My Uncle's Pure Land Rebirth: Personal Insights

This was my first time confronting head-on a close family member’s passage from their final moments to death and rebirth in the Pure Land. I went through moments of retreat, panic, stress, and utter helplessness… but ultimately, I found solace in how I navigated this trial. This entire process, this first step I took, is incredibly precious to me!

Below, I will share some simple reflections in light of Master Yinguang’s Three Key Guidelines for the Dying:

1. Skillfully Guide and Comfort Them, to Help Them Generate True Faith

The news of my uncle’s impending passing came out of nowhere, and I had very little time to prepare. My mind was a complete fog — this was my first time facing a loved one’s final moments, and I had to convince my family to get on board. I was unprepared, lacked confidence, and felt completely unqualified. Taking this first step felt absolutely overwhelming for me.

On the way home from Donglin Patriarchal Temple, I received my master’s compassionate guidance and encouragement from my fellow practitioners along the way. Deep down, I had really hoped an experienced fellow practitioner would come back with me, as I felt far too weak to handle this alone… I arrived at my uncle’s house around 8 PM, and when I saw his state as he lingered between life and death, I immediately pulled up the prepared image of the Western Three Saints receiving souls on my phone. I started calling out to my uncle, and he opened his eyes — he could hear me. I held the image of the Western Three Saints up right in front of his face, and comforted him: “Uncle, don’t be afraid. Everyone has to die someday, and we will all face that day too. Nothing in this world can we take with us, nothing is reliable. At this moment, only Amitabha Buddha can save you. Uncle, you’re such a good person — you always went to the temple to volunteer in the past, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas know that, and they will protect you. So don’t be scared. Look, Amitabha Buddha has come to receive you, and Guanyin Bodhisattva is here too (since my uncle often spoke of Guanyin Bodhisattva in his daily life). We will chant Amitabha Buddha’s name. Even if you only chant it ten times, or even just once, he will come to receive you. In the Pure Land, you can eat whatever you want, have anything you desire.” (I had learned earlier that my uncle could no longer swallow, so he had essentially starved to death while lingering between life and death, and in his drowsy state, he kept calling out that he wanted to eat, eat, eat… so I focused on what he needed most in his final moments.)

(Since we were short on time, I didn’t have time to go into detail about all the benefits of Amitabha Buddha and the Western Pure Land, so I cut straight to the point of being reborn in the Pure Land.)

I continued to tell him, “If you can’t chant out loud, just listen to me chant. You can chant in your heart.” Then I started chanting the Buddha’s name to assist him, while still holding up the image of the Three Saints. My uncle’s eyes were fixed on the image of the Three Saints the entire time — he could see it clearly. After about a minute, my uncle closed his eyes.

But that one brief look filled me with immense confidence and hope. My previously anxious heart calmed down instantly — my uncle had connected with Amitabha Buddha. I was certain that even that fleeting moment of connection was extremely beneficial and wonderful for my uncle. He definitely believed that Amitabha Buddha could save him, and that Guanyin Bodhisattva would guide him. He had faith in the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and I have no doubt about that at all.

That reassurance was a powerful boost for both me, the one guiding him, and my uncle, the one receiving the guidance. I placed the nianfo player next to my uncle’s pillow, then spoke to his children who were gathered around his bed. They were overjoyed to have witnessed the moment my uncle opened his eyes to look at Amitabha Buddha…

2. Take Turns Chanting the Buddha’s Name Together, to Help Maintain a Pure Mind

Talking to my uncle’s children was far easier than I had expected, even a bit surprising. After just a few words (I mentioned that we shouldn’t cry, so my uncle could pass away peacefully, and that going to a good place would be good for both him and for us), my uncle’s eldest daughter immediately got emotional and agreed: “Yes, yes, we can’t cry!” She told us that after her own mother passed away, she had a dream where her mother kicked her hard, saying as she kicked her: “You’re the one who cried me to death.”

Her words were so perfectly timed, so I used that to talk about the harms of crying, and also suggested we invite people to come chant for my uncle, explaining the benefits of doing so. I never expected my uncle’s children to agree right away. I immediately reported the situation to the Changle Recitation Team and requested their help. The fellow practitioners were so compassionate that they came overnight to give guidance to my uncle and talk with the family, and we settled on a guided recitation session for the dying early the next morning.

For various reasons, my uncle was not able to hold on until the guided recitation session. In his final moments, at the exact second he passed away, the only thing accompanying him was the chanting of the Buddha’s name playing from the nianfo player. A close friend of his had been with him just before that, but at that moment I was outside his room talking to a few other people. Afterward, when I read the second of Master Yinguang’s Three Key Guidelines, every single word and line struck a chord deep in my heart, and I was filled with regret. At such a critical, life-or-death moment, being distracted by external concerns and showing no true compassion — that is absolutely something we must never do! I always talk about going with the flow and being accommodating, but I often find myself lost and uncertain. I know full well that at this stage between life and death, family members should spare no effort to organize shifts of chanting, with everyone taking turns to chant the Buddha’s name. But I was worried they would get tired and annoyed, and I felt stuck in the middle, powerless to act effectively. I realize now that knowing how to balance accommodation with what is truly necessary requires wisdom.

