Preparing for Rebirth

Question:

Ven. Master,

I am very happy that you returned safely from your trip to Asia to take care of the temple matters.
​
I recently spent a lot of time to listen your Dharma Talks from your web site repeatedly. As a result, it has helped restore my original faith and respect you. The eight winds blew and yet you were unperturbed and at ease, whereas your disciple’s mind was deeply moved. My gongfu is still quite inadequate [even after decades of vigorous practice]! Once again, please accept my sincere apologies [for doubting you].

Next, I would like to report an important matter:

The first week of April 2013, toward daybreak, I was in a state of half asleep and half awake and heard someone whisper in my ears: “You should stop chasing after things [this person leads a large group of Pure Land practitioners]. Instead, you had better prepare to go home next year”.
I interpreted the dream as an omen that I will have the chance to be with the Buddha next year. Instead of being fearful, I felt very blissful and at peace. I became very enthused [with the omen] and began to drop things in order to prepare for my upcoming journey.

Therefore, the first thing I feel needs to be done is to request the 49-day Dharma from you just in case that my children might not believe and would fail to do so after I am gone.

Here is what I plan to do, please kindly correct me if I am wrong:

1. Request the 49-day Dharma for myself (I will bring a check for offering in June when I will come to attend your Chan Qi).
2. Request the 49-day Dharma for my husband (we plan to startr making donations from 7/2013 until 2/2014.)
3. I have already requested for a rebirth plaque for myself. I will continue to take care of that after 2/2014.

I believe that you agreed to help because I was very vigorous with my cultivation and really wished to obtain rebirth this lifetime. The majority of those who practice the Buddha Recitation Method become confused at their time of death and therefore have no choice but follow their karmic retributions [thus failing to obtain rebirth to the Pure Land]. The traditional Buddha Recitation group can help stabilize the environment [the funeral home] but are really incapable of improving the deceased’s chances for rebirth. People seem to be obstructed by the donations [for the funeral services] and fail to see the big picture [how to maximize their rebirth chances]. Ultimately, their failure [to adopt the proper approach] is only due to having inadequate blessings. Therefore, those who are wealthy [but fail to obtain rebirth this lifetime] are not blessed enough.

Please forgive my wordiness. I anxiously await your reply.

Emituofo.
​
DN

Answer:

Life is but a journey. All parties must eventually end.

It is very wise of you to make preparations for the eventual end. Only the privileged few people would know how to make the proper necessary steps.

I do not blame all of you because the test was extremely difficult, even for myself. You can’t graduate unless you pass the difficult exams. Another way to look at it is: if the Dharma is really effective then the demons will come furiously to slander and denigrate it so as to prevent people from taking advantage of it. Ultimately, if the Dharma is for real then it will withstand the tests and attacks. Eventually, the demons will grow tired and run out of ammunitions.

Regardless, I feel for your struggles because you really cared.

I concur with your plans. The only thing that I would add is to help others also take advantage of this particular rebirth Dharma. As you are beginning to understand now, if you do not believe in it, I do not feel inclined to help. Faith is one most important requirement of the Rebirth Dharma. When you are truly blessed you will place your faith in the proper temple.
​
For people like you who wish to effectively prepare for your next journey, I advise them to continue to deepened their faith and create more rebirth blessings by helping others take advantage of it as well. Those who have great blessings will decide to get on board.