“As this mortal lay dying, he encountered a genuinely cultivated and certified Dharma master endowed with great wisdom, who awakened and amplified the mortal’s dormant good roots. Seven lifetimes prior, this mortal had been the master’s beloved disciple, yet in this present life the mortal fell into delusion and abandoned cultivation. At that pivotal convergence of causes and conditions, the deep karmic bond of teacher‑disciple from past lives came into play. Though bed‑ridden and unable to speak, the mortal’s good roots flourished instantaneously, empowered by the master’s virtuous conduct and meritorious virtues as well as their ancient karmic connection. Alongside this awakening of good roots, profound remorse welled up within the mortal’s heart.
“When the master came to the mortal’s side, the mortal was gripped by the agonies of dying. Due to karmic deeds committed in life, visions of their many misdeeds paraded across their mind. Driven by fear, the mortal gained real‑time insight into the cosmic laws of impermanence of life and death and the inevitability of karmic retribution. In that very moment, great renunciation arose within them, and he fervently repented his karmic obstructions, vowed to recite the Buddha’s name, and then followed the master’s guidance to aspire for rebirth in the Pure Land. Fervently reciting the Buddha’s name amid their powerful aspirations, the mortal swiftly attained the adamantine unretreatable stage. The mortal personally experienced the mighty empowerment of the Buddha and maintained unbroken, successive Buddha‑recitation until death. In this instance, the blessing rewards amassed over many past lifetimes manifested at the hour of death. To this were added the mortal’s earnest repentance of karmic obstructions, his vows to recite the Buddha’s name, and his aspiration for Pure Land rebirth. The aspiration‑power grew so immense that it surpassed the karmic weight accumulated in this lifetime. This is a special case of rebirth wherein aspiration‑power overwhelms karmic force, enabling swift rebirth into the Pure Land.
“Another vital factor enabling this mortal’s death-bed rebirth is the Buddha’s empowerment. When Amitabha Buddha was cultivating the Bodhisattva path in his causal stage, he made forty-eight great vows. One of these vows states that if, at the hour of death, a person recites his name with sincere faith even as few as ten times and aspires to be reborn in the Pure Land, this person shall attain rebirth therein. This relies upon the power of the Buddha’s meritorious virtues. Do not misinterpret this in any way. The Nether Laws are based on the karmic law of cause and effect, which spans the three periods of time. All phenomena are subject to the law of cause and effect. Even so, the vast majority of dying beings are dragged down into hell by the force of their evil karma.
“The so‑called rebirth with residual karma does not mean one may forgo observing precepts, practicing goodness and reciting the Buddha’s name in the present life. The residual karma refers to the evil deeds committed in past lifetimes out of ignorance. It is impossible to hope for death‑bed rebirth through Buddha‑recitation while harboring complacency and refusing to observe precepts in this life! All phenomena are created by the mind; all dharmas arise from the mind. Should one resolve not to observe precepts, the white and black attendant deities beside every person will record this misdeed. Without the supportive meritorious virtues gained from practising goodness, observing precepts and reciting the Buddha’s name during one’s lifetime, one cannot give rise to the right understanding and right view to recite the Buddha’s name at death. Overwhelmed by deluded thoughts and agony, the dying being will inevitably transmigrate according to their karmas. Conversely, when you resolve to observe precepts, recite the Buddha’s name and practise goodness, the attendant deities will likewise record this good action. Even if your practice falls short of perfection, your meritorious virtues shall be complete so long as you have exerted your utmost effort. Ayù, do you now understand the matter of rebirth with residual karma? You may ask further if anything remains unclear.”
Ayù: “I understand. Thank you, Magistrate!”
Magistrate: “Very well. Let us proceed. Only sages who return by virtue of their vows may wander freely in the mortal world and transcend the triple realms. Ordinary beings, as well as practitioners whose karmic defilements have not been fully exhausted, must cycle through the six realms of rebirth — heaven, human, asura, hungry ghost, animal and hell — undergoing repeated birth and death. To preserve the human body and avoid falling into the three evil realms to endure aeons of suffering, one must uphold the Five Precepts: first, refrain from killing living beings; second, refrain from stealing; third, refrain from sexual misconduct; fourth, refrain from false speech; fifth, refrain from intoxicants. Observing the Five Precepts is the reliable way to retain a human body and avert damnation. Those who keep the Five Precepts alongside the Ten Good Deeds can ascend to the heaven realm.
“Now let me briefly explain the significance of a mortal’s final thought at death. That last thought constitutes the crucial gateway leading into one’s next life. The optimal state for a dying mortal is to keep the Buddha’s name in mind and recite it. By the Buddha’s power, such a being may ascend to the Western Pure Land and attain great liberation. Next in order are thoughts centred upon observing precepts and performing various virtuous deeds. Should a dying mortal dwell upon the Buddha’s name, precept‑keeping and manifold good deeds in their final moment, their consciousness will coalesce into ascending pure yang white light. The purer and clearer the radiance, the more sublime the grade of rebirth they attain. If their final thought abides by precepts and virtuous acts alone, they will be reborn in the heavenly realms. If their last thought clings to relatives and friends, they will take rebirth within the human realm.
“If the final thought at death dwells upon greed, anger and ignorance, the mortal’s consciousness will coalesce into an extremely yin‑infused black luminous entity that drags the being downward into fall. Ninety percent of mortals, as they draw near death, are disturbed by numerous karmic foes, beloved ones and creditors. These karmic foes, beloved ones and creditors from past lives strive hard to block the mortal’s ascent and drag the mortal into the evil realms. Should greed arise in the final moments, the mortal will be reborn among the hungry ghosts. If anger and resentment surface at death, the mortal will be reborn in the animal realm, for instance as a serpent. Jealousy in the last thought brings the mortal’s rebirth as a fox. Thieving thoughts lead to the mortal’s rebirth as a one‑armed animal. There are mortals who perform good deeds in life yet fail to observe the precepts. If their final thought revolves around the pursuit of pleasure, their weighty meritorious virtues combined with their disregard for precepts will cause them to be reborn as human pets. This gives a general account of the different rebirth destinies shaped by one’s final mental state. As for one’s blessing rewards, facial features, stature, build, and the fortunes and misfortunes of life, these are predetermined as established karma the moment one enters the womb. All sentient beings within the six realms undergo rebirth via the netherworld. After taking birth, they must live in accordance with the fortunes and calamities already inscribed in the Register of Life and Death, and no mortal can alter these arrangements.”
Supplement Two The Inexorable Nether Laws — Women’s Attire
Dictated by Shangguan Yuhua Recorded by Disciple Xia Bufan.