Master Yinguang’s Three Key Guidelines state: “When a patient is nearing the end of their life, this is the pivotal moment that determines whether they are reborn as an ordinary being, a sage, or a ghost. It is a moment of the utmost urgency, as critical as a single hair supporting a thousand pounds.”

I have truly come to deeply understand that a dying person’s condition can change in the blink of an eye, and impermanence arrives far faster than we expect.

Especially in the gap before the recitation team arrives, we must do everything possible to mobilize the dying person’s family members to chant for them. This is the most convenient, most reliable, and most beneficial thing for the deceased, because recitation teams have many constraints and cannot be on call at all times. The top priority must be getting the family to chant the Buddha’s name continuously, to help the dying person maintain a pure, focused mind. Even if none of my family had been willing to chant, I would have done everything I could to chant myself. This has been a profound lesson for me.

There is another point I need to reflect on: in the past, I only focused on my own practice, and never tried to inspire my family members, nor did I talk to my parents much about these matters. I was mainly worried that since they don’t practice Buddhism, talking about these things too much would make them misunderstand and become annoyed. At this stage, my parents don’t oppose me doing volunteer work at the temple, but they don’t understand it or support it. I had originally planned to first subdue my own bad habits, accumulate merit and blessings, temper my original aspiration, and build up more concentration before I tried to share these teachings with them. Now I see I was on the wrong path before — at the very least, I was wrong for failing to seek my parents’ and family’s understanding.

In the future, whether I am at home or at the temple, I will make a point to communicate and share these teachings with my family more. I will constantly share the benefits and merits of the Western Pure Land, and the power of chanting the name of Namo Amitabha Buddha. I will treat this with the same urgency as if my head were on fire, to cultivate a strong connection to Amitabha Buddha in my family. Otherwise, we will be too weak and face countless obstacles.

After going through this experience with my uncle, I believe our communication will improve.

3. Strictly Avoid Moving the Body or Crying, to Prevent Interfering with the Dying Person’s Peaceful Passing

After my uncle passed away, his family was eager to wipe his body, change his clothes, move his body, and change the location of the passing — all these actions were taken. The scene was truly distressing to witness. I am deeply grateful that the leader of the recitation team arrived in time to give guidance. After that, the fellow practitioners on the recitation rotation took over chanting one shift after another, stabilizing the situation. Once everyone calmed down, the family members were deeply moved and inspired, and we ultimately completed a full 26-hour recitation session for my uncle.

Especially in the final hour, at the call of the team leader, most of the family members joined in the chanting. I was very moved and relieved — I had worried they wouldn’t be able to keep going for a full hour, because before, when I saw them chanting, they would only last a few minutes before walking away. In the end, my uncle’s lips were a natural rosy color, and he had a gentle smile on his face.

The power of the Buddha is truly inconceivable! Afterward, my uncle’s eldest daughter asked me to give her the nianfo player to wear around her neck, saying that listening to the Buddha’s name made her feel comfortable (of course that’s wonderful — when she listens, she chants along naturally). My younger brother told me: “I never imagined it would turn out like this. It’s truly wonderful, I’ve learned so much.” (He had been opposed to the idea before.) After seeing my uncle’s peaceful face, my father looked at me with a complex, emotional gaze, and I could tell he approved. My uncle (my father’s younger brother) said: “You have to take me to Donglin Temple.”

I think this is the beginning of cultivating my own pure karmic roots, and awakening faith in the people around me.

Everything is created by the mind. Some things seem impossible, seem terribly difficult, but with Amitabha Buddha, nothing is hard. There are constant turning points, constant improvements.

Even if you make the smallest effort, or have a single moment of good intention, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will bless you and grant you real, tangible benefits. I have deeply realized: I had no power of my own to rely on. Looking back, I didn’t even put in my full effort myself. The fact that this recitation session was successful and that everyone benefited is entirely thanks to the Buddha’s power. The Buddha is so infinitely compassionate. The only way to repay the Buddha’s kindness is to uphold the precepts sincerely and chant the Buddha’s name with devotion.

And all sentient beings also support and help you in all kinds of ways. I am increasingly understanding why the Buddha teaches us to repay the kindness of all sentient beings.

Life and death are the most serious matters there are. We must study and internalize the Three Key Guidelines repeatedly until we can recite every word by heart. At critical moments, the guidance in these texts can be used directly, exactly when we need it.

I am forever grateful to my master, and to all my fellow practitioners! Namo Amitabha Buddha!