daily things we consider so important. If Amitabha Buddha came to us and said "I'm from the Pure Land and I'm here to take you there this moment" how many of us would say "I'm ready!" 
 
Your question reminds me of the story where a man drowned and went to heaven. He asked God why God hadn't saved him from drowning. God asked if the man remembered the farmer who came by in a boat and offered to rescue the man. But the man had said, no thanks he was waiting to be rescued by God. The drowned man said yes, he remembered the farmer and the boat. God looked at him and said "That was me. But you refused my help because you were waiting for 'God.'"
 
This may be a humorous story, but the principle is serious. We're so wrapped up in our pre-conceived expectations of how awakened beings will help us, that we don't recognize true help when it is offered. True help comes from the cook who prepares the meals at the retreat, so we can stay in the cultivation hall and chant. It comes from the master who spends hours trying to find the right words to help his students understand and thus dedicate themselves to their practice. It comes from the man who works patiently and quietly helping to build the center.

Our help is here, we just need to open our hearts and minds to see it. And learn from it.

Question: Buddhism arrived after my father died three years later. Do I not dedicate any merits to him? (because the 49 days are over?) Or not continue to pray he go to the Pureland on his own, when I pray and finish my practice?

Response: This is a very good question that also came up at this weekend's retreat in Nanango, Australia. So rather than post this response as a comment, I'll post it here.

In our every lifetime, we have had parents and other people and beings whom we loved and vowed to help. We have also had many beings we have harmed, either intentionally or because we were not being mindful. So we first dedicate or merits to all beings.

After this universal dedication, you can specifically mention your father's name and say your wish that he "be reborn as quickly as possible into the Western Pure Land to end suffering and attain happiness."

Encouraging people to seek rebirth during the forty-nine days is so important because there is great confusion in the intermediate state between lifetimes. We need to try to connect with beings in this state as they are who torn between the last lifetime and the future lifetime. If we can connect, they could catch our encouraging thought to move on to the Pure Land, heaven, etc.

But even after the being has moved on to the next lifetime, he or she will still benefit from our practice. Personally, after my nightly dedication of merits, I voice the wish that my parents, both deceased, will "be reborn as quickly as possible into the Western Pure Land to end suffering and attain happiness."

This practice accords with causality. The cause: our parents gave us this life. The result: we are the filial children of our parents, honoring and loving them even after they are no longer with us.