A Single Thought Determines Your Rebirth

Venerable Yongning, a dedicated practitioner who sought deliverance through the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre, shares profound insights on the challenges of achieving rebirth in the Western Pure Land. This interview was recorded by Shi Fajing on September 5, 2023.

Venerable Yongning speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. In a single, fleeting moment of distraction, the Western Pure Land can become impossibly distant. Many people who chant the Buddha's name hope that at the end of their lives, they will be able to chant Namo Amituofo and be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. But in the end, how many actually make it there?

Regardless of how long one has practised—whether for five, ten, twenty, or even thirty years—the true measure of one's practice is only determined at the final moment, when the coffin lid is closed. That is the only time the final verdict is truly cast.

The Reality of Failed Rebirth

Why is it that after a lifetime of effort, after chanting the Buddha's name for decades, so many still fail to be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss? I have observed a great many human beings in this situation. It is truly alarming; out of every ten people, nearly nine fall into this category.

Consider the human body: every pore, every cell, every sinew, bone, and drop of blood—every single organ within you—is inhabited by sentient beings. These are your karmic creditors and beings with karmic affinity who have been with you throughout your many lives. The presence of these spirits is a constant factor; at any moment, they can emerge to interfere with your physical form. If, at the very end of your life, they choose to obstruct your head, they can cloud your consciousness, making it impossible for you to chant the Buddha's name. At that critical juncture, even if you have spent fifty or sixty years in practice, all of it will vanish like bubbles. You will be unable to rely on your own chanting to reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

The Final Moment of Distraction

For some, the head may not be obstructed by karmic creditors, but at the most vital moment—that final split second before the breath ceases—their consciousness is lured away by the spirits residing in their head. In that instant, the Western Pure Land becomes a vast, unreachable distance away. Because their head and their heart are no longer focused on the Buddha-name, they are drawn into a space manifested by their karmic creditors, and they enter that realm instead.

Then there are many others who, while chanting the Buddha's name, are simultaneously gazing at the loved ones beside them. They cannot let go of their spouses, their children, or their grandchildren. These attachments become the very obstacles that prevent their rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Because their hearts are still tethered to their worldly homes, at the moment of death, they do not see the Buddha. Instead, they follow their own lingering thoughts to wherever those thoughts lead them—back into the endless cycle of rebirth, with no end in sight and no telling when they might finally find a way out.

The Path to True Liberation

How can one help oneself avoid such a fate? The only way is to thoroughly transform your character and your heart during your practice. You must use a sincere heart to resolve the conflicts with your own karmic creditors. Every flaw in your character will become a critical obstacle to your rebirth. Therefore, in the process of practice, it is absolutely essential to let go of the self. When you reach the state of no-self, you will no longer be limited by the obstructions of the physical body.

The process of seeing through and letting go is certainly not easy. However, a lifetime of practice is not only for the benefit of all beings; it is also intended to ensure that at the end of your life, you can successfully be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. Therefore, no matter how difficult the necessary adjustments may be, you must do them. You must allow yourself to carry a firm and unwavering faith, so that at the very last moment, you can take that final step into the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Namo Amituofo."