The Grandmother's Miracle: Saved by the Name of Namo Amituofo

This is a record of an interview with the Venerable Xie An, who sought Chao Du at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. He now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon his life approximately 910 years ago. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa Jing, on November 15, 2018.

Venerable Xie An speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I am Xie An. In my childhood home, there was a statue of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva that was so compassionate and dignified; it was the image I was most familiar with. My grandmother would recite the Sutras before this statue every single day, praying for the safety and health of our entire family. It was not just our family; the entire village were devotees of Avalokiteshvara. You could say that every household worshipped her. Whenever life took a difficult turn, or a child fell ill, or there were complex family problems, we would always turn to the compassionate Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva for help."

A Village of Pure Devotion

"My mother was a woman who had married into our village from a distant land. In her hometown, no one worshipped Avalokiteshvara. Instead, every household recited the name 'Namo Amituofo.' The people of her village all aspired to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. They helped one another, cared for each other, and lived in harmony, free from contention. It was truly a pure and blissful village. My grandmother, however, was a devout follower of Avalokiteshvara and the one who led our village in this faith. She would travel everywhere to introduce people to Avalokiteshvara, even gathering all the villagers every week to recite Sutras and mantras, praying for the peace and health of the entire community."

"My grandmother followed the teachings of Avalokiteshvara and was known as a great Bodhisattva in our village for her constant acts of kindness. Yet, my mother knew that reciting the name of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva alone would not lead one to rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. She had told my grandmother many times that only by reciting 'Namo Amituofo' could one attain such rebirth. Although my grandmother heard her, she did not believe it in her heart. She was convinced that Avalokiteshvara was responsive to every prayer, and she believed that if she wished to go to the Western Land at the end of her life, she only needed to recite 'Namo Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva,' and the Bodhisattva would surely come to lead her there."

The Threshold of Death and the Maze of Spirits

"When my grandmother reached the age of sixty-nine, she fell gravely ill. In her heart, she kept reciting 'Namo Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva,' begging for the Bodhisattva's compassionate deliverance. In a dream, she saw Avalokiteshvara pour a drop of sweet dew upon her head, and her body recovered rapidly. When she awoke, she felt much better and was deeply convinced that it was the compassionate manifestation of Avalokiteshvara. However, this recovery did not last long. Within a few weeks, her condition deteriorated, and she eventually fell into a coma. My mother kept reciting the Buddha's name for her, praying for the Buddha's compassionate guidance to lead her to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Just as my grandmother was about to draw her final breath, and we all thought she was gone, she suddenly opened her eyes and shouted, 'Namo Amituofo!' The entire family was shocked! My grandmother had recited 'Namo Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva' her entire life and had never once recited 'Namo Amituofo.' What could have happened?"

"My grandmother sat up, gripped my mother's hand tightly, and said, 'I was just about to follow Avalokiteshvara. Just as I was about to take a step forward, I heard your voice. You were reciting the name 'Namo Amituofo' for me. When I heard your recitation, I stopped in my tracks. I remembered what you had told me—that one must recite 'Namo Amituofo' to reach the Western Land. I hesitated for a moment and casually recited 'Namo Amituofo.' To my horror, the Avalokiteshvara before me suddenly transformed into a man! I was terrified! Just as I wanted to shout 'Namo Amituofo' again, my throat felt as if it were being tightly constricted. I struggled with all my might, and after I finally shouted that name, I woke up!'"

"It turned out that my grandmother's illness was caused by karmic creditors coming to seek revenge. As she was dying, these karmic creditors had manifested as Avalokiteshvara to lead her away. She had almost followed them into their maze, but it was my mother's recitation of 'Namo Amituofo' that stopped her in time and saved her from their trap."

A Decade of Devotion and Final Deliverance

"My grandmother was saved, and she lived for another ten years. During this decade, she actively introduced the Buddha's teachings to the villagers and led them in reciting the Buddha's name every day. She knew the preciousness of this name better than anyone, for she had walked through the gates of death and truly seen that it was the name 'Namo Amituofo' that had saved her soul. She held onto this name tightly, reciting it day and night without interruption."

"My grandmother, who had always been generous, donated all her wealth to various causes. She truly understood the reality that one cannot take anything with them after death. She seized the remaining years of her life to give of her wealth and labour, spreading the name of 'Namo Amituofo' throughout the entire village. All the villagers who had previously followed her in worshipping Avalokiteshvara switched to reciting 'Namo Amituofo.' Ten years later, my grandmother did not leave this world in pain. This time, she was joyfully reciting 'Namo Amituofo,' dressed in beautiful clothes, waiting for the Buddha to come and lead her. After she passed away, the room was immediately filled with the fragrance of lotus flowers. We knew she had returned to the Western Land."

A Path of Continued Service

"For those ten years, I followed my grandmother, reciting the Buddha's name and saving sentient beings everywhere. I saw her transformation most clearly. The name 'Namo Amituofo' helped her stand up from her sickbed; her back, which had been hunched, straightened through her practice, and her legs, which could barely walk, recovered after she made the vow to save others. Most importantly, this name truly saved her from the darkness and eventually led her to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

"Although my grandmother left this world first, my path of saving beings did not end; I continued to move forward. My mother and father also joined the ranks of those saving beings, giving Dharma talks at various bodhimandas. At the age of twenty-five, I shaved my head and became a monk, beginning to save sentient beings on a wider scale. I am grateful for the compassion of Namo Amituofo, who led our family and countless spirits to be reborn in the Western Land. I want to tell the people of this world today that rebirth in the Western Land is not a difficult task; it all depends on a sincere heart. Recite the Buddha's name with a single mind, learn the Buddha's conduct, follow the teachings, and at the final moment, with one thought of 'Namo Amituofo,' you will return to your eternal home—the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

The White-Clad Spirits of the Universe

"I have been following Practitioner Su in the universe, performing Chao Du for spirits. Every day, different spirits appear in different spaces. Today, I encountered spirits of the universe dressed in white. They claimed to be righteous warriors who uphold justice; whenever someone appears in the universe who violates the universal principle, these white-clad warriors are sure to step forward to restore balance. In their past lives, these warriors were also practitioners. Today, they have come into the universe as a force for justice. However, their overly righteous nature also made them a force in opposition to the dark powers of the universe. Today, the Buddha-light came to lead these warriors, using the compassionate Buddha-name to soften their rigid nature. The warriors followed along, chanting the six-character name, and were reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

Namo Amituofo.