Master Jìng Jiè - Obstacles for Shanghai Layman Lin’s Rebirth 上海林居士往生的障礙

(English Subtitles) Lectured by Master Jìng Jiè (淨界法師) from Taiwan.
Subtitles:
It's said that layman Lin used to live in Shanghai, and he was a business man. Later he retired when he got old, and he spent his own money to build a Buddhist chanting hall named Yiyuan and led others to practice together. In his later years, he fell ill. After falling ill, he knew his time was running out. He said: I don't want to treat it. Can everybody help chant Buddha for me? Because he provided the hall for Buddha chanting and made good affinity with people, many came to help chanting for him. You see, the spiritual power of all living beings is inconceivable. He also used to chant Buddha. It inspired the Buddha name in his heart. So his heart interacts with the Buddha's name. His spiritual power brings forth the Buddhist power, and the Buddhist power bless his spiritual power. He has entered a virtuous cycle of spiritual power and Buddhist power. Therefore, his complexion was clam and peaceful. His mind corresponded to the name of Buddha.
1:00
However, something happened. As it turns out, he had two wives, and he had deeper affection for his younger wife. When the younger wife came, she cried and fussed, and said: You can't die. How can I live without you. Hearing this sentence, his emotions were touched. Then he was distracted and got upset. As a result, he was reborn as a puppy in Hong Kong. Later, he sent a message to his son in his dream. According to this dream, his son went to Hong Kong and found this dog and sent it to Master Tanxu’s temple for release. Let's look at layman Lin. There are two stages before he deceased. To be honest, he was very good at reciting the Buddha's name in the first half until his younger wife came to disrupt the scheme. He was supposed to be reborn in the Pure Land. But according to Master Yinguang's comment, you can't blame others, it's your ability that should be blamed.
2:00
Who told you to only practice coursework and not contemplate rationally. Why are your positive thoughts so fragile? You can't assume that no one will disturb you when you are dying. You shouldn't be like this. Matters arising from causes and conditions is intricate. You don't know how many relationship you had in the past lives, no matter good or bad. I think layman Lin made a mistake, though he had taken refuge in Amitabha. But he did not have a wisdom of contemplating rationally. Namely, his positive thoughts are pursued externally. In any case, if your merits and positive thoughts are externally pursued, you have lost the initiative. As the sutra says, it is that you borrowed. Whenever you practice, you are establishing positive thoughts without anyone interrupting you.
3:00
Every time you enter the Buddha hall, you turn on the air conditioner, turn off the phone, and chant the Buddha. It's reasonable, but if you don't have the wisdom of rational contemplating. Your positive thoughts are very fragile. A gust of wind can blow it away. If you have the idea of The Lotus Sutra, at the beginning you do not establish on the cause and condition but contemplate internally, activate your mental nature, peacefully reside on your pure heart, bring forth the vow of bodhi. At last, take refuge in Amitabha. If you establish the positive thoughts through internal contemplating, it will be difficult to be destroyed because it has nothing to do with cause and condition. That's why Master Oee said: Buddha's name is related to heart nature. If you wonder about heart nature completely. That is, you never activate your merit of heart nature, you just take refuge in Buddhism and bring up the Buddha’s name.
4:00
Then you'd better pray that you'll die without obstacles because you never contemplate rationally but only practice coursework. Then you should repent of your sins and do good deeds. Then pray to Amitabha not to have karmic hindrances when you are dying, because I cannot stand the test, you can only do this way. What to do? You completely practice coursework.
If you still bring up Buddha's name by cling to external conditions. I go after a merit of Buddha's name to liberate me. Your merit of chanting is fragile. If your Buddha's name chanting is through contemplating internally, developed from your heart to bring up your heart nature wholeheartedly, realize there is no difference between heart, Buddha, and sentient beings, your Buddha's name will be sturdy, and you have nothing to do with anyone that comes to you.